I know, we all love a classic lemon poppy seed cake, but trust me, these cookies? Absolute bakery-worthy perfection. They’re soft, chewy, packed with bright lemon flavor, and have just the right amount of crunch from the poppy seeds.
Back when I worked in bakeries, I learned that the secret to really good lemon desserts is layering the flavor—so I made sure these cookies have three kinds of lemon: zest, juice, and a lemon glaze on top.
Seriously, you’ll want to make a double batch because these disappear fast!
If you’re into bakery-worthy treats, you have to try my lemon poppy cupcakes or raspberry lemon cupcakes next. Both are just as soft, flavorful, and impossible to resist!
How to Make Them
1
Rub the zest into the granulated sugar. This bakery secret releases the natural lemon oils from the zest, packing the cookies with SO much lemon flavor!
2
Cream the butter and sugar. It should be light and fluffy!
3
Mix in the wet ingredients. Once combined, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
4
Mix in the dry ingredients.
5
Scoop and chill the cookie dough. It’s super easy to scoop the dough with a spring-loaded cookie scoop!
6
Once baked and cooled, decorate with lemon icing. You can also sprinkle the tops with lemon sugar as soon as they are done baking and press it into the tops!
Can’t get enough of that sweet-tart lemon flavor? Then you have to try my fudgy lemon brownies. Or, if you’re feeling fruity, my strawberry and lemon blondies are the perfect mix of bright citrus and juicy berries!
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 whole lemons, zested
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cool room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large whole egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- 2 cups + 2 tablepsoons all-purpose flour, *see notes for measuring flour*
- 1 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
For the Lemon Icing
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3-4 teaspoons lemon juice
For the Lemon Sugar (if preffered over icing)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 lemon, zested
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar until it resembles wet sand and is very fragrant. Pour the sugar into a stand mixing bowl and add the butter and light brown sugar. Cream until light and fluffy, 3 minutes.1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 1 1/2 whole lemons, 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
- Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until just combined.1 large (52 g) whole egg, 1 large (18 g) egg yolk, 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- Mix in the flour, poppy seeds, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until just combined.2 cups + 2 tablepsoons (265 g) all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Scoop the cookie dough with a medium (two-tablespoon) cookie scoop onto the prepared baking pan. You should have roughly 27 cookie dough balls. Chill the tray in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours, overnight is best!
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
- Bake the frozen cookies spaced at least two inches apart for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown but the centers are still puffy and underbaked. Let the tray cool on a wire rack before decorating.
- For the lemon glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over the tops of the cookies. Sprinkle with extra lemon zest and poppy seeds if desired.3/4 cup (75 g) powdered sugar, 3-4 teaspoons lemon juice
- For lemon sugar topping: Rub together the lemon zest and sugar. Straight out of the oven, sprinkle the sugar over the tops of the cookies and gently press it into the tops. You must do it right after baking or the sugar will just fall off!3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/2 lemon
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
