These lemon meltaway cookies are a bite of lemony freshness that will make you dream of summer days.
Jump to RecipeTable of Contents
- Lemon Meltaway Cookies Ingredients
- Substitutions And Additions
- How To Make This Lemon Meltaway Cookies Recipe
- How To Serve
- Storage
- Why We Love This Recipe
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Recipes You’ll Love
- JUMP TO RECIPE
These easy lemon meltaway cookies are like a burst of sunshine. A soft, buttery confection topped with a luscious lemony glaze that will melt in your mouth as soon as you take a bite.
Lemon Meltaway Cookies Ingredients
These lemon cookies are a perfect blend of sweet and tangy flavors. They feature a crumbly cookie base with a zesty lemon twist and a hint of sweetness from white sugar.
The glaze, made with confectioner’s sugar and fresh lemon juice, adds a delightful tartness, while a touch of heavy cream lends a rich, velvety texture.
You’ll need:
For The Cookies:
- 1 cup of salted butter
- ¾ cup of white sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder
For The Glaze:
- 1½ cups of confectioner’s sugar
- juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon of heavy cream
PRO TIP:
If you prefer, you could use lemon extract instead of zesting the lemons. The rule of thumb is ½ teaspoon of lemon extract per one teaspoon of zest.
Substitutions And Additions
MEYER LEMONS: Meyer lemons have a slightly sweeter taste than regular lemons but can easily be used as a substitute in this recipe.
FRUIT: Try using different fruits in place of the lemon. Other citrusy flavors such as orange or lime, or maybe even chocolate chips or peppermint would work well in this recipe.
LEMON ZEST: While fresh lemon zest is the star here, you can get creative with other citrus fruits.
Try orange zest for a sweet twist or lime zest for a zesty and tart variation.
Each citrus zest will bring its unique aroma and flavor, adding a fun twist to the classic lemon meltaway cookies.
HEAVY CREAM: For a lighter glaze, you can use milk or a dairy-free alternative like almond milk or coconut milk.
This switch won’t compromise the flavor but will adjust the richness of the glaze. If you want to infuse extra flavor into the glaze, consider adding a drop of vanilla extract or a pinch of cinnamon to make it your own.
How To Make This Lemon Meltaway Cookies Recipe
Making these cookies is as simple as whipping up the batch of cookie dough, baking, and adding the lemony glaze. Let’s get started.
For The Cookies
STEP ONE: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix the butter and white sugar together. Add in the egg and continue mixing until combined. Stir in the lemon zest.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
When removing the zest from the lemons, be careful not to overdo it and get the white of the lemon, which can be very bitter. The zestiness is in just the yellow skin.
STEP TWO: Combine the flour and baking powder. Add it in batches to the wet ingredients.
STEP THREE: Taking about two teaspoons of the dough, shape it into a ball in your hands. Place each ball onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and flatten just a bit.
PRO TIP:
Pressing a little on each cookie dough ball will help the cookie not be too much like a ball unless you like it like that. They do melt pretty well, though, so don’t press too much.
STEP FOUR: Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for eight minutes.
STEP FIVE: Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack. Cool cookies completely before glazing.
For The Glaze
STEP ONE: In a small mixing bowl stir together the confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, and cream.
STEP TWO: Spoon glaze onto each cookie, spreading towards the edges and decorate the top with a bit of lemon zest. The glaze will take about 15 minutes to set.
How To Serve
These lemon meltaways would make a perfect afternoon snack with a cold glass of milk.
Or, we can suggest several cold beverages such as our iced tea, raspberry iced tea, sweet peach iced tea, or our southern strawberry sweet tea on the side.
Or how about sharing them as part of a cookie exchange? Pair them with blueberry cookies and our shortbread cookies for a lovely trifecta of cookies to share.
For the best bright and refreshing citrusy treats, we can give you lots of ideas.
Try our lemon sugar cookies, lemon poke cake, or our lemon lush, a southern-style dessert lasagna.
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Storage
Whether you plan to enjoy them immediately or save some for later, here are some tips on how to store your cookies to maintain their deliciousness.
MAKE AHEAD: If you’re short on time but still want that freshly baked cookie experience, you can prepare the cookie dough ahead of time.
Simply shape it into a log, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
When you’re ready to bake, just slice and bake as directed in the recipe.
ON THE COUNTER: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep well for up to a week.
IN THE FREEZER: The cookie dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to three months before baking.
THAWING: Once baked, the lemon cookies can be frozen without the glaze in a container or Ziploc bag for up to a month.
Let thaw, and then add the glaze when you are ready to serve them.
Why We Love This Recipe
There are plenty of reasons to rave about this cookie recipe, including:
BRIGHT AND ZESTY FLAVOR: These cookies are bursting with the fresh and vibrant taste of lemon zest. The citrusy kick adds a delightful tanginess that balances perfectly with the sweet, buttery base.
MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH TEXTURE: As the name suggests, these cookies truly melt away in your mouth. The combination of all-purpose flour and just a hint of baking powder creates a crumbly and tender texture that’s utterly irresistible.
These lemon meltaway cookies will be a treat as you bite into the sweet, soft cookie with a glaze that balances the sweetness of the sugar with the tart lemon. A delightful little cookie that is big on flavor, you can’t go wrong with these lovely meltaways.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if my glaze is too thick?
If your glaze is too thick, add a few drops of lemon juice or cream and stir until you reach your desired consistency. Be cautious not to overdo it; a little goes a long way.
How can I store leftover lemon zest?
You can store extra lemon zest in an airtight container in the freezer for several months. This way, you’ll always have some on hand for future recipes.
Can I double this recipe to make more cookies?
You can easily double or even triple the recipe to make more cookies. Just be sure to adjust your baking time accordingly and use a larger mixing bowl.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Lemon Brownies
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- Lemon Lasagna
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- Starbucks Lemon Loaf
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- Apple Pie Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lemon Curd
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Lemon Meltaway Cookies
5 from 5 votes
These lemon meltaway cookies are a bite of lemony freshness that will make you dream of summer days.
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes minutes
Total Time 43 minutes minutes
Servings 18 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 zest of lemon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1 juice of lemon (2 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix butter and white sugar.
Add the egg and continue to mix until combined.
Stir in the lemon zest.
Combine flour and baking powder and add it in batches to the wet ingredients until fully mixed.
Take about 2 teaspoons of the dough and shape it into a ball in your hands.
Place onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and flatten just a little.
Bake for 8 minutes then remove from oven.
After a few minutes, transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cookies will need to be completely cooled before glazing.
In a small mixing bowl add the confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, and cream then stir until combined.
Spoon a little onto each cookie, spreading toward the edges.
TIP: The glaze will take about 15 minutes to set before eating.
Decorate with a bit of lemon zest.
Notes
- If you prefer, you could use lemon extract instead of zesting the lemons. The rule of thumb is ½ teaspoon of lemon extract per one teaspoon of zest.
- When removing the zest from the lemons, be careful not to overdo it and get the white of the lemon, which can be very bitter. The zestiness is in just the yellow skin.
- Pressing a little on each cookie dough ball will help the cookie not be too much like a ball unless you like it like that. They do melt pretty well, though, so don’t press too much.
Nutrition
Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 343IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!
Stephanie KeepingPublisher
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Rhadonda SedgwickCreative Director
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