Lemon Sugar Cookies Pastel (Printable)

Soft lemon sugar treats finished with delicate pastel glaze—ideal for festive spring moments.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Cookies

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
08 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Glaze

10 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2–3 tablespoons milk (whole or 2%)
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
13 - Food coloring: pastel pink, blue, yellow, or green

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 2–3 minutes.
04 - Add egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Beat until thoroughly combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet components, mixing just until a cohesive dough forms.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing each 2 inches apart. Flatten each slightly with your palm or a glass.
07 - Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Allow to cool on tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and lemon juice until smooth. Adjust consistency by adding additional milk if needed.
09 - Divide glaze into separate bowls and tint each with pastel food coloring as desired.
10 - Dip cooled cookies into glaze or drizzle atop each. Allow the glaze to set for at least 20 minutes before serving.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • That tart, fragrant edge from real lemon makes each cookie taste genuinely bright—no bottled flavoring shortcuts.
  • The pastel glaze turns out so dreamy you’ll want to snap a photo, but it’s the fluffy texture that actually gets people coming back for seconds.
02 -
  • I learned the hard way that glazing cookies when they’re still warm results in gooey puddles instead of neat tops.
  • Switching to a microplane for zest transformed the flavor—no more bitter bits, just pure lemon.
03 -
  • Chill the dough for 20 minutes before scooping if your kitchen runs warm—this helps the cookies hold their springy shape.
  • Adding lemon extract to the glaze, just a drop, takes the citrus flavor up a notch without overwhelming the pastel tones.
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