Bright, buttery, and bursting with real lemon zest, these cut out lemon sugar cookies hold their shape beautifully in the oven. That means every detail from your favorite cookie cutters stays crisp and clear.
I love adding flavor to classic cut out sugar cookies, and this lemon version is a personal favorite that lemon lovers won’t be able to resist.
These lemon cut out sugar cookies are a citrus twist on my classic sugar cookie recipe that I always use as a base recipe. It’s especially ideal when decorating with royal icing, since these cookies tend to keep their shape while baking. They’re also:
I love making sugar cookies with my favorite sugar cookie dough recipe! Make sure to check the recipe card below for full details. Other than that, dust off your cookie cutters and get ready to follow the best cut out sugar cookie recipe yet!
Start by creaming the butter with the sugar and the vanilla sugar. Mix until creamy and fluffy at which stage you add the egg.
Add the flour and the lemon zest. Knead into a firm dough and wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for an hour at least.
Roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch/0.5cm thickness. This is best done on a work surface dusted with a bit of flour, but not too much or the cookies will taste dry.
Use your favorite cookie cutter to make the shapes and place the cookies on prepared baking sheets and bake at 350°F/180°C (conventional oven) for 10-12 minutes or a bit less if you make smaller cookies.
Once the cookies are golden on the edges, remove them from the oven and allow them to rest for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy them as is or decorate them with a simple lemon glaze!
Leftover lemon cookies will keep for about 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.
Absolutely! Store them for up to 3 months in the freezer, then leave them to thaw on the counter before serving again.
You can also store the cookie dough in the freezer for the same time, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, to thaw and cut out for easy lemon sugar cookies whenever you want!
Love sugar cookies? I have plenty more flavors!
Yes, you can. Make a simple lemon glaze from powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, and water. Drizzle it over the cookies on a wire rack with a cookie sheet underneath to catch any spillage and reduce cleanup.
While the glaze is still slightly wet, feel free to add some sprinkles or finely shaved lemon zest. Let the glaze harden for a bit before finally serving.
You can also use royal icing for decorating your cookies.
Chilling your dough firms up the soft butter, preventing excessive spreading so your cut-out cookies hold their shape perfectly. It improves the texture and also allows the flavors to meld and intensify, resulting in noticeably better tasting cookies.
Want to know more about the benefits of chilling your cookie dough? Check out this article where I explain everything about why chilled cookie dough works best.
If you can’t find vanilla sugar, make your own by following my recipe for homemade vanilla sugar.
Absolutely! Use what you already have at home or allow this recipe to provide a great reason to go out and buy a new set of cookie cutters in your favorite shapes. Just be sure to bake cookies of similar sizes on the same baking sheet. Smaller cookies bake a few minutes faster than larger ones.
Yes, these cookies will be soft to the touch when you first remove them from the oven. It’s important to let the cookies rest on the baking tray for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. This will help them set and prevent breakage.
You can store the dough in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
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