This is the simplest recipe for tender gluten free lemon cookies that literally melt in your mouth. Make them as drop cookies, or cutout cookies. They'll hold any shape you like!
Gluten free lemon cookies are bursts of summer flavor. Ice them, make a lemon glaze, or leave them plain, since you'll still see beautiful flecks of lemon zest. The bright lemon flavor and beautiful tender crumb make these cookies a guaranteed family favorite.
Enjoy them on a picnic, at a birthday party, or brighten up a winter’s day and savor their zestiness with a hot latte.
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Why you'll love these gluten free lemon cookies
These light, tender and simple cookies really do melt in your mouth. They're like a cross between shortbread and sugar cookies.
What’s the secret? Rather than a whole egg, they're made with just an egg white. The only sugar in the whole lemon cookies recipe is 2/3 cup of confectioners' sugar.
They get their richness from butter, and their fine texture from the higher starch of confectioners' sugar—plus added cornstarch to the gluten free flour blend.
Meltaway cookies like these are even a total winner for the cook. The dough is not only simple to throw together, but incredibly easy to handle and requires no chilling before baking. These cookies can be made at the last-minute so you’ll never be caught out by unexpected guests or a school bake sale.
Enjoy the cookies at any time of day. I love lemon-flavored desserts, so I'd happily add some lemon zest to my no-churn vanilla ice cream, and sandwich a scoop between two of the thinner lemon cookies for a beautiful, melt-in-your-mouth lemon-vanilla ice cream sandwich.
These lemon cookies are the perfect summertime snack, but they’re also a delicious in the colder months too. They’re ideal for events like baby showers, bridal showers, brunch or afternoon tea.
Do these taste like gluten free lemon sugar cookies?
Not exactly! This recipe makes cookies with a more delicate texture and a less sweet taste than our recipe for gluten free lemon sugar cookies.
This recipe is made with confectioners' sugar and just an egg white, plus much more butter. The sugar cookie recipe is made with a whole egg and granulated sugar—overall less starch.
Finally, this recipe can be made as drop cookies or as shaped cutout cookies. You'll need to add more all purpose gluten free to the cookie dough to roll it out so it rolls cleanly.
Tips for making the best lemon meltaway cookies
This is a truly simple recipe for light and bright lemon cookies. And the simpler the recipe, the more closely you need to follow it to see success.
So, while this recipe is quick and easy there are some tips to help you get the perfect results. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you read through and begin making the cookie dough.
Choose the right gluten free flour blend
Meltaway cookies came by their name honestly. They really do melt in your mouth!
This lemon cookies recipe calls for quite a bit of starch, which helps create that extra tender texture. I like making it with (mock) Better Batter, which I lighten up by adding cornstarch as a separate ingredient.
That makes Better Batter, one of my favorite all purpose gluten free flour blends, into something like a cake flour. There's also a touch of cornstarch in the confectioners' sugar.
If you're using a higher-starch all purpose gluten free flour blend, like Cup4Cup, do not add more cornstarch.
Instead, replace that ingredient with 48 grams more Cup4Cup. You may also need to add some more liquid in the recipe to bring the dough together, though.
Don't chill the cookie dough
That’s right, there’s no need to chill the cookie dough. This cookie dough is perfectly balanced to roll out perfectly when the cookie dough is just made, cut out with a cookie cutter, and then bake right away. You'll get clean edges and the cookie dough will not spread during baking.
Use freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Baking concentrates flavors, so you want your lemon juice to be fresh, not bottled, so it tastes bright and fresh. You'll need that lemon for all that lemon zest anyway! Choose the freshest lemons you can as their flavor dissipates as they age. You’ll be zesting these lemons so make sure the ones you buy are unwaxed, and wash them before you start.
Be careful not to overbake the cookies
The cookies will barely brown around the edges when they're done baking. They're done when they no longer glisten at all in the center.
Be careful not to over-bake them. If you do, they'll go from tender shortbread-style homemade lemon cookies to crumbly and dry.
