Lemon Meltaway Cookies Recipe - The Carefree Kitchen (2024)

These quick and easy Lemon Meltaway Cookies are so tender that they literally melt in your mouth. They’re topped with a tart and creamy lemon glaze that makes them completely irresistible.

The Best Lemon Meltaway Cookies

These Lemon Meltaway Cookies look and taste like perfect little lemon clouds. The bright lemon flavor of the cookie is perfectly balanced with the sweet lemon glaze, and they are so light and tender that they almost melt in your mouth before you have even closed it.

What’s even better is that they still taste great even days later, unlike some cookies that are best eaten the day you bake them. Whether you make the dough ahead of time and freeze it, store them in the fridge or even freeze the baked cookies, they will always taste amazing.

Basically, they are flawless - especially if you love lemon like we do. Are you drooling yet?

If you're looking for more lemon recipes, try our Glazed Lemon Cookies, Lemon Blueberry Bread, Lemon Blueberry Scones, and Lemon Bundt Cake. Also, don't forget the Lemon Curd! It will leave your mouth watering!

Meltaway Lemon Cookies Ingredients

• Butter - since there is no salt in this dough, we like to use salted butter. Be sure it is at room temperature so that it will cream properly.
• Sugar - use regular white granulated sugar.
• Egg - any type of large egg will work. It’s best if your egg is at room temperature so that it doesn’t shock the butter when you add it to the dough.
• Lemon - you will want to use a fresh lemon for this recipe since you’ll want to use both the fresh lemon juice and zest.
• Flour - we use all-purpose flour for these cookies.
• Baking Powder - this makes the cookies rise a bit and keeps them nice and tender.
• Powdered Sugar - this is what is used to sweeten the lemon glaze. It’s a good idea to sift your confectioners sugar before using.
• Heavy Cream - this makes the glaze extra creamy and delicious. It’s slightly thicker than water and takes a little bit of the edge of the tart lemon juice off.

How to Make Lemon Meltaways Cookies

1. Mix the cookie dough. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, or about 3 minutes. Slowly add the egg and lemon zest. Mix on low, scraping the bowl as needed to make sure it is all mixed. Add the flour and baking powder and mix just until completely combined. Do not overmix.
2. Scoop the dough. Using spoons or a small ice cream scoop, scoop 1" balls, place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet about 3 inches apart and then flatten them slightly with the palm of your hand.
3. Bake and cool. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly golden on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Make the lemon glaze. In a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice and heavy cream. Mix until completely smooth, adding a little extra lemon juice to thin down as necessary.
5. Glaze and serve or store. Once completely cool, use a spoon to drizzle the the glaze, then let the glaze set at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before storing or eating. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• Lemon Meltaway Cookies are great cookies to make ahead of time because they store and freeze so well. If you are making more than one type of cookie, or know you will be busy cooking, you can put these at the top of your prep list and store or freeze as directed below.
• Using room temperature ingredients will make it so that the butter doesn’t seize up on you, causing you to have to mix your dough even longer and yielding a slightly tougher cookie.
• Keep an eye on these cookies and be sure not to bake them for too long. While some baked goods taste good with a little extra golden brown, these do not. They are meant to be moist and tender so pull them just when they start to get some color around the edges.
• Let your cookies cool completely before glazing. If they are even a little bit too warm, the glaze will melt right off and you will never be able to have that nice thick lemon glaze.

Storing and Freezing

Lemon Meltaway Cookies stay fresh and tender far longer than some other cookies, making them a great make-ahead option. Here are a few different ways to store them:

• Room Temperature - these can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• Refrigerator - you can also store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freeze the Dough - make and shape as directed, then freeze in a single layer on a baking tray for at least an hour before transferring to freezer bags to store for up to 2 months. When you wish to bake them, pull the cookies from the freezer and transfer to a parchment lined sheet tray, then bake in a preheated oven as directed, but adding about 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
• Freeze the Baked Cookies - make and bake the cookies as directed, then cool completely and do not glaze. Place in an airtight container, or freezer bags, and freeze for up to 1 month. Once you are ready to eat them, pull from the freezer and let them come to room temperature before glazing. Let the glaze set as directed, and enjoy.

More Delicious Lemon Recipes

• Lemon Blueberry Muffins
• Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
• Lemon Raspberry Parfait
• Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
• Lemon Chicken
• Lemon Syrup
• Mint Lemonade
• Lemon Fruit Dip
• Sugar Cookie Bars
• More Desserts
• More Breakfast Recipes

These Lemon Meltaway Cookies are so light and tender that they almost melt in your mouth before you have even closed it. They're topped with a tart and creamy lemon glaze that makes them completely irresistible.

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