Soft Chewy Lemon Cookies (Printable Version)

Bright, zesty, and irresistibly soft with citrusy lemon flavor in every bite. Perfect with afternoon tea.

# What You Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
05 - 2 teaspoons lemon zest
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Finishing

10 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for coating, optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
03 - Beat in the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
06 - Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough and, if desired, roll each ball in powdered sugar.
07 - Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
08 - Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until edges are just set and centers look slightly underbaked.
09 - Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dough comes together in one bowl with zero fuss and no chilling required, which means you can go from craving to cookie in under half an hour.
  • That powdery sugar coating crackles slightly in the oven and makes each cookie look like it came from a bakery case.
02 -
  • Underbaking by one minute is the single most important trick for achieving that chewy, soft center everyone fights over.
  • The cookies will look puffy and almost raw in the middle when you pull them out, but they continue cooking on the hot pan and settle into perfection.
03 -
  • Room temperature eggs blend more evenly into creamed butter, preventing those weird little curdled patches that sometimes appear in the batter.
  • If you chill the dough for even fifteen minutes before scooping, the cookies spread less and hold a thicker, chewier shape in the oven.

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