Jumbo Lemon Easter Cookies are the perfect treat to celebrate the arrival of spring! These lemon cookies are a delightful combination of tangy and sweet flavors that will leave your taste buds wanting more.
These lemon sugar cookies are made from scratch using simple ingredients such as flour, sugar, butter, eggs, lemon juice, and zest. The cookies are then topped with a tangy-sweet buttercream frosting that is made with butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest. The frosting is the perfect complement to the soft and buttery cookie!
Frosted Lemon Cookies
These jumbo cookies with lemon buttercream frosting are a fabulously soft and buttery lemon cookie topped with a tangy-sweet buttercream that can only be described as “heavenly.” Whether you are looking for a delicious treat to share with your family or a festive dessert to serve at your Easter gathering, Jumbo Lemon Easter Cookies are sure to be a hit. They are easy to make, delicious to eat, and perfect for any occasion. So, grab your apron and get ready to bake up a batch of these heavenly cookies.
Why you’ll love this Spring Cookie Recipe:
- Amazing taste & texture: The end result is a fabulously soft and buttery lemon cookie that will melt in your mouth. The cookie has a perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess, making it a refreshing treat that is perfect for springtime.
- Heavenly Buttercream: The tangy-sweet buttercream frosting takes these cookies to the next level. The frosting is made with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, giving it a bright and zesty flavor that complements the cookie perfectly.
- Versatile: These cookies are perfect for Easter, but they can also be enjoyed year-round. They are great for bake sales, potlucks, or as a special treat for your family and friends.
Lemon Easter Cookies Ingredients
Butter: You will need ½ cup (one stick) of softened unsalted butter for nice and rich cookies.
Brown sugar: Using ¾ cups of brown sugar will create chewy cookie edges and give them a great depth of flavor.
Granulated sugar: Add in ¼ cup of granulated sugar to help flatten the cookies out a bit.
Egg: Use 1 large egg to help bind the dough ingredients together well.
Vanilla extract: Enhance the flavors in this cookie recipe with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Lemon juice: For an added fresh flavor, use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
Lemon zest: By adding 1 tablespoon of lemon zest you get fresh lemon flavor in every bite.
Flour: You will need 2 cups of all-purpose flour for the base of this cookie dough.
Salt: Use ½ teaspoon of salt to help bring out the flavors in these cookies and really make them shine.
Baking powder: Adding ½ teaspoon of baking powder will help the cookies to spread up and out as they bake resulting in a soft and thick cookies you will love.
Buttercream Frosting
Butter: For a creamy and rich topping, use 1 stick (½ cup) of softened butter.
Powdered sugar: Add in 4-5 cups of powdered sugar, the actual amount will vary based on the desired consistency of the frosting.
Lemon juice: You will need 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to give this frosting a wonderful citrus taste.
Vanilla extract: Using 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract will enhance the flavors in the frosting.
Sprinkles: Decorate these cookies with some festive and fun Easter-themed sprinkles.
Food coloring: Use pastel-colored food coloring to get the frosting to your desired hues.
How to Make Jumbo Lemon Easter Cookies
Dough
Start by creaming the butter and both sugars in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, until fluffy.
Then add in and beat the egg, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest until fully combined.
Next add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just combined, be sure to not overmix, the dough will be very crumbly.
Portion and Roll
Portion out the dough into 6 equal-sized pieces, these will be jumbo cookie size.
Form each portion into a ball by pressing the dough just until it comes together to form a ball. Place the dough onto a baking sheet and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Bake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F while the dough balls are chilling.
Once the dough has chilled, place it in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. The edges should look golden brown when finished.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Lemon Frosting
Whip the butter in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, until fluffy.
Then add in the powdered sugar (one cup at a time) and beat to combine. Add up to 5 cups until you’ve reached the desired frosting consistency.
Next add in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the vanilla extract, continue to mix until combined.
After that, divide the buttercream into 3 or 4 bowls and add food coloring to each one. Blend until you have achieved the colors you want.
Assemble Frosting Bag
Unroll a large 18-inch piece of plastic wrap. Spread each color of frosting in a line down the plastic wrap leaving a 3-4-inch space on each end. You should have about 3 or 4 lines of frosting, and it’s okay if they touch, just don’t place them on top of each other.
Grasp the top and bottom of the plastic wrap (where the blank spaces are) and roll the plastic closed. The frosting will now be rolled together and look like a log.
Twist both ends of the plastic wrap together to create a tootsie-roll-like package of frosting.
Insert the rolled frosting into a frosting piping bag. Pull it all the way down so that one end of the frosting meets the bottom of the bag where the frosting tip is. The other end will extend out of the bag from the wider end.
Decorate cookies
Snip the plastic wrap off where it meets the frosting tip. Press the frosting down into the tip and pipe the frosting onto your cookies.
Top each cookie with some Easter-colored sprinkles. Serve and enjoy!
Jumbo Lemon Easter Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 TBSP lemon zest
- 2 cups flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
Topping
- 1 stick butter softened
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Easter sprinkles
- Pastel food coloring
Instructions
- Dough: In a large bowl cream the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Add in the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until just combined, the dough will be very crumbly.
