Soft and fudgy on the inside, with a slight crispiness on the edges, these lemon crinkle cookies are a lemon enthusiast’s dream! Packed with lemon flavor and an incredible aroma!

About This Recipe
Lemon crinkle cookies are super soft and fudgy on the inside and have a slightly crispy exterior. They’re covered in powdered sugar before baking, and while the cookies bake they spread causing the powdered sugar to make cracks all over the cookies, and hence the name crinkle cookies.
Crinkle cookies come in various flavors, but today we will focus on making lemon crinkle cookies! These cookies are infused with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, eliminating the need for artificial flavoring. If you have experience baking or cooking with lemons, you’ll understand the intense flavor that lemon zest provides, resulting in cookies bursting with a robust lemon taste that complements the sweetness of the cookies.
These lemon crinkle cookies are also perfect for the summer! Bright, vibrant, zesty, and delicious!
What Yu Need To Make This Recipe

Flour: this recipe is made with all-purpose flour.
Sugar: you’ll need granulated sugar for the cookie dough and as well as rolling the cookies in before baking. The cookies get rolled in granulated sugar before being rolled in powdered sugar, to prevent the cookies dough from absorbing all the powdered sugar before the cookies are baked.
Powdered sugar: this is for rolling the cookies in before baking. It’s what gives the lemon crinkle cookies their crinkle effect.
Lemons: you’ll need about two medium sized lemons for the lemon zest and juice.
Baking soda: this will give the cookies a beautiful rise, making them soft rather than dense. Make sure you’re using baking soda not baking powder and that you’re baking soda isn’t expired.
Slat: adding a bit of salt balances the overall sweetness of the cookies.
Eggs: use room temperature eggs for the best results. Eggs are the binding agent in the cookies, giving them structure.
Butter: you’ll need unsalted butter. The butter does not have to be at room temperature because it’s going to be melted anyway. Make sure to let the melted butter cool down before using it in the recipe.
How To Make Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Step 1: In a bowl combine granulated sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Use your finger to rub the lemon zest into the sugar. This releases the oils in the zest making cookies super flavorful!
Step 2: Add in the melted butter and give it a mix. Next add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon juice and mix until everything is fully combined. You could also add in few drops of yellow food coloring at this point if you’d like bright yellow cookies!


Step 3: Add in the flour and baking soda and fold until all the ingredients are incorporated.
Step 4: Cover and let the cookie dough rest for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Chilling is very important for this sticky cookie dough.



Step 5: Once chilled, scoop one tablespoon portions of the dough and roll it into a somewhat smooth ball, the dough will be sticky so it does not have to be perfect. Roll each of the balls in granulated sugar first then in powdered sugar. Bake at 180 °C / 350 °F for 12-14 minutes. Cool on the baking tray for at least 5 minutes before transferring them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Storing/Freezing The Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Store the lemon crinkle cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week.
To freeze the cookie dough: scoop the chilled cookie dough(chill for at least 3 hours) on to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and freeze for 2 hours. Then transfer the frozen cookie dough balls into a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Once you’re ready to bake the cookies, thaw them at room temp. for 30 minutes then follow the recipe from step 6.
To freeze the baked cookies: wrap them in a layer of plastic-wrap then in a layer of aluminum foil and then finally place them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Pro Tips
- Measure your ingredients properly, especially the flour, adding too much or too little can drastically change the texture of the cookies.
- If you have a convection oven (oven with a fan setting), reduce the temperature by 20 degrees.
- Chilling the cookie dough for at least 4 hours is a must in this recipe! The cookie dough is way too sticky to handle without chilling. If you’re short on time, you could freeze the cookie dough for 1-2 hours instead.
- Before baking the lemon crinkle cookies, coat in powdered sugar one more time (because the powdered sugar might have been absorbed a bit) if you really want a beautiful crinkle effect.
- Add a drop or two of yellow food coloring into the wet ingredients to make your cookies bright and vibrant!
- When zesting your lemons, be careful not to grate into the white part that’s below the yellow skin. This is bitter and could ruin the taste of your cookies.
FAQ’s
Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time?
Yes! The cookie dough can be chilled for up to 3 days, making a great make-ahead recipe. When you’re ready to bake your cookies, let the cookie dough sit at room temp. for 5 minutes before scooping it as it might be too hard.
Can I use a different citrus fruit?
Absolutely! Just follow the exact same steps as in the recipe but with whatever citrus fruit you’d like. You could use lime, oranges, or even grapefruit! If you love orange, you have to try my chocolate orange cookies, and my chocolate orange shortbread cookies.
What is the texture of crinkle cookies like?
Crinkle cookies are typically soft and fudgy on the inside with a slightly crispy exterior. It’s kind of like a cookie, brownie, and a cake all in one!

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Recipe Card
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Soft and fudgy on the inside, with a slight crispiness on the edges, these lemon crinkle cookies are a lemon enthusiast’s dream! Packed with lemon flavor and an incredible aroma!

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 12 min
Chill Time: 4 hrs.
Total Time: 4 hrs. 22 min
Course: Dessert
Servings: 18 cookies
Calories: 178.05kcal
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled (113g)
- 2 large eggs, room temp.
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (60ml)
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (280g)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
For coating:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Equipment/Utensils
- 1 large bowl
- Spatula
- 2 baking trays lined with parchment paper
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine granulated sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar, this will release the oils in the lemon zest making the crinkle cookies super lemony!
- Add salt and melted (and cooled) butter. Mix using a spatula until fully combined.
- Add in the eggs, vanilla extract and, lemon juice and mix until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. You could also add in a few drops of yellow food coloring into the wet ingredients at this point.
- Finally add in the all-purpose flour and baking soda. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until fully combined. Cover and chill the dough for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.
- Once the chilling times comes to an end, preheat your oven to 180 °C / 350 °F and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Prepare two bowls with granulated and powdered sugar for coating.
- Measure 1 heaping tablespoon portions of the cookie dough and roll in out into a ball, use some powdered sugar on your hands to prevent sticking.
- Roll each cookie dough ball in granulated sugar first, then in powdered sugar and arrange them on the prepared trays leaving at least 2 inches of space between each cookie.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes until the tops have beautiful crinkles and the sides are just staring to brown.
- Once baked, let the cookies cool for at least 5 minutes on the tray before transferring them onto a cooling rack to cool completely (or you could just let them cool completely on the trays.). Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 178.05kcal
Total Fat: 5.78g
Carbs: 29.56g
Sugars: 17.43g
Protein: 2.38g
Sodium: 95.98mg
Fiber: 0.47g
**Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more. **