Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Literally though, I am not kidding when I say this recipe is the best lemon cookie recipe!
I know it’s hard to believe me when people in the food world always call their recipes the best, but these are an exception! They are a super soft and chewy cookie made with fresh lemon juice, white chocolate chips, and a simple lemon glaze. Keep reading to discover my secret ingredient!
True lemon fans also love my Lemon Sugar Cookies, Lemon Brownies, Lemon Pound Cake, and my Lemon Pancakes.
These lemon cookies are full of lemon flavor and turn out perfect every time! You’ll absolutely love their tangy flavor, the simple lemon glaze of sugar and lemon on top, and you will for sure want to double the recipe to have extra!
Table Talk with Tawnie
A few years ago, I made these cookies and hit the publish button. After a few comments of them not turning out just right over the years, I re-tested them to get them perfect! I ended up adding more butter and more sugar, and adjusting the oven temperature a tad lower. These 3 changes alone helped to create a softer cookie (and not dry at all). I also decided to chill the cookie dough prior to baking to help intensify the flavor and it makes the dough easier to handle. Whenever my mom gives me lemon from her lemon tree – this is the cookie recipe I make first! I hope you love it as much as I do!
Ingredient Notes
Scroll down to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and measurements. For this lemon cookie recipe, you’ll need:
- All-Purpose Flour: Be sure to spoon & level the flour to measure it properly. Or use a food scale. Too much flour will create dry cookies.
- Room-temperature butter: Use unsalted butter that is room temperature. You’ll know it’s at room temperature when you press it; your finger will make a slight indent. I usually remove butter from the refrigerator just one hour prior to baking, and it’s perfect.
- Sour cream: My new secret is out! Adding sour cream to your cookies makes them stay extra soft and super moist and creates a melt-in-your-mouth cookie. And no, you won’t be able to taste the sour cream at all! Lastly, just like the butter, be sure to take the sour cream out one hour prior to baking so it comes to room temperature.
- Egg: Also needs to be at room temperature.
- Lemon: To make these cookies extra lemon-y, I’m using fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract.
- Other ingredients needed: baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, salt, sugar, vanilla extract, white chocolate chips, and granulated sugar.
Step by Step Directions
Preparing these cookies is pretty standard! Besides a stand mixer, you won’t need any fancy tools to whip these up. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe instructions.
Make a lemony sugar!
Before creaming the butter and sugar together, I like to rub the sugar and lemon zest between your fingertips to create a lemon sugar. This helps release the natural oils and infuse more lemon flavor into the cookies! I do this often in my baking, like in this blueberry coffee cake and in these lemon poppyseed muffins!
Sour Cream: secret ingredient!
Sounds funny to add sour cream into cookies, right? It helps to make these lemon cookies soft and help to balance the richness from the white chocolate.
Chill the dough
Ugh, I know. Chilling cookie dough is such a pain! But just 1 hour is all you’ll need. Enough time to clean up the kitchen a bit, check some emails, or read a few chapters of that book you’ve been meaning to read!
Bake time!
Roll in granulated sugar, bake the cookies (but don’t over-bake them!) and once they’re out of the oven, brush the tops with a lemon glaze – it’s just lemon juice and granulated sugar. YUM!
Enjoy every bite!
Soft, chewy, lemony cookie perfection I tell ya!
Favorite Sheet Pan
Great Jones Half Sheet Pan
I have a lot of favorites! But, this is one of my recent favorite sheet pans! It’s high-quality, easy to clean, consistent for baking, and does not warp! Can’t recommend it enough.
Expert Tips
- Make sure you’re using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the cookie dough and the glaze. Pre-bottled lemon juice doesn’t compare, so go ahead and buy a few lemons if you plan on making these cookies.
- Let the cookies rest: If your cookies are turning out too gooey, let them rest longer. I recommend at least 15 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Your cookies aren’t ruined, just let them rest!
- Bake cookies just until edges are golden brown. To keep these cookies soft and delicious, you’ll want to be sure not to over-bake them. I always say slightly under-baked is best for most cookies! (Baking time can also vary depending on the size of cookies).
- Use a cookie scoop to make even cookies, I usually use a 2 Tbsp. cookie scoop for these.
FAQ
How do I store them?
Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. I usually store in a ziptop reusable bag.
Can I make the dough in advance?
Yes! Make the cookie dough, roll or scoop into balls and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Or freeze the dough for up to 3 months and bake when ready. (Bake a minute or so longer since they’re now frozen).
How many lemons do I need?
1-2 lemons are enough. I use the zest from 1 lemons which is ~1 Tbsp. zest and you’ll need 3 Tbsp. of lemon juice (divided).
More Lemon Recipes You’ll Love
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Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp. lemon zest (or more for more lemony flavor)
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp. lemon extract
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup white chocolate chips, plus more for garnishing the tops
For the lemon glaze (optional)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Infuse sugar with zest: add the sugar and zest to the stand mixer bowl and rub the sugar and zest between your fingertips to create a lemon sugar. This helps release the natural oils and infuse more lemon flavor into the cookies.1 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp. lemon zest (or more for more lemony flavor)
- Cream: add the butter and cream the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- Dry ingredients: meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 tsp. cornstarch, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt
- Add wet ingredients: Add the egg, sour cream, extracts, and lemon juice. Mix again until combined, once again scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.1 large egg, room temperature, 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed, 1 tsp. lemon extract, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Add dry ingredients: gradually spoon in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.
