Sourdough Frosted Lemon Cookies
My soft sourdough frosted lemon cookies are cake-like resembling the texture of a Lofthouse cookie! They’re packed with fresh lemon juice and zest for the best flavor. Each ingredient, like real lemons, pure cane sugar, and pure vanilla extract, is wholesome and simple. No food colorings here! I hope these cookies find a special place in your kitchen like they have in ours!
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If you want to make this recipe but don’t have a sourdough starter, no worries! Grab my free guide so you can make your own starter at home.
If you’re new to sourdough baking and feel hesitant, or you have questions, I’ve got something for you! I broke down the basics of what you need to know about sourdough baking in my free sourdough baking guide for beginners. I highly recommend grabbing a copy!
Inspiration Behind My Sourdough Frosted Lemon Cookies Recipe
I realized I didn’t have a spring-inspired cookie on the blog, so I wanted to make one just in time for Easter! I started thinking of the bright Easter season flavors, and lemon popped into my mind.
Originally, I was going to do a different type of lemon cookie. But I noticed how much the PBH community loved my original sourdough Lofthouse-inspired cookies, so I wanted to do another variety!
I hope you love these sourdough cookies as much as my husband, Tyler, and I do!
Why We Love These Cookies and Think You Will Too!
- Not overly sweet lemon cookie icing: The fresh lemon balances out the sugar creating the perfect sweetness!
- Easiest soft lemon cookie recipe: The steps are so simple, it’s beginner-friendly!
- Perfect cookie for spring and summer: The bright and fresh lemon flavor is the perfect treat for warm spring and summer days.
- Great for Easter: These cookies would make a wonderful Easter Sunday dessert!
Why Make a Iced Lemon Cookies with Sourdough?
When you make when you make lemon cookies with sourdough discard, you get fermentation benefits from the sourdough starter’s cultures. If you long ferment the dough in the fridge for 12-24 hours before baking, those cultures ferment the other ingredients. This long fermentation is optional but adds even more fermentation benefits!
My Tips for Making Frosted Sourdough Lemon Cookies
- Read the entire recipe before you get started so you know what to expect.
- Make sure your butter and egg are at room temperature to ensure soft cookies.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor! It really does make a difference.
- I like to use a 3 inch round cookie or biscuit cutter to get large cookies.
- Roll your dough out to 1/2 inch thick for the perfect cookie.
Ingredients You’ll Need (with notes and substitutions)
Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for measurements
For the Soft Sourdough Lemon Sugar Cookies
- butter (room temp): you can use salted or unsalted
- pure cane sugar: this is my favorite wholesome granulated sugar for baking
- egg: a large egg works great
- lemon juice: fresh is best
- lemon zest: I use a microplane to grate mine
- sour cream: you can swap for unsweetened plain yogurt
- sourdough discard: aka unfed starter but you can also use fed starter, if desired
- baking powder: I like to use an aluminum-free version
- baking soda: you can use any kind
- sea salt: this is my favorite wholesome salt for baking
- pure vanilla extract: I don’t recommend imitation vanilla
- cornstarch: substitute for arrowroot powder if desired
- all-purpose flour: I like to use unbleached organic but you can use any
For the Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- butter (room temp): you can use salted or unsalted
- lemon juice: fresh is best
- lemon zest: I use a microplane to grate mine
- powdered sugar: I like to use a cane sugar powdered sugar or an organic brand like Florida Crystals
- pure vanilla extract: I don’t recommend imitation vanilla
Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
This section contains affiliate links to items I use and love for this recipe. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- large sheet pan
- unbleached parchment paper
- 3-inch cookie/biscuit cutter
- rolling pin
- mixing bowl
- hand mixer
How to Make Sourdough Frosted Lemon Cookies
Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for the full written recipe.
1 hour before starting this recipe, set out egg and butter to ensure it’s at room temperature.
How to Make Lemon Sugar Cookies for Frosting
In a large mixing bowl add room temperature butter and sugar. Cream together with an electric mixer on low-medium speed until fluffy (about 1 minute).
Add in egg and mix on low speed until combined.
Add in lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream, sourdough discard, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, vanilla extract, and cornstarch. Mix on low-medium speed until combined.
Add in flour, a little at a time, and mix until combined on medium speed. Scrape down sides of the bowl to incorporate any excess flour. The dough will be sticky, this is what you want!
Chilling Sugar Cookie Dough
Place a lid or Saran Wrap over the top and chill in the fridge for 1 hour OR in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Optional: If you’d like to long ferment the dough for more fermentation benefits (the cultures will ferment all other ingredients) chill, covered, in the fridge for 12-24 hours before baking. You don’t have to do this, it’s completely optional!
Cutting out Sugar Cookies
When dough is done chilling, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
Take dough out of bowl and place on a light floured workspace. Add a dusting of flour on top of the dough as well so it’s not sticky.
Roll dough out until it’s 1/2 inch thick. Use a large circle (2.5 or 3 inch) cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place cookies on prepared sheet pan so they aren’t touching (about 1 inch apart).
