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–+ servings

Lemon Sour Cream Cookies

Soft and cake-like cookies with plenty of lemon zest and a classic lemon buttercream.
Prep Time:25 minutes
Cook Time:10 minutes
chilling time:1 hour
Total Time:1 hour 35 minutes

Equipment

  • Parchment paper
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Electric Mixer
  • Baking sheets
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Rubber spatula
  • cooling rack

Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup salted butter (softened)
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream (room temperature)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the frosting

  • ¼ cup salted butter butter (softened)
  • 2½ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

  • Prepare the dry ingredients.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Then, set aside.
    dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
  • Cream the butter and sugar.  In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat the softened butter, sugar, and eggs until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
    bowl of butter and sugar creamed for cookies.
  • Add the wet ingredients.  Add the sour cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the butter mixture. Blend on medium-low speed until fully combined.
    adding sour cream and lemon zest.
  • Combine the wet and dry mixtures.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, one cup at a time, mixing at low speed until combined. The dough will be very soft.
    finished cookie dough in bowl.
  • Chill the dough.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour to firm up. Towards the end of the chilling time, preheat the oven.
  • Preheat the oven and prepare the baking sheets.  Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Then, line baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly coat with cooking spray.
  • Shape the cookies.  Using a tablespoon, scoop rounded portions of dough and drop them onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each cookie about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake.  Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges and bottoms are lightly golden. If baking multiple sheets at once, rotate them halfway through for even baking.
  • Cool completely.  Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting

  • Prepare the lemon frosting.  While the cookies cool, make the frosting. In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Then, add 1-2 drops of yellow food coloring for a soft yellow hue.
  • Frost the cookies.  Once the cookies are completely cool, spread a layer of frosting on each cookie. Serve and enjoy!
    finished frosted cookies on baking sheet.

Notes

Make sure your butter, eggs, and sour cream are at room temperature before you begin.  
Always zest the lemons before juicing them.  It’s easier to zest a whole lemon, and you’ll get more flavor from the peel without dealing with the mess of half-squeezed lemons.
To keep your frosting smooth, sift the powdered sugar before mixing it. This removes lumps and gives your buttercream a nice, creamy texture.
If your frosting is too thick, add a few drops of milk or more lemon juice to thin it out.  Start with a teaspoon at a time until it’s easy to spread.
If you want your frosting to have a lovely pale yellow color, add just a drop or two of yellow food coloring.  
 

Nutrition

Calories: 124kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 77IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
Servings: 30 cookies
Calories: 124kcal
Author: Katie Shaw