Lemon White Chocolate Cookies
These chewy lemon white chocolate cookies are so easy to make and delicious! They have a great lemon flavor, lots of white chocolate chips, chewy edges, and soft centers. Perfect for a lemon lover!
I love all things lemon, like lemon bars, lemon loaf, lemon truffles and lemon curd. I had tried many times to make the perfect lemon white chocolate chip cookies. Fresh lemon juice was added to the cookie dough for the first few tries, but they turned out too cake-like. I had visions of chewy lemon cookies with excellent flavor and a buttery, chewy texture.
Now, the cookies are flavored just with lemon peel (where the main lemon flavor comes from anyway), and I have left out the juice. They’re perfectly chewy and still have amazing lemon flavor! If you want it extra lemony, you can add in a 1/2 a teaspoon of lemon extract.
Ingredients
The full amounts for these white chocolate lemon cookies are listed in the recipe card below , but here is a rundown of what you will need.
- All-purpose flour – The base of the cookie dough.
- Baking soda – brings the rise.
- Salt- for flavor.
- Room temperature butter – this can be unsalted butter or salted butter.
- Granulated sugar -Sweetener and gives a slightly crispy edge.
- A large egg – help with the structure of the cookie.
- Fresh lemon zest- lots of lemon zest is rubbed into the sugar first to release all the lemon oils. Meyer lemons will have less flavor than real lemons.
- Vanilla extract or paste.
- Sweet white chocolate chips – lemon and white chocolate are a perfect match. You could also chop a bar of chocolate into white chocolate chunks.
- Optional – For extra lemon flavor you could add 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract.
Equipment
An electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment is best for creaming the butter and the sugar together.
Method
Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set the dry ingredients aside.
Add granulated sugar and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Use your fingers or a fork to rub the zest into the sugar to release the lemon oils.
Beat the butter and sugar mixture with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy.
Beat in the egg and the vanilla until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
Stir them with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mainly all combined, but with a few streaks of flour remaining.
Add in the white chocolate chips and stir to combine.
Use a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon to take one and a half tablespoons of dough for each cookie.
Roll it into cookie balls. They can be baked right away. For thicker cookies, chill the cookie dough balls overnight.
Baking
Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Space the dough balls at least 2 inches/5 cm apart on each prepared baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for around 8-10 minutes until golden brown around the edges, but the cookies’ middles are still soft. Don’t over-bake the cookies.
The baking time will depend on your oven. Use a large round cookie cutter to scoot around the baked cookies to push them into even circles.
Allow them to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool further.
Storing
The baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Make-ahead
The cookie dough balls can be made and rolled ahead of time – up to 2 days in advance. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Freeze cookie dough balls for up to three months. Bake straight from the freezer with no need to thaw, but they may need an extra minute or two of baking time and a slightly lower oven temperature.
More lemon recipes
If you love all things lemon, check out these popular recipes
Or for more cookie recipes
Lemon White Chocolate Cookies
These chewy lemon cookies are so easy to make and delicious! They have a great lemon flavor, chewy edges, and soft centers.
Ingredients
- 188g (1 1/2 cups*) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 150g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest
- 113g (1/2 cup) butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
- 160g (1 cup) white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C—line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add granulated sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl. Use your fingers or a fork to rub the zest into the sugar to release the lemon oils.
- Add in the butter. Beat the butter and sugar mixture with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy.
- Beat in the egg and the vanilla until combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir them with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mainly all combined, but with a few streaks of flour remaining.
- Add in the white chocolate chips and stir to combine.
- Use a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon to take one and a half tablespoons of dough for each cookie. Roll it into cookie balls.
- Space the dough balls at least two inches/5 cm apart on each prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for around 9-11 minutes until golden brown around the edges, but the middles are still soft. The baking time will depend on your oven. Don't over-bake them.
- For extra-round cookies, use a large round cookie cutter to scoot around the baked cookies to push them into even circles.
- Allow them to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool further.
Notes
*The cup sizes given are for US-size cups. Note that these are smaller than metric cups. For best results, use grams.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 153Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 79mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g
This is an informational estimate only. I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist
I just want to say thank you! Thank you for putting the asterisk (*) to note that the cups are us cups and not metric and for putting weights beside. It is so frustrating seeing a beautiful recipe but only having cup measurements and not specifying if it’s metric or imperial. I’m so grateful and will be trying this out as soon as I get home as I have a tree of lemons dropping! 😍