These lemon crinkle cookies are chewy and soft in the center, have a crispy exterior, and a delicious, zesty, fresh lemon flavor.
These lemon crinkle cookies are chewy and soft in the center, with a light, crispy exterior that makes every bite irresistible.
They’re filled with a fresh, zesty lemon flavor from real lemon juice and lemon zest, giving them a bright and uplifting taste.
The crackly, powdered-sugar coating adds sweetness and makes the lemon flavor pop even more.
These cookies stay tender for days, and their mix of chewy texture and crisp edges makes them a perfect treat for lemon lovers.
If you like crinkle cookies, check out my chocolate crinkle cookies!
For more lemon desserts, check out my lemon sheet cake, lemon meringue cake, lemon curd cake, lemon meringue cookies, and lemon cream cheese bundt cake.
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Why this recipe works
- Lemon flavor- They're packed with real lemon juice and zest, giving them a bold citrus taste. The flavor is bright, tangy, and super refreshing.
- Texture- These cookies have the best of both worlds: crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. The contrast makes every bite extra satisfying and fun to eat.
- Ease– These cookies are incredibly simple to make with basic steps and everyday ingredients, so anyone can bake them successfully.
- Beautiful crackle look- As they bake, the cookies crack open in the oven. The powdered sugar makes the cracks pop and gives them a pretty, homemade look.
- No artificial food coloring- these cookies are made with all-natural ingredients and do not have any food coloring or artificial flavoring.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Oil- I used vegetable oil for this, but you can use canola oil as well!
Lemon juice- Use fresh lemon juice for these cookies. Fresh lemons give a bright, clean taste that bottled juice can’t match.
Lemon zest- Zest the lemon before juicing it for the easiest prep and the most flavor.
Flour– I use all-purpose flour for this recipe. Cake flour works great too, and will give you a slightly softer cookie.
Cornstarch- Helps keep the cookies thick, soft, and tender. It improves the texture and prevents spreading.
Baking soda and baking powder– These give the cookies their lift and help them spread just the right amount. Make sure your leaveners are fresh and not expired.
Granulated sugar– I use granulated sugar, but caster sugar works just as well and dissolves even faster.
Eggs- You’ll need 2 large eggs at room temperature so they incorporate smoothly into the batter.
Vanilla extract- Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean extract for a deeper flavor.
Kosher salt- A small amount of salt brings out the lemon flavor and balances the sweetness.
For the coating
Granulated sugar- Used for the first coating layer, which helps create the crispy exterior. Granulated or caster sugar both work.
Powder sugar- Gives the cookies their classic crinkle look. You can make your own by blending granulated sugar in a blender or food processor if you don’t have store-bought.
Instructions
Into a large mixing bowl, add the vegetable oil, lemon juice, granulated sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix just until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing so the cookies stay soft and chewy.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour. You can also chill it overnight for even easier scooping.
Use a large cookie scoop (or measure about 3 tablespoons of dough) and roll each portion into a smooth ball. Roll each dough ball first in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar to coat.
Place the coated dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 180°C (350°F) oven for about 10 minutes.
The cookies should stay light in color; don’t overbake them if you want a soft, chewy center.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Do not overbake these cookies! These cookies should stay light in color. Take them out at around 10 minutes to keep the centers soft and chewy.
- Space them apart. The cookies spread as they bake, so leave enough room on the baking sheet to keep them from touching.
- Measure your flour correctly! Too much flour can make the cookies dry. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off instead of packing it in.
- Chill the dough. Even a short chill helps the cookies hold their shape, crack nicely on top, and stay thick and chewy.
- Zest your lemons carefully. When zesting the lemons, avoid the bitter white pith beneath the skin. Use a microplane or fine grater to get the most aromatic zest possible.
- Double coat in sugar. Rolling the dough in granulated sugar first helps the powdered sugar stick better and gives the cookies a crisp outside.
- Use fresh lemons. Fresh lemon juice and zest give the cookies the strongest, brightest citrus flavor. Bottled lemon juice won’t taste the same.
- Room-temperature eggs. They mix more smoothly into the batter and help the cookies bake evenly.
- Use a cookie scoop. For evenly sized cookies that bake uniformly, use a small or medium cookie scoop.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Overmixing develops gluten and can make the cookies tough. Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears.
- Cool on the sheet first. Letting the cookies rest for a few minutes on the baking sheet helps them set without drying out, keeping that perfect soft texture.
Faq's
This may happen if you overbake your cookies. I always love to underbake my cookies by a little bit because they continue to bake in the cooling process.
The secret to perfect crinkle cookies is chilled dough and a thick coating of powdered sugar. Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape, while the sugar highlights the cracks as they spread and bake.
Lemon crinkle cookies have a bright, zesty flavor with the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. They’re soft and chewy on the inside with a light, sugary crisp on the outside.
