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!
I am in the process of making these now. Your recipe at the top, says baking time is 30 minutes, but in the steps it says 15. As mine are in the oven now, I am starting at 15 and will see form there. Just thought I would mention if it was a typo. They look great and so far are not spreading with the recipe as is. 🙂
You are right with 15. The 30 minutes is for 2 batches. I was assuming all the cookies can’t bake at once. If you can get them all in your oven that’s great! I just couldn’t fit them in mine.
Hi Melissa,
Thanks, yes that makes sense and yes did take two batches. 🙂 I think they are great! Mine turned out just fine. I think for those who like them really lemony, a bit of lemon extract might be the trick. I will try that next time and see how they are, but I like them like this as well. It’s a keeper!
Lemon extract would be a perfect addition! Thanks for the idea!
These cookies are wonderful. I made some tonight to take to my sister for a treat. Instead of using a fork to form the pattern on top, I found a rosette iron that I haven’t used in years and used that to add the pattern on top. It looks nice, like a flower or a sun with rays. Good recipe! Thank you!
Oh what a great idea! I bet they were so pretty. Thanks for sharing that tip 🙂
Hello!
I’ve never had a lemon butter cookie, but when I saw one of these pics at Pinterest I had to come here and read the recipe, and trust me, this a recipe to keep.
I just got done baking these cookies and enjoy them!! The only substitute I made was using 4 tsp of lemon juice in place of the lemon zest–I didn’t have any lemons or oranges on hand. As a side note: If you are expecting these cookies to come out with the texture of a basic sugar cookie, you’re going to disappoint yourself. For me, these cookies almost have a tea-cookie-like consistency; melt-in-your-mouth and creamy/thick.