These glazed lemon cookies are soft, chewy cookies made with both fresh lemon juice and zest in the dough and lemon glaze! They are light and sweet with fresh citrus taste.

A stack of glazed lemon cookies on the counter.

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The Glazed Lemon Cookies I Can Never Resist

These glazed lemon cookies taste like spring in every bite. I’ll always love a plain soft sugar cookie, but a little fresh lemon juice and zest in both the dough and the glaze turns them into something I bake on repeat.

They come out soft and chewy, finished with a powdered sugar icing that sets into a sweet-tart glaze that disappears fast around here. If these are your kind of cookie, my lemon brownies and lemon crinkle cookies should be on our baking list next.

XO - Jamielyn

Ingredient Notes

Lemon and lemon zest on a counter.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Salted butter: I used room temperature salted butter, if you use unsalted butter increase added salt by 1/4 teaspoon.
  • Egg yolks: For a soft and tender cookie, this recipe uses only the egg yolks.
  • Grated lemon zest: This is best fresh. Use a microplane grater to lightly shave the outside of the lemon skin. It will be a fine lemon zest.
  • Lemon juice: Fresh is best for lemon juice! This will give the lemon cookie recipe that beautiful flavor from the lemon of sweet and zesty.

How to Make Glazed Lemon Cookies

The process of making glazed lemon cookies in a four step photo collage.
  1. Mix. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Then slowly mix in flour. Mix just until combined.
  2. Refrigerate. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  3. Bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Roll the cookie dough into a 1 1/2-inch ball. Then press down with a cup. Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly golden. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
  4. Lemon glaze. To make the lemon glaze for cookies, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and juice in a medium size bowl. Add a teaspoon of water at a time, until you reach a nice and smooth glaze. Then drizzle or spoon on top of the cookies. Allow the glaze to set before serving. Enjoy!

Troubleshooting tips: Spoon and level your flour instead of scooping, since too much is what makes the dough dry and crumbly. And start with softened butter, not melted, or the cookies will spread and lose their shape even after chilling.

Baking Tips

Fresh is best with this recipe! These glazed lemon cookies are bright and sunny with so much flavor.

  • Fresh lemons. Use REAL lemon juice and zest (instead of lemon extract). It makes all the difference and gives these cookies the absolute best flavor.
  • Chill the dough. It’s important to chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to prevent spread. Short on time? Make these no chill lemon and poppy seed cookies, instead.
  • Press the dough down. Instead of rolling out the dough, scoop it into balls and then use the bottom of a cup to press the cookies down, similar to my Swig cookies.
  • Don’t overbake. These lemon glazed cookies should be super soft and almost melt in your mouth when you take a bite. Bake them until the centers are set and the bottoms are lightly golden.
  • Glaze. Let the cookies cool completely first, or the glaze will melt right off. Then spoon it on, drizzle with a whisk, use a piping bag, or dip the tops straight into a bowl of glaze. Sometimes I add coconut on top like my lemon coconut bars.
A stack of glazed lemon cookies on the counter.

More lemon desserts to try include lemon bars, my lemon olive oil cake recipe and lemon poppy seed bread.

More Cookie Recipes

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stack of lemon glazed cookies

Lemon Cookies

4.98 from 83 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 24
These glazed lemon cookies are soft, chewy cookies made with both fresh lemon juice and zest in the dough and lemon glaze! They are light and sweet with fresh citrus taste.
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Ingredients 

  • ¾ cup salted butter , at room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

Lemon glaze

  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 3 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1-3 teaspoon water

Instructions

  • Make cookie dough. Combine 3/4 cup butter and 3/4 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1-2 teaspoons lemon zest, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Then slowly mix in 2 cups flour. Mix just until combined.
  • Chill. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Roll the cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Then press down with a cup. Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly golden. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
  • Lemon glaze. To make the lemon icing for cookies, whisk together 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 3 Tablespoons lemon juice in a medium size bowl. Add a teaspoon of water at a time, until you reach a nice and smooth glaze. Then drizzle or spoon on top of the cookies. Allow the glaze to set before serving. Enjoy!

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Store: Make sure the glaze has dried completely, then place iced lemon cookies in an airtight container or bag. If stacking in layers, use a piece of parchment or wax paper in between to avoid sticking. They will stay fresh for about 5 days. Refrigerate if your kitchen is humid.
Freeze: Freeze the cookies for up to 3 months. I like to flash freeze first then place in a freezer safe bag.
Recipe slighted adapted from The Cookies and Cups Cookbook

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 100mg, Potassium: 18mg, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 200IU, Vitamin C: 1.1mg, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 0.5mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.