Lemon sugar cookies topped with creamy lemon buttercream and a tiny lemon slice for an extra burst of brightness. These are truly the best lemon sugar cookies—a zesty variation on a classic bakery-style sugar cookie.
You might also enjoy Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies, Lemon Curd Hand Pies, Homemade Lemon Curd, or Blueberry Lemon Cobbler.
Watch our step by step video!
My bakery-style sugar cookies are a longtime favorite, and adding fresh lemon zest and juice lifts them to a whole new level. If you love bright, lemony flavors, these cookies will not disappoint.
The base is a light, buttery sugar cookie scented with lemon zest. Once cooled, each cookie gets a smear of tangy lemon buttercream and an optional tiny lemon slice placed on top for a pretty finish and an extra pop of acidity.
The lemon slice is optional but recommended—placed on the frosting, it won’t make the cookie soggy and adds a delightful contrast to the sweet buttercream.
If you won’t eat the cookies the same day, store the baked cookies in an airtight container or freeze them unfrosted, then add the buttercream and lemon slices before serving. This recipe yields about 36 cookies with the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.
How To Shape Sugar Cookies
Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the dough onto ungreased baking sheets. Roll each portion between your palms into a smooth ball.
Dip the bottom of a glass in granulated sugar and press it onto each dough ball to flatten. These cookies will puff while baking, so press down firmly—I like to press until the edges come up slightly over the side of the jar or glass.
Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 3–5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
While the cookies cool, prepare a lemon buttercream. Spoon or spread a small amount of frosting onto each cookie—double the frosting if you prefer a thicker layer. Top each finished cookie with a tiny lemon slice.
The BEST Lemon Sugar Cookies
The BEST Lemon Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- zest from 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup corn starch
- 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
Lemon Frosting
- ½ cup butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3-4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- zest from 1 lemon
- 1 lemon cut into small slices
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, beat butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Reduce mixer speed and add the egg, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add baking powder, then sift in flour and cornstarch and mix until combined (about 1–2 minutes).
- Scoop dough with a medium cookie scoop onto ungreased baking sheets and roll each portion into a ball.
- Dip a glass in sugar and press it into each dough ball to flatten.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on the pan for 3–5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- Beat the frosting ingredients together with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread onto cooled cookies.
- Cut a lemon into very thin slices and place one tiny slice on each frosted cookie.
Notes
If you use salted butter, no extra salt is necessary. If using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon salt to the dry ingredients for the cookie dough.
Cookies can sit at room temperature for about 24 hours. For longer storage, wrap and refrigerate to keep the lemon slices fresh.
Nutrition
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