Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies (Printable)

Soft, citrusy cookies with fresh lemon zest and crunchy poppy seeds. Ready in just over 30 minutes for a perfect afternoon treat.

# What You Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
05 - 2 teaspoons lemon zest
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
10 - 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

→ Optional Lemon Glaze

11 - 1 cup powdered sugar
12 - 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
03 - Mix in egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds until evenly distributed.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
07 - Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Centers should appear slightly underbaked.
08 - Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies and allow to set.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • They strike that perfect balance between tangy and sweet without being overly rich
  • The dough comes together in under fifteen minutes, so you can have fresh baked cookies without dedicating your whole afternoon
  • People always ask for the recipe, and the secret is really just using fresh lemon juice and plenty of zest
02 -
  • Overbaking is the enemy, these cookies continue cooking on the hot pan so pull them out when they still look slightly underdone in the center
  • The glaze is worth the extra five minutes, it transforms these from good cookies into something people cant stop eating
03 -
  • Roll the dough balls in extra sugar before baking for a sparkly, bakery style finish
  • Microplane zesters make the job so much easier and yield more fragrant zest than the old fashioned box graters

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