Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

By Samantha Seneviratne

Updated Dec. 3, 2020

Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(1,660)
Comments
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Chewy and sweet, these simple cookies are heavenly with a cup of tea — and a lavish dose of fresh lemon zest provides some pluck. Cream cheese is the star ingredient in both the cookie and its glaze, and performs two tasks: It imparts tanginess and contributes to the soft texture. These cookies are simple but delicate, so you’ll want to pull them from the oven as soon as they begin to turn golden, then let them cool directly on the baking sheets until they firm up. The glaze is optional, but it’s easy to whip together while the cookies cool.

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Ingredients

Yield:1½ dozen cookies
  • 1½cups/190 grams all-purpose flour
  • ½teaspoon baking soda
  • ½teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter (¾ stick), at room temperature
  • 4ounces/105 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1cup/200 grams granulated sugar
  • 1lemon, zested and juiced (about 4 teaspoons zest and 2 tablespoons juice)
  • 1large egg
  • 3tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • 1½tablespoons milk, plus more, as needed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (18 servings)

149 calories; 6 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 100 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium, beat together the butter and half the cream cheese until combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in the granulated sugar and 4 teaspoons lemon zest until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes more. Beat in the egg until combined. Add flour mixture and beat until combined.

  2. Step 2

    Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Portion the dough into 2-tablespoon scoops and arrange them on the sheets at least 1½ inches apart.

  3. Step 3

    Bake, rotating halfway through baking, until the cookies are puffed and set and just beginning to turn golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks until cookies are completely cooled.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, prepare the optional glaze: Whisk together the remaining cream cheese with the confectioners’ sugar, milk and 1½ tablespoons lemon juice until smooth. Add additional lemon juice or milk until mixture forms the proper consistency for a glaze. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Let cookies stand at room temperature until the glaze has set. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week or in the freezer for a month.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,660 user ratings
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Comments

Marcia Gregorio

My daughter taught me to use a fork to drizzle glaze on cookies instead of a spoon. You don't get globs of icing, just a beautiful series of random lines. Such an easy hack!

Sara G

Lovely recipe as is. Cookie is just a good soft sugar cookie really, not a strong lemon flavor—that’s provided by the glaze here. I made the cookies into ice cream sandwiches using Tillamook Sea Salt and Honeycomb Toffee ice cream. Insanely good! Cardamom in the glaze would be groovy too. Thanks for the solid recipe!

Fredericktibbetts

For a slightly spicier take on this cookie, add a pinch of ground ginger or ground coriander (or both) to the dough.

Rossinante

Not my favorite, but a nice lemony soft cookie. I doubled the lemon zest Definitely bake longer than the recipe says - 15 minutes for me. The icing is tasty but doesn't dry well, so not ideal for transporting.

Ann F

Next time I’ll double the recipe and make the cookies about 1T. And I’ll chill the dough for about half an hour, roll in balls, chill for another hour or so, and then bake.

Dolores M

I added half of a fresh squeezed lemon to a doubled batch of batter for more lemon taste in the cookie. Also used one large heaping tablespoon size to make cookies, not 2 tablespoon sized scoops.

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