Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/13/21
Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 11 mins
Total: 26 mins
Servings: 36 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
107 Calories
4g Fat
17g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 36
Amount per serving
Calories 107
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 46mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 1mg 5%
Calcium 14mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 18mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

These bright and refreshing lemon cookies are tender and soft and finished with a vibrant citrus icing. Cream cheese gives these cookies amazing flavor and texture, and the lemon zest, juice, and extract add a nice lemon zing. Bake up a batch anytime you're craving a sweet treat with a little tang—they're incredibly easy to prepare and will disappear in a flash.

2:01

Click Play to See These Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies Come Together

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Ingredients

For the Cookies

  • 2 cups (9 ounces) all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 stick (4 ounces) salted butter, softened

  • 4 ounces (1/2 block) cream cheese, room temperature

  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, plus more for flattening cookies

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

For the Icing

  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 2 to 3 teaspoons lemon zest, plus more for garnish

Steps to Make It

Make the Cookies

  1. Gather the cookie ingredients.

    Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

    parchment paper lined baking sheets

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour with the baking powder. Set aside.

    flour and baking powder in a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until light, about 1 minute.

    butter and cream cheese in a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

    sugar added to the cream cheese mixture in the bowl, hand mixer

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Beat in the egg and the lemon zest.

    egg and lemon zest added to the mixture in the bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Stir in the flour mixture, the lemon juice, and lemon extract. Beat until well blended.

    cookie batter in a bowl, hand mixer

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets.

    cookie batter on baking sheets

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Coat the bottom of a glass with sugar and flatten each cookie mound just slightly.

    raw cookies on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  10. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned.

    cookies on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Make the Icing

  1. Gather the icing ingredients.

    icing ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. While the cookies are baking, make the icing. In a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and 2 to 3 teaspoons lemon zest (to taste). Stir until well blended.

    icing in a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Finish the Cookies

  1. Place the cookies on racks to cool slightly. Drizzle each cookie with a scant teaspoon of lemon icing. Garnish with additional lemon zest if desired.

    Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

How to Store

Although they contain cream cheese, these cookies can be kept at room temperature. When stored in an airtight container they will stay fresh-tasting for up to 5 days. For longer storage, you can place in the freezer, well wrapped, where the cookies will last 1 month.