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Rolled in powdered sugar and flavored with sweet Meyer lemon zest and juice, you’ll love these soft and buttery Meyer lemon crinkle cookies! For best results, be sure to cover and chill the cookie dough for 3 to 4 hours before baking. Recipe makes 20 cookies.
These lemon crinkle cookies bake up with a pillowy soft and buttery texture. They’re a must bake for any lemon dessert lover, and one of my favorite Meyer lemon recipes!
Rolling the cookie dough in granulated sugar before coating in powdered sugar helps the cookies crackle as they bake, and helps keep the powdered sugar coating in place, for perfect crinkles with every batch!
Love lemon cookies? Try my lemon shortbread cookies next!
Best Lemons to Use
If you’re new to Meyer lemons, you’re in for a treat. Essentially a cross between a regular lemon and a mandarin orange, Meyer lemons are smaller than regular lemons with smooth, thin skin.
Incredibly sweet and aromatic, I highly recommend using Meyer lemons in these crinkle cookies for the most delicious results.
If you can’t find Meyer lemons, you can also use regular lemons. Regular lemons will add a slightly more tangy, zesty flavor to the cookies.
Make Ahead and Freezing Tips
Make the dough in advance, roll into balls, and freeze on a baking sheet for 1 hour. Transfer to an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Just before baking, roll the cookie dough in granulated sugar, coat in powered sugar, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake cookies as directed, adding 1-2 minutes to baking time.
To freeze lemon crinkle cookies, allow the baked cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. Freeze cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet for 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container in the freezer and freeze for up to 2 months.
Favorite Meyer lemon recipes:
- Meyer Lemon Bundt Cake
- Meyer Lemon Brown Butter Bars
- Meyer Lemon Yogurt Cake
- Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake
Did you try this Lemon Crinkle Cookie Recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below!
Meyer Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hr 35 minutes (includes chilling)
- Yield: 20 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Rolled in powdered sugar and flavored with sweet Meyer lemon zest and juice, you’ll love these soft and buttery Meyer lemon crinkle cookies! For best results, be sure to cover and chill the cookie dough for 3 to 4 hours before baking. Recipe makes 20 cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp Meyer lemon zest
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp fresh Meyer lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For Rolling
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl. Place sugar and Meyer lemon zest in a food processor and pulse for one minute. Beat butter and Meyer lemon-sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until creamy; beat in egg, lemon juice, and vanilla until combined. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; beat just until incorporated. Cover dough and chill in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (if cookie dough has chilled overnight, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place granulated sugar and powdered sugar in separate shallow bowls. Use a cookie scoop coated with nonstick spray to scoop 1 1/2-inch balls of dough. Drop the balls of dough in granulated sugar and roll to coat, then coat generously in powdered sugar. Place two inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 14 to 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until edges are set and tops are matte (not shiny). Cool for 10 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
Lemons: Meyer lemons are a cross between regular lemons and mandarin oranges, and the zest and juice is sweet and aromatic. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, you can also use regular lemons. Regular lemons will add a slightly more tangy, zesty flavor to the cookies.
Make Ahead: Make the dough in advance, roll into balls, and freeze on a baking sheet for 1 hour. Transfer to an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Just before baking, roll the cookie dough in granulated sugar, coat in powdered sugar, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake cookies as directed, adding 1-2 minutes to baking time.
In my household we don’t like to eat things that are too sweet. So I reduce the sugar from one cup to 2/3 cup and it was absolutely perfect for us. I can’t wait to share this with my sister, if My son doesn’t finish the entire batch by tomorrow morning! I’m going to take something
Thanks so much, Tina! 🙂
Delicious and so easy to make!
These turned out great!!! I won’t be serving them for 3 days, so I’m wondering if I should freeze them. Or will they still taste fresh by then in an airtight container? Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Tina, thanks so much! If you live in a dry climate, they should be ok stored in an airtight container. If it’s at all humid, I recommend freezing them – humidity and crinkle cookies are not a great combination. Hope that helps!
I live in Arizona and there are Meyer lemon trees everywhere. I’ve made these cookies a few times and have gotten rave reviews for them!
Thanks so much, Lisa! Meyer lemons are the best!
These cookies are amazing. Incredibly moist with the subtle sugary crackle top. I used a tbs of beautifully floral olive oil in place of some butter and they came out perfectly.
Thanks so much, Mike! The olive oil addition sounds delicious, great tip!