These lemon cookies are soft and airy with a tender crumb. The cookies need just 4 ingredients and don’t require any wheat flour, dairy, butter or oil. The cookies take only a few minutes to prepare and store well.
A pile of lemon cookies on a white plate

These lemon cookies are airy, tender, and slightly chewy. The cookie dough is easy to prepare and you don’t even need a mixer to make it. The cookies store well so they can be made ahead of time for an event or gifting.

Ingredients

  • Almond flour
  • Lemon
  • Powdered sugar
  • Egg white

Almond flour: These cookies are made with superfine almond flour. Make sure to use superfine almond flour and not regular almond flour which is not fine enough. Superfine almond flour melts into the dough better.

Lemon: Lemon juice and zest are used to give these cookies their lemon flavor. Make sure to use both because without the zest the cookies will not have enough lemon flavor.

Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar is used to sweeten the cookies. Powdered sugar melts better into the dough and gives the dough a more tender crumb. The cookies are also coated in powdered sugar to give them a crinkled surface.

Egg white: Egg white is added to provide structure for the cookies. Make sure you only use egg white and not the full egg. Adding egg yolk will make your dough too wet.

How to Make Lemon Cookies

  • The almond flour, powdered sugar, egg white, lemon juice and lemon zest are mixed together until a dough forms. Use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the dough.
  • Roll each dough portion between your palms to form smooth balls.
  • Coat each ball generously in powdered sugar. Place the cookie balls onto your prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1.5 inches apart. Lightly press down on the tops of each ball so that the balls are slightly flattened.
  • Bake the cookies for about 12-14 minutes or until the are lightly golden around the edges and the surface is puffed and cracked. Allow the cookies to fully cool before removing them from the baking sheet.

Texture

These cookies are soft, light and slightly chewy. The texture is similar to amaretti cookies, though not quite the same. Amaretti cookies have a stronger almond flavor and require beating egg whites to stiff peaks and folding them in.
The center of a soft lemon cookie

Expert Tips

  • Coating the cookies in powdered sugar before baking helps them develop a crackly surface. Some of the powdered sugar melts during baking so you do want to make sure the cookies are generously coated.
  • Powdered sugar also melts well in the dough, giving the cookies a more tender crumb. If you substitute with another type of sugar, the texture of the cookies will be different.
  • This recipe only uses egg white and not the egg yolk. Adding the egg yolk will make the dough too wet and will change the texture of the cookies, making them more dense.

Lemon cookies with powdered sugar on top

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5 from 4 votes

4 Ingredient Lemon Cookies

These lemon cookies are soft, light, airy and slightly chewy. The cookies need just 4 ingredients and don't require any wheat flour, dairy, butter or oil. The cookies take just a few minutes to prepare.
Servings: 9 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 24 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (130g) superfine blanched almond flour, see note before starting
  • 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar, plus an additional 2 tbsp (15g) for rolling the cookie dough balls
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 tbsp (0.5 fl oz/15 ml) lemon juice + 1 tsp lemon 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 powdered sugar. Whisk until evenly combined. Then add in the egg white, lemon juice and zest. Switch to a spatula and mix until the egg and lemon juice are fully incorporated and no egg streaks remain. You should have a soft dough. Add remaining sugar to a small bowl and set aside.
  • Use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough and release onto your prepared baking sheet. Take each dough ball and roll between your palms to form smooth balls. Coat each ball in the remaining powdered sugar, making sure the surface is fully coated. Place the coated balls back onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1.5 inches apart. Lightly press on the surface of each cookie, flattening the tops just slightly.
  • Bake cookies for about 12-14 minutes or until the cookies look set and are lightly golden brown around the edges. The cookies should also have puffed up slightly and have a cracked surface. Mine were done around 14 minutes. Let the cookies fully cool on the baking sheet before removing and eating. If desired, you can garnish the cookies with additional lemon zest before serving (like I did in the photos). If doing so, make sure the lemon zest is completely dry before adding it. Store uneaten cookies in an airtight container for 1-2 days at room temperature and longer in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • Almond flour note: It is best to measure the almond flour with a scale. If you are measuring the 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. I used Kirkland superfine almond flour.*
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • If you want a stronger lemon flavor, I recommend adding more zest rather than more lemon juice. Adding too much lemon juice will alter the texture of the cookies and lemon zest adds a more concentrated lemon flavor.
  • I made a double batch of these cookies for the photos.
  • Estimated nutrition assumes 1 tbsp of powdered sugar coating because not all of the powdered sugar is used for coating. I had about 1 tbps leftover.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 125kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 6mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g, NET CARBS: 8
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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