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!
Very, very disappointed with this recipe. The cookies came out so dry and bland. I had to make some homemade frosting to put on top of the cookies so they would actually have flavour and be less dry.
I followed the recipe exactly and was so disappointed with how they came out. Definitely not making these ever again.
I was craving tea cake cookies but realized that I didn’t have vanilla. I did, however, have fresh lemons. I found your recipe and thought these would fare and that they did! My cookies came out very similar to teacakes with a hint of lemon. I love them.
Do you think this dough would be suitable to put through a cookie press?
I’m really not sure. I’ve only ever used one type of dough in the cookie press. This might be too thick. If you do try it, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Can the sugar be substituted for Stevia or another type sugar substitute? And the egg be substituted with fake eggs? I am diabetic and these changes would help me be able to enjoy them also.
Thank you.
Since there aren’t too many ingredients, I would imagine it could have a huge impact. I’ve never used fake eggs before, so I don’t know how they work. If you try it, I would love to know how it goes!
My daughter and I made these for her girl scout meeting and they were wonderful. We added more lemon juice and a pinch more zest for a more intense lemon flavor and topped it off with a lemon glaze. It was magnificent! Thanks. This is a keeper.
This recipe is a keeper! Love the light, airy cookie– not too sweet! The kids now ask for me to bake “the beach cookies”, as they have come to be referred to! They hold up & don’t melt in the heat, the way many other cookies do! Thank you?
I love the nickname! So glad you like them 🙂
Hi Melissa,
Tried the lemon cookies n it’s just simply delishus taking some for my friends this evening ?. I’m sure they will love it much as I did. ??.
This will be much go to recipe for always. Thanks a ton.
Syna.
Looks very good