These lemon curd cookies are thick, soft, tangy, and filled with loads of lemon curd. They have all the tangy, zesty, lemon flavor. The cookies are rolled in powdered sugar between baking which forms the perfect, sweet crisp crust. There’s cream cheese and lemon juice in the cookie dough making these cookies extra tangy and soft.
Jump to:
- 🍪 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- 📝 Key ingredients
- 👩🍳 How to make lemon curd cookies
- 📝 Expert curd tips
- 📝 Expert cookie tips
- 🥄 Make ahead and storage
- ❔ How to get a thick layer of powdered sugar on the outside
- ✔️ Why add cream cheese in the dough
- ❔ Do I need to chill the cookie dough?
- 📖 Recipe FAQs
- 🍋 More related recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
🍪 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Thick and soft: These bakery style cookies are large, thick, and soft with a bit of a chew in the center.
- Lemon curd filling: They’re filled with loads of smooth and creamy lemon curd packed with even more lemon flavor.
- Tangy: Both the cookie and filling are tangy. The cookie has cream cheese in the dough which gives it a beautiful texture and makes it extra tangy.
- Minimal chill: You only need to chill the cookie dough in the freezer for 10 minutes so you don’t have to wait long.
If you love lemon cookies, you will also love these buttery lemon shortbread cookies and these chewy lemon white chocolate cookies.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
For the filling, I use my classic lemon curd recipe - it's tart, creamy, and the perfect gooey thickness. It's the same recipe as in the bottom in this recipe card.
For the cookie dough, here are the ingredients you will need:
- Lemons: You'll need lemons for the cookies and the curd. This is the perfect recipe to use up lemons you have lying around.
- Butter: Good quality real butter will give the best results.
- Cream cheese: Brick style full fat cream cheese will give the best results. Low fat cream cheese is too watery.
- Yellow gel food coloring: This is totally optional - it just gives the cookies a bright yellow color. You can use natural yellow food coloring powder. Don't use turmeric or liquid food coloring.
- All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
- Baking powder: Make sure it's not expired and check if it's still active by dissolving a sample in some water. If it fizzes up, that means it's active.
These cookies can be filled with any type of curd, jam, or filling you like - like this tangy raspberry curd. Or make these one bowl, easy lemon raspberry cookies.
👩🍳 How to make lemon curd cookies
Lemon curd step by step
You can use your favorite lemon curd recipe, or a store bought jar. Or try out my tried and true lemon curd recipe below:
Step 1: In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, egg and yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Whisk until smooth and no pieces of eggs remain.
TIP: Use a non-metal saucepan like a ceramic coated one to prevent the curd from having a metallic flavor if you prefer.
Step 2: Heat on medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from burning. Cook until thickened and bubbling.
Step 3: Take the curd off the heat and immediately transfer (or strain if lumpy) into a non-metal heat safe container or jar. Add cold cubed butter, and stir. Let the butter melt, stir or whisk until smooth.
Step 4: Cover by placing a piece of parchment paper or wrap directly on the surface of the curd. This will prevent a skin from forming on top. Refrigerate until chilled (about 1-2 hours). The curd will thicken up some more.
📝 Expert curd tips
- Stir the curd frequently when cooking to prevent it from burning or becoming lumpy.
- Strain the curd if you want an extra smooth curd.
- Store the curd in a non-metal container like a glass bowl or mason jar. This will prevent it from getting a metallic aftertaste.
- Press plastic wrap (or parchment paper) right onto the surface of the curd to prevent it from forming a skin.
- Chill before serving to further thicken the curd.
Cookies step by step
Step 1: Rub sugar and grated lemon zest with your fingers until sugar is yellow, moist, and fragrant.
Step 2: Add butter, cream cheese, and salt into the bowl with sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy and lightened in color, about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add a whole egg, an egg yolk, and lemon juice - mixing well between each addition. Scrape down the bowl frequently for even mixing. Add yellow food coloring to make it bright yellow (optional).
Step 4: Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda right into the same bowl. Fold the dough just until it’s fully mixed.
