These Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies are everything you want in a spring treat - bright, buttery, and speckled with crunchy poppy seeds. With a fresh burst of lemon zest and a tender crumb, they're perfect for brunch tables, afternoon tea or coffee break, or simple a sunny day snacking. Easy to make and freezer-friendly, these cookies bring a little sunshine to every bite!
To add to the cookie, there is a simple lemon glaze that just brings a burst of flavor to this springtime treat. Perfect for that first cookout of the season.
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Why You'll Love These Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
- Light, tender texture
- Bursting with fresh citrus flavor
- Speckled with poppy seeds for a gentle crunch
- Perfect for spring, bridal showers, and Mother's Day luncheons
Ingredients for Cookie and Glaze
COOKIES
- Butter unsalted
- Sugar white
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Ricotta cheese
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt
- Poppy seed
LEMON GLAZE
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
Ingredients Hints
- Always zest your lemon before juicing it
- Poppy seeds add both flavor and texture
- Fresh lemon gives much brighter flavor than bottled juice
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
As always, I start by getting all my ingredients ready and set up around the mixer bowl. This is so I do not forget any ingredient or in what order to add to the bowl.
Prepping
I weigh or measure the sugar and set it aside. In another bigger bowl, weigh or measure the flour. I add to the flour the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Run a whisk through to blend all together.
Next, I get a cutting board and cut the ends off the lemons. This is so when I am zesting the lemon I do not have to worry about zesting around the knob.
Zest the lemons into a bowl and then cut them in half and juice all the lemons. Time to start the cookie mix.
Mixing the Cookie Dough
1. Cubing the butter lets me know how cold the butter is. I also like to cream the butter before I add the sugar.
2. It only takes about a minute on a medium mixer speed to cream the butter. Now add the sugar and mix on a medium mixer speed.
3. Since there is twice as much sugar as butter, is will not get fluffy or smooth. It will look grainy and clumpy even after 3 minutes of mixing on a medium mixer speed.
4. Adding the egg will help to blend the butter and sugar together. Mix until it brings together the butter and sugar. This should only take about a minute.
5. Now add the vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest, and the ricotta cheese. Mix until combined. Please note: when you add ricotta cheese and it mixes with the lemon juice, it can sometimes separate the ingredients and look like it is curdled. No fear. Once the flour is added, it will come together.
6. On a slow mixer speed, add about a third of the flour mixture at a time to the cookie dough. Once the flour is incorporated, add the poppy seeds. Just mix for about 5 seconds to spread the poppy seeds around the cookie dough. The more you mix, the tougher the cookies can get.
I take a spatula and make sure all the flour and poppy seeds are mixed in to the dough. Then, cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Scoop and Bake
7. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. I used a medium cookie scooper to add 12 scoops to a pan and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Move them to a cooling rack once you take them off the cookie sheet pan. Let them cool before you start the lemon glaze.
Tips!
- Chill dough for 30 minutes for thicker cookies
- Bake just until edges are a golden brown - try not to over-bake
- Optional: drizzle with simple lemon glaze after cooling
Mixing Lemon Glaze
8. After mixing the cookie dough, I used all the zest but still had some of the juice left. I zest and juice another lemon for the glaze. The reason I do not do all the lemons at the same time is the zest kinda shrinks up and is not very fresh looking if it sits out for very long.
Now is the time to grab a bigger bowl, one that you can use a whisk to mix.
9. In your bowl, add all the powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest.
10. Whisk until there are no lumps and everything looks smooth.
11. I use a spoon to just drizzle the lemon glaze over the top of each cookie. You can taste part of a cookie to see if you want more or less of the glaze. You can also use a small piping bag with a small end cut off.
I let the glaze dry before adding them to a container.
Enjoy!
FAQ's
I say this with hesitation, but yes, you can use it. You maybe a little disappointed with the taste though, so just be aware. Without the fresh lemons, you will not have the lemon zest. Plus, the taste of the bottled lemon juice is not a vibrant citrus taste.
Of course, you could add nuts like almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts. You could also add some white or dark chocolate chips. There is always candied lemon peel that would add even more of a lemon taste. You can buy them or make your own.
I store them in an airtight container right on my counter. They will last for 5-6 days.
I have not personally tested freezing this dough. Based on general baking experience, many cookie doughs can be frozen for up to 1–2 months if wrapped tightly. However, for best results, I recommend baking fresh whenever possible.
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Recipe
Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
Barbara HallWould you like to save this recipe?
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Ingredients
COOKIES
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar white
- 1 (1 ) Egg room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons (3 Tablespoons) Lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Lemon zest packed
- ¼ cup (62 g) Ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (312.5 g) All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Kosher salt
- 1 ½ Tablespoons (1.5 Tablespoons) Poppy seed
LEMON GLAZE
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) Powdered sugar
- 4 Tablespoons (4 Tablespoons) Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Lemon zest packed
Instructions
COOKIES
- Weigh or measure the sugar into a bowl and set it aside. Next, weigh or measure the flour into a bowl. Add the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and the salt to the flour. Run a whisk through to blend. Now, zest the lemons into a bowl. Cut the lemons in half and juice them into a container.
- Cube the butter into a mixer bowl and cream the butter before adding the sugar. Mix the sugar and butter for 3 minutes on a medium mixer speed. It will be lumpy and grainy looking. Add the egg and incorporate.
- Now add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice and zest along with the vanilla extract. Be aware that when cold eggs or lemon juice along with ricotta cheese are mixed, the ingredients can separate, but the flour will bring it back together.
- Add the flour mixture about a third at a time on a low mixer speed. Try not to over mix. You can always finish with a spatula if needed. Last thing, add the poppy seeds and mix for about 5 seconds. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C), and line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scooper, add 12 scoops to a prepared sheet pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Move to a cooling rack once out of the oven. Cool completely before starting the glaze.
LEMON GLAZE
- Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and the lemon zest to a bowl. Using a whisk mix until there are no more lumps. You can use a small piping bag with a small hole cut off at the end to do the drizzle or just use a spoon that is tilted slightly so a drizzle comes off the side of the spoon. Either way, go back and forth over the tops of each cookie. Let the glaze dry before storing the cookies.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
Barbara says
If you are a lemon person, I am sure you will love this cookie.