Delightful Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookies: Your New Favorite Easy Recipe

Prepare to fall in love with these Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookies, a recipe designed to bring a burst of sunshine to your kitchen! These aren’t just any sugar cookies; they feature a delicate, soft texture infused with the bright, tangy flavors of fresh lemon juice and zest. Topped with a luscious, creamy lemon buttercream frosting, artfully piped into a simple yet elegant rosette, these cookies are as beautiful to behold as they are delicious to eat. They’re the epitome of an easy lemon cookie: incredible taste, stunning presentation, and a joy to bake.

For more inspiration, don’t forget to explore our extensive collection of SOFT AND SWEET SUGAR COOKIE RECIPES here! We have a variety of options to satisfy every sugar cookie craving.

What makes this lemon sugar cookie recipe truly exceptional is its sheer simplicity. Say goodbye to the tedious steps of rolling out dough or waiting for it to chill. This recipe streamlines the baking process, allowing you to whip up a batch with minimal fuss. Simply prepare the dough, bake, and then generously adorn each cookie with a vibrant, zesty lemon buttercream frosting. It’s a method so straightforward, it makes this my absolute favorite sugar cookie recipe – and it’s bound to become yours too!

Why These Are the Best Lemon Sugar Cookies Ever!

These Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookies hold a special place among my all-time favorite cookie recipes. Their appeal lies in their wonderfully soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, perfectly balanced sweetness, and the irresistible allure of the fresh lemon buttercream frosting. Every bite is an explosion of bright, tangy, and sweet flavors that truly captivates everyone who tries them. It’s a harmonious blend that creates an absolutely delicious treat.

Beyond their incredible taste, the ease of making these lemon cookies is a huge advantage. There’s no need to spend extra time rolling out the dough or waiting for it to chill in the refrigerator. You can literally mix the dough, scoop it directly onto your baking sheet, and pop it into the oven. This saves precious time and effort, making homemade cookies achievable even on busy days.

Once baked, these cookies cool relatively quickly, eager to be frosted. While a simple swipe of frosting with a knife works perfectly well, I highly recommend trying the charming rosette design on top of each cookie. It looks sophisticated but is surprisingly fast and easy to achieve. I’m certainly not a professional cake decorator, but I found that piping these rosettes was quick, and the cookies turned out beautifully. This simple technique elevates their appearance, making them perfect for parties, gifts, or simply a delightful indulgence.

Essential Tips for Perfect Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookies

Achieving perfectly uniform and beautifully baked cookies doesn’t require a professional baker’s arsenal, but three key kitchen tools can significantly speed up the process and enhance your results. I rely on these items for almost every cookie recipe I bake, proving their versatility and value:

• Parchment Paper: My first recommendation is to line your cookie sheets with parchment paper. These sheets are often sold in sizes that perfectly fit standard 12×16-inch cookie sheets. They offer numerous benefits: preventing cookies from sticking, ensuring even baking, and making cleanup a breeze. No more scraping stubborn cookie bits or dealing with greasy pans from cooking spray – just slide the parchment paper off and dispose of it!
• KitchenAid Mixer: A stand mixer, specifically a KitchenAid mixer, is an invaluable asset in the kitchen. While I also own a Bosch, I find myself reaching for my KitchenAid for most cookie recipes. Its standard paddle attachment effortlessly mixes ingredients uniformly, ensuring a consistent dough texture. For the frosting, the metal whisk attachment is a game-changer, whipping it up to a light and fluffy consistency in record time. If you’re looking to upgrade your baking tools, a KitchenAid mixer should definitely be on your wish list; it’s one of the most frequently used small appliances in my kitchen!
• Cookie Scoop: For years, I struggled with two spoons, attempting to measure and scrape cookie dough onto baking pans, often resulting in misshapen cookies of varying sizes. That all changed when a friend brought perfectly uniform cookies to a party and revealed her secret: a cookie scoop! These handy tools come in various sizes – typically 1/2 tablespoon, 1.5 tablespoon, and 3 tablespoon. For these lemon sugar cookies, and most other cookie recipes, I use the medium 1.5 tablespoon scoop. It ensures consistent portioning, leading to evenly baked cookies that look professionally made. For larger gatherings or when offering a variety of desserts, I sometimes opt for the smaller 1/2 tablespoon scoop, as people appreciate a smaller bite-sized treat. Investing in a good cookie scoop will dramatically improve the appearance and consistency of your baked goods.

Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookie Ingredients Breakdown

Crafting these delectable lemon sugar cookies requires a few simple, accessible ingredients, each playing a crucial role in achieving that perfect balance of flavor and texture:

For the Lemon Sugar Cookie Dough:

• Butter: ½ cup of softened butter forms the rich, tender base of these cookies, contributing significantly to their luxurious flavor and delicate structure.
• Sugar: 1 cup of granulated sugar ensures these cookies are wonderfully sweet and develop a delightful chewiness.
• Egg: 1 large egg binds the ingredients, adds moisture, and enhances both the taste and texture of the cookie dough.
• Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract complements and deepens the overall flavor profile, adding a subtle warmth that pairs beautifully with the lemon.
• Sour Cream: ⅓ cup of sour cream is the secret ingredient for extra soft cookies. It adds moisture and a slight tang that tenderizes the dough.
• Lemon Juice: 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice infuses the cookies with a bright, zesty flavor. While fresh is always best, a good quality pre-made lemon juice can also be used.
• Lemon Zest: 1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest provides an intense burst of aromatic citrus flavor, elevating the lemon notes without adding excess liquid.
• Salt: ½ teaspoon of salt is essential for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the incredible flavors in this cookie dough.
• Baking Soda: ½ teaspoon of baking soda acts as a leavening agent, helping the cookies rise slightly and achieve their soft, light texture.
• Flour: 2 cups of all-purpose flour provide the structural foundation for these cookies, ensuring they hold their shape while remaining tender.

For the Bright Lemon Buttercream Frosting:

No frosted cookie is complete without its crowning glory! This lemon buttercream is smooth, creamy, and bursting with citrus.

• Butter: ½ cup of softened butter creates a rich, smooth base for the frosting.
• Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract adds a lovely aromatic depth to the frosting, harmonizing with the lemon.
• Milk: 2 tablespoons of milk are added to achieve the perfect creamy consistency, making the frosting wonderfully spreadable or pipeable.
• Lemon Juice: 2 tablespoons of lemon juice provide a significant tart and fresh lemon flavor, cutting through the sweetness of the powdered sugar.
• Lemon Zest: 1 tablespoon of lemon zest not only intensifies the lemon flavor but also adds tiny specks of vibrant color, making the frosting visually appealing.
• Powdered Sugar: 4 cups of powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) are the main component, giving the frosting its characteristic sweetness and smooth, stable texture.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookies

Making these delightful lemon sugar cookies is a straightforward and enjoyable process. Follow these simple steps to create a batch of perfectly frosted treats:

Preparation is Key:

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190°C). While the oven heats up, prepare your baking sheets. Line them with either parchment paper or a silicone mat. This crucial step prevents sticking and ensures easy cleanup. Set the prepared sheets aside.

Crafting the Cookie Dough:

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This typically takes about 2-3 minutes. Next, add the egg, vanilla extract, sour cream, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest to the creamed mixture. Beat until all these wet ingredients are well combined.

In a separate, medium-sized bowl, gently whisk together the dry ingredients: salt, baking soda, and all-purpose flour. Ensure they are thoroughly mixed before adding them to the wet ingredients.

Now, gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Add approximately one-third of the dry ingredients at a time, mixing on low speed until just combined before adding the next portion. Continue this process until all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated and the dough comes together. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.

Baking to Perfection:

Once your dough is ready, use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop (the medium size) to portion out the dough. For perfectly round and aesthetically pleasing cookies, gently roll each scooped portion into a smooth ball. While rolling is optional, it only takes a few extra seconds and significantly improves the final look of your cookies. Place the rolled dough balls onto your prepared cookie sheets, ensuring they are spaced about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.

Place the cookie sheets in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 10 minutes. The cookies should be lightly golden at the edges but still appear soft in the center. Once baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. It’s essential that the cookies are fully cooled before you begin frosting.

The Luscious Lemon Frosting:

While your cookies are cooling, prepare the vibrant lemon buttercream frosting. In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, vanilla extract, milk, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds until everything is well incorporated.

Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating after each addition until the sugar is fully incorporated. Continue adding and mixing until you reach your desired frosting consistency – it should be smooth, creamy, and hold its shape. If the frosting is too thick, add a tiny bit more milk; if it’s too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.

Transfer the prepared frosting to a piping bag fitted with a closed star tip (I used a Wilton 2D tip, which creates beautiful rosettes). To pipe the rosettes, begin by creating a tight circle in the very center of the cooled cookie. Continue piping in a continuous circular motion, gradually expanding outwards until you reach the edge of the cookie. The frosting will set, but to preserve the delicate rosette shape, it’s best to avoid stacking cookies that have been frosted this way. Cookies frosted with a simple spread can be stacked once the frosting has set.

