The best recipe for lemon bar cookies. The from scratch cookie dough with cream cheese creates the softest cookies! And you will love how easy it is to make the lemon curd filling.
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Tart lemon is a perfect match for these super soft lemon cookies. I took my Mom's lemon bars recipe and tweaked it for this irresistible cookie recipe.
I don't know about you, but lemon desserts always add sunshine to my day! And although we are gaining daylight, the days are still long and dark in the PNW right now.
If you are also craving sunshine and want to take advantage of citrus season be sure to try my lemon blondies, lemon pistachio biscotti, lemon white chocolate cake or lemon poppy seed cookies.
why you will love this easy lemon cookie recipe
- Full of lemon flavor thanks to fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Super soft and chewy cookies made with cream cheese.
- The EASIEST lemon curd filling! Cooks up in about 5 minutes!
- Minimal chill time ~ the dough only has to chill while the oven preheats.
ingredients needed
Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.
- All-purpose flour ~ used in both the soft cookies and quick and easy lemon curd.
- Sugar ~ granulated sugar is used in both the easy lemon cookies and the filling.
- Baking powder ~ adds leavening to both the cookie and homemade curd.
- Cornstarch ~ adds softness to the cookies and helps to thicken the lemon curd.
- Kosher salt ~ helps to balance the flavors.
- Eggs ~ two whole large eggs and one large egg yolk are needed; room temperature is ideal so pull the eggs out 1-2 hours before starting the recipe. The egg and yolk will separate easier when cold.
- Butter ~ unsalted butter is what I use; if you only have salted, leave out the kosher salt. The butter should also be room temperature.
- Cream cheese ~ use block cream cheese and full-fat is recommended; pull the cream cheese out with the butter and eggs so it comes to room temperature.
- Lemon juice and zest ~ one small to medium lemon is needed. Be sure to zest the lemon first and then juice it. If you want an extra big punch of lemon flavor; zest one additional lemon and add the zest with the sugars when making the cookies.
how to make the easiest lemon curd
I wanted these cookies to taste like Mom's lemon bars, but knew the filling couldn't bake for nearly as long in cookies. So we cook the lemon bar filling on the stove for a few minutes. Then let it chill in the freezer before putting it in the thumbprint of the cookie.
Start by whisking together the granulated sugar, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, kosher salt, lemon zest, one large egg and fresh lemon juice in a small saucepan.
Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk constantly for 2-3 minutes. The lemon curd will thicken and should reach 190°F on a thermometer.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the curd into a freezer safe dish. I like using a dish that allows the curd to be in a thin layer. Place in the freezer while you make the cookie dough.
how to make the soft cream cheese cookies
Start by preparing two half sheet baking pans with parchment paper.
Then in a medium size bowl combine the flour, baking powder and kosher salt and set aside.
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the room temperature unsalted butter on medium for 30-60 seconds. Then add the room temperature cream cheese and mix on medium 1 minute more.
Next scrape up and down the bowl and add the granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Now add the one large egg plus one large egg yolk and vanilla and beat on medium until fluffy. The cookie dough is thick and fluffy like a cake batter at this point.
Finally, whisk in half of the flour mixture on low. When barely combined, stop and scrape the bowl before adding the final half of the flour mixture. Mix until just a few streaks of flour remain and use a spatula to finish mixing it in.
Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop {this is my very favorite cookie scoop} and place the cookie dough on the prepared pans, spacing about 2 inches apart. Place the pans in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 350°F. {ideal chill time is 20 minutes}
how to bake the thumbprint cookies
Once the oven has preheated, take one pan of cookie dough out of the refrigerator and use a tablespoon measure to create a "thumbprint" in the middle of each cookie. Then remove the lemon curd from the freezer and place 1 teaspoon of curd in the middle of each cookie.
Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until the edges have set. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. If desired, cookie scoot the hot cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
Once the cookies have completely cooled, dust them with confectioners' sugar. This step is optional, but really helps the cookies mimic lemon squares.
do I need to chill the dough?
The soft cookie dough needs a short chill time while the oven preheats.
do lemon bar cookies need to be refrigerated?
Yes, it’s best to store the cookies in the refrigerator. They are fine at room temperature for several hours if you are serving them at a party.
expert tips for the best lemon cookies
- Make the quick lemon curd in a non reactive stainless saucepan. Aluminum pans can create a metallic taste from the acid in the lemon juice reacting with the aluminum.
- Use room temperature ingredients ~ this keeps the cookie dough from being lumpy.
- Use full fat cream cheese in a block. This recipe was tested with both Philadelphia cream cheese and Trader Joe's; both worked great.
- Separate the egg white and egg yolk while the egg is cold.
- Use a kitchen scale for measuring the flour. I know I sound like a broken record here, but the amount of flour can make or break a recipe. Using weight for ingredients will give you the best recipe results. Plus it means less dishes to wash! This is the scale I use and love.
