Lemon Meltaway Cookies are as close to perfect as a cookie can get! They literally melt in your mouth. The cookie is super soft and lightly chewy, topped with a smooth, sweet glaze and balanced with the most perfect fresh lemon flavor! ….Be warned they are addicting!
Lemon Cookies – The EASY Way!
I love cookies more than just about any sweets. And after eating probably 2 million of them in my lifetime, I would say that I am somewhat of a cookie snob.
I don’t have the time (or calories) to waste on any that aren’t simply AMAZING.
And these cookies, my friends, they are truly amazing.
The soft centers seemingly just melt in your mouth as you take a bite. The glaze strikes a balance between the tartness of the lemon and the sweetness of the sugar. And when they come together it is just pure deliciousness.
The other thing I think is extra special about these cookies is that they are one of the only cookies that you can store on your countertop and still be just as good a day or two later.
They don’t dry out. The texture, if anything, gets even better. And the taste is just as amazing as the moment they came out of the oven.
If you love lemon flavored sweets, these are not to be missed!
Recipe Notes
This Lemon Meltaway Cookie recipe is as simple as promised! Just a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry come together to make an absolutely delightful homemade cookie.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients
For the meltaway cookies:
- Butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Fresh lemon
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
For the lemon glaze:
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice
- Milk or cream
Easy Family Recipe Tips
- Use softened butter– Making sure that your butter is softened (not melted, or still hard) will vastly improve the texture of your cookie and help it to keep the shape you want while baking rather than spreading too thin.
- Use fresh lemon– There really is no substituting prepackaged lemon juice in this recipe. You can only get the delicate flavor by using fresh lemon. Plus, you will need it for the zest in the dough anyway!
- Shape the dough– Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball and then just ever so slightly flatten the ball into a disc. If you leave the dough in a ball you will get more of a rounded mound cookie shape than a flat top. It will taste every bit just as delicious though!
- DON’T OVER COOK! The number one sin of making cookies is over baking them. These should be perfectly done in just about 8-9 minutes. The edges of these cookies do not get brown and the entire cookie will remain a light even color.
- Cool the cookies– Let the cookies cool before trying to glaze them. This helps for two reasons. First, the cookies are soft. I mean super soft. So if you try to glaze them warm they often break. They will be more stable once cool.
Second, the glaze will run off more when they are warm. It is a thin glaze and will drip down the side regardless, but when they are cool it leaves the perfect amount of glaze to cookie ratio!
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Use Self Rising Flour– Self rising flour can be used in place of all purpose flour, baking powder and salt to save some time in gathering ingredients and measuring.
- Make the dough ahead of time– Cookie dough can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. When ready to bake form cookies into discs and bake as directed. Cookies may need up to an extra minute of baking if they are coming straight from the fridge.
- Freeze the dough– Cookie dough can be made up to 3 months in advance and baked when needed. See freezer instructions below for details.
- Freeze the cookies– Cookies can be made and frozen for up to a month before glazing to save time. See freezer instructions below for details.
How to Store Lemon Meltaway Cookies
One of the best parts about these cookies is that they stay fresh for days!
While some cookies dry out, or change in texture over the course of 24 hours these Lemon Meltaway Cookies stay perfectly moist and tender day after day.
Here are a few options for storage:
- On the counter– Cookies can be left on a plate on the counter lightly covered with parchment or a paper towel for up to 24 hours.
- In an airtight container– Cookies can be stored in a zip top bag or other air tight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- Refrigerator– Cookies can be stored in a zip top bag or other air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Freezing Instructions
These cookies work well as a freezer recipe. The cookie dough can be made ahead and frozen or the cookies themselves can be baked and frozen.
Choose which method works best for you depending on how much time you have and how much work you want to do in advance.
To Freeze Cookie Dough
- Make cookie dough as directed.
- Form into discs slightly thinner than you would if baking them right away. (The cookies won’t spread as much when cooking from frozen.)
- Lay on a cookie sheet or sheet of parchment paper and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes to flash freeze. Once they are hard, you can transfer them to a zip top bag or other freezer friendly container.
- When ready to bake, remove cookies from the freezer and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375˚F for 9-12 minutes or until the center has just set.
- Let cool and glaze as directed.
Cookies will last in the freezer in using this method for up to 3 months.
To Freeze Baked Cookies
- Make cookies as directed and allow them to cool.
- Place cookies in an zip top bag or other freezer friendly container and freeze.
- When ready to serve, remove the cookies from the freezer and allow them to come to room temperature.
- Prepare the lemon glaze and coat them as directed.
Use cookies within 1 month for the best flavor when storing in this method.
More EASY Cookie Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my EASY dessert recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Bakery Style Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Double Chocolate Pudding Cookie
- Cornflake Cookies – SO GOOD!
- Softest Sugar Cookies
- Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Favorite No Bake Cookies
- Cornflake Cookies
- Wyoming Cookies
Lemon Meltaway Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 egg, large
- 1 lemon, , zest of
- 2 cups flour, all purpose
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
For the glaze:
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp heavy cream, or milk
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Then mix in the egg until well combined. Stir in lemon zest.
- Add 1/2 cup flour, baking powder, and salt to the butter mixture and stir until combined. Continue adding flour by the 1/2 cup and mixing until all 2 cups are completely combined.
- Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to measure dough, then roll them into balls and slightly flatten with your palm and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 375˚F for 8-9 minutes or until the center is just set. The cookies will remain light in color and will not get brown. Let the cookies sit for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Make the icing by whisking the powdered sugar with the lemon juice, salt and cream until smooth.
- Once the cookies are cool, dip the tops in the glaze by turning time upside down and gently lift them out, turn them over and return them to the cooking rack or a sheet of parchment to dry.
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