These lemon cloud cookies are light, airy and full of zesty lemon flavor. The cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy in the center. The cookies can be made ahead of time and store well, so they are great for any occassion.
I’ve shared a few cloud cookie recipes but this lemon one is probably my favorite. I love the bright lemon flavor added to the cookies.
Ingredients
- Sugar
- Egg Whites
- Lemons
Sugar: We recommend using superfine sugar for this recipe, also known as caster sugar. While the cookies can be made with regular granular sugar, the cookies will need a longer cook time with regular sugar and the color of the cookies will be more tan and less white.
Egg whites: Egg whites are mixed with the sugar to create a meringue.
Lemons: This recipe uses fresh lemon juice and zest to give the cookies their lemon flavor.
How to Make Lemon Cloud Cookies
- The egg whites are beaten until they become foamy. The sugar is then gradually mixed in until you get a meringue with stiff peaks.
- The lemon juice is then mixed in.
- The cookies are then piped onto your prepared baking sheet and topped with lemon zest. The cookies are then baked.
- If desired, you can garnish with some additional fresh lemon zest.
Cookie Texture
These are a meringue-type of cookie but unlike classic meringue cookies which are crisp all the way through, these cookies are only crisp on the outside and give way to a soft and chewy center.
More Cloud Cookie Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Coconut Cloud Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cloud Cookies
- 2 Ingredient Cloud Cookies
3 Ingredient Lemon Cloud Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites brought to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (96 g) superfine sugar (caster sugar)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice + 1 tbsp (5 g) lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225°F (107°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the wire whisk attachment, beat at high speed until the eggs are foamy and soft peaks are starting to form.
- With the machine still running, slowly add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all of it is added. Do not stop the machine to scrape any sugar that might be on the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat until mixture is thick, glossy and stiff peaks form. Once the peaks form, you can scrape the sides to get any sugar that stuck to the sides, add it back into the mixture and then beat on high for a few more seconds until that excess sugar is incorporated.
- With the beaters still running, pour in the lemon juice and mix until it is fully incorporated (this should only take a few seconds). Your meringue should still have stiff peaks.
- Transfer the meringue to a large piping bag with an open star tip. I used a Wilton 4b tip.
- Pipe the meringue into oval rounds between 1.5 inches and 2 inches wide onto the prepared baking sheet. Try to make the meringues all about the same size. The cookies can be piped pretty close together as they do not spread much. To pipe, I make mine like I am drawing an oval and then I add another partial layer on top to close up the oval so there is no hole in the middle.
- Wet your finger and press down on the tops to remove the points on the cookies.
- Sprinkle zest over the cookies. I find it’s easier to work with the zest if it’s been patted very dry with paper towels so that you can easily sprinkle it on without it clumping.
- Bake the cookies for 1 hour. After 1 hour, turn off the oven, but keep the oven door closed and keep the cookies inside. Let the cookies sit in the oven for an additional 30-60 minutes (you can open the door briefly after 30 minutes to start checking if the cookies are ready, mine were done around 40 minutes). The cookies are done when you can peel them off the parchment paper. The cookies will initially be very crisp when they are done but if you let them sit out a few hours uncovered at room temperature, the inside will become soft and chewy (but the outside stays firm and should not turn sticky). Once they reach this stage, they can be stored in an airtight container. Be sure to store them in an airtight container because otherwise the outside of the cookies will absorb too much moisture and turn sticky.
Notes
- If you are not experienced with making meringue or are working in a very warm or humid environment, you may want to add 1/4 tsp tartar to the egg whites. It is not needed and I don't use it, but it does help ensure that you will have a stiff meringue batter.
- To successfully make meringue, make sure your egg whites don't have any egg yolk (not even a drop), and your mixing bowl, wire whisk attachment and anything else the egg whites touch must be clean without any grease.
- These cookies work best with superfine sugar but you can substitute with regular granular sugar. Regular granular sugar will cause the cookies to look more tan when they are finished. They will also need to cook longer. After baking them for an hour in the oven, you will need to turn the oven off but keep the cookies in the oven for an additional hour.
- I used two egg whites from standard US large eggs. The total weight for the egg whites should be about 60 grams.
- These are a meringue type of cookie but don't have the same texture as classic meringue cookies. When the cookies are done, they will be crisp on the outside and airy, soft and chewy on the inside.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