- Don't over bake the cookies!! In my opinion, this is the number one reason why cookies often don't turn out. Cookies will continue to "bake" for several minutes after they are removed from the oven. If you bake them until they look done, they will over bake by the time they cool.
FAQ
can I use a store bought lemon curd?
I have not tested this recipe with a store bought curd. If you try it let me know!
Can I use extract instead of lemon juice?
No, you need the acidity of the lemon juice in the simple lemon curd.
how do I make the cookies more lemony?
For an extra punch of lemon; use the zest of one small lemon in the cookie dough. Add it in with the sugars.
is this a shortbread like cookie?
No, the cookie for these lemon bar cookies has a soft and tender texture as it is made with cream cheese and confectioners' sugar.
I haven't tested it, but believe you could use my raspberry crumble cookie dough and fill it with this easy curd and you'd have more of a shortbread cookie base. If you try it, let me know!
how to store
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
The lemon bar cookies also freeze well for up to 3 months.
Remember to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram if you make these Lemon Bar Cookies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
more lemon dessert recipes
- Lemon Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Lemon White Chocolate Cake
- Homemade Lemon Cupcakes
- Lemon Almond Cookie Bars
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
Lemon Bar Cookies
recipe created and tested by:
I highly recommend using weight (metric) measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.
Please note
When using 2x or 3x ingredients, the grams DO NOT adjust, you will have to manually do that.
Ingredients
easy lemon curd
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 15g
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest from one small lemon
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 30mL
cookies
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 220g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature 113g
- 3 ounces cream cheese room temperature 84g
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar 60g
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- confectioners' sugar for dusting the finished cookies if desired
Instructions
for the homemade lemon curd
- Whisk together the granulated sugar (½ cup/100g), flour (2 tablespoons/15g), cornstarch (1 teaspoon), baking powder (¼ teaspoon), kosher salt (¼ teaspoon), lemon zest (from one small lemon, at least 1 teaspoon), one large egg and fresh lemon juice (2 tablespoons/30mL) in a small saucepan.
- Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk constantly for 2-3 minutes. The lemon curd will thicken and should reach 190°F on a thermometer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the curd into a freezer safe dish. I like using a dish that allows the curd to be in a thin layer. Place in the freezer while you make the cookie dough.
for the cookies
- Start by preparing two half sheet baking pans with parchment paper. In a medium size bowl combine the flour (1 ¾ cups/220g), baking powder (2 teaspoons) and kosher salt (¼ teaspoon) and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the room temperature unsalted butter (½ cup/113g) on medium (speed 6 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 30-60 seconds. Then add the room temperature cream cheese (3 ounces/84g) and mix on medium 1 minute more. Scrape up and down the bowl and add the granulated sugar (¾ cup/150g) and confectioners' sugar (½ cup/60g) and beat on medium until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Now add the one large egg plus one large egg yolk and vanilla (1 teaspoon) and beat on medium until fluffy, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape the bowl one time during this addition.
- Whisk in half of the flour mixture on low. When barely combined, stop and scrape the bowl before adding the final half of the flour mixture. Mix until just a few streaks of flour remain and use a spatula to finish mixing it in. The cookie dough is thick and fluffy like a cake batter.
- Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop and place the cookie dough on the prepared pans, spacing about 2 inches apart. Place the pans in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 350°F. (ideal chill time is 20 minutes)
- Once the oven has preheated, take one pan of cookie dough out of the refrigerator and use a tablespoon measure to create a "thumbprint" in the middle of each cookie. Then remove the lemon curd from the freezer and place 1 teaspoon of curd in the middle of each cookie.
- Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until the edges have set. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. If desired, cookie scoot the hot cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Once the cookies are fully cooled, they can be dusted with more confectioners' sugar. This is optional.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.
Heidi | The Frugal Girls says
Your gorgeous lemon bar cookies are a lip smacking fabulous way to kick off the Spring and Summer. These would be so perfect to serve for Easter!
Tasia says
Thank you Heidi! I agree that they would be great on an Easter dessert table.
Amy says
Could you make these smaller for Christmas cookie trays? More of a thumbprint cookie size?
Tasia says
Hi Amy, I didn't test this, but think it should work fine. They will likely bake faster; depending on how small you make them I might start checking them at 5-6 minutes of bake time. Let me know how it goes!
Michelle says
Such a bright and refreshing spin on lemon bars in cookie form!
Tasia says
Thank you Michelle!
Mandy says
definitely doesn't work at high altitude (4400ft), I had to make major adjustments beyond reducing the leavening. Also, the baking powder in the curd gave it a funny flavor. is there a reason to use it that way?
Tasia says
Hi Mandy, being in Seattle I have no experience with high altitude baking. I do know that multiple adjustments are often necessary for baked goods to succeed at higher altitudes and it typically takes some experimenting to get a recipe to work. The baking powder is in the curd as this recipe was created based on my mom's lemon bar recipe; I suspect you could leave it out without compromising anything, but I always include it and haven't had an issue with funny flavors. Thank you for trying them and I hope you can figure out how to make them work in your high altitude kitchen.