Fancy Low-Effort Lemon Sugar Cookies
These Fancy Low-Effort Lemon Sugar Cookies are the perfect balance of chewy and soft, with bright lemon flavor in every sparkly bite.
Servings: 8 cookies
Calories: 160kcal
Ingredients
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 5 g lemon zest approx. 1 medium lemon
- 57 g unsalted butter softened
- 30 ml lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 30 g applesauce (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Garnish: sparkling, demerara, or granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside the pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar using your fingers until it’s well combined and fragrant.
- Add the butter and, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until they are combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, applesauce, and vanilla, and beat until combined. Don’t worry if the mixture looks a little curdled!
- Add the flour, salt, and baking soda, and stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until the ingredients are well combined.
- Using a large (3-tablespoon) spring-loaded cookie scoop, portion out the dough into eight rounded dough balls and roll them in the sparkling sugar. Place the cookie dough balls onto the baking sheet 2 inches apart, cover them loosely with plastic wrap, and place the pan in the refrigerator to chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- While the cookie dough chills, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Bake the dough balls for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges and the tops are just set. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
Applesauce: This helps bind our cookie dough together. Note: if you double the recipe, you can replace the applesauce with 1 large egg!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cookie | Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 106mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
