In our house, nothing says Christmas quite like the sweet aroma of lemon cut-out sugar cookies baking in the oven. These cookies are more than a treat, they are a once-a-year labor of love that my son can’t get enough of (although they’d be great for any occasion). He sneaks bites of dough from the fridge and devours them fresh out of the oven before we even ice them.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.
Over the years, these slightly lemony sugar cookies have become more than just his favorite dessert, they’re a cherished tradition, especially when shared with friends during the holiday season.
If you don’t want to commit to the time these these cut out cookies take, but still want something lemony, you can try these DELICIOUS lemon ricotta cookies. They might not be as pretty, but I’ve been told by several people that they are the best cookie they have ever eaten.
Anyway… back to the cut out cookies.
Every December we invite friends and neighbors over for a cookie decorating night. It’s a great way to get to know people better. There is always laughter at our silly decorating (usually involving candy eyeballs). I highly recommend hosting a cookie night and I also recommend that you have plenty of candy eyeballs on hand in assorted sizes.
These cookies take a bit of commitment and work, but oh, how they are worth it! I use royal icing for these cookies, as shown (recipe coming soon), but sometimes I simply color canned frosting and let the kids have fun with frosting and sprinkles. Although, these cookies are delicious on their own, so you don’t even need to ice them if you don’t feel like it! But if you use sprinkles be ready for the mess—I usually find sprinkles scattered for days! My Shark VACMOP is probably one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. I stress much less about my hard floors now.
This recipe can be done in stages. I make the dough one day, cut out and bake cookies another day, and then decorate on a different day. This endeavor creates a lot of mess, so I take steps to make it more manageable. If you’d prefer to tackle it all in one go, go for it!
Alright, now put on a cute apron, tie back your hair (if it’s long enough to fall out and get in the food, yuck), wash your hands, and let’s get baking!
Ingredients and Substitutions:
This recipe is best as written, but you may be able to make some substitutions.
- All Purpose flour– I wouldn’t recommend substituting this, and I have not yet tried this with gluten free flour blend. I will update when I do.
- Baking Powder– make sure this is not expired. That can affect how your cookies turn out.
- Butter- I usually use salted, but unsalted works too. Make sure it is softened to room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar- I haven’t tried any other kind of sugar in this recipe
- Eggs- Make sure these are at room temperature
- Cream Cheese- softened to room temperature. I don’t recommend you leave this out.
- Vanilla Extract- I use pure vanilla extract, but you can use vanilla paste or imitation vanilla.
- Almond Extract- This goes nicely with the lemon flavor
- Lemon Zest- I don’t measure this, I just put 2 lemons worth. You can adjust this to taste. This can be omitted if you want a more classic sugar cookie flavor, but why would you ever do that??? These lemon cut out cookies are delicious!
- Salt– I use fine sea salt.
How to Make Lemon Cut-out Sugar Cookies: Step-by-Step Instructions
This section will have detailed instructions. The measurements for each ingredient are in the printable recipe card for Lemon cut-out sugar cookies at the bottom of the post.
Step 1: Mix your flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. This makes a pretty large batch, so it requires quite a bit of flour. Set it aside.
Step 2: Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, a hand mixer will work. However, I highly recommend a stand mixer if you like to bake. Seriously… my KitchenAid Stand Mixer changed my life! Mix the butter and sugar together on low-medium speed until the mixture looks a little fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula in case some of that sugar is holding on to the bottom of the bowl for dear life. It likes to do that sometimes.
Step 3: Add the eggs one at a time and incorporate into the dough. Then add the cream cheese. Again, scrape the sides and bottom until combined.
Step 4: This is where you will add the flavor! Put in the vanilla and almond extract. Now add the lemon zest. I don’t measure the lemon zest, I mean really… who has time for that. I just use my lemon zester and grater to zest 2 lemons right into the bowl! The grater makes them smaller than a lemon zester peeler (I prefer the peeler for topping cookies with zest, as it makes bigger pieces, but it will also work in this recipe. Chop them a little bit smaller if you use this kind). The lemon zest is really what sets these cookies apart from other cut out cookies. It is a slight lemon taste that makes people go, “Wait… is there LEMON in these cookies!?” It’s delicious!
Step 5: Once all of your ingredients are combined, add your flour mixture. Scoop it into the wet mixture a little bit at a time. Don’t forget to use that handy spatula to scrape the bottom and sides.
Step 6: At this point the dough will be a little sticky, so you have 2 options… first, you can put plastic wrap over the bowl and stick it in the fridge for at least an hour. Then, you can take it out when it is easier to work with and divide it up. Your second option is to use a cookie scoop and move right onto the next step. Either way, this is a great time to clean up the mess that is probably all over your kitchen at this point. Wash some dishes and get ready for phase 2!
Rolling Out Your Dough and Cutting Out the Cookies
Step 7: Divide the dough into 4 smaller balls, smoosh them down, and wrap them in plastic wrap (about 5-6 ice cream scoops full). Then put the wrapped dough into the refrigerator. It is much easier to work with this dough if it is chilled. I keep any dough I am not using in the refrigerator.
