Lemon Tea Cookies are an easy lemon cookie made with a few ingredients and fresh lemon juice and zest. They require less than 15 minutes of prep before baking in the oven.
Lemon cookies are a lovely little cookie. They are the perfect cookie to enjoy while sipping afternoon tea. They are great for serving at special events like Mother’s Day brunch, bridal showers and baby showers. But really, these cookies are for anyone that loves lemon. Kids and adults love them!
These cookies are made from scratch with a few simple cookie ingredients like butter and flour. Fresh lemon zest and juice gives these cookies the perfect amount of lemon flavor.
How to make lemon tea cookies
- Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
- Mix together butter, confectioners’ sugar, egg, lemon juice, zest and vanilla. You can use any type of lemon, but Meyer lemons are preferred since they are sweeter in flavor.
- Roll the dough into 1″ sized balls. Place on a prepared cookie sheet and bake.
- Coat the cookies by rolling the still warm cookies in a large bowl of confectioners’ sugar. Move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
These cookies are sometimes called “cooler cookies.” They are also similar to Byrd’s famous cookies in the key lime flavor from Savannah. No matter what you call them, they are tasty little bites for snack or dessert.
Tips for making these cookies
- Use fresh ingredients for the best texture and flavor.
- The recipe requires baking powder. Do not use baking soda in this recipe.
- Roll them while they are still slightly warm. This helps the sugar stick to them.
- These cookies should not taste bitter. If you end up with bitter cookies, try switching out the brand of confectioners’ sugar. Some brands are bitter. We use the standard store brand or Domino brand.
- Store these cookies in a sealed container for up to 3 weeks.
Shipping cookies
These cookies are perfect for shipping. They are stable and last for at least 2 weeks. For shipping, store them in a sealed container. We use a large mason jar.
What other cookies go well with tea?
Tea cookies are the perfect little treat. You probably already have all of the ingredients you need to make them. If you try these little cookies, let us know what you think!
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the egg yolk, lemon juice, zest and vanilla until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined. If the dough is crumbly, use your hands to kneed the dough gently until it comes together and forms a ball. Roll the dough into 1" sized balls and place 1" apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. While the cookies are still warm, roll them in the remaining 2 cups confectioners' sugar and place on a wire baking rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Recipe originally published April 2014, updated June 2020.
The powdered sugar won’t melt wen rolling them while warm? Also, how can these be stored best so that the powdered sugar won’t dissolve?
Great question! The cookies should cool slightly first, so they’re warm but not piping hot when rolled. That helps the powdered sugar stick without completely melting. Once cooled, storing them in an airtight container should keep the coating nice, and you can always add another light dusting before serving if needed.
I don’t usually write reviews but these cookies are fabulous! I used to buy lemon teas cookies in the store but they stopped carrying them. These are so much better than the store brand I used buy. This recipe will be on repeat.