Crumbl Lemonade Cookies
Enjoy the refreshing flavor of lemon with this delicious copycat recipe for Lemonade cookies! The homemade lemon sugar cookies and frosting are made with juice and zest from real lemons. This sunny little recipe makes six extra-large bakery-size lemonade cookies!
Servings: 6 large cookies
Calories: 737kcal
Ingredients
Lemon Sugar Cookies
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 10 minutes
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 5.25 ounces
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons 8.1 ounces
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Lemonade Buttercream
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar 10 ounces
- 2 tablespoons milk or cream
- 2 teaspoons Country Time Lemonade mix (optional, see notes)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Optional: yellow food coloring
- optional lemon slices for decorating
Instructions
Lemon Cookies
- Add melted-and-cooled butter to a large bowl. Add sugar and whisk until totally combined. It should be thick and shiny. Whisk in egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until combined and smooth, about 60 seconds.
- Add the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, lemon zest and salt into the bowl with the other ingredients and use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Dough will be soft.
- Chill dough for 2 hours.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Divide dough into 6 large 1/3 cup cookies (use a scoop or a measuring cup). Shape each cookie into a disk about 2.5” in diameter and 7/8” tall.
- Space cookies 3” apart and bake at 350℉ for 15-16 minutes, or until puffed and lightly golden on edges. Don't overbake.
- Allow to cool completely before decorating.
Lemonade Frosting
- In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer with the beater attachments to beat the softened butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth.
- Turn mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar to the butter. Beat in each addition until combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk the milk (or cream), lemonade mix, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest until the lemonade mix is totally dissolved. Don't add these in without dissolving the lemonade mix, otherwise it will be grainy in the finished frosting.
- Add this mixture to the buttercream and beat to combine. Optional: add a tiny bit of yellow food coloring for a brighter color.
- Use 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk (adding just a little at a time) to adjust the consistency of the buttercream.
- Once the frosting is smooth, bring the mixer up to medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until it’s light and fluffy.
- Frost each cooled cookie with a very thick (think Crumbl!) layer of frosting. I use a 3-tablespoon scoop to portion out the frosting and then I smooth it with a spatula. Top with a fresh lemon slice and enjoy!
Notes
Lemons: Two large lemons will be enough to make this recipe. Be sure to zest them first before juicing them. You will want one more lemon if you want lemon slices to decorate.
Lemonade mix: You can leave this out if you don't have it. It adds a little extra punch to the frosting, but you can skip if needed. Just don't try to add more lemon juice to compensate, because the frosting might curdle.
Storage: Do not store the cookies with the fresh lemon slices intact. The bitterness of the pith (the white stuff under the lemon peel), will turn the frosting bitter too. Just store them separately and then top cookies as needed.
How to Store or Make Ahead: Store the frosted cookies in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days. Allow cookies to sit at room temperature for 10-20 minutes before serving for best flavor and texture.
How to Freeze: Flash freeze the decorated cookies by freezing in a single layer (such as on cookie sheets). Once frozen solid, wrap each cookie in plastic wrap, package in freezer bags or containers and store in the freezer for 1-2 months.
How to Store Leftover Frosting: Freeze frosting leftovers for up to 1-2 months. Thaw in the fridge, then allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes (or until softened) and then whip to re-aerate it before using it.
Nutrition
Calories: 737kcal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 286mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 74g | Vitamin A: 1164IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg