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Bursting with fresh lemon flavor, these slice-and-bake cookies bake in just 7-9 minutes. Don’t forget to chill the dough for 40 minutes before baking and wait 10 minutes after baking before enjoying these light, tender treats.

  • Total Time: About 1 hour including chilling and resting times
  • Yield: About 60 cookies 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 280 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour (dip and sweep)*
  • 130 g (½ cup and 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
  • 105 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
  • 30 g (2 tablespoons) lemon juice
  • 18 g (2 tablespoons packed or ¼ cup) lemon zest**
  • 1 large egg

Instructions

  1. Combine lemon zest and sugar in a bowl and stir with a fork or rub together with your fingers until well blended to release that fresh lemon scent.
  2. Add cubed butter and beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer paddle attachment until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and creamy.
  3. Beat in the egg until it’s fully mixed.
  4. Pour in lemon juice and stir until everything is well combined.
  5. Gradually add flour on the lowest mixer setting and mix just until fully incorporated.
  6. Divide dough into two equal parts and wrap each with plastic wrap. Shape each into a log about 6 inches (15 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) thick. Freeze for 40 minutes or refrigerate for 4–5 hours until firm.
  7. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
  8. Remove chilled dough logs from freezer. Slice into ⅕ inch (5 mm) thick pieces and lay on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 7-9 minutes until just starting to change color. Turn off oven and leave cookies inside for 5-6 minutes more or until edges turn light golden. Take cookies out and let them cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes

* For those using cup measurements, you can click here to learn about the “dip and sweep” method which helps you measure flour accurately without packing it., ** When measuring lemon zest, 1 tablespoon weighs about 6 grams loosely packed, and 9 grams if firmly packed. For this recipe, use 2 tablespoons packed (18 grams) or 3 tablespoons loosely measured, which equals about ¼ cup., Keep in mind lemons vary—an average lemon usually yields 1 tablespoon of zest. In this recipe, zest from roughly 6 medium lemons (3 g x 6 = 18 g) is used for a vibrant lemon flavor. You can use up to 21 grams if you want it zestier!, Lemon Glaze: Some readers love these cookies as they are, but if you want to add a sweet lemon glaze, mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with 5-8 tablespoons powdered sugar (depending on your preferred thickness) and drizzle over cooled cookies., Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Can also be frozen for up to 3 months., Make Ahead: Cookie dough keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Slice and bake whenever ready!, Use a ruler to mark ⅕ inch (5 mm) lines on dough logs for even slices., For perfect baking, slice 1 or 2 thinner slices (about 1/10 inch or 2.5 mm) to monitor doneness — when those edges turn golden, it’s time to turn off the oven and let cookies finish baking inside.

  • Author: Laura
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7-9 minutes plus 5-6 minutes in warm oven
  • Category: Cookie
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 40 kcal per cookie
  • Fat: 2 g per serving
  • Carbohydrates: 6 g per serving
  • Protein: 1 g per serving