- Add white chocolate: turn the mixer off, and stir in the white chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.1 cup white chocolate chips, plus more for garnishing the tops
- Chill: chill the cookie dough for at least 1 hour. It’s pretty sticky from the sour cream so this chill time will help not only develop flavors but make it easier to handle.
- Preheat and prep: preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll in granulated sugar: scoop the chilled cookie dough with a 2 tbsp. Scoop and roll in granulated sugar. If the dough is still a little sticky, the granulated sugar makes it a little easier to work with and roll in a ball. Place on the prepared cookie sheet and press down slightly to flatten them.
- Bake: Bake for ~8-10 minutes (under-baking is key!) if you over-bake these ones they can get dry. I take them out right before the edges turn golden because I noticed if they got too golden they were dry.
- Lemon Glaze: whisk together the lemon glaze in a small dish and gently brush the glaze on top once the cookies come out of the oven. This lemon glaze locks in flavor and keeps these cookies super moist! Press a few more white chocolate chips on top and garnish with lemon zest, if desired.1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- Cool: cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a parchment paper lined wire rack. ENJOY!!! 🙂 They stay soft and yummy for days!
Notes
- Tip: While the cookies are still warm, place a circular cookie cutter or a circular drinking glass around one of the cookies (it should be larger than the cookie so you don’t cut off any edges) and give the cookies a spin. Swirling the cookie should help to smooth out any uneven edges to make the perfect circular lemon cookie!
- Make sure you’re using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the cookie dough and the glaze. Pre-bottled lemon juice doesn’t compare!
- Storage: Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. I usually store it in a zip-top reusable bag.
- Make ahead: bake and cool the cookies as directed but do not glaze them. Place in a container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw cookies for 20 minutes, brush glaze over and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
This recipe was originally published in March 2022. A slightly updated recipe and new photos were added in March 2025. Feel free to comment below or email me if you’d like the old recipe.
📸 Photography by Marie-Catherine Dubé
Hello! I’ve tried a number of your cookies, as they are my go-to cookie recipes 🙂 Can you make these in the larger size, similar to some of your others. like 6-8 cookies?
Hi 🙂 thank you so much! I haven’t tried making these cookies larger, they might spread too much :/
This is a keeper, I just made them and they are absolutely amazing. I prefer this softer dough instead of thinner and more crunchy ones. The flavor is rich and lemony.
They look great! thank you soo much 🙂
I’d give these 100 stars if I could. I’m a 61-yr old divorced grandpa looking for a new cookie to make my twin 5-year old granddaughters and a 3-yr old grandson. I made these just because the recipe was a little different. These were SO delicious, they almost didn’t make it to the grandkids. But they, and my sons and daughters-in-law devoured them!! The key to this recipe, IMO, is the lemon flavoring is obviously natural and very subtle when you bite in. After a bit of chewing the soft cookie, a wonderful lemon flavor takes over but it is not overwhelming or sticky sweet. I also made them for my dialysis team of nurses and techs as part of my monthly “Thank You” cookie gift. Now, they want these every other month!! The only change in the recipe is using powdered sugar for the glaze. Other than that, you will love this recipe.
Just made these cookies. As in previous comments, these are more cake consistency than cookie. That being said, they are delicious and my family loves them. I found that I needed to flatten the cookie before it baked, which worked well. Not sure if I’ll make again, prefer lemon bars.
Thank you for making them Diane! The cake flour does make these ones a little more on the cakey side, but they should be soft and chewy still! I’d say to spoon and level the flour just in case you didn’t do that 🙂 You might like my lemon cheesecake bars! https://krollskorner.com/recipes/desserts/bars-brownies/lemon-cheesecake-bars/
I made this recipe for the first time. The dough was very soft. I had to add another 1 1/4 c white chocolate chips to give them structure and baked large 4 oz dough balls from frozen. After brushing on the lemon glaze I drizzled with a powdered sugar lemon drizzle and sprinkled on a bit of lemon zest. Everyone thought these were so good!
Hi! Oh no, I am sorry you had to add so much white chocolate to them. I note in the recipe this cookie dough makes a fluffy/sticky dough so using a cookie scoop is very helpful with this recipe. Or you could always chill the dough, too! I am glad they were enjoyed, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review and photo, I really appreciate it!
Hey! I have made many of your cookie recipes before and have never been disappointed – excited to try these for my husband whose favorite dessert flavor is lemon! Can I substitute sour cream for greek yogurt? (I do in a lot of recipes but wasn’t sure with desserts.) Thanks!
Hi! aw, thank you sooo so much! I haven’t tested that with this recipe, but I have a good feeling it should work. Please report back if you try it and let us know how it went because i am sure other readers will be interested in knowing as well, thank you 🙂
Just wondering- is the metric equivalent for flour correct? I’m thinking 1 1/2 cups flour equals 188g. I’m trying to make these delicious looking cookies and want to get it correct
Thats correct! sometimes the measurements can be off, I have just updated them manually! 🙂
These did not turn out right. The dough was VERY wet so I had to add more flour. 2 tbsp of each flour and had to chill the dough. Unfortunately, they turned out more like biscuits than cookies. Very disappointing.
Hi Natalie! I am so sorry to hear. I’m going to make the recipe again myself and see if I need to make adjustments. I’ll report back!
Not really what I expected. They have the texture of a cake rather than a soft cookie. Could also use more chocolate, and probably be better to make smaller scoops as the cookies don’t flatten much
Can you leave out the white chocolate chips if there is an allergy? What would that do or would they still bake right?
Feel free to leave them out, they’ll bake just fine! 🙂