What I love about these lemon butter cookies
The butter flavor really shines through in these cookies, and the lemon plays the role of sidekick – making a perfect pair. The cookies aren’t overly sweet, but the powdered sugar coating is up to you. Sprinkle them with as much as you want to suit your taste. Personally, I love the texture of the dry powdered sugar against the buttery cookie so I do a few coatings. Don’t worry about adding extra. I won’t tell anyone…
If you like this recipe, you have to try this snowball cookies and this no bake oatmeal delights and this super soft sugar cookies.
Searching for more lemon desserts? You will love these lemon curd cookies, strawberry lemonade cupcakes, or these mini lemon bundt cakes. Plus, these lemon rosemary olive oil cookies have the beautiful, aromatic flavor of rosemary infused into the cookies.
Ingredients & substitutions
- Lemon – These cookies use lemon juice and lemon zest for the lemon flavor. If you want to make these cookies extra lemony, you can add a teaspoon of lemon extract.
- Vegan butter – This recipe will work great with vegan butter or a butter flavored shortening, whichever you prefer. Feel free to use the same amount butter if you don’t need to make them dairy free.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make butter cookies without butter
Mix the dough. Using an electric mixer, beat the vegan butter with sugar until it gets fluffy. Add the egg and beat until incorporated, then add the lemon juice and extract. Gradually add the flour to the mixing bowl, continuing to mix until all of the flour is incorporated.
Form the cookies. When everything is well mixed, you can begin to roll out 1 inch dough balls and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. With the dough balls formed on the baking sheet, take a fork and press into the cookies to flatten.
Bake the cookies. Pop the cookies into a 350˚F, preheated oven for 15 minutes. When the cookies are set on top and golden on the bottom edges, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool before transferring them to a cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar when the cookies are fully cooled.
Everything you need to know about lemon butter cookies
Lemon Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan butter or vegetable shortening
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream shortening and sugar until fluffy.
- Beat in the egg.
- Add lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Gradually mix in the flour until incorporated.
- Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Using the tines of a fork, cross marks in the cookies to slightly flatten them (as pictured).
- Bake cookies for 15 minutes or until cookies are set on top and slightly golden on bottom.
- Transfer to cooling rack and immediately dust with powdered sugar (sugar will melt into cookies from the remaining heat).
- Once completely cool, dust cookies again with powdered sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Orange instead of lemon is possible?
Yes! I think orange would work just as well.
Too much flour . It took away the taste of butter not enough lemon.
Mine turned out like two others. They tasted like flour and were hard. I tried adding more lemon to enhance the flavor to no avail. I tried cutting baking time as well. Nothing helped. I will try again and try less flour.
I think I should have bumped up the lemon juice, not enough of a lemon taste for me. I also wonder if I should use a touch more flour as mine didn’t hold their shape like yours. Maybe it’s because I use a baking stone to cook them on and not a metal cookie sheet. I will try them again.
I’m wondering if I can use lemon curd in lieu of the juice and zest? I have the curd on hand…
It might work, but I would not count on it. You may have to adjust the amount of flour to account for the change in liquids. I wouldn’t try it if the cookies were for others to eat, but if you’re just making them at home for yourself, I would give it a try!
I love to cook, but baking is a big challenge for me(especially in Colorado). My cookies turned out tasting great, but melted in to large, flat, silver dollar shaped crispy cookies. I’m thinking it is a high Altitude thing. Can anyone help with the alterations I need to make for next time? Thanks for the recipe! We decorated ours with a simple lemon cream cheese frosting, and everyone LOVED them!
I wish I could help, but I’ve never had experience with high altitude baking. I’m glad they at least taste good though!
These cookie sound wonderful!
Alison, I would try adding an extra tablespoon of flour to help the cookies keep their shape. This has worked for cookies I have made in the past. I hope this helps!
These were delicious! I made them last-minute when I learned my in-laws were coming over for tea. I didn’t have any lemons so I used the zest and juice of an orange instead. A big hit!
Awesome! It’s really great to know that orange works as well. I think I’ll have to try that soon. 🙂