Sweet, soft, and full of spring vibes. These Lemon Bar Cookies are so delicious for any occasion! Made with a soft, buttery cookie base and lemon curd filling that’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart, then drizzled with icing. Top it all off with a little lemon zest for the best spring-inspired cookies!
Easy Lemon Bar Cookies Recipe
If you’re a fan of lemon desserts, then you will love these Lemon Bar Cookies! This recipe combines the classic flavors of a zesty lemon bar with a soft and buttery cookie base. Perfect for spring or summer gatherings, these cookies are sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Plus, they’re easy to make with just a few simple ingredients!
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Ingredients/Substitutions
Lemon Curd Filling
- Granulated sugar
- Egg yolks
- Lemon zest
- Fresh lemon juice
- Butter, melted
TIP: Want to make this lemon cookies recipe easier? Instead of making lemon curd, buy it and use a total of 1/2 cup of lemon curd for this recipe!
Cookie Dough
- Unsalted butter
- Egg yolks
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
Icing Drizzle
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Lemon zest (optional)
Tip: Another option is to use cream cheese icing over these cookies!
How to Make Lemon Bar Cookies
- Make the lemon curd filling by whisking together sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and melted butter, heating the mixture in the microwave until thickened, optionally straining it, and setting it aside to cool.
- Mix the cookie dough by combining softened butter, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest in a bowl, mixing until fluffy, adding salt and flour, and mixing until a cookie dough forms.
- Roll the cookie dough into balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, pressing down the top slightly and creating a well in the center of each cookie.
- Fill each cookie cavity with a heaping teaspoon of lemon curd.
- Bake the cookies in the oven at 325°F for 12-15 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are lightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack before drizzling them with icing made of powdered sugar and milk and garnishing them with lemon zest.
Variation: Lemon Bar Cookie Cups
If you prefer a more bite-sized treat, you can make Lemon Bar Cookie Cups by using a mini muffin tin instead of baking the cookies on a sheet. Such an easy and fun swap!
How to Store
These lemon bar cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. However, it’s recommended to keep them in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life for up to a week. If stored in the refrigerator, allow them to come to room temperature before serving to ensure the best texture and flavor!
Can You Freeze Lemon Bar Cookies?
Yes, you can freeze lemon bar cookies for up to 3 months! To freeze, place the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Alternatively, you can wrap each cookie individually in plastic wrap before storing it in a freezer bag.
Thaw the cookies at room temperature before serving or reheating them in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up the edges.
More Spring-Inspired Desserts
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Lemon Bar Cookies
Ingredients
Lemon Curd Filling
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks room temperature
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest about 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice about 2 lemons
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter very soft at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest about 1 lemon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Icing Drizzle
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon milk or water
- lemon zest optional
Instructions
Make The Curd Filling
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and butter.
- Heat in the microwave for 30-second intervals, whisking in between, for a total of 3-5 minutes until the mixture is thickened like lemon curd.
- Once thickened, optionally, strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any potential clumps. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the lemon curd in the bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Mix The Cookie Dough
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine the softened butter, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest in a bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a large bowl and hand-held electric mixer or rubber spatula). Mix for 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Scrape down the bowl and add salt and flour. Mix everything together until a cookie dough forms. Be careful not to overmix otherwise the dough can become tough.
- Scoop 2 tablespoonfuls of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart.
- Lightly press down each cookie so the tops are ever-so-slightly flattened. Then, use your thumb to create a well in the center of each cookie. Fill each cookie cavity with a heaping 1 teaspoon of lemon curd.
Bake The Cookies
- Bake cookies in the center rack of the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are a very light golden brown color. The top of the cookies should still remain quite pale in color.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and place the cookie sheet onto a wire rack to cool.
Drizzle Icing
- While the cookies cool, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until a thicken but drizzle-able consistency forms.
- Drizzle the glaze over each cookie (they should be mostly cool). Garnish with a sprinkle of lemon zest.
- Allow the cookies to set for 20 minutes before storing or enjoying!
Notes
- Instead of making lemon curd, feel free to buy it and use a total of 1/2 cup of lemon curd for this recipe!
- These lemon bar cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
These lemon bar cookies are melt-in-my-mouth delicious!
Thanks! I am always looking for ways to use the abundance of Meyer lemons from my neighbor’s tree. These were perfect with a cup of hot tea.
Great cookie recipe and delicious lemon flavor.
Lemon is one of our favorite dessert flavors and these cookies were exquisite! They tasted fabulous, too!!!
As a fellow lemon curd lover, these are a must bake!
So good and perfect for the summer! Thanks for the recipe!
These cookies turned out perfectly! Packed with tangy lemon flavor!