An easy recipe for gluten-free lemon cookies. These sweet and tart gluten-free cookies also have a dairy-free option.
Gluten-Free Lemon Cookies
These gluten-free lemon cookies are soft in the middle and a little crispy around the edges. The vanilla lemon glaze is the perfect touch of both sweet and tart.
I love lemon-flavored desserts! These cookies have a nice lemony flavor like my and my Gluten-Free Lemon Cake.
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these lemon cookies. You can see just how easy these lemon cookies are to make in the recipe video.
How To Make Gluten-Free Lemon Cookies
Gluten-Free Lemon Cookies
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray the baking sheet with gluten-free cooking spray.
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In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy.
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Mix in the egg, pure vanilla extract, pure lemon extract, lemon juice, and dried lemon peel until fully combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. For a more yellow cookie, you can add two drops of gluten-free gel food coloring. (photo 1)
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Whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. (photo 2)
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Add the gluten-free flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until smooth. (photo 3)
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Drop the cookie dough by rounded tablespoon or use a greased cookie scoop. (I used a greased 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop). Place the cookies 2-inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. If you are baking one batch at a time, place the cookie dough back into the refrigerator. (photo 4)
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Bake the cookies on the middle rack for 12-13 minutes or until cookies start to lightly brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool cookies about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Please watch your cookies because all ovens are different.
- Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. (photo 5)
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Once the cookies are cooled, drizzle the glaze over the cookies. (photo 6)
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Store the leftover cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Can I Make The Lemon Cookies Ahead Of Time?
Cookie dough can be easily made ahead of time. Store the cookie dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Can Cookie Dough Be Frozen?
Freezing cookie dough is super easy! The best way to freeze this cookie dough is to flash freeze the cookie dough balls.
Place the lemon cookie dough balls on a baking sheet just like you are making cookies. Then place them in the freezer to flash freeze for 10 minutes.
Once the cookies are flash-frozen (a little frozen), place the cookie dough balls into a freezer bag. Raw cookie dough can be frozen for up to six months.
You do not need to thaw the cookie dough before you bake them. You may need to bake the lemon cookies for an extra minute or two, so please watch your cookies.
Tips For Making The Best Gluten-Free Lemon Cookies
- Don’t skip the step for softening your butter. Take the butter out of the refrigerator and allow it to soften on the counter for 30 minutes up to an hour. Your butter is soft enough when you touch the butter and can see your fingerprint in the butter.
- You can substitute 2 tablespoons of lemon juice for the lemon extract.
- You can substitute 1 tablespoon of lemon zest for the dried lemon peel.
- I always use a greased cookie scoop. I use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop.
- If you want a puffy cookie, chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- I also like to use Reynolds Kitchens Cookie Baking Sheets. It has a smart grid that makes it super easy to line up your cookies on your baking sheet.
- If you are not baking both batches of cookies at the same time, place the dough back in the refrigerator while you are baking the first batch of cookies.
- Bake the cookies on the middle rack.
Gluten-Free Flour
These gluten-free lemon cookies were made with Pillsbury gluten-free flour. It is a cup-for-cup, all-purpose gluten-free rice flour blend and already has the xanthan gum and starches in it.
Most gluten-free all-purpose flour blends have starches and xanthan gum already in them. The xanthan gum helps replace the elasticity and texture of gluten.
So make sure to check the ingredients of your gluten-free flour so you do not add any extra xanthan gum to your flour if it already includes it. If you add extra xanthan gum, you will get gummy cookies!
My favorite gluten-free flour is Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
I have not tried this cookie recipe with almond, oat, or coconut flour.
Tip For Measuring Gluten-Free Flour
It is super important to use a measuring cup made for dry ingredients (not a pyrex liquid measuring cup) to measure gluten-free flour. I measure the gluten-free flour with the “spoon & level” method.
I use a large spoon to scoop the flour out of the bag into the measuring cup. Then I use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup.
Please do not scoop the flour directly out of the bag with your measuring cup. If you do, you could end up with more flour than is called for in the recipe.
