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    Urban Bliss Life » All Recipes » Cookie Recipes » Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies with Orange and Lime

    Published: May 14, 2018 / Updated: May 19, 2022 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies with Orange and Lime

    144 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    soft lemon sugar cookies on urbanblisslife.com
    soft lemon sugar cookies on urbanblisslife.com

    These soft Lemon Sugar Cookies are zesty, sweet treats that are perfect for spring and summer snacking!

    Lemon Sugar Cookies on UrbanBlissLife.com

    The sun is shining in the Pacific Northwest, and we're gearing up for summer! How is the weather these days where you are living?

    With the warmer weather comes a need for more sunshine-ready recipes. If you follow me on Instagram and have seen my InstaStories, you know that we're all about throwing together fun and yummy summer soirees with fresh salads, light appetizers, and crisp summer wines!

    Now, when it comes to dessert, I will always have a special place in any season for chocolate desserts. But once the sun comes out to play, my tastebuds tend to crave fresh, bright and sunny citrus flavors. Like those found in my Mini Citrus Bundt Cakes recipe or in my Lemon Shortbread Cookies.

    But for summer soirees with lots of adults and kids around, I love serving cookies. These Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies are just the sweet treat to compliment your delicious sunny day spread. You and your guests will love these!

    Jump to:
    • 🍊 Big citrus flavors
    • 🍽 Serving ideas
    • 🍋 Recipe FAQs
    • 🍪 More cookie recipes
    • Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies

    🍊 Big citrus flavors

    I took the recipe for my favorite soft almond sugar cookies and modified it to have a citrus summer twist.

    citrus zest

    If you're looking for a single citrus flavored cookie, try my yummy Key Lime Cookies. They are similar, but have big key lime flavors. This cookie recipe calls for orange, lime, and lemon!

    It does take a little extra time to zest lemons, limes, and oranges for the dough and the citrus rolling sugar, but trust me: it's TOTALLY WORTH IT.

    Citrus Sugar Cookies recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com
    Citrus Sugar Cookies recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com
    Lemon Sugar Cookies on rack

    It's easy to customize the citrus flavors to your liking in this recipe. Personally, I love a citrus combo that is heavier on the orange and lemon and lighter on the lime, so I adjust the zest amounts accordingly.

    citrus fruit and cookies
    Lemon Sugar Cookies close up

         

    The result is an absolutely delicious, soft, bright and zesty lemon sugar cookie that packs a nice juicy zing of summer in each bite.

    🍽 Serving ideas

    Want some fun serving ideas? Try one of these to spice up your summer dessert bar:

    • Make Lemon Sugar Cookie Sandwiches by spreading a thick layer of lemon buttercream frosting in the middle.
    • Cut cookies in half and decorate a store-bought or homemade vanilla cake with halfmoon cookies around the edges.
    • Crumble cookies and top scoops of ice cream, or layer and make a parfait.
    • Place a layer of ice cream between them then freeze to make super summery ice cream sandwiches.
    • Crumble or cut into quarter pieces and top a fresh key lime or lemon pie or tart.
    Lemon Sugar Cookie
    stack of cookies

     

    I think you and your family are going to ADORE these soft citrus sugar cookies. I know that my family loves them and we'll be making them again and again this summer! If you make them, be sure to share the photo on Instagram and tag Urban Bliss Life!

    🍋 Recipe FAQs

    Citrus Sugar Cookies recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com
    How do I store these cookies?

    Allow cookies to cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

    Can I freeze these cookies?

    Yes! These cookies are GREAT to freeze! Store them in a freezer-friendly airtight container for up to two months.

    🍪 More cookie recipes

    • plate of matcha crinkle cookies
      Matcha Crinkle Cookies
    • strawberry crinkle cookies on a plate
      Strawberry Crinkle Cookies
    • several key lime cookies on a scalloped plate with a bowl of key limes above and a bright blue background.
      Key Lime Cookies
    • ube white chocolate chip cookies stacked on top of one another on a white plate.
      Ube White Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!

    Citrus Sugar Cookies recipe on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies

    5 from 13 votes
    Recipe by Marlynn Schotland
    These soft, pillowy citrus sugar cookies have bright bursts of orange, lemon, and lime. A true sweet treat!
    PRINT PIN RATE

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (3 sticks)
    • 1 ½ cups sugar, divided
    • 1 tsp orange zest
    • 1 tsp lemon zest
    • 1 tsp lime zest
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 2 eggs near room temperature
    • 2 ¾ cup cake flour
    • 2 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 tbsp cornstarch
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp salt

    Zesty Rolling Sugar

    • ½ cup baking sugar crystals, turbinado sugar, or sugar in the raw
    • ½ tsp orange zest
    • ½ tsp lemon zest
    • ½ tsp lime zest

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until creamy and well blended, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixer as needed.
    • Add the orange, lemon, and lime zests to the mixer, and blend together for about 30 seconds.
    • Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and blend together until incorporated. 
    • In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
    • With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until ingredients are fully combined. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in wax paper, and chill in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes.
    • While the dough is chilling, mix together the rolling sugar with ½ teaspoon each of orange zest, lemon zest, and lime zest. 
    • Once dough is properly chilled, form the dough into balls and roll into the zesty citrus sugar. Place on cookie sheets covered in parchment paper. Using the bottom of a glass or the palm of your hand, gently press down onto the tops of each cookie to flatten a bit (cookies will not spread much during baking). 
    • Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. 

    Notes

    Makes 4-5 dozen, depending on size.
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a star rating and comment! Then snap a pic of your dish and share it on social media. Tag @UrbanBlissLife and #UrbanBlissLife!

    Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Samuel frodo says

        May 18, 2018 at 4:04 pm

        5 stars
        Oh my these are absolutely awesome, best part is it seems really practical and doable, I would definitely try this. Thanks for sharing such a beauty with us..

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          May 23, 2018 at 2:43 am

          Of course! I'm glad you enjoyed the post! :)

      2. Holly says

        May 16, 2018 at 5:02 pm

        I love how beautiful your pictures are! The cookies sound great too. I love a good soft cookie.

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          May 18, 2018 at 2:12 am

          Thanks so much for the nice comment, Holly! :)

      3. Denay DeGuzman says

        May 15, 2018 at 11:19 pm

        What adorable little cookies! I love that you added orange, lemon and lime zest to these. I can almost taste how amazing these are. I can hardly wait to bake up a batch!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          May 18, 2018 at 2:11 am

          Let me know how they turn out! Thank you, Denay!

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      Marlynn Jayme Schotland 2021 profile pic

      Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. Here you'll find my fast, easy, and delicious recipes, wine pairings, and travel guides. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

      More about me →

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