Step 8: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line some cookie sheets with parchment paper and get out your favorite cookie cutters.
Roll out the dough to about 1/8 -1/4 inch thickness. If I am giving them as a gift, I use my rolling pin bands and make them a little bit thicker. That requires me to roll out less dough so that I don’t run over it with the bands. If we’re doing a cookie night with friends, I just wing it because they get eaten up so quickly. They come out great both ways.
Use your cookie cutters to make your desired shapes and put them onto a parchment lined baking sheet. If you want to try the adorable reindeer, use the gingerbread man cookie cutter and turn it upside down. Brilliant, right?! Make sure to leave some room in case they spread a little (don’t worry, they don’t spread much). Once the tray is full, putting them in the refrigerator for a few minutes helps them keep their shape.
Take the leftover scraps and smoosh them back into a ball. Put it back into the refrigerator to use once it has chilled again. Grab another dough and repeat.
Step 9: Bake each batch for 8-10 minutes. The time depends on the size and thickness of the cookies. You do not want the cookies to brown, although some people like them a little more well done, so don’t worry if you have some get overdone while you are figuring out how much time they need. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for a minute or two and then move them to a cooling rack.
Let them cool completely before icing. It is a good idea to cook them to all different “donenesses” to accommodate everybody’s preferences, even if it is only by accident 🙂
If you make these, leave a comment to let us know how they turned out.
Looking for more fun and delicious cookies? Try our Lemon Ricotta Cookies. They are easy to dress up and they are “melt in your mouth” good! If you want something tangy, but also quick and easy, try our coconut lime bars.
Lemon Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- 2-4 cookie sheets
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 6 cups all purpose flour
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 oz cream cheese about ½ cream cheese package (softened)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 2 tsp. lemon zest
Instructions
For Cut-out Cookies
- In a medium bowl, combine 6 cups of all purpose flour, 3 tsp. baking powder, and 1 tsp. salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together 2 cups butter (4 sticks) and 2 cups granulated sugar. Mix on low-medium speed until the mixture is fluffy.
- Add the 2 eggs one at a time, making sure they are incorporated.
- Add 4oz cream cheese. Mix until combined.
- Add the flavors… add 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract, 1 tsp. almond extract, and 2 tsp. lemon zest. (I don't usually measure this, but just zest 2 lemons).
- Now start adding the flour mixture to the stand mixer bit by bit. This is a pretty large batch, so you will have to do it a little bit at a time to make sure it all gets incorporated.
- Put plastic wrap on the mixing bowl and refrigerate it for at least an hour. This is the part where I clean up the kitchen and get out my cookie cutters and baking sheets.
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Divide the dough into smaller balls, smoosh them down and wrap in plastic wrap. Put the dough balls you are not using back into the refrigerator.
- Roll out dough ball to ¼ to ⅛ inch thickness. I like them on the thicker side if I am giving them as gifts, but if we are doing a kids cookie decorating night, I don't care as much. Those ones usually get eaten quickly, so I don't waste my time making them look uniform and perfect. Use your cookie cutters to shape them and put them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Make sure to leave room for a little bit of spreading. Take the leftover scraps and put them back into a ball to be rolled out again. If it is too soft, put it back into the refrigerator and grab the next ball. ***I like to put the cookie sheets with the cut out dough into the refrigerator before cooking. I find that they hold their shape better. If you don't have space, you can skip this step. They still turn out pretty.
- Bake each batch for 8-12 minutes. This depends on the size and thickness of the cookies. I try to do similar sized cut outs for all the cookies on a sheet to help them cook evenly. You don't want them to get too browned, just a tiny bit on the bottom.
- Let them cool completely on a cooking rack before icing if you choose to do that.
Notes
You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Freezing: Make sure the icing has completely dried before freezing. Layer the cookies with wax paper in between each layer. Store in a ziplock or other airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookies on the container before serving.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions for Lemon Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Store them in an airtight container on the counter or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Layer the cookies, putting wax paper between each layer.
You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. 
Make sure the icing has completely dried before storing. Layer the cookies with wax paper in between each layer. Store in a ziplock or other airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookies on the counter before serving.
Looking for some other sweet treats to make for guests at Christmas? Try our coconut lime bars, they’d be fun with some sprinkles too. You can also add some to these no bake peanut butter rice krispie balls to make them more festive (sometimes they are blobs in my case, but so tasty).
4 Comments
These cookies are requested in my house all year long!
Oh my gosh! The LEMON in these is SO amazing!!! It adds such a brightness to the cookies and pairs so well with almond and vanilla extract! Genius!
I have been searching for the perfect sugar cookie recipe for years. I can stop my search. This recipe is everything I was looking for. These cookies actually taste great. The dough was very easy to work with, and the cookies held their shapes in the oven. My family all agreed, our search is over. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Thank you so much! I’m glad it was helpful and that you love them as much as I do.