Soft, chewy lemon butter cookies sandwiched with a light and airy lemon buttercream. A spring and summer delight and a lemon lover’s favorite.
Lemon may be one of my favorite flavorings. It’s delicious as a standalone flavor and equally delicious in enhancing flavors in a variety of desserts. For example, it perfect for bringing out the flavor of fillings such as in blueberry apple pie. A little lemon zest and some fresh lemon juice can go a long way in adding that perfect pop of flavor.
For the lemon lover, I’m going all out with my lemon butter cookies. The cookies are perfectly tender and sandwiched together with a creamy, lemony buttercream frosting. Although they can be enjoyed all year round, they are a springtime and summer favorite in our household.
Tips to rolling out lemon butter cookies
- Flour surface before rolling out cookie dough.
- Use half of the dough at a time and roll to 1/4″ thick.
- As you roll the dough, continue to shift dough around to ensure it does not stick to your surface (add flour as needed)
- Lightly flour dough as needed to prevent from sticking to the rolling pin.
- Although this dough does not need refrigeration before rolling out, if dough becomes too hot and sticky while rolling you can place in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to cool down and then continue rolling.
How to make light and airy buttercream
- Begin by beating your softened butter for 5 minutes (using a paddle attachment). This will get your butter fluffy.
- Mix in the powdered sugar and salt until incorporated and then add both extracts.
- Slowly add your lemon juice to the mixer. Add enough to desired consistency.
- Beat the buttercream for an additional 5 minutes. This is key to creating a light and airy texture that is super fluffy.
Enjoy these cookies plain or sandwiched together with buttercream. They are a fun summer dessert for kids and adults alike. Happy Baking!
Love cookies? Try these recipes…
- S’mores cookies
- Cherry dark chocolate oatmeal cookies
- Butterscotch chocolate chip cookies
- White chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies
Make sure to tag me @thesweetoccasion on Instagram and leave me a review below if you make these Lemon Butter Cookies. I’d love to see your creations and read your feedback. And if you would like to make this recipe later, be sure to pin this recipe using the button on any of these images. Let’s make every occasion a sweet occasion!
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Lemon Butter Cookies
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 30 sandwich cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
Description
Soft, chewy lemon butter cookies sandwiched with a light and airy lemon buttercream. A spring and summer delight and a lemon lover’s favorite.
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 1 large (50 g) egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 3 lemons)
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the filling
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 pound (225 g) powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1–2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
For the cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and mix on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Mix in egg and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in vanilla and lemon zest.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. On low speed, slowly add flour mixture into butter mixture until combined.
- On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/4″ thickness. Using a floured 2″ fluted biscuit cutter, cut out cookies. Re-roll scrapes and continue to cut cookies with the remaining dough. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets allowing about 1.5″ between each cookie.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bottom edges begin to get very lightly colored. Allow to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
For the filling
- In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the powdered sugar and salt, beating until the sugar is completely incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest and beat until incorporated. Add, one tablespoon at a time, the lemon juice until desired consistency is achieved. Beat the buttercream on medium-high for an additional 5 minutes.
To assemble sandwich cookies
- Pipe approximately 1 tablespoon of the filling on half of the cookies. Top with remaining cookies and press gently. Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To serve, bring cookies to room temperature.
Notes
- Make-ahead: You can chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can make the buttercream the day before and leave it at room temperature. Re-whip the buttercream before adding to the cookies.
- Freezing: You can freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. If frozen, allow the dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling baking. Alternatively, you can freeze the baked cookies unfrosted or frosted for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Keywords: buttercream, sandwich cookies, lemon buttercream
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