Meaningful Eats
Gluten-Free Lemon Cookies (Soft & Chewy!)
24 cookies
These SOFT, CHEWY gluten-free lemon cookies call for two whole lemons, including fresh lemon juice and lemon zest!These are basically simple drop sugar cookies that are BURSTING with lemon flavor and so easy to make.
Ingredients
Lemon Sugar:
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest from 1 large lemon
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 ⅔ cups (400 g) gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Other:
- 1 cup (227 g) butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest from 1 large lemon
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Lemon Sugar
- Add the sugar and lemon zest to a bowl and use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar. This helps to release more essential oils from the zest. Set aside for rolling the dough balls before baking.
Make the Dough
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or use an electric hand mixer), add the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Mix until very light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Add the egg, lemon juice and vanilla and mix again for 1-2 minutes until the batter lightens in color. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again until everything is evenly combined.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients in 3 additions. Mixing well between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another 15 seconds.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
Bake the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray.
- Scoop the cookie dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls and roll until smooth. (A #40 cookie scoop works well here.)
- Stir the lemon sugar to break up any clumps, then roll each dough ball in the sugar.
- Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Let sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy!
Notes
Expert Tips & Tricks
- When I make lemon cookies, I mean business! Keep in mind you’ll need TWO large lemons to make this recipe. It’s bursting with REAL bright flavor of lemons. No lemon extract or lemon glaze required!
- I recommend using a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free baking flour that contains xanthan gum. This will give your cookies a nice chewy texture! I like King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour.
- Rubbing the zest into the sugar allows it to release more oils. The result is super flavorful cookies that have lots of lemon flavor!
Nutrition
Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 247IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg