These lemon cloud cookies are soft, chewy and melt in your mouth as you eat them. The cookies need just 4 ingredients and don’t contain any wheat flour, butter or oil. They are an easy recipe that takes only a few minutes to prepare and you don’t even need a mixer to make them.
These lemon cloud cookies are my new favorite cookie. With a slightly crispy exterior, these puffy cookies are light and airy. When you bite in, they are soft and chewy and the cookies just sort of melt in your mouth as you eat them. They are also so easy to make. No need for whipping egg whites or even needing a mixer.
Ingredients
- Lemon
- Superfine almond flour
- Egg
- Sugar
Lemon: Lemon juice and a little lemon zest give these cookies a bright, citrusy and zesty lemon flavor.
Superfine almond flour: These cookies don’t have the texture of typical baked goods made with almond flour. Instead the almond flour helps to create the chewy and melty texture of the cookies. Make sure to use superfine blanched almond flour and not almond meal or regular almond flour which aren’t fine enough.
Egg: Egg is used as a binding agent for the cookies.
Sugar: This recipe uses granular white sugar. The sugar is used to sweeten the cookies. It is also used to create the crinkle surface and provide a slightly crunchy exterior.
How to Make Lemon Cloud Cookies
- The almond flour and sugar are first evenly mixed together. The egg, lemon juice and zest are then stirred in until you have a wet dough.
- Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough and then roll into smooth balls. Lightly coat the balls in sugar and place them onto your prepared baking sheet. Press down on each ball to flatten to a thick disk.
- Bake cookies for about 13 minutes or until done. Allow the cookies to fully cool before removing them from the baking sheet.
Texture
These cookies have a soft, airy and chewy center. They also melt in your mouth as you are eating them. The outside of the cookies have a little bit of a crunchy texture which is enhanced by the sugar on top.
Expert Tips
- You don’t have to roll the cookies in sugar before baking but doing so is what will create their crinkle and slightly sparkly surface. Without rolling in sugar, the cookies will be more flat.
- You can add more zest if you prefer a stronger lemon flavor. I don’t recommend adding more lemon juice which will make the dough too wet.
- The cookies will initially be very soft but if you let them fully cool, they develop a chewy and soft texture.
More Lemon Cookie Recipes
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Lemon Cookies
- 4 Ingredient Healthy No Bake Lemon Cookies
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Lemon Oatmeal Cookies
4 Ingredient Lemon Cloud Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (130g) superfine blanched almond flour see note for measuring
- 1/2 cup (106g) granulated white sugar plus an additional 2 tbsp for rolling the cookie dough balls
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp (0.5 fl oz/15 ml) lemon juice + 1 tsp zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add almond flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Whisk until evenly combined. Then add in the egg, lemon juice and zest. Whisk until the egg and lemon juice are fully incorporated and no egg streaks remain. You should have a thick wet dough. Add 2 tbsp sugar to a small bowl and set aside.
- Use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the cookie batter and release onto your prepared baking sheet. Take each dough ball and roll between your palms to form smooth balls. Lightly coat each ball in sugar (you can also just coat the tops of the balls if you don't want the whole thing coated). Place the coated balls back onto the prepared baking sheet and press down lightly on each one to form a thick round disk, about 1/2 inch thick. Space the cookies so they have about 1 inch space between each one.
- Bake cookies for about 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are done. Mine were done around 13 minutes. When the cookies are done, the edges should be set and they should be puffed up and have a crinkly surface. Let the cookies fully cool on the baking sheet before removing and eating. Store uneaten cookies in an airtight container for 1-2 days at room temperature and longer in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- How to measure almond flour: When measuring almond flour with measuring cups, make sure to fluff up the almond flour in the bag first with a spoon. Then spoon it into your measuring cup and level off the surface with a spoon. If you don't fluff up the flour first or you directly scoop the flour with your measuring cup, you will end up with too much almond flour for this recipe.
- Make sure to use superfine blanched almond flour. Regular almond flour or almond meal is not fine enough. I used Amazon Fresh superfine almond flour.*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- The granular sugar gives the cookies a slightly crunchy exterior and also gives them their crinkle appearance. If you don't roll the cookies in the sugar, then the tops will be flat.
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.
Can this dough be mixed a day ahead of baking?
I haven’t tried that but I think it should be okay
Curious to know if there’s any reason sugar free sweetener couldn’t be used? Like Swerve or monkfruit… I’m diabetic and have a wicked sweet tooth, lol
Sugar-free sweetener results in a different texture. The cookies will end up more like typical meringues and be crunchy crispy and not soft or chewy
These cookies are amazing. I made them for my family and they disappeared. I already had 3 people ask for your recipe. THANK YOU!
I’m so happy to hear this! This has been my favorite cookie recipe to make for my family!
Excellent!
Thank you! We’re glad you enjoyed these!
These are delicious. I added a smidge more lemon juice because I love it, and even though I forgot about them in the oven – and they ‘caramalised’ a bit – they were still yummy.
I’m so glad you liked them!
Can I use maple syrup as a substitute for the sugar? If so, would you recommend 1:1?
We haven’t tested this recipe with a substitute for the sugar so we are not sure what the final result would be!
My son has a tree nut allergy so I can’t use almond flour. Can you suggest another flour to use?
Sorry we don’t have a substitute for the almond flour. We do have a lemon cloud cookie without any flours: https://kirbiecravings.com/3-ingredient-lemon-cloud-cookies/
Tree nut and wheat allergy family.
Is there anything else that would work in place of the Almond flour?
Sorry I don’t have a substitute for almond flour for these cookies