Go Back
stack of lemon cookies with poppy seeds in them
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Soft Baked Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Soft Baked Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies melt in your mouth with a burst of lemon in every bite. Perfect spring and summer cookie!
Keyword: cookies, lemon, lemon poppy seed, mason jar desserts, poppy seed

Ingredients

For the Cookie dough

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon raw honey
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

For the lemon glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • extra poppy seeds for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
  • Zest and juice 3 lemons; set aside. Mix 1 tablespoon of zest with 1 cup of sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, lemon sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and honey. The add the lemon juice and poppy seeds and mix until combined. Gradually add in the flour mixture until just combined.
  • Divide the dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls using <a href="https://amzn.to/3f0LGVg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow">cookie scoop</a> and drop onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Gently flatten dough with your fingers or a spoon.
  • Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until cookies are just set and slightly golden brown. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely.
  • To make the glaze: In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest until a thick glaze forms. Add more sugar or juice as needed to get the glaze to the desired consistency. Dip each cookie into the glaze. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, if desired. Let the glaze set, about 20 minutes before eating or storing. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

Tips Tricks and FAQs

  • Have all of the ingredients out before starting.
  • Whisk together the dry ingredients and set them aside so that it's ready when the recipe calls for them.
  • Another tip is to have your baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • Zest and juice your lemons before beginning the recipe.
  • Always zest your lemons before cutting them in half and juicing them - easier!
  • When your recipes call for lemon zest and sugar, incorporate the zest with the sugar in a small bowl first before adding to the butter to be creamed. The lemon zest will be better mixed in and not clumped.
  • Adding a small amount of cornstarch and honey to the cookie dough will result in a softer texture cookie.
  • Let the cookies cool completely before glazing.