If the idea of sweet-tart, thick and chewy bakery-style cookies gets your heart pumping, youโre going to love my recipe for no-chill Lemon and White Chocolate Cookies! As a pastry chef, I developed this recipe to be bursting with flavor thanks to a double whammy of fresh lemon zest and concentrated lemon extract, and is studded with creamy chunks of cocoa buttery goodness to balance the tartness.
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In the world of cookie lovers, I feel like there are two camps: Team Soft & Chewy vs. Team Crisp & Chewy. I personally fall in the latter camp โ my ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe is the perfect example of a chewy-centered, crispy-edged cookie masterpiece. French macarons also boast that textural dichotomy Iโm after.
While my brown sugar-less chocolate chip cookies and mini M&M cookies are a bit more soft and chewy, this lemon white chocolate cookie recipe definitely hits the mark for one of my favorites.
โญ Why Youโll Love This Recipe For White Chocolate Lemon Cookies
- Bright & Sunshiney. If you love lemon desserts the way I do, youโll be impressed by how much citrusy zing we can pack into these lemony cookies.
- Simple Ingredients. All you need are 12 ingredients, most of which are pantry staples.
- Quick & Easy. Whipping up a batch of these lemon white chocolate chip cookies takes just 15 minutes of active time.
๐ How to Make Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies: Step-by-Step Instructions
This lemon bakery cookies recipe comes together in just a few simple steps:
Step 1: Sift the pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for 2 minutes. Add the lemon extract and eggs, one at a time.
Step 3: Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined and finally mix in the white chocolate chips.
Step 4: Shape & Freeze. Scoop the cookie dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet or plate lined with parchment paper.
Step 5: Bake. Preheat your oven to 350F and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookie is golden brown on the edges. Remove the cookies from the oven and sprinkle with lemon zest and a bit of flaky salt!
โฒ๏ธ Substitutions & Variations
- Gluten-Free - I havenโt tried it, but I *think* this recipe should work well with the cup-for-cup gluten-free flour and pastry flour of your choice. Just make sure to rest the cookie dough for 30 minutes in the fridge before scooping and freezing to give the flour plenty of time to rehydrate.
- Dairy-Free - Feel free to use the high-quality vegan butter of your choice (e.g. Miyokoโs) to keep these lemon chip cookies dairy-free.
- Swap in Different Citrus Zest - Orange white chocolate cookies and key lime white chocolate cookies both sound delightful to me!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ณ Expert Tips
- Waste not, want not. Since weโre only using the zest for these lemon cookies with white chocolate chips, consider freezing your zested lemons. Theyโll keep well for up to 3 months, and the process of freezing makes them super juicy. If youโre planning on serving cocktails with your cookies, the lemon juice can also be used to make Lemon Drop shots. ๐
- To pick the best white chocolate chips, look for options that list cocoa butter as the first ingredient and avoid those containing vegetable oils. If the only option is for โwhite baking chips,โ consider buying white chocolate bars and chopping them.
Recipe FAQs
I recommend using a spring-loaded cookie scoop, then gently rounding the dough balls with your hands. Then, after baking, grab a round cookie/biscuit cutter or a glass that is slightly larger than the cookies.ย
While they are still hot from the oven, place the cutter or glass over each lemon white chocolate cookie, then swirl your hand around in small, tight circles. The swirling motion will cause the edges of the cookie to collide with the glass or metal, pushing any wonky bits back into a perfectly circular shape.ย
After theyโve cooled completely to room temperature, store your white chocolate and lemon cookies in an airtight cookie jar or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can add a slice of sandwich bread to the bag if youโd like, which helps to maintain the moisture. To extend their shelf life further, consider freezing your baked cookies for up to a month.ย
More Cookie Recipes Youโll Love
If you try the recipe for these Lemon & White Chocolate Cookies, please leave a ๐ review and share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter! ๐ง
White Chocolate Lemon Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Scoop (Large, 3 Tablespoons)
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360 g) Pastry Flour
- ยฝ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ยผ Baking Powder
- ยพ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter , at room temperature
- 1 ยฝ cup (300 g) Brown Sugar
- 3 Lemons, Zested
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Extract, or vanilla extract
- 2 Eggs, large
- 2 cups (312 g) White Chocolate Chips
- 1 Lemon, Zested, for the tops of the baked cookies
- Pinch Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Then, sift together the pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.3 cups Pastry Flour, ยฝ teaspoon Baking Soda, ยผ Baking Powder, ยพ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- Cream together the butter, brown sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for 2 minutes. Add the lemon extract and eggs, one at a time.1 cup Butter, 1 ยฝ cup Brown Sugar, 3 Lemons, 1 teaspoon Lemon Extract, 2 Eggs
- Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined and mix in the white chocolate chips.2 cups White Chocolate Chips
- Scoop the cookie dough with a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) into balls.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookie is golden brown on the edges. Remove the cookies from the oven and use the edges of a large cookie cutter to scoot and round out the cookies into a perfect circle if desired. After two minutes, transfer to a wire rack, add lemon zest and flaky sea salt to the tops of the cookies before cooling and enjoying!1 Lemon, Pinch Flaky Sea Salt
Video
Notes
While they are still hot from the oven, place the cutter or glass over each lemon white chocolate cookie, then swirl your hand around in small, tight circles. The swirling motion will cause the edges of the cookie to collide with the glass or metal, pushing any wonky bits back into a perfectly circular shape.ย
Lauren
Love this flavor combo!! Canโt wait to try these cookies!!