Frosted Lemon Cookies
If you are craving something bright and citrusy, look no further than these frosted lemon cookies. The lemon cookies are soft, tender, and bursting with lemon flavor from fresh lemon juice and zest, and iced with silky lemon buttercream frosting. Whether you’re baking for springtime gatherings or just need a little sunshine on your dessert plate, these frosted lemon cookies are a must-try.
Frosted Lemon Cookies
Grab your citrus zester and crank up the 80s tunes because you will be “walking on sunshine” with this frosted lemon cookie recipe! When spring and summer roll around each year, it’s time for lemon desserts to take center stage and shine.
The lemon cookies contain cake flour and cornstarch which create a soft and tender texture and fresh lemon juice and zest adds amazing natural lemon flavor. For a bit more sweetness and even more lemon flavor, a generous layer of lemon buttercream frosting takes these cookies over the top. Dress the cookies up with white nonpareil sprinkles and slices of lemon and you’ve totally got the ultimate frosted lemon cookie!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to make – An easy cookie recipe with simple steps.
- Soft and tender cookies – The cake flour in the recipe creates super soft and tender cookies that melt in your mouth.
- Creamy lemon frosting – Smooth and creamy lemon frosting complements to the soft, buttery cookies perfectly.
- Bright lemon flavor – Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest add bright citrus flavor to the cookies and frosting.
- Perfect for spring and summer – These cookies are light and refreshing which makes them the perfect dessert for the warmer months.
Ingredients for Frosted Lemon Cookies
Lemon Cookies
- Cake flour – Cake flour creates the light and soft texture. All-purpose flour will not work well in this recipe.
- Cornstarch – To help the cookies bake up to be soft and tender.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – You could also use canola oil or another neutral baking oil.
- Powdered sugar + granulated sugar
- Lemon juice + lemon zest – Fresh lemon juice and zest give the cookies a bright lemon flavor.
- Egg – Large egg, room temperature.
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar.
- Salt
- Lemon juice & lemon zest – Fresh lemon juice and zest adds bright citrus flavor.
- Heavy cream – To help the buttercream become smooth and creamy.
- Yellow gel food coloring – Optional. Add a drop or two to tint the frosting a pale yellow color.
Additional Ingredients
- White nonpareil sprinkles
- Lemon slices
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on the ingredients and quantities for this recipe.
How to Make Frosted Lemon Cookies
- Prep and preheat: Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line baking sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Make the cookie dough: Whisk together the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Massage the granulated sugar and lemon zest together to release the natural oils. Cream the butter, vegetable oil, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar until it is smooth. Add in the egg and lemon juice and mix to combine. Pour in the dry ingredients and mix until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Bake the cookies: Portion the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and place on the prepared cookie sheets, allowing room for spreading. Bake the cookies for approximately 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the pan for 1 minute and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
- Make the lemon frosting: Whip the butter until light and creamy. Add in the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and salt, and mix until combined. Drizzle in the lemon juice and heavy cream and add a drop of yellow gel color, if desired. Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Frost the cookies: Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1A piping tip with the lemon frosting. Pipe a swirl of the frosting onto the cooled cookies, spread with an offset spatula, and decorate with white nonpareils and lemon slices.
Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions on how to make this recipe.
Expert Baking Tips
- Do not substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour in this recipe. Cake flour will give the cookies a very light and soft texture. All-purpose flour will make a dense and chewy cookie.
- Do not over bake the cookies. The cookies should remain a pale color and have no caramelization on the bottom or around the edges. This will help the cookies remain soft and cakey, rather than dry and crumbly.
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough to create round, even, and uniform cookies.
- Immediately when the cookies come out of the oven, use the back of a spoon to gently shape the cookies so they are perfectly round.
Storing & Serving
- Room temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture. Remove from the fridge 1 hour before serving.
- Freezer: Store the cookies in an airtight container or in a resealable storage bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. To use, lay the cookies on a baking sheet pan and thaw until they come to room temperature. I recommend garnishing the cookies with nonpareils and fresh lemon slices after freezing rather than before.
Frequently Asked Questions
Portion out the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop. This will help to shape the cookie dough balls and create even, uniform cookies. Also, immediately when you remove the cookies from the oven, gently nudge the sides of the cookies with the back of a spoon to create a round shape.
Yes! Use a medium (1.5 tablespoon) cookie scoop to create smaller cookies. The baking time will be slightly less than the original recipe. Check the cookies at around 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies should be puffed up in the center and set on the edges.
Absolutely! These cookies would be delicious made with limes or oranges. Substitute the juice and zest with the same measurements.
Other Recipes You Will Love
- Strawberry frosted lemon cookies
- Lemon buttercream frosting
- Frosted funfetti cookies
- Lemon sugar cookies
- Iced lemon loaf
If you try out these frosted lemon cookies, please take a moment to leave a comment with a star rating below to let me know how you enjoyed this recipe!
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Frosted Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
Lemon Cookies
- 2 ½ cups (313 g) cake flour do not substitute
- 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking powder
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp (6 g) lemon zest
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 1 (1) large egg room temperature
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) lemon zest
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) heavy cream
- 1 drop (1 drop) yellow gel food coloring optional
Additional Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (20 g) white nonpareil sprinkles
- 12 (12) lemon slices
Instructions
Lemon Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line baking sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine and massage the granulated sugar and lemon zest to release the natural lemon oils. This enhances the lemon flavor in the cookies. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter, vegetable oil, powdered sugar, and lemon-infused granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in the egg and lemon juice and mix until smooth. Pour in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Portion the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and place on the prepared baking sheet pan, allowing room for spreading. Bake the cookies for approximately 12 minutes until the cookies puff up in the center and remain pale on the edges. Cool the cookies on the pan for 1 minute and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until fully incorporated.
- Add the lemon zest and salt and mix on low until combined. Slowly drizzle in the lemon juice and heavy cream while mixing on low speed. If desired, add in a drop of yellow gel food coloring. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed.
- Increase the speed on the mixer to medium and whip the buttercream for about 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix the buttercream for several minutes to remove any air bubbles.
Frosting the Cookies
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1A piping tip with the lemon frosting. Pipe a swirl of the frosting onto the cookies and spread the frosting with an offset spatula. Decorate the cookies with white nonpareil sprinkles and lemon slices.
Notes
Nutrition
Made This Recipe?
Please leave a comment with a star rating to let me know how you enjoyed the recipe!
About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
I made these exactly as the recipe reads for my family to try. They are fantastic! Are you able to substitute something for the heavy cream? I’m a cottage baker and cream is not allowed.
Hi Laura! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂 You can substitute milk for the heavy cream in the frosting but I’m not sure if that is allowed in cottage baking.
These are so delicious! So lemony! I’ve made them twice now. Rave reviews.
Hi Jen! So happy to hear you loved the recipe! Thank you for the review!