If your crinkle cookies aren’t crinkling, the dough may be too warm or too wet. Make sure to chill it well and coat generously in powdered sugar before baking to help create those signature cracks.
Lemon crinkle cookies get their flavor from fresh lemon zest and lemon juice, which add a bright, tangy citrus taste. A little vanilla and sugar help balance the sharpness and make the lemon flavor delicate.
Storing
You can store these lemon crinkle cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days. Keep them in a cool, dry spot so the powdered sugar coating stays crisp.
For longer storage, place them in the fridge for up to a week. they’ll stay soft and chewy.
Freezing
To freeze the dough:
Scoop the dough into balls and roll them in granulated sugar only. Freeze the balls on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container.
Freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, let the dough sit out for 10–15 minutes, roll it in powdered sugar, and bake.
To freeze the baked cookies:
Let the cookies cool completely, then freeze them in a single layer until solid. Transfer to an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper.
Freeze for up to 2 months, and thaw at room temperature before eating.
Substitutions
Gluten-free- you can swap the flour with gluten-free flour to make these gluten-free. I never tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but it should work.
Variations
Lemon white chocolate- Fold ½ cup white chocolate chips into the dough, or drizzle melted white chocolate over the cooled cookies.
Lemon zest- Add even more lemon zest for a stronger lemon flavor and aroma.
Lemon flavor- For extra lemon flavor, add ½ teaspoon of lemon paste or lemon extract!
Lemon blueberry- Fold ½ cup fresh or freeze-dried blueberries into the dough for a bright, fruity twist.
Lemon raspberry- Add ½ teaspoon raspberry jam in the center of each dough ball before baking for a sweet-tangy surprise.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls (large and medium).
- Electric hand mixer.
- Measuring cups and spoons.
- Citrus juicer (optional, for fresh lemon juice).
- Rubber spatula.
- Cookies scoop set of 3.
- Baking sheet.
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
More lemon cookie recipes
Lemon Curd Cookies- These lemon curd cookies are made with a soft, buttery shortbread thumbprint cookie filled with homemade lemon curd.
Lemon Shortbread Cookies- These lemon shortbread cookies have a buttery and tender texture and a lemony flavor and are topped with a lemon glaze.
Lemon Cooler Cookies- These lemon cooler cookies are made with fresh lemon zest and lemon juice, making the lemon flavor pop! These are the perfect summer cookies, buttery and tossed in powdered sugar.
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and a comment below. I love hearing from you.
If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Easy Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoon Lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 ½ teaspoon Lemon zest
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ⅓ teaspoon Baking soda
For rolling
- ⅓ cups Granulated sugar
- ⅓ cups Powder sugar
Instructions
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the vegetable oil, lemon juice, granulated sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix just until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing so the cookies stay soft and chewy.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour. You can also chill it overnight for even easier scooping.
- Use a large cookie scoop (or measure about 3 tablespoons of dough) and roll each portion into a smooth ball. Roll each dough ball first in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar to coat.
- Place the coated dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 180°C (350°F) oven for about 10 minutes.
- The cookies should stay light in color; don’t overbake them if you want a soft, chewy center.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Do not overbake these cookies! These cookies should stay light in color. Take them out at around 10 minutes to keep the centers soft and chewy.
- Space them apart. The cookies spread as they bake, so leave enough room on the baking sheet to keep them from touching.
- Measure your flour correctly! Too much flour can make the cookies dry. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off instead of packing it in.
- Chill the dough. Even a short chill helps the cookies hold their shape, crack nicely on top, and stay thick and chewy.
- Zest your lemons carefully. When zesting the lemons, avoid the bitter white pith beneath the skin. Use a microplane or fine grater to get the most aromatic zest possible.
- Double coat in sugar. Rolling the dough in granulated sugar first helps the powdered sugar stick better and gives the cookies a crisp outside.
- Use fresh lemons. Fresh lemon juice and zest give the cookies the strongest, brightest citrus flavor. Bottled lemon juice won’t taste the same.
- Room-temperature eggs. They mix more smoothly into the batter and help the cookies bake evenly.
- Use a cookie scoop. For evenly sized cookies that bake uniformly, use a small or medium cookie scoop.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Overmixing develops gluten and can make the cookies tough. Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears.
- Cool on the sheet first. Letting the cookies rest for a few minutes on the baking sheet helps them set without drying out, keeping that perfect soft texture.
Kathryn
Can you leave the cornstarch out of this recipe? Don't have any on hand but would like to make them today.
RichandDelish
Hi! You can swap the cornstarch with the same amount of flour. Hope this helps. Happy baking!
Priscilla
Thank you so much. They are so delicious! I can't stop eating them.I'm making them for our teachers at school. Happy holidays!
RichandDelish
Right! They are so addictive that you can't stop at one! I'm so happy you enjoyed them, thank you for your review!
Infoa
Can I make these with another citrus fruit or combine citrus? Lemon/Lime, Lime or orange...
RichandDelish
Yes! Any citrus will work.