Say hello to my new favorite cookies. I know, you’re not surprised, because you know how much I love lemon. But these(!) lemon cookies have that bakery-perfect chewy middle with a lightly crisp edge and a perfect balance of light & bright citrus flavor. A real treat, especially now that we’re entering the holiday season, although I would happily take one of these lemon cookies any day of the year.
This lemon cookie recipe comes from my friend Melissa Coleman’s book The Minimalist Kitchen. You may know of her blog, The Faux Martha. If you don’t, go check it out – you’ll absolutely love her. She has wonderfully approachable mealtime recipes, highly do-able organizational tips (check out her pretty pantry), and, man, can that girl bake.
Lemon Cookie Recipe Ingredients
Trust me, you’re going to want to try these lemon cookies ASAP. Here’s what you need:
- All-purpose flour makes the base of the dough.
- Cornmeal and poppyseeds give these cookies substance and contribute to their delectable crisp/chewy texture.
- Baking soda helps them rise.
- Sea salt highlights the lemon flavor.
- Sugar sweetens them up.
- Butter and olive oil combine to add richness and accent the citrus essence.
- Lemon juice and orange and lemon zest make them bright, fresh, and citrusy.
- And an egg puffs them up and perfects their moist, chewy middles.
That’s it! Let’s bake.
These photos actually make these lemon cookies look kind of small, but made with a 1/4-cup cookie scoop, they’re a perfect 1-cookie afternoon indulgence with a cup of coffee or tea.
If you love these lemon cookies…
Try these oatmeal cookies, these sugar cookies, these peanut butter cookies, these shortbread cookies, or these breakfast cookies next!
- 2¼ cups-all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temp
- 1 cup sugar, more for sprinkling
- 1½ teaspoons lemon zest
- 1½ teaspoons orange zest
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, poppy seeds, baking soda, and salt.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and zests on medium speed until well combined. Add the oil, egg, and lemon juice. Continue mixing until pale and evenly combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the creamed ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. The dough will be somewhat dense.
- Using a ¼-cup sized cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet (note: these cookies will spread, so leave some room in between each one), and sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. The cookies will seem like they need a minute longer, but take them out anyways. Let cool on the pan for 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
I love the idea of lemon poppyseed cookies! So unique and creative!
These sound DELISH!
These are very tasty and it was nice to make something other than chocolate chip cookies! I used whole wheat flour and a flax egg and they turned out great!
Hi Lisa, I’m so glad you loved them! Thanks for letting me know that it worked with a flax egg – did you use vegan butter?
Nope,I stuck with real butter for the flavor.
These are five-star cookies! Easy and so good.
I love citrus and poppy seeds combined! These cookies look so delicious and perfect for Christmas too!
These are four-star cookies! Easy and so good.
These sound DELISH!
Just baked these and I would rate them pretty good at first attempt. For me they did not have enough citrus flavor. For my taste I’d cut back on the sugar a bit (maybe 3/4 cup) and use more zest and lemon juice, or a drop of lemon oil in the dough. The texture is really nice but when it says “take them out even though they look like they need another minute”, they mean it. They can overbake quickly. Next time I might also try brushing them with a lemon juice syrup glaze for extra lemon flavor.
This looks delicious! I am sure I would try this at home when I have some free time and my small children would love them!
Which kind of cornmeal is used?
just regular plain cornmeal – I get mine in the bulk bin at whole foods, I’m not sure if it has a brand name.
I couldn’t find poppy seeds at my local grocery store, could i use chia seeds instead? Or best to leave it out altogether?
I’d just leave them out – I’m not sure what chia seeds will do since they have a way of thickening when mixed with liquids. I think the cookies will still be terrific without the poppy seeds. Hope that helps!
Can I sub earth balance margarine for the butter if I want to veganize this recipe? And do you know if I would use the same amount if I did that? Thank you! 🙂
I’ve been waiting to make these until the weather got nicer in Chicago. I made these over the weekend for my sister’s bridal shower. They were a hit at the party and with me! I would recommend you try them! Easy and delicious!
I’m so glad you loved them! I’m absolutely obsessed with them too 🙂