• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Mile High Mitts logo

  • About
    • About
    • Disclosures
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Recipes

Lemon Cookies (gluten-free)

Apr 8, 2019 · 25 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Lemon Cookies scattered around parchment paper with lemon slices

With a light, pillow-y texture and a burst of lemon flavor, these gluten-free Lemon Cookies are a fun and simple Spring dessert!

Have you ever had a lemon cookie before?

Some are chewy, some are more muffin-like.. my favorite is something in between. A fluffier cookie, with less crunch, but still a little chew, and a melt-in-your mouth texture. That’s exactly how these gluten-free Lemon Cookies are.

What’s the secret to getting enough lemon flavor in these cookies? Zest like you’ve never zested before, baby! ๐Ÿ˜‰

I make it a point to say that in every citrus recipe I make because it makes THAT big of a difference. Trust me when I say from experience, you’ll hardly get any flavor if you simply use the lemon juice. Lemon zest is a MUST HAVE.

Don’t own a tool to zest with?

The way I see it, you have two options:

  • Don’t make this recipe! Probably an odd thing to say, but I would rather you make something else that doesn’t require zest and love it, rather than trying to make these and not getting the lovely lemon cookies you were dreaming of ๐Ÿ™
  • Buy one already, sheesh! I thought I would never use mine and now I use it frequently. I highly recommend this one, that I own and love. For only $10 you can’t beat it.

Now that you have a tool to zest with, what’s the best way to zest?

Lightly, but with pressure, rub your lemon along the surface of the zesting tool, only zesting each section of the lemon once. Continue around the entire lemon until the whole surface of the lemon has been zested.

I know I said to zest like you’ve never zested before, but you don’t want to zest your fruit so hard that you get down to the rind of the lemon (the white part under the yellow coating). The rind of the lemon will be bitter, and I don’t think bitter cookies sound particularly appetizing!

a stack of Lemon Cookies with lemon slices around

Now we’ve talked about the importance of using the zest, you have a tool to zest with, and you’ve properly zested your lemons. What’s next? Making these delicious Lemon Cookies!

These gluten-free Lemon Cookies are an easy recipe, that are really a spin on my classic white chocolate dipped cookie recipe.

Quick to whip up, and always a crowd pleaser, these cookies never fail me.

To begin, preheat your oven to 350 and line two pans with parchment paper.

Next, in a large mixing bowl, cream together your softened butter and sugars. Beat them together with a mixer for a few minutes, till the mixture is nice and creamy and your mouth is watering. Add in your lemon juice (I like this squeezer), lemon zest, egg and vanilla and mix together again briefly.

Now, to the same bowl, sprinkle in your flour, baking soda, salt and cornstarch. Using a spatula, stir the ingredients together till they form a nice, smooth batter. Due to the added lemon juice, you may need to add more flour to the dough if it doesn’t quite seem thick enough. I added an extra 2 tablespoons to mine.

Now, scoop the dough using a small cookie scoop onto your pans, about 12 cookies per sheet. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or till the edges are just set.

close up view of a stack of Lemon Cookies with a bite taken out of the top one

You see that bite taken out… I couldn’t resist! ๐Ÿ˜‰

With an easy, fast recipe, these gluten-free Lemon Cookies are light, full of citrus flavor, and sure to fulfill those lemon cravings!

Want more lemon in your life? Check out my gluten-free Lemon Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies, gluten-free Lemon Cupcakes or gluten-free Lemon Pancakes.

4.75 from 4 votes
A close up of a cookie
Print
Lemon Cookies (gluten-free)
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 112 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 all purpose baking flour)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 and line two pans with parchment paper. 

  2. In a large mixing bowl, add your white sugar, brown sugar and butter and beat with a mixer till creamy. Add your lemon juice, lemon zest, egg and vanilla and mix together again briefly. 

  3. To the same bowl, sprinkle in your flour, baking soda, salt and cornstarch. Mix until the dough forms completely (it should be thick and smooth). If your dough isn’t thick enough, add another 1-2 tbsp’s of flour to your batter. 

  4. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop your dough onto your pans, spreading them apart evenly. About 12 cookies per each pan.

  5. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or till the edges of the cookies are done. The tops may look slightly underdone but will continue to cook through as they cool. 

  6. Let your cookies cool on your pan for at least 15 minutes, and then remove them onto your cooling rack.

  7. Devour!

Recipe Notes

Store your cookies in an airtight container, and they taste best within the first 4 days.ย 

two Lemon Cookies and a stack of lemon cookies

All Recipes, Cookies, Desserts

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Haley Brumfield says

    October 3, 2020 at 5:29 pm

    Hi! Can I substitute with coconut sugar and coconut oil instead of butter?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      October 5, 2020 at 2:09 am

      Yes! Both should work well still, just be sure the coconut oil isn’t too melted (just softened) or the cookies will spread too thin.

      Reply
  2. Christa says

    July 12, 2020 at 10:35 pm

    Cookies were delicious! Also made with regular flour and were really good as well. An easy gluten-free recipe that doesnโ€™t require many speciality ingredients.