- Portion and Roll: Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Form each portion into a ball, pressing just until the dough comes together. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F while the dough balls are chilling.
- Once the dough has chilled, place them in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. The edges should look golden brown when finished. Cool 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Lemon Frosting: Whip the butter in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, until fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar (one cup at a time) and beat to combine. Add up to 5 cups until you've reached the desired frosting consistency. Add in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the vanilla extract, continue to mix until combined.
- Divide the buttercream into 3 or 4 bowls and add food coloring to each one. Blend until you have achieved the colors you want.
- Assemble Frosting Bag: Unroll a large piece of plastic wrap (about 18" long), spread each color of frosting in a line down the plastic wrap, leaving 3-4" on each end. You'll end up with 3-4 horizontal lines of frosting. It's OK if they touch, just don't put them one on top of the other.
- Grasp the top and bottom of the horizontal edges of plastic wrap and roll them to close. Frosting will be rolled together now and that’s ok! Twist both edge pieces of plastic wrap together, so that you create a tootsie-roll like package of frosting.
- Insert the roll of frosting down into your piping bag. Pull it all the way down so that one end of your frosting roll meets the bottom, at the piping tip, and the other end extends out the back of the piping bag.
- Snip the plastic wrap off the roll where it meets the frosting tip. Press the frosting down into the tip and pipe frosting on cookies. Top with Easter colored sprinkles. Serve & enjoy!
- Decorate cookies: Snip the plastic wrap off where it meets the frosting tip. Press the frosting down into the tip and pipe the frosting onto your cookies. Top each cookie with some Easter-colored sprinkles. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Decorate Cookies Without a Piping Bag
Using the plastic wrap trick helps to cut down on the frosting mess and keep the frosting within the piping bag, but if you don’t have a piping bag handy, you can also simply use a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Just snip one bottom corner of the bag and it will work just fine. Alternatively, you can also just spread the frosting onto the cookies using a butter knife as well.
How long are Lemon Buttercream Cookies good for?
These cookies can be kept stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To keep the cookies nice and chewy I recommend keeping them stored in the fridge.
Can I Freeze Lemon Sugar Cookies?
Yes, you can freeze these cookies! To do this, simply place your frosted cookies onto a baking sheet and freeze for about 2 hours until the frosting is solid. Then transfer to an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper between the cookies. You can keep them frozen for up to 3 months.
Do I Have To Chill My Cookie Dough?
Yes. When recipes request that you chill your cookie dough it’s usually for a good reason. A good reason is that the flavor gets a little longer to develop and make the cookies taste even more incredible but the biggest reason is because of the butter/fats in the dough.
By chilling the dough we allow the fats to solidify which means your cookies won’t spread out as much while baking so the texture turns out perfectly. This is especially important on warmer days or when your butter is warm or softened.
Baking Tips and Tricks for Amazing Cookies every time
To ensure the best results when making Jumbo Lemon Easter Cookies, there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind. Here are some helpful pointers to guide you through the baking process:
- Use fresh ingredients: For the best flavor and texture, it’s important to use fresh ingredients. Check the expiration dates on your baking powder, flour, and other ingredients to ensure they are still good to use.
- Measure accurately: Baking is a science, and accurate measurements are crucial for success. Use measuring cups and spoons to measure out your ingredients, and level off the top with a knife for precise measurements.
- Chill the dough: Chilling the dough before baking helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents them from spreading too much. After mixing the dough, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Use parchment paper: Lining your baking sheet with parchment paper prevents the cookies from sticking and makes cleanup a breeze. Plus, it helps the cookies bake evenly.
- Don’t overbake: Overbaking can result in dry, crunchy cookies. Keep an eye on your cookies and remove them from the oven when the edges are just starting to turn golden brown. They may look a little underdone in the center, but they will continue to cook as they cool.
For more Easter Dessert Recipes check out these suggestions!
- EASTER PEEPS KRISPIE TREATS
- EASTER HOT CHOCOLATE BOMBS
- BEST CHERRY FLUFF
- EASTER BUNNY OREO BALLS
- EASTER POKE CAKE
- EASTER BUNNY KITKAT CAKE
- CHOCOLATE NEST EASTER COOKIES
- EASTER EGG NESTS
- BROWN BUTTER CARROT CAKE
- MINI PAVLOVA RECIPE
- CREAMY EASTER JELLO PARFAITS
- STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM PIE
- EASTER CHICKEN SALAD CRESCENTS
- ORANGE CREAM FRUIT SALAD
- COOKIE DOUGH EASTER EGGS
- PEANUT BUTTER EASTER EGGS
Jumbo Lemon Easter Cookies are a perfect pastel-colored treat to serve up this Spring holiday. These soft and tangy lemon cookies are topped with homemade lemon buttercream, for are a perfect blend of Spring flavors in every bite.
Kathy says
Does the frosting harden so they can be packed in container to be brought to Easter dinner for dessert
Nicole says
If you let the cookies rest at room temperature for a while (like an hour or so) the frosting will develop a little hardening, making them easier for storage and transport but the frosting will not harden like royal icing would. I would recommend placing the cookies on a large platter and lightly putting plastic wrap over the top before placing the cookies in the fridge to chill before transporting them.