Easy Lemon Sugar Cookies with Frosting

If sunshine and a bakery had a baby, it would be these lemon sugar cookies with frosting. They’re soft in the middle, lightly crisp on the edges, and slathered with a tangy cloud of lemon frosting that tastes like citrus doing a mic drop. No, it’s not complicated. Yes, I will manage to use three bowls when one would do, because I enjoy chaos and also don’t want my zester making out with my flour.

My husband calls these “lemon pillows,” which is rich, because he once tried to “measure” flour by scooping with a coffee mug. The kids helped frost exactly two cookies before turning the rest into finger paint. I blinked, and there was a lemony Pollock situation on my counter, the cat was suspiciously sticky, and our oldest declared the frosting “too zesty”—right after eating five. Meanwhile, I accidentally used a tablespoon of lemon extract instead of a teaspoon once, and the kitchen smelled like I lit a Yankee Candle called Grandma’s Purse. We survived. The cookies were… energetic. These are not those.

Time-Saving Hacks

– Melt the butter gently so it’s very soft. Creams faster, still tastes like effort. Morally gray, deliciously efficient.
– Zest the lemon straight over the sugar. The oils hit the sugar, you look like a pro, and no extra cutting board.
– No piping bag? Snip the corner off a zipper bag. Boom: frosting squiggles that say “artistic, not messy.”
– Freeze scooped dough balls for 10 minutes while the oven preheats. Fake-chill for better edges without committing.
– Line pans with parchment, then slide it off and reuse for the next batch. Fewer dishes, more cookies. Priorities.

Serving Ideas

– With hot coffee, because adulting is hard and sugar is motivational.
– Sparkling water with lemon, if you enjoy fits of theme-based superiority.
– Sandwich two cookies with frosting and call it “a responsible portion.” We’re all friends here.
– Serve with wine if the kids drove you nuts. A chilled sauv blanc makes you feel like you summer in Capri, not aisle 7 at Costco.
– Or just eat one over the sink in total silence like a secret raccoon.

What to Serve It With

– Fresh berries or a quick berry compote. Lemon + berry = the couple everyone likes.
– Vanilla ice cream. Warm cookie, cold scoop, personal growth.
– A fruit board and salty snacks (pretzels, nuts). Sweet needs a hype man.
– Tea party vibes: chamomile, earl grey, or mint, and let the gossip flow.
– Brunch: stack them next to a quiche and pretend it’s balanced. It’s the thought that counts.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Use fresh lemon zest. Bottled lemon juice is fine in a pinch, but the zest is the flavor bomb.
– Spoon and level your flour. If you dig the cup in the bag, your cookies will be puffy little bread disks.
– Don’t overbake. Pull them when the edges barely set and the centers look slightly soft; they firm up on the sheet.
– Frost when cool. Warm cookies melt frosting into a lemon pond. Tasty, but tragic.
– If your frosting is too tangy, add a smidge more powdered sugar. Too sweet? A squeeze of lemon cuts it.
– Zest only the yellow part. The white pith tastes like punishment.

✔Storage Tips

Store it in the fridge… if there’s any left. Cold midnight leftovers? Sometimes better than fresh.
– Keep frosted cookies in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days. Layer with parchment so they don’t fuse into a lemon lasagna.
– Freeze unfrosted cookies up to 2 months; thaw, then frost like the domestic icon you are.
– If your frosting is cream-cheese based, definitely refrigerate. Buttercream can hang at room temp a day, but I still fridge it because I’m not a gambler.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Lime, orange, or grapefruit zest instead of lemon. Choose your citrus chaos.
– Swap some granulated sugar for honey for a softer chew and slight floral vibes. Deconstructed sophistication.
– Dairy-free? Use a good vegan butter and plant-based milk in the frosting. Still lush, still lemony.
– Gluten-free 1:1 flour blends work well; add an extra tablespoon of milk if the dough seems dry.
– Add poppy seeds for a lemon-poppy moment that screams “I brunch.”
– Glaze instead of frosting: powdered sugar + lemon juice whisked to a drizzle. Faster, messier, adorable.
– Make sandwich cookies with raspberry jam inside and lemon frosting outside if you’re feeling like an overachiever with sticky fingers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Easy Lemon Sugar Cookies with Frosting

Soft, bright, and buttery lemon sugar cookies topped with a creamy lemon frosting. These melt-in-your-mouth treats come together quickly and deliver fresh citrus flavor in every bite.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 24

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 2.5 cup all-purpose flour for cookies
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder for cookies
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon baking soda for cookies
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon salt for cookies
• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter softened, for cookies
• ▢ 1.25 cup granulated sugar for cookies
• ▢ 0.25 cup sour cream for cookies
• ▢ 1 large egg for cookies
• ▢ 2 teaspoon vanilla extract for cookies
• ▢ 2 tablespoon lemon zest finely grated, for cookies
• ▢ 2 tablespoon lemon juice fresh, for cookies
• ▢ 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened, for frosting
• ▢ 2 cup powdered sugar for frosting
• ▢ 2 tablespoon lemon juice fresh, for frosting
• ▢ 2 tablespoon heavy cream as needed for frosting
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract for frosting
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon zest for frosting
• ▢ 0.125 teaspoon salt pinch, for frosting

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat 1 cup softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Beat in egg, sour cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth.
• Add dry ingredients to wet and mix on low just until combined. Do not overmix.
• Scoop dough into 1.5 tablespoon mounds onto prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Gently flatten tops slightly.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until edges look set and tops remain pale. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat 0.5 cup softened butter until creamy. Gradually mix in powdered sugar, then lemon juice, vanilla, cream, zest, and salt until smooth and spreadable.
• Frost cooled cookies generously. Let frosting set for about 20 minutes before serving.
• Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days.

Notes

For extra tang, add an additional 0.5 tablespoon lemon juice to the frosting and a pinch more powdered sugar to balance. Chilling the dough for 20 minutes before baking helps thicker, puffier cookies.