These lemon cookies are an old fashioned treat that's crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle with a fresh lemon flavor that makes your mouth pucker just enough.
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Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Old fashioned tart tangy flavor is a lemon lover's dream.
- They are SO easy to make.
- They freeze well.
If you love cookies with crisp edges and chewy, soft centers then these are for you! They have an outer coating of lemonade mix so they are extra lemony and tangy-sweet.
Plus, they store, freeze, and ship well. A perfect cookie for so many reasons!
You might also love these pretty pastel meltaway cookies!
🥫 Storage
Keep these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or so.
To freeze:
You can freeze them, baked or unbaked, in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Be sure not to overcook these or the texture will be off. If they don't develop that crackly look in the oven you can gently push the rounded tops down with the bottom of a drinking glass while they are still hot.
- Be sure everything is at room temperature before you start.
- An easy way to bring eggs to room temperature is to put them in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes.
- Don't over-mix or your lemon snaps will be tough.
- You can shape the dough into balls, flash freeze, and then put in an airtight container with parchment between the layers and freeze. Just put the frozen cookie dough ball on the cookie sheet and continue with the recipe as written.
- I like rolling them in powdered lemonade mix for more lemon flavor but you can roll them in granulated or powdered sugar, too.
👩🍳 FAQs
The combination of the sugar coating on the outside and the rising action of the cookie. Sugar draws moisture out of the unbaked cookie and the dry surface is done long before the inside. As the inside continues to rise it breaks through the dry surface causing cracks.
If your dough wasn't chilled or you didn't use enough flour then the cookies might spread before the surface had a chance to get dry. They're still delicious!
📚 Related recipes
- Copycat Lofthouse Cookies are those soft sugar cookies with the thick icing that you remember begging your mom for.
- Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies are crispy on the edges and with soft chewy middles (or crispy throughout - depending on how long you bake them.
- Snickerdoodle Cookies are iconic in the south - I don't know about y'all up north. They're crispy edged, chewy middled, and sweetly spiced with cinnamon.
📞 The last word
If you've never had lemon snaps before you have really missed out. They are sort of a cross between a sugar cookie and a gingersnap except with a kick of lemon flavor.
In other words, you can't explain them you have to experience them!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Lemon Snaps Cookies (Lemon Crinkle Cookies)
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- ⅓ cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- A few gratings of whole nutmeg, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Lemonade mix or sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs.
- Add the lemon juice, zest, and extract.
- Mix the dry ingredients and stir in until well blended.
- Roll dough between your hands to form walnut sized balls.
- Roll in lemonade mix or sugar and place on cookie sheet that is covered with silpat.
- Chill for 30 minutes.
- Put into the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven - gently press down tops while cookies are warm if they are puffy.
Notes
- Be sure not to overcook these or the texture will be off. If they don't develop that crackly look in the oven you can gently push the rounded tops down with the bottom of a drinking glass while they are still hot.
- Be sure everything is at room temperature before you start.
- An easy way to bring eggs to room temperature is to put them in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes.
- Don't over-mix or your lemon snaps will be tough.
- You can shape the dough into balls, flash freeze, and then put in an airtight container with parchment between the layers and freeze. Just put the frozen cookie dough ball on the cookie sheet and continue with the recipe as written.
- I like rolling them in powdered lemonade mix for more lemon flavor but you can roll them in granulated or powdered sugar, too.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
📖 The story
Although I am a dyed in the wool chocolate freak, lemon is high on my list, too.
When I was little there was a bakery near the grocery store where my mom shopped. Back then you didn't have mega-stores, you went to the butcher shop for meat, the grocery store for staples, and the bakery for baked goods.
I kind of liked it that way because each store had its own personality and ambiance.
Anyway, I was an exceptionally adorable child — not bragging, just saying. My mom kept my hair in long ringlets with a bow holding them off my face a la Shirley Temple.
Apparently the look was irresistible to the merchants whose stores we stopped at because I generally was given something at each stop. My favorite?
The bakery.
The bakery smelled like everything delicious but the treat I liked best was the lemon snaps. They were big, warm, and lemony and they reminded me of the ones I sometimes got from an older relative when I visited.
My mom never bought them but the lady behind the counter never forgot to hand me one when we walked in the door.
These lemon crinkle cookies are as close as I can remember, although I don't think anything ever matches the way you remember something tasting, do you?
First published May 14, 2008. Last updated January 20, 2023 for better structure and improved experience.
Anna says
Good morning Marye!
Craving these lemon cookies today. But due to some health issues, unable to roll them. I’m thinking of spreading the dough in a 9x13 glass Pyrex pan & baking them. What’s your opinion on this please? Thanks! Happy New Year! All the best, Anna
Marye says
I've never tried that way but I don't see why it wouldn't work.
Anna says
Thanks Marye. 😊
Anna says
I’m planning to make these & ship to a friend who lives in the UK. The post office suggests cookie bars as they travel that far better than cookies. So would it even be possible to make this recipe in a cookie bar form? Thanks, Anna
Marye says
I've never tried to make bars out of them, however I've shipped cookies all over the world without a problem (kids in the military). Check out how I do it - https://www.restlesschipotle.com/shipping-cookies-overseas-without-tears/
Anna Marie says
I’ve got some comments to make since trying this recipe out. Awhile back I had great success with a cookie bar recipe where I substituted applesauce for the butter. So…I thought, what not do sorta the same w/your recipe? However I did add 1.5 tablespoons of butter. After reading reviews, I added 2 tablespoons lemon juice & added 1 tablespoon of lemon extract (along w/the other measurements. The end result the cookies didn’t crinkle like yours. I’m thinking I made a huge mistake substituting applesauce for the butter. They turned out nice & lemony. And I’ve been making homemade cookies, etc. for a VERY long time. So just wanted your input please. Sincerely, Anna Marie
Marye says
The applesauce was definitely a mistake. It's best to follow the recipe exactly the first time you make it and then try different variations.
Heather says
Fantastic cookies! They're so pretty and flavorful. Thanks! A new family fav!
Hettie says
Super cookies! Rolling them in lemonade mix worked beautifully. Thanks!
sbailey says
look exactly like the picture but very faint taste of lemon.... not crisp either... 🙁
Marye says
I'm sorry you didn't care for them. 🙂