Serve your Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookies immediately and revel in their incredible flavor and charming appearance! Enjoy!

How to Keep Your Sugar Cookies Exceptionally Soft

One of the best qualities of these Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookies is their ability to remain wonderfully soft long after they’re baked. This is largely thanks to the inclusion of sour cream in the dough, which contributes to their moist and tender crumb. To ensure your cookies stay fresh and soft for as long as possible, proper storage is key. Once the cookies have fully cooled and the frosting has set, transfer them to an airtight container. This prevents air exposure, which can dry out cookies. Stored correctly at room temperature, these cookies will maintain their delightful softness for several days, making them perfect for preparing in advance or enjoying over an extended period.

Mastering the Art of Zesting a Lemon

Lemon zest is a powerhouse of flavor and aroma, containing essential oils that give lemons their characteristic bright taste. Zesting a lemon effectively is simple once you know how:

• Using a Citrus Zester or Microplane: The easiest and most efficient way to zest a lemon is by using a dedicated citrus zester or a microplane. Simply hold the lemon firmly and gently rub its brightly colored peel along the grater’s sharp edges. Apply light pressure, rotating the lemon as you go, to remove only the yellow outer layer. Stop as soon as you reach the white pith underneath, as the pith is bitter and can detract from the flavor of your baked goods. The result will be tiny, delicate shreds of intensely flavored lemon zest, perfect for incorporating into your cookie dough and frosting.
• Without a Zester (Using a Vegetable Peeler): If you don’t have a citrus zester, don’t worry! You can still get wonderful lemon zest using a vegetable peeler. Carefully peel off only the outermost yellow layer of the lemon skin, again avoiding the bitter white pith. Once you have several strips of peel, gather them and chop them into very tiny pieces, similar in size to minced garlic. This method takes a little more time and precision but yields excellent results for your recipes.

Remember to always wash your lemons thoroughly before zesting to remove any waxes or residues.

Optimal Cooling Time for Cookies

Proper cooling is an often-overlooked but crucial step in cookie baking. It helps them set, prevents them from falling apart, and can even impact their final texture. Here’s the best approach:

1. Initial Cooling on Baking Sheet: Once your Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookies come out of the oven, resist the urge to immediately transfer them. They are quite soft and delicate at this stage. Allow them to cool on the hot baking sheet for 3-4 minutes. This brief period of residual heat helps them firm up and finish setting without over-baking.
2. Transfer to a Cooling Rack: After the initial cooling period, carefully transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to a wire cooling rack. A metal spatula or a thin, wide spatula works best for this. Cooling on a rack allows air to circulate around the entire cookie, ensuring they cool evenly and preventing sogginess on the bottom.
3. Full Cool Down: Let the cookies cool completely on the rack before you even think about frosting them. This usually takes another 15-20 minutes, depending on your kitchen temperature. Frosting warm cookies will cause the buttercream to melt and slide right off. However, if you’re planning to enjoy them unfrosted, after about 5-10 minutes on the cooling rack, they’re usually cool enough to handle and enjoy warm – and warm cookies are often the best!

Explore More of Our Favorite Sugar Cookie Creations:

If you loved these lemon sugar cookies, you’ll surely enjoy experimenting with other delightful sugar cookie variations from our collection:

• Classic Soft Sugar Cookies
• Vibrant Frosted Strawberry Cookies
• Rich Buttermilk Sugar Cookies
• Charming Marshmallow Flower Cookies
• Fun Watermelon Sugar Cookies

Craving More Lemon & Fruit-Filled Cookie Delights?

If you’re a fan of the bright, refreshing taste of lemon in your baked goods, or generally cookies with fruit, you’ll definitely want to try these other lemon-infused favorites:

• ZESTY LEMON POPPYSEED COOKIES
• SWEET GLAZED LEMON COOKIES
• DELICIOUS SUGAR COOKIE LEMON BARS

• INDULGENT WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP LEMON COOKIES

This week marks the last day of school, and I have to admit, there’s a touch of sadness knowing these two lively kids won’t be spending as much time together next year! Afternoon kindergarten has been wonderful for them. They’ve enjoyed playing together almost every morning, truly cherishing each other’s company a solid 86% of the time! We’ve made the walk to the bus stop daily throughout the year, and each time, Adam gets a little sad as Leah climbs aboard the bus and waves goodbye. Someday soon, it’ll be his turn to ride the bus, too!