Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies
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I was hoping to share these Springy cookies with you on a Springy day.
We just can’t win out here in Illinois. One day it’s 70 degrees and sunny and the next day it’s rainy and below 30. What gives? I am so ready to just sweat and be uncomfortably hot. I know it’s a weird thing to be ready for, but when you’ve been cold for 6 months, you would want that too.
Well I am moving on. See ya lata winter. Hello lemons! Lemon cookies are one of Vin’s favorites. Honestly, if I didn’t marry an Italian man, I probably wouldn’t even consider making lemon cookies. It’s an Italian thing…it’s a good thing. I knew there were lemon cookies out there, but the only lemon desserts I’ve ever really tried were lemon bars and lemon meringue pie. Both yum. My mom loves lemon. She’s one of those that doesn’t have a sweet tooth, but if there is a lemon bar around, yeah…she will eat and love every second of it.
If you haven’t noticed yet, there is a secret ingredient in these little bites of sunshine. Cream cheese baby.
I looooove the cream cheese in these cookies. It doesn’t change the flavor – it’s not cream cheesy, but the texture of the cookie is fluffy, light, crumbly yet cakey. It just works and it’s fabulous.
And hey! These are a great cookie for Easter if you need a few ideas. They’re sweet, tart, bright, cheery, and simple to make. I personally think they taste even better the next day so you can totally make these ahead of time. Your friends and family will gobble these up, I know this for a fact…because mine did. Every last one was gone.
I may have been responsible for a good portion of them, but still. GONE.
Don’t they look like little balls of sunshine?
LIKE LEMON? TRY MY Lemon Brownies, Lemon Monkey Bread AND Lemon Bread!
Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies
These Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies are soft, fluffy, and packed with fresh lemon flavor. Made with cream cheese for an extra tender texture and finished with a sweet lemon glaze, these bakery-style cookies are perfect for spring, summer, holidays, or anytime you’re craving a soft lemon dessert.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- 8 ounces plain cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Lemon Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I used 3)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1-2 teaspoons water (only need if the icing is too thick)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside. - In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter, 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, and 8 ounces softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add 1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, the zest of 1 lemon, and 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Mix until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With mixer on low-speed, slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. The dough will be sticky.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
- Scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing the cookies a couple inches apart.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the cookies are puffed and lightly set. Mine baked perfectly at 15 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest in a bowl. If the glaze seems too thick, whisk in 1-2 teaspoons water until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Dip the cookies into the glaze or drizzle on top. Let sit until the glaze sets.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
30Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 251Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 94mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 1gSugar: 31gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated. Use as an approximation only.
Awesome cookie!!!! I’ve made these so many times, and always get requests for them. Could I also make this recipe using oranges?
thank you! Yes!
I tried this recipe and mine came out flat instead of puffy. They also sticker together after I put them in the container. They’re still delicious, but what should I do next time to prevent this from happening?
Hi Mary! So sorry about that! I am not sure what went wrong – perhaps try again…maybe you missed an ingredient? You can also try chilling them longer. To prevent them from sticking together, place a piece of parchment paper or wax paper between them.
These are wonderful! However, it took me 3 tries to not burn them. They baked in 13 min or less, in my oven. Just saying be careful!
Glad you liked them! Yes, they are very easy to burn and all ovens are different so it’s important to watch them. Glad you figured it out!!
I made these for a school function and I heard people talking about them all night. They were a big success!
So glad you liked them Pam!
I made these, and everyone loved them. I used slightly less sugar and a blueberry glaze. I lowered the oven to 350 halfway through.
Yeah! So glad you liked them Rebecca! Loved your changes – will have to try with a blueberry glaze. Yum!!
You know I love lemon!! These look awesome! I plan to make these for sure.
I love anything with lemon in it and these sound fantastic! A perfect cookie for this time of year.
I bet these are fantastic. I love just about anything lemon!
I shared these with my Facebook followers this morning, those cookies look awesome! Cream cheese makes everything better, lol!
I agree! Thanks so much for sharing!
I love this combination. Cream cheese always makes the best cookies. I love a moist cookie and these look perfect.