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      July 14, 2020 at 2:20 am

      Thanks Christa! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  3. Grace Wang says

    June 12, 2020 at 5:24 pm

    I made these and they were delicious! However, Iโ€™m now out of lemons. Could I substitute lime zest and lime juice instead?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      June 12, 2020 at 8:31 pm

      Great to hear, grace! You could, but then they would be Lime Cookies instead. Hope you enjoy if you try them like that!

      Reply
  4. Rhonda Leathers says

    April 20, 2020 at 11:24 pm

    Absolutely delicious! I think as a base, this cookie could be transformed into all types of flavors. I loved the lemon!

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      April 21, 2020 at 3:13 pm

      Awesome!! Great to hear that Rhonda, thanks for the kind words.

      Reply
  5. Eucheuma Inciong-Ragasa says

    April 18, 2020 at 10:12 am

    What is the purpose of cornstarch in this recipe? Can I skip it?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      April 19, 2020 at 3:50 pm

      Hi there – Yes, you can skip the cornstarch! It just gives the cookies a bit of a softer and fluffier texture, but they are still good without it.

      Reply
  6. Eucheuma Inciong-Ragasa says

    April 18, 2020 at 10:11 am

    Can I substitute the white sugar with muscovado sugar? Thanks

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      April 19, 2020 at 3:52 pm

      Hi there – Muscovado sugar should work fine in this recipe (you may need a bit more flour) but the flavor would be different so I wouldn’t recommend it.

      Reply
  7. 12345 says

    April 7, 2020 at 6:41 pm

    Do you think that the cookies will still bake correctly if I were to add blueberries?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      April 8, 2020 at 2:41 am

      Hi there. That sounds a little tricky. I haven’t ever used fresh berries in these cookies, but I’m picturing the blueberries falling out and the batter not staying together as well. I would guess that you would need a softer cookie, that’s more muffin top like, for that to work. I would recommend dried blueberries for these cookies in particular. You’ve got me thinking now though that I might have to make a cookie like that because it sounds delicious! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  8. Thompson says

    March 23, 2020 at 5:15 pm

    My husband LOVED this recipe! What a lovely and light lemon flavor. Well done! We will be using this regularly in our house!

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      March 23, 2020 at 9:34 pm

      So happy to hear that!! Thanks for the comment.

      Reply
  9. Michelle says

    March 11, 2020 at 7:45 pm

    Thank you for sharing this! I love lemon cookies and using Bob’s 1 to 1 flour mix. These turned out wonderfully. I had slight issues with melty spots, but my butter might have been overly soft.

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      March 13, 2020 at 1:53 am

      Awesome to hear, Michelle! That sounds like a good possibility – Either that or maybe you didn’t cream the butter and sugar enough and then you ended up with clumps of butter that melted funny while baking in the oven.

      Reply
  10. Chelsea Green says

    November 14, 2019 at 8:35 pm

    Hi Kathryn, coconut oil should work great too, just be sure that it’s softened and not entirely melted (or your cookies will spread too thin in the oven). Good luck, and I hope you enjoy!

    Reply
  11. Nc says

    September 10, 2019 at 1:49 pm

    Hi I have a homebased baked goods business and I am trying to offer to GF customers I would love to make these if thay is alright. I never give out the recipe thank you.

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      September 10, 2019 at 7:56 pm

      Hi there, that is no problem. I hope you enjoy the cookies!

      Reply
      • Becca says

        May 28, 2020 at 9:17 pm

        Could I substitute almond flour?

        Reply
        • Chelsea Green says

          May 29, 2020 at 2:26 am

          Hi Becca. No, almond flour will not substitute well in these. But, I do have a Paleo Lemon Cookie recipe with almond and coconut flour too if you’re interested: http://www.milehighmitts.com/paleo-lemon-cookies-dairy-free-option/ Hope this helps!

          Reply
  12. Aviva says

    July 24, 2019 at 11:15 pm

    I loved the flavor! I use America’s test kitchen GF flour blend, and had to add an extra ounce of flour, but they rose and spread beautifully! I’m in Denver, CO.

    Reply
    • Chelsea Green says

      July 25, 2019 at 2:30 am

      Awesome! Thanks for leaving the review Aviva, I’m glad they worked well for you in a high altitude too! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

ABOUT ME

Hey, Iโ€™m Chelsea! I'm a Colorado Mom baking up simple, gluten-free recipes at over a mile high above sea level. Here you'll find healthy breakfasts and snacks, decadent desserts, fun drinks, and high altitude adjustments. Join me, with a green smoothie in one hand and a cookie in the other! Read Moreโ€ฆ

Get NEW RECIPES sent straight to your Inbox every month!

As an Amazon Affiliate, some of the links on Mile High Mitts are affiliate links. If you click on one of the links and purchase the item I will receive a small percentage of commission, at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Copyright © 2021 Mile High Mitts on the Cravings Pro Theme