Lemon Crinkle Cookies

The recipe, step by step

These lemon crinkle cookies are the sort of bake that look every bit as lovely as they taste. Each one comes from the oven with a snowy icing-sugar top, broken into delicate cracks, while the edges turn lightly crisp and the centres stay soft and chewy. The lemon zest and juice give them a bright, fresh flavour that keeps each bite lively rather than overly sweet.

That crinkled finish is all about the dough and its sugar coating. The dough is naturally soft and a little sticky, so giving it at least 30 minutes in the fridge makes it much easier to scoop and roll. Chilling also helps limit the spread in the oven, allowing the icing sugar to stay visible as the surface opens into those distinctive snowy cracks.

There is no need to rush the chilling stage. You can leave the dough overnight when it suits you, then portion and coat the cookies when you are ready to bake. I love the contrast you get: crisp edges, a tender, chewy middle and a generous icing-sugar finish across the top.

If you enjoy this style of cookie but fancy something richer next time, have a look at my chocolate crinkle cookies. For now, gather your lemons and two bowls of sugar; these are cheerful cookies to make, and the results are well worth the short wait in the fridge.

Ingredients

Everything here is straightforward, and each ingredient has a useful part to play. See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact quantities.

• Butter and neutral-tasting oil – I use both in this dough: the melted butter brings flavour, while a neutral oil such as canola, vegetable, sunflower, rice bran or grapeseed oil helps the cookies spread.
• Caster sugar – balances the tart lemon flavour and helps give the cookies their structure.
• Lemon zest and lemon juice – these are the stars of the bake, bringing that fresh citrus flavour. Try to use organic, unwaxed lemons, and zest the lemons before squeezing them.
• Medium egg – adds structure and richness to the dough. Bring it to room temperature before using.
• Plain flour (US all-purpose flour) – gives the cookies their structure while keeping the centres tender when the dough is not overmixed.
• Baking powder – helps create a lighter texture. It is worth checking that yours has not expired before you begin.
• Turmeric – an optional way to deepen the yellow colour without affecting the final flavour. Yellow food colouring can be used instead, but it is not an additional required ingredient.
• Granulated sugar and icing sugar (US powdered sugar) – the two coatings work together to create the snowy, crinkled finish.

Salt

I highly recommend adding a good pinch of fine sea salt to your biscuit dough. It may seem unusual in a sweet recipe, but salt helps balance the sweetness, soften any bitterness and bring out the flavour of ingredients such as chocolate, vanilla, citrus and spices. It should not make the biscuits taste salty; it simply makes every flavour brighter and more rounded.

I like to use Maldon Sea Salt flakes or Cornish Sea Salt, crushed finely before adding, but any good-quality fine sea salt will work well. Do not be tempted to leave it out—it is often the small ingredient that makes the biggest difference.

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How to Make Lemon Crinkle Cookies

The method is simple; the two things to remember are not to overmix the dough and to give it enough time to chill.

1. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter, oil, caster sugar, egg, lemon zest and lemon juice until evenly combined.
2. Add the dry ingredients and stir only until they are incorporated. Stop there so the dough is not overmixed.
3. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, or leave it overnight when that is more convenient.
4. Portion the dough, then roll each piece first in granulated sugar and afterwards generously in icing sugar.
5. Bake for 11–12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centres still look slightly soft.
6. Leave the cookies on the baking trays for 8–10 minutes, then transfer them gently to a wire rack.

Recipe Tips

A few small details make a real difference here, especially when it comes to the soft centres and snowy tops.

• Do not overmix the dough. Once the dry ingredients go in, mix only until they are incorporated. Any longer can leave the cookies dense and tough.
• Give the dough time to chill. At least 30 minutes makes the sticky dough much easier to handle and helps stop the cookies spreading too quickly.
• Use the double-sugar coating. Roll each portion first in granulated sugar, then be generous with the icing sugar so there is enough coating to form the crinkle finish.
• Resist adding extra flour. The dough is meant to feel sticky before chilling, and extra flour can make the finished cookies dry.
• Watch the edges rather than the centres. The cookies are ready when the edges are set but the centres still look slightly soft; they will continue to settle on the tray.

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Variations

Once you know the basic dough, there are a few enjoyable flavour changes you can make using the variations already tested with this recipe.

• Saffron and cardamom: Add a few saffron threads to the oil and 1/2 tsp of ground cardamom to the flour. Remove the lemon juice, zest and turmeric.
• Amaretto: Add 1/2–1 tsp almond extract with the oil. Remove the lemon juice, zest and turmeric.
• Other citrus: For a different citrus note, replace the lemon juice and zest with lime, orange or grapefruit.
• Poppy seeds: Mix a little into the cookie dough for the familiar lemon and poppy seed combination.
• Sesame seeds: I have tried both white and black sesame seeds, and either gives the cookies a gently nutty taste.
• Optional yellow colouring: Yellow food colouring can be used instead of turmeric for a deeper yellow colour. It changes the appearance only and is not required.

Storage and Freezing

These cookies are especially lovely on the day they are baked, but they also store and freeze well when you would like to plan ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the questions that are most useful to check before you begin, or if your first tray does not look quite as expected.

Nutrition

Serving: one lemon crinkle cookie

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and portion size used.

Tools You’ll Need

You do not need anything unusual for this recipe; these are the pieces of equipment I find most useful.

• Digital kitchen scales
• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk or mixing spoon
• Cookie scoop
• Two baking trays
• Baking parchment or silicone baking mats
• Wire cooling rack

Recipe Card

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