Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
Get ready lemon lovers, these soft lemon poppy seed cookies are bursting with fresh lemon flavor and poppy seeds! Perfectly sweet and tart, these lemon cookies are the best to serve for any occasion.
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Cookie Dough
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ 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 ½ teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Lemon Glaze (for topping)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 3-4 teaspoons lemon juice
Lemon Sugar (for topping)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ lemon zested
Instructions
- Before you start. 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.
- Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until just combined.
- Mix in the flour, poppy seeds, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until just combined.
- 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.
- 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!
Notes
*Measure your flour properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour as this always leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon. For the BEST results, use a kitchen scale!*
Use cool room-temperature butter. One of the most common issues I see amongst readers when making a cookie recipe is using butter that is too warm. The perfect temperature range is between 64F and 68F. Stick a thermometer into the center of your butter stick to know when it's ready!
Storage: Store any baked lemon poppy seed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Freezing: The cookie dough balls must be baked frozen. They can be stored in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months!