Gluten-Free And Dairy-Free Lemon Cookies
For the dairy-free option, I used Smart Balance butter and unsweetened almond milk. Depending on how soft your dairy-free butter is you may need to chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes. The cookie dough balls should not be super soft and should hold their shape.
Most of our family (including me) is also dairy-free, so I always try and include a dairy-free option in my recipes.
Some of my favorite dairy-free alternatives that I like to bake with are unsweetened almond or coconut milk. I also like baking with Smart Balance butter or coconut oil.
Easy Gluten-Free Lemon Cookies
These gluten-free lemon cookies are so easy to make! These sweet and tart cookies are baked in only 12 minutes. Also, there is no chilling time with the dough.
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes To Try!
- Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies {Dairy-Free Option}
- Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake {Dairy-Free}
- Easy Gluten-Free Brownies {Dairy-Free Option}
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Gluten-Free Lemon Cookies {Dairy-Free Option}
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Lemon Cookies
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (Dairy-free option use Smart Balance butter. Depending on how soft your dairy-free butter is, you may need to chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes. The cookie dough balls should not be super soft and should hold their shape.)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract (If you do not have lemon extract, you can add another 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in its place. )
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon dried lemon peel (You can find dried lemon peel with the seasonings at the grocery store. You can substitute with 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. )
- 2 drops gluten-free yellow gel food coloring (optional) (For a more yellow cookie, you can add two drops of gluten-free gel food coloring. )
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum (I like Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.)
- ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons water
Instructions
Gluten-Free Lemon Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray the baking sheet with gluten-free cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg, pure vanilla extract, pure lemon extract, lemon juice, and dried lemon peel until fully combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed. For a more yellow cookie, you can add two drops of gluten-free gel food coloring.
- Whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Add the gluten-free flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until smooth.
- Drop the cookie dough by rounded tablespoon or use a greased cookie scoop. (I used a greased 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop). Place the cookies 2-inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. If you are baking one batch at a time, place the cookie dough back into the refrigerator.
- Bake the cookies on the middle rack for 12-13 minutes or until cookies starting to lightly brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool cookies about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Please watch your cookies because all ovens are different.
- Once the cookies are cooled, drizzle the glaze over the cookies.
- Store the leftover cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Glaze
- Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cookies.
Video
Notes
- I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- Use the "spoon and knife" method to measure gluten-free flour.
- I always use a greased 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop.
- You can substitute 2 tablespoons of lemon juice for the lemon extract.
- You can substitute 1 tablespoon of lemon zest for the dried lemon peel.
- I use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop.
- I like to use Reynolds Kitchens Cookie Baking Sheets. It has a smart grid that makes it super easy to line up your cookies on your baking sheet.
- For the dairy-free option, I used Smart Balance butter. Depending on how soft your dairy-free butter is you may need to chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes. The cookie dough balls should not be super soft and should hold their shape.
- Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
- The cookie dough can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 6 months.
- Mama says, "Check all of your labels!"
Faith says
I made these today for a cookie reception. Super-delish! The texture was great, the flavor balance between sweet and tart was perfect – so said one of the guests! I used lemon zest instead of dried lemon peel. I also used King Arthur measure-for-measure GF flour. I gilded the lily and glazed – I liked the added zing and, since they were on display, I wanted them to be more than a plain pale cookie.
Nancy M Reeves says
These cookies are my favorite AND the best cookies I have made since becoming gluten free. This time they flattened out after cooling. I did refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Don’t get my wrong, they are still delicious but wondering what happened? Thank you for your wonderful recipes.
Anne Stephenson says
I substituted 1 teaspoon Boyajian lemon oil for the extract & juice – they were absolutely delish! No need to guild the lily with glaze.
Bonni says
Awesome cookies. My nephew, who does NOT require gluten free said these are his favorite cookie of all time. If you knew how extremely picky he is you would realize how big a deal his comment really is. He has asked that I bring them to our family Christmas celebration tonight.
Veggievin says
Made these today. So yummy. I’m not a baker so I was surprised that they turned out so good. Made them dairy free too. Can’t wait until my family gets to eat them in Christmas.
Eveline McNeil says
These are the best lemon cookies by far. My friend said that I could make these regularly; they’ve become her favourite cookie!