These lemon meltaway cookies are crunchy, sweet and melt in your mouth as you eat them. The cookies are easy to make and don’t require any flour or eggs. They store well and can be made ahead of time for a party or gifting.
a plate of lemon meltaway cookies.

I love making meltaway cookies. These little round morsels are so cute and make a nice sweet treat. This lemon version is my new favorite one. The lemon adds so much flavor and it reminds me a little of eating lemon bars.

Ingredients

  • Lemon Juice and Zest
  • Condensed Milk
  • Butter
  • Cornstarch

Lemon juice and zest: You will need fresh squeezed lemon juice and zest from one lemon. The zest is optional but I like the extra lemon fragrance it adds to the cookies. One medium sized lemon should be fine and you likely won’t need the whole thing.

Condensed milk: The recipe needs sweetened condensed milk. I have only tested this with full fat sweetened condensed milk. I don’t know if it will work with fat free condensed milk.

Butter: The butter needs to be softened to room temperature before using. I used unsalted butter.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used instead of flour. It provides structure for the cookies and also gives them their unique meltaway sensation. Because cornstarch is finer than flour, it helps the cookies dissolve in your mouth when you eat them.

What are Lemon Meltaway Cookies

These meltaway cookies are a lemon flavored version of sequilhos (Brazilian cornstarch cookies). I explain more in my 3 Ingredient meltaway cookies recipe. My version is slightly different from the traditional ones in that I use less cornstarch so the cookies are a little less starchy and a little more like shortbread.

However, even though my cookies contain a little less cornstarch than the traditional ones, they still are a cornstarch based cookie. The cookies are like biscuit cookies. They are only light sweet and a little dry. If you’ve never experienced cookies made mostly with cornstarch, these cookies may not be what you’re expecting. We also have a lemon melting moments cookie that has a more buttery shortbread consistency.
a stack of two cookies.

How to Make Lemon Meltaway Cookies

The butter and condensed milk are first mixed together until completely smooth. The lemon juice and zest is then mixed in. Finally, add in the cornstarch. Do not add the entire amount at once. You may not need it. You only need enough until a very soft dough forms.

The cookies are baked in the oven. Once cooled, you can dust with powdered sugar or leave them plain. Traditionally they are served without any powder sugar. I added powdered sugar because I think it makes them look nicer.

Meltaway Cookie Tips

  • Make sure the butter is completely soft before using. It needs to be soft enough that you can mix it without any lumps. It’s also important that you don’t melt the butter because that will make your mixture too liquidy.
  • Add only the amount of lemon juice and zest specified in the recipe. Adding too much will add too much liquid to your cookie dough and your dough will be too wet or you will need to add too much cornstarch to make it solid enough.
  • The dough will look softer than typical cookie dough. It should almost look like softened butter. The best way to see if it is ready is to try to roll a piece between your palms. If you can form a ball without the dough completely sticking to your hands, then it’s ready.

lemon meltaway cookies dusted with powdered sugar.

More Meltaway Cookie Recipes

4.09 from 12 votes

4 Ingredient Lemon Meltaway Cookies

These lemon meltaway cookies will melt in your mouth as you eat them. They are an easy and delicious cookie that you can make ahead of time for gifting or events.
Servings: 14 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup (59 ml) sweetened full fat condensed milk
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice plus 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup +3 tbsp (113 g) cornstarch

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix together softened butter and condensed milk with a spaula until butter is completely incorporated and your mixture is smooth.
  • Stir in the lemon juice and zest. Add in 3/4 cup of cornstarch (reserving the last 3 tbsp). Mix in the cornstarch until a soft dough forms. If your dough is too sticky, add in 1 tbsp of cornstarch at a time, checking the dough after each addition. You want the dough to be very soft but not super sticky. To check if dough is ready, take a piece and roll between your palms. If you can form a smooth ball, then your dough is ready. If it's too sticky, add a little more cornstarch.
  • Scoop dough with a 1 tbsp cookie scoop and release onto prepared cookie sheet. Roll the dough between the palm of your hands until i forms a smooth ball. Place back onto prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing cookies at least one inch apart. Press down very lightly on each dough ball with the palm of your hand, just so the surface is flat rather than round. Don't press down too much on the dough ball. Your disks should be quite thick (about 1/2 inch).
  • Bake cookies for about 13-15 minutes or until the cookies are puffed and edges are just starting to brown. Let cookies cool before serving. If desired, you can dust the tops with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

  • Please note, these cookies are a lemon flavored version of a traditional Brazilian cookie, sequilhos also known as Brazilian cornstarch cookies. They do contain a lot of cornstarch and if you've never had sequilhos or did not grow up eating cornstarch based cookies, it may be a bit different from cookies you are used to because you will taste some of the cornstarch. The cookies are not that sweet and have a biscuit cookie-like texture. Because they use a lot of cornstarch, they do dissolve easily in your mouth which is why they are often called meltaway cookies. The texture profile may not be for everyone. I grew up eating very similar type of biscuit cookies so I enjoy these and many readers who grew up eating sequilhos love these. However, many readers who did not ever eat cornstarch based cookies before don't like that they taste like cornstarch. If you're looking for a meltaway cookie that uses regular flour and butter, we recommend you try our lemon melting moment cookies.
  • The butter must be completely softened before using. I usually leave mine on the counter for a few hours and let it come to room temperature. If your kitchen is particularly cold, you may need to place the butter somewhere else to warm it up.
  • When measuring the cornstarch, measure it like you should measure flour. Don't dip the measuring cup directly in. Instead, use a spoon to add the cornstarch to the measuring cup and the level off the top. This will prevent your cup from being overpacked.
  • I have only tested this recipe with full fat sweetened condensed milk. I don't know if it works with fat free condensed milk.
  • Don't add extra lemon juice or zest. Doing so will add too much moisture to the dough and you will have to add a lot more cornstarch to make the dough form which will result in crumbly and dry cookies.
  • The dough should be very soft and may even look sticky. The best way to test if it is ready is to roll a piece between your palms and see if you can form a ball. If you can, then your dough is ready.
  • I use this 1 tbsp cookie scoop.*
  • *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 81kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 0.4g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 6mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 3g, NET CARBS: 11
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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