Lemon Blueberry Cookies with White Chocolate

Next time you're in need of a sweet treat, give my Lemon Blueberry Cookies a try. They are like a burst of sunshine in your mouth! Featuring fresh berries, creamy white chocolate chips, citrusy lemon zest, and a chewy cookie base, they're simply the bee's knees. 

And the best part? These lemony blueberry white chocolate cookies are made with just 10 simple ingredients and only about 15 minutes of active kitchen time — perfect for a mid-week bake!

⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

I don’t know about you, but I just love blueberries. From mini blueberry muffins to blueberry ricotta cakes, tea-time-ready blueberry petit fours to cheese plates with blueberry goat's cheese, those indigo-colored rounds of juicy sweet-tart goodness have my heart. When they’re in season, suffice it to say they’re ALWAYS in Calvin’s and my fridge, and nearly always on my plate.

These amazingly delicious blueberry lemon cookies are just my most recent addition to the arsenal of dishes celebrating summer’s finest. Imagine biting into a soft and chewy cookie, bursting with the bright flavors of lemon and juicy blueberries. Divine - and a welcome addition to blueberry gin sours and blueberry basil mocktails!

Now add the smooth, sweet flavor of melty white chocolate to the mix and you have yourself the best dang lemon blueberry cookie you’ve ever tried. I promise you won't be able to stop at just one! These sunshiny cookies are so addictive, you'll be reaching for another before you know it.

Aside from being a fabulous showcase of fruity flavors, this blueberry lemon cookies recipe is also:

• Quick & Easy - There’s no creaming step, so your electric mixer, hand mixer and paddle attachment can stay in the cabinet. In fact, you’ll have a fresh batch of the perfect summer cookie dough for these zesty little treats ready in just 15 minutes.
• Made With Only 10 Simple Ingredients - Chances are, you already have more than half of what you need on hand.
• Light & Lovely - As much as I love the rich, decadent desserts that winter brings (remember my spicy orange cinnamon hot chocolate??), by the time spring rolls around my tastebuds are in need of a reset. These citrusy, berry-flecked nibbles are just the thing to usher in the new, sunny season.

🍴Ingredients

As promised, you only need a few simple, easy-to-pronounce ingredients from the grocery store to make this lemon blueberry cookies recipe:

• Unsalted Butter - You could also use salted butter, but you’ll need to dial back the added kosher salt if you do. For best results, use melted butter in the microwave.
• Lemon Zest - The zest of citrus fruit is loaded with flavorful essential oils. Make sure you’re only the bright yellow zest — the white pith is quite bitter and we only want the fresh lemon flavor!
• Egg - For binding the dough. If you forgot to let it come to room temperature, you can accelerate the process by placing it in a bowl of warm (but not boiling) water for about 10 minutes.
• Vanilla Extract - For rich, warm flavor. You’re welcome to use an equal amount of vanilla paste or vanilla powder, or use half as much ground vanilla bean instead.
• Chopped White Chocolate - I tend to like using bar chocolate that has been chopped for pleasingly irregular pockets of melty deliciousness. You’re welcome to swap in white chocolate chips instead.
• Blueberries - Note that sadly blueberries have made it to EWG’s Dirty Dozen list, so opt for organic whenever possible. Otherwise, wash them thoroughly, preferably using produce soap to remove as many pesticides as possible. The intense blueberry flavor in each bite is a dream!

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

📖 Step by Step Instructions

You’re going to love how quickly this recipe comes together:

Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients (less the sugars) in a medium bowl.

Step 2: Mix together the butter, sugars, lemon zest, egg, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until combined and you don't see any remaining streaks of flour. Finally, fold in the white chocolate and sweet blueberries.

Step 1: Mix together the butter, sugars, lemon zest, egg, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until combined and you don't see any remaining streaks of flour. Finally, fold in the white chocolate and sweet blueberries.

Step 3: Scoop & chill. Scoop the dough using a large cookie scoop onto a lined plate or baking tray, then refrigerate overnight, or at a bare minimum for 45 minutes. 

Step 3: Prep your baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the cookies about 3-4 inches apart in even rows. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 4: Bake. One sheet at a time, bake your cookies until the edges are firm and the centers are soft, about 13-15 minutes. These are big cookies so they will take some time to bake through!

Step 5: Cool your cookies on a wire rack or cooling rack and enjoy!

Step 5: Add piece of chopped white chocolate on top of your cookies if desired before baking.

Step 6: Bake. One sheet at a time, bake your cookies until the edges are firm and the centers are soft, about 13-15 minutes.

⏲️ Substitutions & Variations

As much as I love this lemon blueberry cookie recipe as written, you’re always welcome to make any edits you need to make my recipes work for your family. Here are a few variations to consider:

• Gluten-Free - Feel free to swap in your favorite cup-for-cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (preferably with xanthan gum) instead, but be sure to give the dough a 45-minute rest before baking to allow the flour to rehydrate properly. If you skip this step, be warned: your cookies will likely end up grainy.
• Dairy-Free - Use vegan butter to make these treats safe for your lactose-intolerant friends.
• Go Nuts - Add another layer of flavor with a teaspoon of almond extract and up to ½ cup of sliced or slivered almonds.
• Add a lemon drizzle - make a lemon glaze with powdered sugar and a tablespoon lemon juice and a tablespoon lemon zest to make!

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Wash your fruit. You might not always consider washing lemons since we usually just use them for juice. However, since we’re zesting the rind, you’ll want to get any wax, dirt, and germs off before using the microplane. 
• Waste not, want not. Save the zested lemons for homemade sweet and sour mix, or slice them up and make candied lemons for cocktail and cake garnishes.
• Use a room temp egg to make it easier to incorporate into the dough. If the egg is too chilly from the fridge, it might cause your melted butter to seize, which in turn makes it harder to stir. On that note…
• Don’t overmix the dough. Mix until the dry ingredients are *just* incorporated, or you might end up with tough cookies.
• Don’t skip the resting step — this helps add to the texture and flavor of the cookies, and also prevents spreading in the oven.
• Be gentle folding in the blueberries. They’re delicate and prone to squishing! While it’s great to get some juicy streaks for the sake of aesthetics, you don’t want to miss out on getting bursts of juicy fruit as you nibble.

❄️ Storage Instructions

Due to the moisture of the fresh blueberries, these cookies should only be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can extend the shelf life a bit by keeping the airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Alternatively, consider freezing some of the cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. When a cookie craving strikes, simply bake off the number of cookies your heart desires.

💭 Recipe FAQs

More Cookie Recipes