Bold lemon flavor in an incredibly soft and chewy cookie! This lemon cookie recipe is made with cream cheese for a perfectly tangy, sweet, lemony cloud of deliciousness! This is a low sugar cookie recipe using gluten-free almond flour.
I felt the sunshine yesterday for the first time in a looooonnnngggg time and oh man did it feel good! Spring is somewhere in the near future and that means I want all the lemon things all the time. If you are a lemon recipe lover like me then you have to try these doughy clouds of lemon perfection.
I'm talking about:
Iced lemon cookies that are tart and sweet
Chewy and soft and undeniably delicious
All wholesome ingredients, including gluten-free almond flour
Only 1/4 cup of maple syrup in the whole recipe (plus sugar in the icing)
Happiness in the form of lemon cookies reminding me of the first warm spring sunshine on my shoulders.
Ok, enough of my attempt to wax poetic about lemon cookies … Let's Get Cooking!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
Detailed measurements and ingredients can be found within the recipe card at the end of this post.
LEMONS – Only the real deal will work in this recipe. I also add a pinch of lemon extract for even more lemon flavor
Egg – I've been LOVING Vital Farm's pasture-raised eggs lately
Arrowroot Starch – Also called arrowroot powder, if you don't have this ingredient in your healthy baking pantry I highly recommend purchasing it. Arrowroot helps improve the texture of gluten-free baked goods and is the perfect thickener for sauces, soups, and gravies.
Cream butter and cream cheese together, add other wet ingredients, and mix until creamy
Combine dry and wet ingredients
Add lemon zest (I ALWAYS add zest last, if you add it in the creaming step the majority of zest will stick to the beaters)
Stir well to combine and chill the dough
Once the dough is chilled (about 30 minutes, but I often make the dough in the morning and bake the cookies later in the afternoon) bake for 13-15 minutes
EASY PEASY LEMON SQUEEZY!!!
HOW TO BEST STORE LEFTOVER LEMON COOKIES
Store the cookies in a sealed container in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, but I promise they will never last that long 😉
CAN I SUBSTITUTE A NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER TO MAKE THIS RECIPE KETO-FRIENDLY?
You can, but I haven't tested the recipe as such. I would imagine monk fruit would be the best sugar substitute. If you try it comment below and let me know how it turned out.
CAN I SKIP THE CHILL THE DOUGH STEP?
Sure can, if you want a cookie cake 😉 The dough is very soft and will need some chilling time so DO NOT skip this step.
NUTRITION NERD CORNER 🤓 🍋
A few fun lemon 🍋 facts:
Lemon trees can produce up to 600lbs. of lemons every year
Lemons are rich in vitamin C
Lemons are a hybrid between a sour orange and a citron
Lemons are native to Asia
DIETARY MODIFICATIONS FOR THIS RECIPE:
This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
Vegan – Substitute a vegan cream cheese and vegan butter or coconut oil
Keto – As I've mentioned in other recipes I'm not a fan of non-nutritive sweeteners and think most people are able to stay in ketosis with small amounts of maple syrup, you would have to alter or eliminate the frosting. If you try this as a keto recipe comment below and let me know how it turns out!
I can’t wait for you to try this Almond Flour Lemon Cookie Recipe! When you make it, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @abrapappa or use the hashtag #abraskitchen so I can feature your photo!
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate and leave a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies
Abra Pappa, MS, CNS, LDN
Bold lemon flavor in an incredibly soft and chewy cookie! This lemon cookie recipe is made with cream cheese for a perfectly tangy, sweet, lemony cloud of deliciousness! This is a low sugar cookie recipe using gluten-free almond flour.
Add butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and using an electric mixer beat together until soft and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add maple syrup, egg, lemon juice, and lemon extract and beat until well combined, about 1 more minute.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and using a wooden spoon or a spatula stir to mix. Add lemon zest and stir until well combined.
CHILL THE DOUGH FOR 30 MINUTES TO SEVERAL HOURS. The dough will be very soft and needs some chilling time!
Remove the dough from the refrigerater and using a small cookie scoop, scoop out balls of dough onto prepared baking sheet (you should have 24 cookies). Press down gentley with the palm of your hand to flatten the balls of dough slightly.
Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookeis are slightly brown.
Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely.
While the cookies are cooling prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and oat milk.
Once cookies are cooled, dip each cookie in the glaze and top with additional lemon zest.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 14 days.
DIETARY MODIFICATIONS FOR THIS RECIPE:
This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
Vegan - Substitute a vegan cream cheese and vegan butter or coconut oil
Keto - As I've mentioned in other recipes I'm not a fan of non-nutritive sweeteners and think most people are able to stay in ketosis with small amounts of maple syrup, you would have to alter or eliminate the frosting. If you try this as a keto recipe comment below and let me know how it turns out!
Snap a photo when you try this recipe!Tag me! @abrapappa or #abraskitchen so I can feature your photo!
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