Over-baking could happen if your oven is too hot. Use a simple oven thermometer that hangs from the wire rack in your oven, as most ovens aren't properly calibrated.
Don't press the cookies too thin
Be sure not to make the cookies too thin, as they'll bake too quickly. This is especially a risk if you're making the rolled, cutout cookies. See more tips on this below in the troubleshooting section.
And don't touch the cookies on the tray until they're cool. Otherwise, they may crumble.
Substitutions for gluten free lemon cookies ingredients
For lemon cookie perfection, I'd say don't mess with this recipe unless you absolutely must. It works beautifully, just the way it is.
If you want a different type of cookie or a different type of flour or flavor, there are plenty more gluten free recipes for cookies and desserts here on the blog. But, if you really do need to make substitutions for this recipe, here are my best recommendations.
How to make gluten and dairy free lemon cookies
There is quite a lot of butter in these cookies, which helps give them their melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness. If you’re looking for an alternative, I would not recommend using Earth Balance buttery sticks. They have too much moisture, and I don't think the cookies would hold their shape.
I think Melt brand or Miyoko's Kitchen brand vegan butter might work in place of the butter, though. You could also try butter flavored non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, but you'll likely need more moisture as it has nearly none.
How to make egg free lemon cookies
There is no whole egg in this recipe, and only one egg white, which helps provide structure.
You may be able to replace it with aquafaba, which is just the brine from a can of chickpeas. If you go this route, I recommend beating it until foamy, and using the same amount, by weight (25 grams).
How to make corn free lemon cookies
The cornstarch in this recipe can be replaced easily with arrowroot, or even potato starch. If you want to avoid corn, you'll also need to be sure that your confectioners' sugar is corn-free.
If you're using a higher-starch all purpose gluten free flour blend, like Cup4Cup, do not add more cornstarch. Instead, if you're using Cup4Cup as your all purpose GF flour blend, replace the cornstarch with more Cup4Cup. You may also need some more liquid in the recipe to bring the dough together.
Troubleshooting gluten free lemon cookies
Gluten free baking, as we all know, can sometimes be a bit of an adventure, right? We've all had those kitchen moments where things just don't go according to plan. So, I've compiled a handy little troubleshooting section in case you encounter any issues at all!
- Problem: Cookie dough too sticky
- Possible cause: You might have added too much liquid or under measured your flour.
- Solution: Try adding a little more flour, one teaspoon at a time. Go slowly, though, because you can't undo it once you've added it.
- Problem: Cookie dough too dry
- Possible cause: You might have overmeasured your flour, used a blend that's too high in starch so it absorbs too much liquid, or added too little liquid.
- Solution: Try adding a little more fresh lemon juice, one half teaspoon at a time. That should make your dough workable again.
- Problem: Cookies spread too much in the oven
- Possible cause: Your butter, liquid, or baking soda measurements might have been a little generous, or your oven may have been running hot.
- Solution: Double-check your measurements and oven temperature. And since most ovens run hot, you’ll want to ensure yours is at the correct temperature. Buy an inexpensive standalone oven thermometer and hang it inside your oven so you know when you need to lower the temperature.
- Problem: Cookies do not spread at all
- Possible cause: You might have added too much flour, or your oven is running too cold.
- Solution: Have another look at your oven temperature and measurements (be sure to measure by weight, not volume!).
- Problem: Cookies burn on the bottom
- Possible cause: Your baking sheet could be too thin or too dark, or your oven is too hot.
- Solution: Try a thicker, light-colored baking sheet. Dark metals absorb and distribute the heat much faster than lighter ones. Again, use a separate oven thermometer to keep your oven on track.
- Problem: Cookies are too hard or too crumbly
- Possible cause: You may have left your cookies in the oven a bit too long, overmeasured your flour, or used a blend that's too high in starch so it absorbs too much liquid.
