Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.
Calling all lemon lovers with these lemon poppyseed cookies are soft and chewy and topped with a tangy lemon glaze. The cookie dough comes together in minutes and is made with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, and lots of crunchy poppyseeds!
Over the years out everything I bake lemon desserts are becoming my all time favorites. Like a lemon cheesecake, these lemon curd cookies, and of course can’t forget my lemon poppy seed scones.
One of my most popular cookies here on the blog is these lemon cookies from my first cookbook, Beginner’s Baking Bible, and after a few years I knew I wanted to try making a poppyseed version. I love lemon and poppyseed together and I knew they would be great together in a cookie!
I added lots of poppyseeds to the cookie dough, and changed up the glaze so it’s got even more lemon flavor and is even simpler to make. What I love most about these cookies is the fresh lemon flavor. I added in lots of fresh lemon zest and lemon juice to the dough.
These soft lemon poppy seed cookies with their bright citrus flavor are now my new favorite version! All you need now is a cup of tea to enjoy these delicious cookies with!
Ingredients Needed
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder – You can read more here about baking powder vs. baking soda in cookies.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Poppyseeds
- Unsalted butter – If you use salted butter you will want to omit the added salt. Your cookies also might spread a bit more. You want the butter to be softened so it creams with the sugar well.
- Granulated white sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest – Read my tutorial on how to zest a lemon!
- Egg – Make sure your egg is at room temperature so it blends easily into the dough and doesn’t seize up the butter.
- Powdered sugar – You can make your own powdered sugar if you need to in your food processor!
How To Make These Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
Preheat and prepare cooking sheets. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190oC). Line two cookies with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. I prefer using parchment paper on my baking sheet for easy cleanup and no sticking, but a silicone baking mat or lightly greasing with cooking spray also works (although over time the cooking spray can begin to leave a film/residue).
Whisk dry ingredients together. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppyseeds. Set aside.
Make sure to measure your flour correctly. Too much flour will result in a crumbly cookie dough and a cakey cookie. I recommend using a kitchen scale and measuring by weight for best accuracy. If you’re measuring by volume (aka measuring cups) then measure by stirring your flour first, then spooning it into your cup and leveling it off. Do not pack it down into the cup which can pack too much flour into it.
Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. I like to use my stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment but a hand mixer also works.
Recipe Tip
Use room temperature ingredients. You need your eggs and butter to be at room temperature so they blend easily into the batter and incorporate air properly so you cookies don’t spread too much in the oven. Take them out of the fridge about an hour before you plan to bake with them.
Add remaining wet ingredients. Add egg and beat to combine. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add dry ingredients. Add flour mixture, and mix at low to medium speed just until no flour streaks remain.
Scoop cookie dough. Using a medium cookie scoop, or tablespoon to portion into 1 ½ inch balls. Place on prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them.
You can portion out with a measuring spoon but for even scooping and cookies I recommend using a cookie scoop. This will ensure that all your cookies bake evenly.
Bake and cool the cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges will look done and lightly golden brown, but the center will still look slightly soft. Remove from the oven and cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Flat Cookies?
Did your cookies spread too much? This is most likely this is because your butter was too warm, or you over-creamed your butter and sugar. Here are 10 reasons why your cookies are flat, and how to fix them.
Make icing. In a small bowl, combine icing ingredients. With an offset spatula, ice the top of each cookie. Garnish with a few extra poppy seeds.
Instead of a lemon glaze, you can roll the cookie dough balls in a lemon sugar before baking. Simply add a tablespoon lemon zest to some granulated sugar and rub it between your fingertips to release the oils. Then roll the cookie dough balls in the sugar.
Master The Art Of Baking!
Don’t miss out on the chance to elevate your baking skills! Join the Ultimate Baking Bootcamp today and unlock the secrets to creating perfect desserts every time. With expert guidance, step-by-step lessons, and insider tips, you’ll be baking like a pro in no time. Sign up now and start mastering your baking!
Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
Ingredients
For The Cookies:
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons poppyseeds
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 large egg room temperature
For The Icing:
- 2 cups (228 g) confectioners sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- poppyseeds for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare cooking sheets. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat (or lightly grease with non-sticking cooking spray).
- Whisk dry ingredients together. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppyseeds. Set aside. 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, 1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated white sugar
- Add remaining wet ingredients. Add egg and beat to combine. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Scrape down bowl as needed. 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Add dry ingredients. Add flour mixture, and mix at low to medium speed just until no flour streaks remain.
- Scoop cookie dough. Using a cookie scoop, or tablespoon to portion into 1 ½ inch balls. Place on prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them.
- Bake and cool the cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges will look done, but the center will still look slightly soft. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Make icing. In a small mixing bowl, combine icing ingredients. With an offset spatula, ice the top of each cookie. Top with additional poppyseeds. 2 cups (228 g) confectioners sugar 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Notes
- Make ahead/Storage: You can make the dough up to 2 days ahead of time, and keep covered in the fridge. Let sit at room temperature for several minutes before scooping. Keep stored at room temperature, covered for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze the cookies for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
- Lemon flavor: If you want more lemon flavor, you can add 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract to the cookie dough.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! The cookies turned out amazing!! Soft inside with a slight crunch on the outside! Thank you for the detailed instructions as I am very new to baking and they gave me confidence from start to finish. Your cookies have put a smile on my little boys’ faces. Thank you for sharing your talent/gift. Hope you come out with a good chocolate chip cookies recipe soon! I would love to try to make those!
Your comment made my day! 🥹 Nothing brings me more joy than knowing these cookies gave you baking confidence AND made your boys smile – that’s the real magic! ✨ I’ve got you covered on chocolate chip cookies! Try one of my favorites Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies – they’re extra chewy with that rich caramelized flavor. I also have serval other fun 🍪 recipes to try out, if you do a search you may find something else that suits your tastes better. Happy baking! 🍪💛
Absolutely delicious! Soft, super lemony, just delightful. And they freeze beautifully! I received so many compliments with these!
Thank you so much! I’m thrilled to hear they were such a hit and that freezing them worked well for you. I appreciate you sharing your experience! 😊
Full of lemon flavour and the texture is amazing. Thanks so much!
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the lemon flavor and texture of the cookies. Happy baking!
Oh wow – the icing really makes a difference in these cookies! I loved the taste and I even use the icing on my pancakes!
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! I’m so happy to hear that you loved the icing and found a delicious way to enjoy it on your pancakes too!
How wonderful this lemon poppyseed cookies recipe is, we love cookies in my family, so I will be making this with the kiddos. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you for your lovely comment! I’m so glad to hear you’re planning to make the lemon poppyseed cookies with your family. I hope you and the kiddos have a great time baking and enjoying them together!
I love how refreshing these cookies are! They are so perfect for my kids! So yummy!
Thank you, Jen, they are kid-approved for sure! Thanks so much for letting me know!
I adore how these cookies are so refreshing! They’re absolutely perfect for my kids, and super tasty too!
So happy that you all enjoyed them, thank you!
My kids really loved it! Thanks for the recipe! Will definitely make it again!
That’s wonderful to hear, I’m so glad your kids enjoyed them too! Thank you!
The zesty lemon flavor combined with the crunch of the poppyseeds makes for a perfect bite. The cookies come out soft and chewy every time. A definite crowd-pleaser!
Hey Gianne, this is fantastic news! I’m absolutely thrilled that they’ve been a hit! Thanks a bunch for taking the time to share this with me—it means a lot!
I made a batch of these cookies yesterday and they were incredible! So full of lemon flavor!
Thank you so much, Tayler, I’m so happy that you loved them!
These lemon cookies were so tasty! Truly the perfect cooking for springtime. Yum!
So happy to hear that you loved them, Paula! Thank you so much for letting me know!