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.
Bailey
The perfect small batch recipe!! So delish!!
Jeannie
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!
Sandy
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!
Maelyn
Perfect amount of lemon flavor
Brooke Homec
Thank you!!
Kimberly Hibler
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. 🤌🏼
Ali
My daughter keeps requesting these, love this recipe!
Erin M.
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!
Brooke Homec
That can sometimes depend on the temp of the butter, elevation or even baking sheets. Hope he enjoys them!
Jess
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!
Carey Underwood
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!
Katie B
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.
Kathie Burba
Super easy to make and delicious, 10-10 recommend if you’re a lemon fan.
Karen Shannon
Delicious and light! My cookies were a little flatter but still amazing. Love the small batch recipes.
Rachelle Knight
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. 🍋
Brooke Braaten
Light and Delicious!
Giada
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.
Leslie
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.
Janee
Perfect small batch recipe!! Already has me dreaming of summer.
Christin
Nice lemon taste without overpowering and enjoy the small batch recipes.
Taylor Bennett
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.
Lonna Seger
We loved the light lemon taste. They taste like spring and loved the small batch. So quick and easy!
Theresa
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.
Ashley J
These are phenomenal!! I love lemon cookies and this will be a go to recipe!
Lynn
These looked beautiful when I took them out of the oven. Easy to make and tasted light and refreshing.
Treasure McPherson
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!
Monique
I made two double batches of these cookies today, one for my family and one for the family that gave us the Meyer lemons from their tree to bake the cookies. These cookies have great flavor and are nice and chewy. The first batch I made with the large scoop and second batch I made with a smaller scoop. We liked he smaller cookies, they held their shape a bit better. As always, Brooke’s recipes never disappoint.
Stephanie Wright
Another great cookie recipe!
Joan
Love the lemon flavor with crispy edges and a chewy center! I made them a bit smaller and made eight. A small batch recipe is perfect this time of year.
Shauna Phillips
Another winner! I always double these small batch recipes to use one full egg and because I need more for my family of 6. Perfect lemon flavor. I want to try with orange next.
Adrienne
These are so easy to make and have a delightful lemon flavor!
Brooke Homec
Thank you!! So glad you enjoyed them!
Ange Hyde
We made these cookies and they were incredible!! So soft!! I loved the amount of lemon zest!!! Ohhh so perfect!! We love lemon!! Loved how soft and chewy!!!
Lynzee
I’ve now made these 4 times this month and yes they are getting better but they were never not good. Great recipe, easy to make and easy to follow.
Rachel
One of my favorite cookies! The flavor and texture is on point. My friends and family all enjoyed them. I loved the chewy inside. I doubled the recipe and I had to share so I wouldn't eat the entire batch.
Andrea
These cookies baked up beautifully and had the perfect sugar cookie texture and just the right amount of lemon flavor.
Ashley Poynor
These were easy to make and packed with flavour!!!
Thanks for another great recipe 🙂
Heidi
Doubled the recipe because I knew 5 cookies just wouldn’t be enough for me😂, and they were DELICIOUS!! They have the perfect amount of lemon in them, and the extra little bit of sugar added at the end was best suggestion!!
Elisa Tod
These were delicious! Nice and fresh! Almost like lemon meringue pie
Brooke Homec
I love that comparison!! Thank you Elisa!
Debbie Wronka
Wow what a cookie to warm up this January day! Subtle lemony flavor and so so chewy and delicious! Perfect sprinkle of sugar on top to finish this cookie off! Will definitely be making again!
Haylie
Delish! Quick and easy recipe with a tasty result. I was thrown off by no vanilla in the recipe because I swear vanilla is in every cookie, but I think it would have overpowered the lemon flavor. It is perfect as written. The cookie was yummy without being overly tart. The extra sprinkle of sugar at then end was the perfect touch. This recipe is a keeper.
Michelle D. Viray
So lemony delicious!! I especially love the slightly crispy edges that becomes slightly cakey and then you reach the ooey gooey center! 😋 I know it’s supposed to be small batch, but I have so many lemons from our tree right now that I just HAD to double the recipe and then make a second double batch! Darn it! Such a horrible problem to have! 😉
Hannah Stockdill
Turned out SOOOO good. Everything I didn’t know I needed. And the small batch is great!
Maggie
These were SO good. I wanted them I little taller, so I put the dough in the freezer for a bit before baking. I'm not sure if it worked, but they were super soft and yummy. I will definitely be making these again. Great size for just a couple people (or myself 🙂 )
Sofia Oliveira
These were very tasty and easy to make. I'll make them again soon.
Kirsten M
Love how easy these are to make! I doubled the recipe knowing I’d want to share with a friend who particularly loves lemony sweet treats! 🍋
Heather
I love the small batch recipes! Lemon cookies are my favorite so I am picky, but this recipe had the perfect texture and flavor! I will definitely make again.
Joy Rife
Such a great cookie! They were gone in a flash! I love the buttery goodness along with the lemon.
Aju
Great recipe. I'll have to double it next time tho. Very nice cookies. My husband loves them
Stella
Works every time!
Tina
Hi can I make this into crinkle cookies by rolling them in some powdered sugar after the regular sugar?
Brooke Homec
I think so, but I haven't tried myself.