Cookies
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Soft lemon cookies with a bright citrus flavor and a generous powdered sugar coating that bakes into a crisp crinkle finish.
By PedroPublished August 8, 2026 · Updated September 14, 2026i
Estimated total time. This covers the full recipe from start to finish, including preparation and any resting, chilling, baking, or cooling. Some of that time is hands-off.
I made these lemon crinkle cookies as a small surprise for my wife, and she loved them. They’re a nice change from chocolate: soft and lemon-colored in the middle, with a powdered sugar coating that cracks as they bake. There’s no decorating to do afterward; the white crinkles are already there when the tray comes out.
I like the lemon zest as much as the juice in these. You notice that citrus smell before taking a bite, and the sweetness of the coating sits nicely against it. Each cookie spreads a little differently, so the finished tray has a mix of fine cracks and wider patches of yellow showing through.
Ingredients for Lemon Crinkle Cookies
I use both fresh lemon juice and finely grated zest, because they bring different parts of the lemon flavor. The butter, egg, and juice should be at room temperature, and I keep the optional granulated coating sugar separate from the powdered sugar.
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 5 g baking powder
- 140 g unsalted buttersoftened to room temperature
- 170 g granulated sugar
- 1 eggat room temperature
- 50 g lemon juiceat room temperature
- 5 g finely grated lemon zest
- 30 g granulated sugaroptional, for coating
- 100 g powdered sugarfor coating
From my kitchen
Watch me make Lemon Crinkle Cookies
See the recipe come together, then follow the written steps below.
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How to Make Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Line two baking sheets and bake one tray at a time. Each cookie starts with about 20 g of dough.
Mix the dry ingredients
Sift the all-purpose flour and baking powder into a bowl, then set it aside.
Cream the butter and sugar
In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter and 170 g granulated sugar with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
Add the lemon and egg
Add the egg, followed by the lemon juice and finely grated lemon zest. Mix for about 1 minute. The mixture may look slightly separated at this stage, but it comes together once the flour is added.
Finish the dough
Gradually add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the flour is fully incorporated. The finished dough should be soft, thick, and slightly sticky.
Prepare the trays and coating
Heat the oven to 180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Put the optional 30 g granulated sugar in one small bowl and the powdered sugar in another.
Portion and coat the dough
Scoop portions of dough weighing about 20 g and roll them between your hands to form balls. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar, if using, then coat it generously in powdered sugar. For a whiter surface and a more noticeable crinkle effect, roll each ball in powdered sugar a second time.
Arrange the cookies
Arrange the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each one.
Bake and cool
Bake one tray at a time for about 11 minutes. The edges should look set while the centers are still soft. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. They firm up as they cool.
Tips that make a difference
- Beat the butter and sugar for the full 3 minutes so the mixture is pale and fluffy before the egg and lemon go in.
- Do not worry if the mixture looks slightly separated after adding the lemon. The flour brings the dough together.
- Keep the dough portions close to 20 g so the cookies bake at the same pace.
- Roll the balls in powdered sugar twice when you want a whiter, more pronounced crinkle surface.
I like these when a cookie needs to feel light and fresh without turning into a dessert project. The lemon keeps the flavor bright, and the powdered sugar gives every cookie its own little crackled finish.
The Final Lemon Cookies
I made these as a small surprise for my wife, and she loved them. They came out soft through the middle, bright with lemon, and properly crinkled on top. These last photos show the batch from the sugar-coated tray to the finished cookies on the plate.
Save this recipe
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Soft lemon cookies with a bright citrus flavor and a generous powdered sugar coating that bakes into a crisp crinkle finish.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Mix the dry ingredients
Sift the all-purpose flour and baking powder into a bowl, then set it aside.
- 2Cream the butter and sugar
In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter and 170 g granulated sugar with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
- 3Add the lemon and egg
Add the egg, followed by the lemon juice and finely grated lemon zest. Mix for about 1 minute. The mixture may look slightly separated at this stage, but it comes together once the flour is added.
- 4Finish the dough
Gradually add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the flour is fully incorporated. The finished dough should be soft, thick, and slightly sticky.
- 5Prepare the trays and coating
Heat the oven to 180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Put the optional 30 g granulated sugar in one small bowl and the powdered sugar in another.
- 6Portion and coat the dough
Scoop portions of dough weighing about 20 g and roll them between your hands to form balls. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar, if using, then coat it generously in powdered sugar. For a whiter surface and a more noticeable crinkle effect, roll each ball in powdered sugar a second time.
- 7Arrange the cookies
Arrange the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each one.
- 8Bake and cool
Bake one tray at a time for about 11 minutes. The edges should look set while the centers are still soft. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. They firm up as they cool.
Questions you might have
Why does the dough look slightly separated after the lemon is added?
The dough can look slightly separated after the egg, lemon juice, and zest are mixed in. It comes together once the flour mixture is added.
Do I need to use granulated sugar before the powdered sugar?
No. The granulated sugar coating is optional. Use it before the powdered sugar if you choose to include it.
How do I get a stronger crinkle effect?
Roll each dough ball generously in powdered sugar a second time for a whiter surface and a more noticeable crinkle effect.