- Solution: Shave a few minutes off your baking time, and ensure you're measuring your well-balanced flour blend accurately by weight, not volume.
- Problem: Cookies are not uniform in size or shape
- Possible cause: You shaped your dough too quickly, or didn't remember to shape it at all.
- Solution: Use a cookie scoop or a measuring spoon for consistent cookie dollops. For cutout cookies, make sure your dough is rolled evenly by feeling the surface gently with the palm of your hand.
- Problem: Flavor is too weak
- Possible cause: Not enough lemon zest.
- Solution: Add a bit more lemon zest, and try using fresher lemons as they tend to lose their potency as they age.
FAQs
No, at least it shouldn't make your cookies taste any different! When gluten free cookies taste different, it's usually because they are made using a gluten free flour blend that is made with a gritty rice flour.
If you use a well-balanced, smooth all purpose gluten free flour blend, and a great gf recipe, your gluten free cookies should taste amazing!
No, almond flour is not a replacement for an all purpose gluten free flour blend in any recipe. To make almond flour lemon cookies, try adding some lemon juice and zest to our almond flour cutout sugar cookies recipe.
If your gluten free flour blend is too starchy, it will absorb more liquid than a well-balanced all purpose gluten free flour blend. If you're using a starchy gluten free flour mixture, and you can't use one of my recommended blends, try adding a bit more real lemon juice by the drop until your raw gf cookie dough holds together well. See how it’s done in the how-to video.
Not exactly! This recipe makes cookies with a more delicate texture and a less sweet taste than our recipe for gluten free lemon sugar cookies.
This recipe is made with confectioners' sugar and just an egg white, plus much more butter. The sugar cookie recipe is made with a whole egg and granulated sugar—overall less starch.
Finally, this recipe can be made as drop cookies or as shaped cutout cookies. But, you'll need to add more all purpose gluten free to the cookie dough to roll it out so it rolls cleanly.
Yes! Whether you're making the drop cookies or the cutout cookies, you can freeze them. Next time you’re baking, make double the number of cookies you need and freeze the rest for a later date
Be sure that they're completely cool to room temperature first. Freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet, then pile them into a freezer-safe bag or container.
I recommend freezing them without the glaze, though. You can always glaze them after you defrost them, or serve them plain.
No! Even the lemon cutout cookie variation of this recipe will keep its shape during baking without being chilled.
You can see in the photos above that the cookies don't spread or become misshapen at all. The top photo is the raw cutout cookie rounds; the bottom is the baked cookies, which look almost exactly the same!
Yes, you can play around with different citrus flavors! In place of lemon juice and lemon zest, try using freshly-squeezed lime juice and lime zest. You can also try using orange juice and orange zest for gluten free orange cookies.
Or, combine the lemon and orange and for a citrus flavor explosion. Whichever you choose, they all sound like delicious variations!
Keep your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll keep for about five days, unless they’re eaten before that of course!
Yes, if you’re decorating your cookies with a glaze you can definitely choose a color palette you prefer, or one that suits the theme of your party. I have chosen to top the cookies with a yellow glaze because I like lemon flavor and yellow combination but you can glaze your gluten free cookies in any color you like.
You can really serve your cookies any way you want, but these are my preferences. Serve the cookies with tea, or coffee; the richness of a creamy latte pairs well with the zesty citrus. If you’re throwing a tea party, serve these cookies with some other delicious gluten free treats like classic gluten free Blondies, these easy gluten free blueberry scones, or Grandma’s gluten free honey muffins.
Your cookies would also make a thoughtful gift. Wrap them in attractive paper and put them in a gift box and make someone’s day!
Yes, roll out your cookie dough, check that it’s smooth by running your hand lightly over it, and cut it into whatever shape you like. If you don’t want to use cookie cutters, use an ice cream scoop to create perfectly uniform cookies, every time.
