Lemon Crinkle Cookies

The recipe, step by step

These lemon crinkle cookies are soft and chewy in the middle, lightly crisp around the edges and covered with a snowy coating of icing sugar that cracks beautifully as they bake.

Fresh lemon zest and juice give them a bright, lively citrus flavour, while the contrast between the vibrant yellow centre and white crinkled tops makes them look every bit as good as they taste.

The dough is naturally soft and a little sticky, so I recommend chilling it for at least 30 minutes before shaping. This makes it much easier to handle, helps control the spread in the oven and gives the icing sugar a better chance of staying visible as the cookies crack.

You can also prepare the dough the night before and leave it in the fridge until you are ready to bake. For something richer but with the same lovely crackled finish, try my Chocolate Crinkle Cookies.

Recipe Highlights

• Easy: The dough comes together quickly in one bowl before chilling.
• Fresh citrus flavour: Both lemon zest and freshly squeezed juice give these cookies their bright flavour.
• Texture: Lightly crisp edges with soft, chewy centres.
• Signature finish: A double coating of granulated sugar and icing sugar creates those snowy crinkled tops.
• Make ahead: The dough can be chilled overnight.
• Freezer friendly: Both the unbaked dough and baked cookies can be frozen.
• Quantity: Makes 18 cookies.
• Preparation: 5 minutes.
• Baking: 11–12 minutes.
• Resting: 30 minutes.
• Total time: Approximately 47 minutes.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Butter: Use 30 g butter, melted. Butter gives the cookies richness and flavour.
• Neutral-tasting oil: Use 30 g neutral oil, such as sunflower, vegetable or canola oil. Combining oil with butter helps keep the centres soft while allowing the cookies to spread.
• Caster sugar: Use 180 g. It sweetens the dough and balances the tartness of the lemon.
• Lemon zest: Use 10 g finely grated lemon zest, approximately the zest of 2 lemons depending on their size. I recommend using unwaxed lemons whenever possible.
• Lemon juice: Use 30 g freshly squeezed lemon juice. Fresh juice gives a much brighter flavour than bottled lemon juice.
• Egg: Use 1 medium egg, approximately 50 g. It provides structure while helping to keep the centre soft and chewy.
• Plain flour: Use 210 g plain or all-purpose flour.
• Baking powder: Use ½ teaspoon to give the cookies a little lift as they bake.
• Fine sea salt: Use ¼ teaspoon. I recommend keeping the salt in the dough because it balances the sweetness and makes the fresh lemon flavour stand out more clearly.
• Ground turmeric: Use ½ teaspoon, optional. It deepens the natural yellow colour without adding a noticeable flavour. Leave it out if you prefer a paler cookie.

For the Coating

• Granulated sugar: Use 35 g for the first coating. This creates a light barrier between the moist dough and the icing sugar.
• Icing sugar: Use 35 g for the final generous coating that creates the snowy crinkle effect.

How to Make Lemon Crinkle Cookies

1. Mix the wet ingredients: Melt the butter, then add it to a large mixing bowl with the neutral oil, caster sugar, egg, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix for 1–2 minutes, until evenly combined and slightly thickened.

2. Add the dry ingredients: Add the sifted plain flour, baking powder, fine sea salt and optional turmeric. Stir only until everything is combined, taking care not to overmix.

3. Chill the dough: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. You can also leave it in the fridge overnight.

4. Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / 350°F / Gas 4.

5. Prepare the trays: Line two baking trays with baking parchment or silicone baking mats.

6. Prepare the coatings: Place the 35 g granulated sugar in one small bowl and the 35 g icing sugar in another.

7. Portion the dough: Divide the chilled dough into 18 portions using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop.

8. Roll in granulated sugar: Gently roll each portion into a ball, then coat it lightly in granulated sugar.

9. Coat in icing sugar: Immediately roll each ball generously in icing sugar. I like to give them a really good coating so plenty remains visible after baking.

10. Arrange on the trays: Space the coated cookie dough balls evenly over the prepared trays, leaving room between them to spread.

11. Bake one tray at a time: For the most even result, bake one tray at a time.

12. Bake: Bake for 11–12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centres still look slightly soft.

13. Rest on the tray: Leave the cookies on the baking tray for 8–10 minutes after removing them from the oven. They will continue to set from the residual heat.

14. Cool: Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.

Nigel’s Recipe Tips

Chill the dough properly. I recommend giving it at least 30 minutes in the fridge. The dough is intentionally soft and sticky, and chilling makes it much easier to portion and roll.

Do not add extra flour. Sticky dough can make you think it needs more flour, but adding extra can make the finished cookies dry rather than soft and chewy.

Zest the lemons before juicing them. It is much easier to finely grate the zest from a whole lemon than one that has already been squeezed.

