Lemon Sugar Cookies (Drop Style)

These lemon sugar cookies have soft centers and crispy exteriors. Make this lemon drop cookie recipe for delicious Christmas or Easter treats.

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Chilling Time 30

Total Time 55

Servings cookies

Calories 108kcal

½ cup granulated white sugar Do not add to the dough. This is for rolling the cookie dough in before baking.

To a small bowl, add flour, baking soda, and salt (if using). Set aside.
To the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use an electric hand mixer) add butter and sugar. Beat at high speed for 2-3 minutes, until mixture is light and fluffy.
Add egg, lemon extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and mix on medium speed until smooth.
Add flour mixture and mix at low speed, just until there are no visible streaks of flour. *Avoid overmixing, which can cause cookies to be dry and crumbly.
Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Transfer to the refrigerate to chill for 30 minutes.
When dough is cold, preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Add ½ cup granulated sugar to a shallow bowl or pie plate. Set aside.
Remove dough from the refrigerator. Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, portion balls of dough about 1 Tablespoon in size.
Roll balls through granulated sugar to coat. Arrange cookies about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 9-11 minutes, until edges are set, but centers are still soft.
Remove from the oven and let the lemon cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This will prevent the cookies from sticking to the pan.
Cream the butter and sugar on high speed, for 2 to 3 minutes. When it's properly creamed, the mixture should have a lighter color, and it should feel somewhat smooth between your fingers. If it's still grainy from the sugar, continue mixing for another minute.
Chilling the dough for 30 minutes is necessary. Baking cold dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much.
Short on time? Portion the cookie dough and freeze it on the baking sheet for 10 minutes rather than chilling the whole bowl for 30 minutes!
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. This allows them to set up a bit, so they don't fall apart.