Easy Gluten Free Lemon Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 ½ cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I recommend Better Batter; please click thru for full details on appropriate blends), plus more for sprinkling for cutout cookies
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it; use a heaping 1/2 teaspoon
- ⅓ cup (48 g) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup (77 g) confectioners’ sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon about 1 tablespoon
- 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 (25 g) egg white at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (⅓ fluid ounce) freshly-squeezed lemon juice plus more as necessary
- granulated sugar for dipping drop cookies
For the (optional) glaze
- 1 cup (115 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 to 4 teaspoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- Yellow gel food coloring optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and confectioners’ sugar, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the lemon zest and mix to combine, breaking up any clumps of zest. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter, egg white, and 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, mixing to combine after each addition.
- The dough will be thick and smooth. Add more lemon juice by the half-teaspoonful and knead it in with clean, dry hands as necessary to bring the dough together.
To make drop cookies
- Scoop the dough by the heaping tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2-inches between pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a round between the palms of your hands, and press down slightly into a thick disk.
- Press with the moistened tines of a fork into a small bowl of granulated sugar, then press down on the top of each piece of dough until the tines leave an impression about 1/4-inch deep.
To make cutout cookies
- Lightly flour a flat surface with all purpose gluten free flour. Place the cookie dough on top, and flour the top.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a rectangle that’s about 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch thick. Sprinkle with more all purpose gluten free flour as necessary to prevent the rolling pin from sticking to the dough.
- Lightly flour a round cookie cutter that’s about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Cut out rounds from the dough.
- Transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet, placing them about 1 1/2 inches apart from one another.
For both cookie shapes
- Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the cookies are lightly golden brown on the edges and firm to the touch (about 12 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the baking sheet. If you try to move them before they’ve cooled, they may be fragile.
For the (optional) glaze
- When the cookies are cool, make the glaze. In a small bowl, place the confectioners’ sugar and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, and mix well.
- Add more lemon juice by the half-teaspoon, stirring to combine after each addition until you have a smooth but very thickly pourable glaze. Add the optional yellow food coloring, if using.
- Drizzle the glaze in a zigzag pattern on top of each cooled cookie or spread on the tops of the cutout cookies. Allow to set at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition information is approximate and offered for informational purposes only.
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Sheila says
I made the rolled, cutout cookies with the lemon glaze for my DIL’s baby shower. They were wonderful!
I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour and it rolled out perfectly. I adjusted the recipe to bake 36 cookies, however the amount of lemon zest did not increase in the adjustment, so I think I should have used more than 1 lemon in the end? Also the dough rolled to 1/4″ was preferable , not too thin, not too thick.
I also needed to add a little water to the glaze to get the right consistency.
Samuel says
Amazing recipe, nice lemony sugar cookies. If you love lemon flavored food, this is for you. I think there is a mistake in the amount of lemon juice for the glaze. When I used the amount specified, I didn’t get a glaze. It turned into crumbly powdered sugar. Did you mean 2-4 Tbsp instead of 2-4 tsp?
Nicole Hunn says
Glad you liked the cookies. No, there’s no mistake in the liquid amount, Samuel. You need a very thick mixture. Perhaps you measured too much confectioners’ sugar or used a brand with extra starch in it? Much more than 4 teaspoons of liquid with only 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar would make a very very thin liquid that wouldn’t set up. Always add liquid very slowly and judiciously when making a glaze, since even a tiny drop more can create a too-thin liquid and it’s much easier to thin than it is thicken.
Jill Hansen says
This is exactly what I had in mind for my grandson’s 1st communion in a few weeks! Thank you, Nicole! Couple questions: can I use European butter (higher fat content/ less water); and, for dusting my board, will a 50:50 mixture of gf flour & powdered sugar mess up the chemistry of the dough? I read that gf baking can be finicky if ingredients are altered. TIA
Nicole Hunn says
Rolling cookie dough in sugar will cause the dough to absorb it, which will make the cookies more likely to burn on the outside as they bake, so I don’t recommend it. I also don’t recommend European butter, because more fat and less moisture will unbalance the recipe. These cookies have quite a lot of butter, and the recipe is designed to make pale cookies that don’t brown much during baking. There’s even a difference in water content between salted and unsalted butter, which is why being faithful to the specific ingredients called for in a recipe is more important than most people realize!
