These easy lemon poppy seed cookies are like soft little pillows make of zesty lemon, crunchy poppy seeds, and a drizzle of sweet glaze! Each bite of these light, yet decadent lemon cookies is like taking a bite of pure sunshine.
Soft Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies Recipe
These soft, cake-like lemon poppy seed cookies are one of my favorite summertime treats! Whether I whip up a batch for a picnic in the park or a backyard barbecue, these delicious lemon cookies are always a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
The balance of tangy and sweet flavors is so perfect in these cookies! The combination of fresh lemon juice and rind mixed with just enough sugar creates a wonderful pairing of those contrasting flavors. These cookies aren’t too tangy or too sweet – they’re just right.
Of course, you really can’t forget the smaller details that really brings the cookies all together – the poppy seeds and sweet glaze! While both of those ingredients can be omitted, I highly recommend including them both.
The poppy seeds add the perfect delicate crunch, while a drizzle of sweet glaze or icing provides the perfect amount of added sweetness.
Why You’ll Love this Lemon Poppy Seed Cookie Recipe:
- So soft: While we all love thin chewy cookies or harder, crunchier cookies, there’s something to be said for the pleasures of biting into a thick, fluffy, cake-like cookie! These soft lemony pillows are almost too good to be true.
- A summertime favorite: While I personally could eat these all year round, (yes, even on Christmas), they’re a true summertime staple. They’re just so fresh and bright!
- Easy: This is a no-frills recipe. The steps are easy to follow and the ingredients are simple and inexpensive. You have no reason not to treat yourself to this easy cookie recipe!
Be sure to try these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins too!
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How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Beat the butter and sugar until soft. Stir in the egg until it’s fluffy.
- Add the milk, lemon juice, and lemon rind to the wet ingredients until the batter is smooth.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients before stirring in the poppy seeds.
- Place the drops of dough onto a prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the center of a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool before frosting or glazing.
I love making my own glaze with just milk, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar! Then, I use a spoon to drizzle the sweet glaze evenly all over the cookies. However, you could also drizzle the cookies with melted white chocolate for an even richer, sweeter topping! Or, you could simply dust them with powdered sugar for a more delicate touch of sweetness.
At room temperature in an airtight container, these cookies will stay fresh for uptown 3 days. In the refrigerator, still in an airtight container, they will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
Typically, there are 2 tablespoons of juice in an average-sized lemon. Since this recipe only calls for 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, you should only need one lemon. However, if you plan on doubling or tripling this recipe, consider buying a few more lemons! Also, be sure you’re getting your juice from real lemons, not the store-bought bottled stuff, or your cookies won’t be as fresh tasting.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Want these cookies to be even more lemony? Add a few drops of pure lemon extract to the batter. Just be careful, as the extract is pretty powerfully flavored. You could also add it to the glaze for even more lemon flavor!
- Avoid over-baking these cookies! If cooked for too long, they will dry out and lose their soft, cake-like texture.
- To get the most cookies out of your dough, roll them into 1-inch balls. That should yield about 18-24 cookies.
These soft lemon poppy seed cookies are a perfect combination of tangy and sweet, while also being soft and cake-like. They’re pure bliss!
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour 180 grams
- ½ teaspoon baking soda 3 grams
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter 57 grams (½ stick)
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- 1 large egg 50 grams
- ¼ cup milk 57 grams
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice 14 grams, from ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 2 grams
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 9 grams
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Baking Sheet
- Hand Mixer
- Cookie Portion Scoop (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.1½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Using a hand mixer, gradually beat the butter and sugar together until soft. Add in the egg and beat until fluffy. Add in the milk, lemon juice, and lemon rind, until the batter is smooth.¼ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, ¼ cup milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- Slowly add in the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Stir in the poppy seeds until they are evenly distributed into the dough.1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- Scoop or spoon drops of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the center of the oven on the middle rack.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until they become firm. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before glazing or frosting.
Notes
- These cookies are cake-like and very soft and chewy.
- Want these cookies to be even more lemony? Add a few drops of pure lemon extract to the batter. Just be careful, as the extract is pretty powerfully flavored. You could also add it to the glaze for even more lemon flavor!
- Avoid over-baking these cookies! If cooked for too long, they will dry out and lose their soft, cake-like texture.
- To get the most cookies out of your dough, roll them into 1-inch balls. That should yield about 18-24 cookies.
- If you would like an extra sweet cookie, you can drizzle melted white chocolate, frost, or glaze if desired.
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