Snickerdoodle meets lemon in these soft and chewy Lemon Crinkle Cookies. With or without the white chocolate drizzle, these zesty treats have the perfect combination of flavors.
Can’t get enough lemon dessert recipes? Neither can we. You’ll love these Lemon Ricotta Cookies too!
Why this Recipe Works
I took my gingerdoodle cookie recipe and lemon-ized it. I also created a new verb in the process. From now on adding lemon flavor to a recipe is known as “lemon-izing” in this house!
But seriously, let’s talk about these lemon crinkle cookies!
- Lemon zest. This addition brings bright flavor and a heavenly citrus aroma to the simple cookie dough.
- Rolled in granulated sugar. Instead of the classic cinnamon-sugar topping of a snickerdoodle, these cookies have a crackly pure sugar topping!
- White chocolate drizzle. For an added treat, I added a little melted white chocolate to the baked cookies. Heavenly!
- Freezer friendly recipe. Make a double or triple batch. You’ll love having a stash of these in the freezer for later!
The result? Perfect chewy Lemon Crinkle Cookies.
Ingredient Notes
Lemon zest. You’ll need the zest of about 2 or 3 lemons. A zester or microplane grater is perfect for removing that fragrant outer peel.
Light corn syrup. Be sure to use LIGHT! Heavy corn syrup will alter the flavor of the cookies.
White chocolate melting wafers. I used my trusty Ghirardelli melting wafers. These are optional but add a sweet and pretty finish that makes the cookies even more appealing.
Tips & Tricks
- Use a medium sized cookie scoop. Mine holds 2 tablespoons of dough to ensure evenly sized cookies.
- Roll in sugar. After scooping the cookie dough into balls, give each one a quick roll in granulated sugar.
- Let cool completely. Adding warm chocolate to a warm cookie is a recipe for disaster. Wait until the lemon crinkle cookies are fully cooled. Then slowly drizzle the melted white chocolate on top.
Recipe FAQs
Store Lemon Crinkle Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep well for one week.
These lemon cookies are super freezer friendly! Seal them in a ziploc freezer bag and stash them in your freezer for up to 3 months. Let the frozen cookies thaw at room temperature and enjoy!
Yes, other citrus flavors would be tasty in this recipe too. Or you can try these Orange, Lemon, and Lime Citrus Cookies. They’re very similar to Lemon Crinkle Cookies and include all your favorite fruity flavors.
You COULD use melted white chocolate chips but they won’t drizzle over the cookies as smoothly and definitely won’t look as “neat.” I strong recommend using white chocolate or vanilla melting wafers, which are formulated to melt and drizzle smoothly.
You can also leave off the white chocolate entirely. The Lemon Crinkle Cookies are just as delicious enjoyed au natural.
Crinkly crackly tops and a soft chewy crumb make Lemon Crinkle Cookies irresistible. Add a gorgeous white chocolate topping and watch how fast they disappear!
More Cookie Recipes
- Twix Cookies
- White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
- Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Toll House Cookies
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Imagine if a snickerdoodle cookie combined with a lemon. That's what these soft and chewy Lemon Crinkle Cookies taste like! The perfect flavor combination!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup lemon zest (about 2-3 lemons)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (for rolling the cookies)
- 1 cup white chocolate melting wafers (for drizzling over the cookies), optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat together until fluffy. Add in the egg and beat until smooth. Add in the corn syrup and beat until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. Stir in the lemon zest.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (or about 2 Tablespoons), roll the cookie dough into a ball. Place the granulated sugar into a bowl. Roll the dough into the sugar. Place on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 7 to 8 minutes until the edges are firm. Allow to cool on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely.
- Melt white chocolate according to package directions. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the cooled cookie and return to parchment paper. Allow to set. ENJOY. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, or freeze until desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 188Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 147mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 0gSugar: 17gProtein: 2g
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.
I can feel them melting in my mouth already just from looking at the pictures. Yummmm!
My family loves lemon desserts, bet this will be a hit over here!
These turned out awful. They flattened out and ran together. I am putting the second tray in the fridge to see if that helps. I followed the recipe and even double checked it before adding. So sad because they looked so good.
Hmm, something went wrong then, because they definitely would not flatten out (if anything I whack them on the tops with a spatula when they come out). Hope you figure it out 🙁
Yum! I am making these tomorrow. I love anything with lemon.
Just looking at these makes me happy. Thanks for linking to my Cookies!
Around this time of year I need all the food that tastes like sunshine that I can get! These are perfect.