Skip to Content

Lemon Doodles

Posted on  - Last updated:

Home » Recipes » Desserts and Sweets

Jump to Recipe

Like their cousin the snickerdoodle, lemon doodles are melt-in-your mouth cookies with slightly crispy edges thanks to a coating of sugar before baking.

Three stacks of lemon doodles on a wooden cutting board with 2 lemon wedges

Welcome to #LemonWeek 2021 hosted by Lynn from Fresh April Flours!  What better way to welcome summer than with over 50 recipes featuring bright and sunny lemons? Come join me and my fellow Lemon Week bloggers as we bring you recipes from appetizers to drinks to entrées and desserts!

I absolutely love the texture of snickerdoodle cookies, and it works just as well with lemon instead of cinnamon!

Three balls of lemon doodle dough on a baking sheet

How to Make Lemon Cookies

These cookies begin the way that most cookie recipes do: by creaming together the butter and sugars. I also add the lemon zest at this point, to really infuse the ingredients with lemon flavor.

Unlike most others cookies, these cookies contain cream of tartar. This makes the cookies chewy and the acidity in the cream of tartar gives these cookies their signature tang.

Finally, to get that slight crispness around the edges, the balls of dough are rolled in sugar before baking.

Six lemon doodles on a wooden cutting board in front of two lemon halves on a blue-and-white striped kitchen towel

FAQs

Q: I don't have cream of tartar. What can I use instead?

A: Omit the cream of tartar AND the baking soda, and use 2 teaspoon of baking powder instead.

Q: Can I use something else instead of vanilla extract?

A: Almond extract would be delicious in this recipe!

Q: How do I store these cookies?

A: Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Stored this way, they will keep for about a week.

Q: Can I freeze these cookies?

A: Yes! Place the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once the cookies are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-grade zip-top plastic bag. The cookies will keep in the freezer for about 3 months. Thaw the cookies in the refrigerator overnight.

Q: Can I mix the dough and freeze it, and bake the cookies as needed?

A: Yes! Mix the dough, scoop it, and roll into balls, but don't roll in sugar. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze. Transfer the dough balls into a freezer-grade zip-top plastic bag. To use, thaw as many dough balls as needed in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, roll in sugar, and bake as directed in the recipe.

Lemon doodles on a white serving tray with a lemon half and two lemon wedges

These are delicious lemon doodles to keep around the house for occasional snacking, tucking into a lunchbox, or something different to bring to a cookout, picnic, or other gathering.

But it's so hard to eat just one, so you might want to make a double batch. Just something to keep in mind.

Three stacks of lemon doodles on a wooden cutting board with 2 lemon wedges

Lemon Doodles

Yield: 30 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Like their cousin the snickerdoodle, lemon doodles are melt-in-your mouth cookies with slightly crispy edges thanks to a coating of sugar before baking.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (8 oz/227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ cup (5 ¼ oz/148 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (3 ¾ oz/106 g) light brown sugar
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 ¾ cup (11 ⅝ oz/330 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (3 ½ oz/99 g) granulated sugar, for rolling the scooped cookies

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (162 degrees C).
  2. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper, set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, ¾ cup sugar, brown sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  4. With mixer running on medium speed, add in the whole egg, yolk and vanilla and beat for another minute, scraping the sides as necessary.
  5. Add the baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and lemon zest, then mix for 30 seconds on medium-low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  6. Add in flour, then mix on low just until combined.
  7. Place the ½ cup of sugar in a shallow dish. Using a medium cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop the dough and roll into a ball. Roll each cookie dough ball into the sugar.
  8. Place on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning cookie sheet halfway through baking. The cookies will appear puffy and underbaked on the top, but they will continue baking after being removed from the oven.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn a small percentage from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 30 Serving Size: 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 60Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 74mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g

I am not a certified nutritionist. This nutrition information is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only.

Did you love this recipe?

Leave a star rating below and share it on social media!

© Coleen, The Redhead Baker
Cuisine: American / Category: Desserts and Sweets

Wednesday #LemonWeek Recipes

Skip to Recipe