Lemon Crinkle Cookies

5 from 13 votes

These chewy lemon crinkle cookies are so soft with a pop of citrusy flavor and a sweet powdered coating.

Prep Time15

Cook Time12

Chill Time1

Total Time1 27

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Lemon Crinkle Cookies Recipe

Servings: cookies

Calories: 134kcal

Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set it aside.
Using either a stand mixer or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter and 1 cup granulated sugar for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Lower the mixer speed to medium, add the lemon juice, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Mix for an additional 30 seconds.
Keeping the mixer on medium, add the egg and mix until no more yellow streaks of egg are visible.
Lower the mixer speed to low, add the flour mixture 1 cup at a time. Mix just until the flour mixture is just combined, do not over mix the dough.
Add the 4 to 5 drops of yellow food color gel. Mix just until the yellow is worked into the dough. Cover well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Just before you remove the dough from the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, set them aside.
Using a tablespoon cookie dough scoop, scoop out the cookie dough. Roll the dough into balls. Roll the dough balls 1st in the ¼ cup granulated sugar, then roll the dough balls in the powdered sugar.
Space the dough balls 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, the edges should not be golden, and the center should appear to be not completely set.
Allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before moving the cookies to a cooling rack.

If you don’t have lemon extract, you can double the lemon juice.
Chilling the cookie dough for at least an hour will prevent the cookies from spreading out too much while baking. The dough can also be refrigerated for up to 3 to 4 days before baking.
You can use your hands to roll the dough into balls, but a cookie dough scoop will keep your hands clean and help to form the cookie dough balls into a uniform size.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cookies at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
The decorative “crinkle” happens when you roll the balls in the powdered sugar before baking. As the cookies expand in the oven, the sugar pulls apart to create a unique pattern.