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Chewy lemon cookies are freckled with nutty poppy seeds. These lemon poppy seed cookies are perfect for anyone who is a fan of citrus and poppy seeds together!
My chewy lemon sugar cookies are an all-time favorite, both with readers and in our own home.
Right now, when the weather keeps teasing us with hints of spring, I need a little bit of bright cookie happiness in my life. So I decided that turning that favorite recipe into lemon poppy seed cookies sounded like a great idea.
And you know what? I was right. Because bright lemon and nutty poppy seeds are always a good idea.
Chewy lemon poppy seed cookies
If you’re like me and really love lemon poppy seed muffins, you’re gonna flip for this cookie recipe.
There’s nothing quite like the combination of bright, tangy citrus and nutty, earthy poppy seeds. It’s a classic muffin combo that’s just as delicious in citrus poppy seed cake, lemon poppy seed loaf, or lemon poppy seed scones.
Or lemon poppy seed cookies!
This recipe has all of the chewy texture of the original lemon sugar cookie recipe, but with the added bit of crunch from the poppy seeds in the dough. They’re super bright and lemony with plenty of lemon zest and juice in the dough and an added lemon glaze on top.
The cookies are actually just as delicious if you skip the glaze, but the added tart sweetness of the glaze really puts them over the top!
This is the perfect recipe to whip up for a spring brunch. They’d be right at home alongside mini cabury egg cookies at Easter or as part of a Mother’s Day brunch spread.
How to make my lemon poppy seed cookies
Like most of my drop cookie recipes, this lemon poppy seed cookie recipe is pretty simple to make. Get the kids involved with helping you scoop the dough and make it a whole family activity!
Ingredients you’ll need
For the cookie dough, you will need:
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup softened unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
For the glaze, you will also need:
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
A large lemon typically yields around 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest and 3-4 tablespoons of juice. Since you will need 2 teaspoons of zest and 8 tablespoons of juice for the entire recipe, I recommend getting 3 large lemons to be safe.
Poppy seeds can be found in the baking aisle of the grocery store with the herbs and spices.
Making this recipe
To make the cookie dough, start by whisking together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set this aside.
Now, use a mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Add the egg, mixing until well combined, then add the lemon zest and juice.
Once the wet ingredients are well combined, slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix just until the dough comes together, then add the poppy seeds. Mix on low speed until the poppy seeds are distributed throughout.
Use a small (1 tablespoon) cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto lined baking sheets. Leave 2 inches between the cookies.
Bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes, or until the bottom edges of the cookies just barely start to turn golden.
Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cookies have cooled, whisk the glaze ingredients together until smooth. Dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze, letting the excess drip off. Let the glaze set before serving the lemon poppy seed cookies.
Helpful resources
- Before you start baking, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. This will help your lemon poppy seed cookies turn out perfect every time.
- Forgot to set your butter out to soften ahead of time? Check out my tips and tricks for softening butter quickly.
- If you ran out of powdered sugar, don’t panic. Make a simple powdered sugar substitute and save yourself a trip to the grocery store.
- Sometimes cookies just don’t come out as round as you want them to. For those times when you need really pretty cookies, check out a simple trick for making perfectly round cookies.
Storage tips
Store cooled and glazed lemon poppy seed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
If you want to freeze them for longer-term storage, you can place them in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to a month.
You can freeze the cookies before or after glazing them; just make sure to let the glaze set before you try storing them.
The cookies will thaw quickly at room temperature, usually within an hour or so.
You can also make the cookie dough ahead of time and freeze it until you’re ready to bake the cookies. Follow my instructions for how to freeze cookie dough and you’ll be able to treat yourself to a lemon poppy seed cookie any time the craving strikes!
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
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Add the egg and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and mix until combined, again scraping the sides of the bowl.
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Slowly add the dry ingredients until just combined. Add the poppy seeds and mix on low speed until distributed through the dough.
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Using a small (1 tablespoon) cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between the cookies. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the bottom edges of the cookies just barely start to turn golden.
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Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
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Once cooled, whisk the glaze ingredients together until smooth. Dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze, allowing the excess to drip off or using the side of the bowl to remove excess glaze. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 118kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 57mg, Potassium: 15mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 147IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