Carolynne Timko says
I tried to print this recipe four times, but a box comes up asking me to subscribe to something to print and it will not close. What is goign on? Whay can’t I just print like I usually do? this is very frustrating.
Nicole Hunn says
Carolynne, Grow is a service that allows you to save your favorites on my blog and on any other blog that runs the same service, and it allows my advertising management company to serve you more relevant advertisements. You won’t receive any more emails, as you’re already on my email list.
I’m afraid there’s no way for me to customize the window that asks you to sign up for Grow to print, so I can’t explain up front that you won’t receive any additional emails from me or anyone else if you sign up.
If you don’t want to add your email to Grow, you are welcome to browse the website, but you won’t be able to print my recipes which I provide to you free of charge. Thanks for your understanding.
Elizabeth Logan says
Hello, your cookies look great and will try them soon but am anxious they look as professional as yours. The “glaze” on top of yours looks more like icing. The glaze recipe seems more like what I’d use to drizzle over things, not ice them. If I just keep adding icing mixture to the glaze recipe wouldn’t I end up with rock hard topping? This is the first recipe of yours I haven’t been confident In trying. I just follow exactly and ‘bingo’ success!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid I’m really not sure what you mean about ending up with a “rock hard” topping, Elizabeth. Icing or glaze (the naming isn’t very important) doesn’t dry rock hard unless it’s royal icing, which this isn’t. You can also just use a drizzle, if you’d prefer, but everything here is easily eaten!
Nancy Entz says
I LOVE LOVE LOVE lemon anything and I can’t wait to make these. I just added lemons to my grocery list. 😊. Thanks for another great recipe. Now on to a completely different recipe that I love and make often is your Gluten Free Artisan Cheese Bread. It’s quick and easy and absolutely delicious! I always make all your recipes by weight so it has always turned out great. However the last time I made it I noticed that it calls for 2 tablespoons of butter (42 g). In all of your other recipes 1 tablespoon equals 14 grams. So should that read 3 tablespoons or 24 g? I’ve always used the 42 grams and it turned out but I just want to be sure. Thanks for all the great recipes! I look forward to each of my emails from you! 😊
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Nancy, thank you so much for pointing out that discrepancy to me! The weight measurement is correct at 42 g, but that’s 3 tablespoons, not 2. I’ve made the change to reflect that it’s 3 tablespoons.
SUSAN TOMPKINS says
Absolutely delicious. They are crisp but tender, just like a cut out sugar cookie should be. I was looking for a cookie to make for a gluten free baby shower and I don’t need to look any further. It might become my go to cutout!
Nicole Hunn says
That’s so great to hear, Susan! Thank you for sharing your experience, and I hope the shower is a success!
Stephanie D says
My family loves this flaky lemony gluten free cookie. My brother-in-law asks me if I’m bringing them to every family get together. This winter I decided to experiment and make them into peppermint cookies. I replaced the lemon zest with peppermint extract in the cookie and did the same with the lemon juice in the icing. After drizzling icing on the cookies, I sprinkled crushed candy canes on top. I love how easy it is to make the drop cookies and there is no need for chilling the dough.
Nicole Hunn says
That sounds delicious, Stephanie! Peppermint extract is a good idea. Beware peppermint oil! It’s overpowering and too easily overmeasured. Well done, and thanks for sharing that. It’s so fun to be famous for a cookie recipe, isn’t it?
Mary N. says
These look great, but my husband and I have to watch our sugar intake. Would this recipe still work if I substituted either half or all of the sugar with stevia? My husband just developed a gluten sensitivity at age 65. I look forward to your response.
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid I’m not optimistic that that would work in this very simple cookies recipe, no, Mary.