Step 5: Portion the dough into balls using a cookie scoop or by hand. You want them to be about 2-3 tablespoons in size. It will make about 18 large cookies.
Spread powdered sugar onto a plate. Roll the cookie dough balls in the powdered sugar and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the cookie dough balls right next to each other on the cookie sheet.
Step 6: Use a measuring tablespoon or the back of the cookie scoop to press an indent onto the top of each cookie ball. Place baking sheet into the freezer to chill while you preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
Right before baking, roll the cookies in powdered sugar again to get a thick layer on. Space the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake in batches in the middle of the oven for 9-12 minutes. The cookies will be puffed and barely golden when done. *don't overbake them or they will be dry and crumbly*
Step 7: Once baked, press a tablespoon into the top of each cookie to make more space for the lemon curd. Carefully transfer cookies with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 8: Once cooled, fill the middles with heaping tablespoons of lemon curd and serve.
Try this lemon Victoria sponge for a cake with the same flavors of these cookies.
📝 Expert cookie tips
- Rub the lemon zest and sugar together to release all the fragrant oils from the lemon and enhance the flavor.
- Weigh the flour: This will give you consistent results and create the perfect texture. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
- Don't overmix: Overmixing after the flour is added causes a dense, tough texture.
- Chill: Pop the shaped cookie dough in the freezer while the oven is preheating.
- Don't overbake: For the perfect chewy texture, the bottom should be slightly golden brown and the middle will be puffed up and not yet set. The cookies will continue to bake out of the oven.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
These lemon curd cookies can be made ahead by prepping the cookie dough balls the night before. Pop them in the fridge on your baking sheet overnight.
The lemon curd can be made up to 3 days before filling and serving, and stored in the fridge.
The filled lemon curd cookies can be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days. Keep them in a single layer to prevent the lemon curd in the middles from getting ruined.
You can also store unfilled cookies at room temperature and fill them right before serving. That way you don't need to store them in a single layer.
❔ How to get a thick layer of powdered sugar on the outside
The icing sugar forms a delicious crisp coating on the outside of the cookie once baked.
The key is to roll the scooped cookie dough in powdered sugar. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes and roll in powdered sugar again before baking. This will give them a really thick layer of icing sugar that will be visible after baking.
You can roll them once to save time if you prefer. This will give the cookies a thinner coating. It still works perfectly!
✔️ Why add cream cheese in the dough
The cream cheese gives the lemon curd cookies a soft and chewy texture and a bit of a tang! The flavor works so well with the lemon tartness.
The cream cheese also helps the cookies puff up in the oven giving them that beautiful crackly top.
These lemon shortbread cookies and lemon white chocolate cookies don't have any cream cheese in the dough.
❔ Do I need to chill the cookie dough?
Yes, but only for 10 minutes in the freezer! Pop the shaped cookie dough in the freezer while the oven is preheating.
If you want to prep these cookies overnight, refrigerate the shaped dough balls in the fridge on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Don't chill the cookie dough before scooping and shaping because the butter in the dough will become hard making it very difficult to scoop afterwards.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Yes, it's not necessary at all! It just gives the cookies a vibrant yellow color. There's no food coloring in the curd - it will stay very yellow.
You can try to substitute the cream cheese with an equal amount of butter. I haven't tried it, so I don't know how it would work. If you're worried about there being a cream cheese taste - you won't actually be able to taste it. The cream cheese just gives the cookies a subtle tang and helps the texture.
I've stored one in the fridge for a few days and it didn't become soggy - just a bit softer in the middle. I recommend filling the cookies as close as possible to the time of serving to get the best texture.
Only for 10 minutes in the freezer. Pop them in the fridge if you want to chill them overnight.
🍋 More related recipes
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Curd Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon curd
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup lemon juice from about 2 lemons
- 1 lemon zested
- ⅓ cup butter cold and cubed
Cookies
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 lemons zested (reserve juice)
- ¾ cup butter softened
- ¼ cup cream cheese softened
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice from about 1-2 lemons
- 3 ½ cups all purpose flour 420g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, egg and yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Whisk until smooth and no pieces of eggs remain. *Use a non-metal saucepan like a ceramic coated one to prevent the curd from having a metallic flavor if you prefer.2 large egg yolks, 1 large egg, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt, ⅔ cup sugar, ⅓ cup lemon juice, 1 lemon
- Heat on medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from burning. Cook until thickened and bubbling.