Use both sugar coatings. Rolling the dough in granulated sugar first creates a light barrier between the moist dough and the icing sugar.

Be generous with the icing sugar. A thin coating can disappear into the cookie during baking. A thicker coating gives you much more defined white cracks.

Do not overmix the dough. Once the flour goes in, mix only until there are no dry patches remaining.

Bake one tray at a time. This gives the cookies more consistent heat and produces a more even result.

Watch the centres. Remove the cookies when the edges are set but the centres still look slightly soft. They will continue cooking as they rest on the hot tray.

Let them rest before moving them. Freshly baked crinkle cookies are delicate. Leaving them for 8–10 minutes on the tray gives them time to firm up before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Variations

Lime Crinkle Cookies

Replace the lemon zest and juice with fresh lime for a sharper, more aromatic citrus flavour.

Orange Crinkle Cookies

Use orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice for a sweeter, gentler citrus version.

Grapefruit Crinkle Cookies

Replace the lemon with grapefruit for a slightly more complex, bittersweet citrus flavour.

Lemon and Poppy Seed

Add poppy seeds to the dough for the classic combination of lemon and poppy seed.

Lemon and Sesame

White or black sesame seeds give the cookies a subtle nutty flavour and an interesting contrast against the fresh lemon.

Saffron and Cardamom

Add a few saffron threads to the oil and ½ teaspoon ground cardamom to the flour. Leave out the lemon juice, lemon zest and turmeric.

Almond Crinkle Cookies

Add ½–1 teaspoon almond extract with the oil and leave out the lemon juice, zest and turmeric.

Deeper Yellow Colour

Use a small amount of yellow food colouring instead of turmeric if you would like a brighter yellow centre without changing the flavour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Didn’t My Lemon Cookies Crinkle?

Usually it comes down to insufficient chilling, excessive spreading, too little icing sugar or the icing sugar being absorbed into the dough before baking.

Chill the dough thoroughly and use both sugar coatings, finishing with a generous layer of icing sugar.

Why Do You Roll Crinkle Cookies in Two Sugars?

I use granulated sugar first because it creates a light barrier between the moist cookie dough and the icing sugar.

The icing sugar then stays whiter and more visible as the cookie expands and cracks in the oven.

Do I Have to Chill the Dough?

Yes, I recommend at least 30 minutes.

The dough is deliberately soft, and chilling makes it easier to shape while helping the cookies spread more slowly in the oven.

Can I Chill the Dough Overnight?

Yes. You can prepare the dough the day before and keep it refrigerated overnight before shaping, coating and baking.

How Do I Know When Lemon Crinkle Cookies Are Ready?

The edges should look set while the centres still appear slightly soft.

Do not wait until the middle looks completely firm or the cookies may become dry.

Can I Leave Out the Turmeric?

Yes. Turmeric is included purely for colour and is not necessary for either the flavour or texture.

Can I Use Another Citrus Fruit?

Yes. Lime, orange and grapefruit can all be used in place of lemon for different citrus variations.

Can Lemon Crinkle Cookie Dough Be Frozen?

Yes. Freeze the portioned dough balls without the sugar coatings for up to 3 months.

Coat them in granulated sugar followed by icing sugar immediately before baking.

Tools You’ll Need

• Digital kitchen scales
• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk or mixing spoon
• 1-tablespoon cookie scoop
• Two small bowls for the sugar coatings
• Two baking trays
• Baking parchment or silicone baking mats
• Wire cooling rack

Storage and Freezing

Storing

Allow the lemon crinkle cookies to cool completely before placing them in an airtight container at room temperature.

They will keep for up to 1 week, although the edges are at their crispest on the day they are baked and will gradually soften during storage.

Freezing the Cookie Dough

The unbaked cookie dough can be portioned into balls and frozen for up to 3 months.

Do not coat the balls in granulated sugar or icing sugar before freezing.

Freeze them on a parchment-lined tray until firm, then transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container or bag.

When you are ready to bake, roll the frozen dough balls first in granulated sugar and then generously in icing sugar.

Bake them directly from frozen, adding approximately 1–2 minutes to the normal baking time.

Freezing Baked Cookies

Allow the baked cookies to cool completely before freezing.

Place them in an airtight freezer-safe container or bag, using baking parchment between the layers if necessary, and freeze for up to 1 month.

Allow the cookies to return to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 lemon crinkle cookie (1/18 of the recipe)

Calories: 124.7 kcal · 6% DV
Total Fat: 3.4 g · 5% DV
Carbohydrates: 22.4 g · 9% DV
Sugars: 13.3 g · 15% DV
Protein: 1.5 g · 3% DV

% Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Nutritional information is provided as an estimate and may vary depending on the exact ingredients, brands and serving size used.

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