Try This Easy Chewy Lemon Crinkle Cookies Recipe

This chewy lemon crinkle cookie recipe is my go-to when I need something lemony, sweet, and quick. The only thing that takes a little time is letting the dough chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before baking.

What makes a crinkle cookie crinkle?

Two things make crinkle cookies crinkle – the combination of baking powder and baking soda. There’s some science there, but I’ll leave that to the scientists to explain. The other thing that makes cookies crinkle is rolling them first in granulated sugar and then in confectioner’s sugar. As the cookies bake, the dough begins to crack and pull apart a bit, and the confectioner’s sugar highlights those cracks.

What makes cookies chewy rather than crispy?

A few factors determine whether cookies are chewy or crispy. They are the ratio of fats to flour (which is why there is 1/2 cup of butter in this recipe), the temperature at which you bake the cookies, and the time you bake them.

How long should you chill the cookie dough before baking?

Chilled dough is not a step in the process that you can skip if you want the perfect cookie. If the dough isn’t chilled, your cookies will spread when baking, and they won’t crack and crinkle. So if you want great-looking and tasting crinkle cookies, you need to chill the dough for at least one hour. Two to four hours is even better. The dough can also be chilled overnight. However, you’ll need to let the dough sit on your counter for about 10 minutes before forming the cookie dough balls.

Can you use bottled lemon juice rather than fresh lemons?

Since lemons are the star ingredient of lemon cookies, fresh lemon juice is the way to go here. And, you need the lemon zest anyway to get that extra lemon flavor.

Helpful tip:

Many lemon crinkle cookie recipes call for 1/8 or 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice. We’ve tested this recipe several different ways, and when we use that much lemon juice (liquid), the cookie dough is extra sticky, doesn’t hold its shape, and flattens out during the baking process. We found that two tablespoons of lemon juice for this recipe is optimal. You get plenty of lemon flavor, and the cookies bake and crinkle perfectly. They are crispy on the outside and chewy in the center – just like a crinkle cookie is supposed to be.

The equipment you’ll need for making this lemon cookie recipe

• Stand mixer with paddle attachment (electric hand mixer works too)
• Medium bowl
• Rubber spatula
• Parchment paper
• Zester or microplane
• Juicer for the lemon juice
• Cookie sheet
• Cooling rack/wire rack

Simple ingredients for the best chewy lemon crinkle cookies:

You probably have everything you need to make lemon crinkle cookies. It’s basic pantry items, plus butter and lemon. And while they bake, they smell so delicious! 

• All purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Granulated sugar (some for the cookie dough and some for rolling the cookie dough balls in)
• Butter
• Vanilla extract
• Egg
• Lemon juice
• Lemon zest for that fresh lemon flavor
• Confectioner’s sugar

Instructions for easy lemon crinkle cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt), whisk or stir, and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or an electric hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Add egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla to the creamed sugar and butter and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides to make sure everything is mixed well.
5. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
6. Place the dough in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour but preferably four hours.
7. Using a medium cookie scoop, form cookie dough balls (the texture of the dough will be a little bit sticky). Roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat, then in powdered sugar until completely coated. Bake them on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 12-15 minutes in a preheated oven at 350º. In my oven, they were done in 12 minutes. Let the baked cookies cool for a minute or two before transferring to a cooling rack.
8. Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days or up to one week.

This chewy lemon crinkle cookies recipe is for all you lemon lovers out there, including me!

If you enjoyed making these cookies, you might also enjoy these other lemon desserts:

• Lemony turmeric cake
• Lemon scones with lemon glaze
• Baked lemon pudding
• Easy lemon Tiramisu
• Classic lemon bars with olive oil crust
• Simple lemon posset