Description
Delight in these soft and tangy Lemon Crinkle Cookies made with refreshing lemon zest and juice, coated in powdered sugar for a perfect sweet and citrusy treat. These vegan cookies bake to a tender, slightly chewy texture and are ideal for lemon lovers seeking a bright, flavorful dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 3 teaspoons fresh grated lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 drops yellow food coloring, optional
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Coating
- 1 cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two cookie sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Place the powdered sugar in a bowl for rolling the dough.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld mixer, beat the softened vegan butter and granulated sugar until creamy and light, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add Flavorings: Mix in the vanilla extract, lemon extract, fresh grated lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and optional yellow food coloring until thoroughly combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Stop the mixer and add the all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Turn mixer on low speed and mix just until the dough comes together, avoiding overmixing.
- Form and Coat Dough Balls: Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls, then generously roll each ball in the powdered sugar until completely coated.
- Bake the Cookies: Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets spaced apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until the edges are just set but the centers remain soft.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve the cookies the same day for best appearance and freshness.
Notes
- If you don’t have lemon extract, you may leave it out, but it adds extra lemon flavor.
- The food coloring is optional and only affects color, not flavor.
- For gluten-free, substitute all purpose flour with a gluten-free all purpose flour blend.
- Do not overbake; cookies will firm up as they cool and remain soft inside.
- Best enjoyed the same day as the powdered sugar coating may melt over time, though cookies remain tasty for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
