Published: May 16, 2026

These Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies are thin, chewy and full of lemon flavor. They’re bright, fresh and perfect for spring and summer baking.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

💛Bright lemon flavor - These cookies are packed with fresh lemon flavor.

💛Thin and chewy texture - The centers stay chewy while the edges turn crispy.

💛Perfect for spring and summer - They have such a bright and fresh flavor that works especially well during warmer months.

💛Easy to make - The recipe uses simple ingredients and comes together without complicated steps.

💛Soft for days - These cookies stay soft and chewy even after the first day.

💛Great for sharing - They’re simple, crowd-pleasing cookies.

How to store?

Store at room temperature: Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. They’re best within the first 2 days when the texture and lemon flavor are the freshest, but they’ll still taste good after that.

Freeze the cookie dough for later: To freeze, place the raw cookie dough balls onto a tray lined with parchment paper and freeze until solid. Then transfer them to a ziplock bag and freeze for up to one month. This way you can bake fresh cookies whenever you want.

Baking Tips and Tricks

→ Try not to overmix the dough - Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing develops too much gluten, which can make the cookies more cakey instead of thin and chewy.

→ Slightly underbake the cookies - The cookies should still look slightly soft in the center when you take them out of the oven. They will continue baking on the hot tray for another 5 minutes as they cool, which gives you that perfect chewy texture.

→ Use a large cookie cutter to shape them - Right after baking, place a large round cookie cutter over the warm cookie and gently swirl it around in circles. This helps create perfectly round cookies with clean edges.

→ Make them larger or smaller depending on your preference - You can adjust the cookie size however you like. I used a 6 cm cookie scoop because I personally love large cookies and this way the recipe makes 10 large cookies.

→ Use a kitchen scale for best results: Measuring ingredients with a kitchen scale gives much more accurate results.

→ Let the cookies cool before glazing - Make sure the cookies are fully cooled before adding the glaze on top. If they’re still warm, the glaze will melt right off instead of setting nicely.

Ingredients you will need for this recipe

For the cookies:

Unsalted butter: Salted butter works too, just reduce the added salt slightly.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cookies and helps create crisp edges.
Lemon zest: Adds fresh, bright lemon flavor.
Egg + egg yolk: Help bind the dough together while the extra yolk adds chewiness and richness.
Vanilla extract: You could also use vanilla bean paste if that’s what you have.
Lemon extract (optional): Boosts the lemon flavor even more. You can leave it out if preferred.
All purpose flour: Gives the cookies structure.
Baking powder: Helps the cookies rise slightly and keeps them from becoming too dense.
Salt: Balances the sweetness.
Poppy seeds: Add a subtle crunch and classic lemon poppy seed flavor. You can leave them out if preferred.

For the glaze:

Powdered sugar: Creates a smooth, sweet glaze that sets nicely on top of the cookies.
Lemon juice: Gives the glaze its fresh lemon flavor and helps thin it out.
Heavy cream: Makes the glaze creamier. You can substitute with milk.
Poppy seeds (optional): Add extra texture and decoration to the glaze. Leave them out if preferred.

Step by step instructions with photos

1. In a large bowl, rub together the lemon zest and granulated sugar.

2. Then add the softened butter and mix until combined.

3. Next, add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract and optionally the lemon extract. Mix until fully combined.

4. Then add the flour, baking powder and salt, and fold everything together until just combined. Try not to overmix at this point.

5. Lastly, fold in the poppy seeds.

6. Once ready, scoop out 10-12 equal sized cookies onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

7. Place them in the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.

8. Preheat your oven to 180°C.

9. Place the cookies onto a larger baking tray lined with parchment paper. Leave some space between the cookies as they will spread. I recommend baking 4 cookies per tray.

10. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes.

11. Once baked, let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely before glazing.

12. For the glaze, combine the sifted powdered sugar, heavy cream and lemon juice until you get a thick glaze.

13. Then mix in the poppy seeds.

14. Glaze the cookies and enjoy!

Yield: 10-12

Author: Angie