These small batch lemon cookies are a sweet and chewy lemon cookie rolled in sugar. They're so simple to make, and perfect when you only want a few!
Small batch lemon cookies are perfect to make when you're craving a little something sweet. They can be made in less than thirty minutes, and no mixer required.
For more lemon recipes I'd highly suggest my homemade lemon bars, lemon texas sheet cake, or my lemon coconut muffins.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- ONE BOWL- You only need to dirty one bowl, and no mixer required
- SMALL BATCH- Perfect for when you just need a few!
- NO CHILLING REQUIRED- These cookies can be made in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredient Notes
Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Lemon: You will need to use the zest and a little juice from your lemon.
- Sugars: You will use both granulated and brown sugar in these cookies to help keep a chewy texture.
- Butter: I always use salted butter, but unsalted works great too!
- Egg: You will only need the yolk for this recipe, but if doubling the recipe you can use one whole egg instead of two yolks.
- Flour: I have made these with both all-purpose and gluten free flour and they taste great with both.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1: Place sugars in a medium mixing bowl and add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Rub with your fingers until the zest has become flavorful and mixed into the sugars.
- Step 2: Add the butter to the bowl and beat together until light, about 3 minutes. You can also mix this by hand.
- Step 3: Add lemon juice and egg yolk and mix again.
- Step 4: Slowly mix in baking soda, salt, baking powder and flour until combined.
- Step 5: Scoop the dough into 5 large balls, I used a 3 tablespoon scoop, and roll in extra sugar. Place cookie dough balls on your lined baking sheet.
- Step 6: Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes. You're looking for a nice light golden brown around the edges, and some crackling along the top. I like to sprinkle the cookies with extra sugar once I pull them out of the oven.
Expert Baking Tips
- If your cookies don't come out in a perfect circle, just take a spatula or spoon and circle around them while they're still hot, right out of the oven.
- I like to sprinkle the cookies with extra sugar once I pull them out of the oven.
- I have given both cups and grams as measurements. Grams will be more precise, especially when measuring flour. If you don't have a kitchen scale, no problem! Just lightly spoon flour into your measuring cup to insure its not packed in there. Light and fluffy is the key.
FAQ
Yes! If doubling, use one large egg instead of two yolks.
Yes, any citrus would work great!
You have probably added a bit too much flour if your dough is crumbly. If you don't want to start over just add a splash or two of lemon juice until your dough comes together.
Storing & Freezing
Small batch lemon cookies will remain fresh if stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also prep the cookie dough in advance and store it in the fridge for about a week.
These cookies can be frozen before or after baking. If baking from frozen I would bake them for 1-2 extra minutes.
Other Popular Recipes to Try
For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment if you make them and love them as much as I do!
Small Batch Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 4 tablespoon salted butter room temperature
- ½ tablespoon (0.5 tablespoon) lemon juice
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) salt
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) baking powder
- ⅔ cup (93 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar for rolling cookies in
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place sugars in a medium mixing bowl and add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Rub with your fingers until the zest has become flavorful and mixed into the sugars.
- Add the butter to the bowl and beat together until light, about 3 minutes. You can also mix this by hand. Add lemon juice and egg yolk and mix again.
- Slowly mix in baking soda, salt, baking powder and flour until combined.
- Scoop the dough into 5 large balls, I used a 3 tablespoon scoop, and roll in extra sugar. Place cookie dough balls on your lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes. You're looking for a nice light golden brown around the edges, and some crackling along the top.
The perfect small batch recipe!! So delish!!
My father in law has been asking me to recreate the Pepperidge Farm ojai lemon cookies, and this recipe was perfect! He wanted a crispy cookie, so I used all white sugar and cooked them longer. They turned out perfectly, and the small batch was such a nice amount!
I love the small batch cookies! Perfect for a little treat and they come together so easily. I am a lemon dessert lover, so these are going to be a regular! So good!
Perfect amount of lemon flavor
Thank you!!
I love a good lemon cookie, and I love it even more when I can make it fast! I really wanted some cookies, but didn’t want an entire batch after the holiday season, so these are PERFECT. I made them smaller and baked for less time and so now I have a small batch of bite size cookies. They are lemony, chewy, and I love the sugar on the outside- they’ve got the perfect crispy edges. 🤌🏼
My daughter keeps requesting these, love this recipe!
These cookies spread more than I was expecting, even though I weighed the ingredients. They have chewy centers and crinkly, crisp edges! My dad loves lemon flavored desserts so I'm going to give them to him! I'm sure he'll love them!
That can sometimes depend on the temp of the butter, elevation or even baking sheets. Hope he enjoys them!
We loved these! The perfect amount to gobble up as a family in one go-round. Subtle lemon perfection. Will be making them again soon!
I love everything LEMON 🍋 I also love the small batch! Easy easy - yummy yummy - I took these cookies to a New Year’s Vision Board Party. Everyone loved them!
I love anything lemon and these did not disappoint! They were soft and chewy in the middle, crispy around the edges. Thankfully I doubled the recipe because 5 weren’t nearly enough.
Super easy to make and delicious, 10-10 recommend if you’re a lemon fan.
Delicious and light! My cookies were a little flatter but still amazing. Love the small batch recipes.
My 12 year old loves anything and everything lemon so we knew we had to make these. This might be our new favorite cookie! These were absolutely delicious! So light and perfectly sweet. 🍋
Light and Delicious!
What I love most about these cookies is their small batch preparation, which really shines through in the quality. The use of fresh, high-quality ingredients is evident in the zesty lemon taste, which is not overpowering but just right.
We loved these! The lemon flavor was subtle, not bold and tart which we liked. I agree with other reviews, light and delicious! Very easy to make also, my two year old helped.
Perfect small batch recipe!! Already has me dreaming of summer.
Nice lemon taste without overpowering and enjoy the small batch recipes.
Loved this recipe!! Perfect chewy cookie with just the right amount of lemon flavor…light and delicious! Immediately had to go back and make a second double batch because everyone loved them so much! Only note is that I did need to cook them longer than the recipe states by about 2 min.
We loved the light lemon taste. They taste like spring and loved the small batch. So quick and easy!
These were great! Not too sweet, not too lemony , just right! And they were super quick and simple! As soon as my kids tasted them they said we should’ve made a full batch instead of a small batch.
These are phenomenal!! I love lemon cookies and this will be a go to recipe!
These looked beautiful when I took them out of the oven. Easy to make and tasted light and refreshing.
I was super excited about these cookies! I LOVE anything lemon. I live at 7220 elevation so I always have to adjust and play around with recipes. I added more flour, but my cookies went more flat than I prefer. I’ll have to add more next time or chill these to prevent this next time. I love a small batch recipe for this reason!