- Take the curd off the heat and immediately transfer (or strain if lumpy) into a non-metal heat safe container or jar. Add cold cubed butter, and stir. Let the butter melt, stir or whisk until smooth.⅓ cup butter
- Take the curd off the heat and immediately transfer (or strain if lumpy) into a non-metal heat safe container or jar. Add cold cubed butter, and stir. Let the butter melt, stir or whisk until smooth.
Cookies
- Rub sugar and grated lemon zest with your fingers until sugar is yellow, moist, and fragrant.1 cup granulated sugar, 2 lemons
- Add butter, cream cheese, and salt into the bowl with sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy and lightened in color, about 5 minutes.¾ cup butter, ¼ cup cream cheese, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- Add a whole egg, an egg yolk, and lemon juice - mixing well between each addition. Scrape down the bowl frequently for even mixing. Add yellow gel food coloring to make it bright yellow (optional).1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda right into the same bowl. Fold the dough just until it’s fully mixed.3 ½ cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Portion the dough into balls using a cookie scoop or by hand. You want them to be about 2-3 tablespoons in size. It will make about 18 large cookies.
- Spread powdered sugar onto a plate. Roll the cookie dough balls in the powdered sugar and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the cookie dough balls right next to each other on the cookie sheet.1 cup powdered sugar
- Use a measuring tablespoon or the back of the cookie scoop to press an indent onto the top of each cookie ball. Place baking sheet into the freezer to chill while you preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
- Right before baking, roll the cookies in powdered sugar again to get a thick layer on. Space the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake in batches in the middle of the oven for 9-12 minutes. The cookies will be puffed and barely golden on the bottom when done. *don't overbake them or they will be dry and crumbly*
- Once baked, press a tablespoon into the top of each cookie to make more space for the lemon curd. Carefully transfer cookies with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, fill the middles with heaping tablespoons of lemon curd and serve.
Notes
- Rub the lemon zest and sugar together to release all the fragrant oils from the lemon and enhance the flavor.
- Weigh the flour: This will give you consistent results and create the perfect texture. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
- Don't overmix: Overmixing after the flour is added causes a dense, tough texture.
- Chill: Pop the shaped cookie dough in the freezer while the oven is preheating.
- Don't overbake: For the perfect chewy texture, the bottom should be slightly golden brown and the middle will be puffed up and not yet set. The cookies will continue to bake out of the oven.
S
These are delicious with or without the lemon curd. Wish I had time to make these more often.
Holly
My lemon curd didn't thicken up very well. My cookies didn't spread much, and after baking I had to push the divot down again. If I make them again I'd try a different curd recipe and flatten the balls a little before cooking. That being said, they really were delicious.
Mary
So sorry about the lemon curd not being thick enough, try adding an extra whole egg and cooking for longer next time! Thickness also depends on the size of the eggs used. So happy you still ended up enjoying them! 🙂
Sarah
These cookies turned out great, even though I used a cheesed grater to zest my lemons. Since the lemon rind was a little too big, you would occasionally chew on a lemon rind piece that was just a tad too big, but it was barely noticeable. 10/10 recommend this recipe!
Mary
haha glad you liked it!
Jess
These lemon curd cookies were just as delicious as they look!! Mary's recipes are so easy to follow and I appreciate the way she repeats the measurement of ingredients in the step by step directions! (No more scrolling back up multiple times and getting lost on the page!) HIGHLY recommend if you love lemon!
Mary
Thank you so much, so happy you loved the recipe! Thank you for leaving a review 😀
Nicole
This recipe was sent from HEAVEN!! Absolute perfection! Melt in your mouth cookies with a deliciously creamy lemon filling. A MUST for lemon lovers.
Mary
Thank you so much, I'm so happy you liked the cookies! 😀
Justin
This recipe is just perfect. The mix of textures is just immaculate. I definitely recommend this recipe!