When you can’t cut out any more cookies, combine dough, roll it out to 1/2 inch thick, and cut out more cookies until dough is used up. Repeat as many times as needed.
Bake cookies at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes until bottoms are golden brown. Avoid over baking. If your cookie cutter is a different size baking times may vary.
How to Make Lemon Sugar Cookie Frosting
While cookies are baking make the frosting by adding softened butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar, and vanilla to a mixing bowl.
Combine until smooth with an electric mixer. Set aside for now. You may see a slight “breaking” in the frosting, this is normal because we’re using fresh lemon juice.
Cool and Frost Sugar Cookies
When cookies are done baking, immediately remove from the pan and place on a wire cooking rack.
When cooled completely, spread or pipe buttercream frosting on cookies. Enjoy!
Our Favorite Ways to Enjoy Frosted Lemon Cookies
My husband, Tyler, and I love enjoying these sourdough frosted lemon cookies as a treat on their own! But he loves them with a glass of milk, and I enjoy mine alongside a cup of herbal spearmint tea.
You can serve them as a dessert, snack, coffee/tea time treat, or even give them as gifts. They’re also great for when you have guests coming to visit. Who doesn’t like a fresh lemon sugar cookie?!
How To Store Frosted Sourdough Cookies
Store cookies with frosting in an airtight container in a single layer or stacked with parchment between. They are best if eaten within 3-4 days.
Freezing and Thawing Cookies with Frosting
Store cookies either frosted or unfrosted in a freezer-safe container or baggie. Make sure you put a piece of parchment paper in between each layer to prevent sticking. They will last up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw on the counter for a few hours when you’re ready to enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you don’t, but it will create a different cookie texture. The cornstarch gives these cookies that soft, cake-like texture. If you’d like to still get this texture but don’t want to use cornstarch, you can substitute it for arrowroot powder (best choice), potato starch, tapioca starch, or rice flour.
Yes, you can prepare these sourdough cookies in advance. You can do this a few ways:
– You can make the dough and let it sit in the fridge for up to 24 hours if desired.
– Make the cookies and frosting but store them separately until you’re ready to enjoy them. They’ll last 3-4 days.
– You can freeze the cookies, if desired, for up to 3 months.
You can swap the buttercream frosting for a glaze instead. Do this by leaving out the butter and adding more lemon juice until you get the glaze consistency you’d like.
More Sourdough Cookie Recipes
If you’re looking for more sourdough discard cookie recipes, try a few of these:
- Soft Sourdough Frosted Sugar Cookies (Inspired by Lofthouse)
- Cut Out Sourdough Sugar Cookies
- Sourdough Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Light and Fluffy Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies
- Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mini Sourdough Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
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Recipe
Sourdough Frosted Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1/4 cup butter, softened (salted or unsalted)
- 1/2 cup pure cane sugar
- 1 large egg (let sit out for 1 hour to come to room temp)
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 1/4 cup sour cream (or plain unsweetened yogurt)
- 1/4 cup sourdough discard (fed starter works too)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder (I use aluminum-free)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch (I use organic but any works, substitute for arrowroot powder)
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I use organic unbleached but any all-purpose works)
Frosting
- 1/4 cup butter, softened (salted or unsalted)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 1 cup powdered sugar (powdered cane sugar is best)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1 hour before starting this recipe, set out egg and butter to ensure it’s at room temperature.
Make Cookie Dough
- In a large mixing bowl add room temperature butter and sugar. Cream together with an electric mixer on low-medium speed until fluffy (about 1 minute).
- Add in egg and mix on low speed until combined.
- Add in lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream, sourdough discard, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, vanilla extract, and cornstarch. Mix on low-medium speed until combined.
- Add in flour, a little at a time, and mix until combined on medium speed. Scrape down sides of the bowl to incorporate any excess flour. The dough will be sticky, this is what you want!
Chilling Cookie Dough
- Place a lid or Saran Wrap over the top and chill in the fridge for 1 hour OR in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Optional: If you’d like to long ferment the dough for more fermentation benefits (the cultures will ferment all other ingredients) chill, covered, in the fridge for 12-24 hours before baking. You don’t have to do this, it’s completely optional!
Cutting Out Cookies
- When dough is done chilling, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Take dough out of bowl and place on a light floured workspace. Add a dusting of flour on top of the dough as well so it’s not sticky.
- Roll dough out until it’s 1/2 inch thick. Use a large circle (2.5 or 3 inch) cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place cookies on prepared sheet pan so they aren’t touching (about 1 inch apart).
- When you can’t cut out any more cookies, combine dough, roll it out to 1/2 inch thick, and cut out more cookies until dough is used up. Repeat as many times as needed.
- Bake cookies at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes until bottoms are golden brown. Avoid over baking. If your cookie cutter is a different size baking times may vary.
Make the Frosting
- While cookies are baking make the frosting by adding softened butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar, and vanilla to a mixing bowl.
- Combine until smooth with an electric mixer. Set aside for now. You may see a slight “breaking” in the frosting, this is normal because we’re using fresh lemon juice.
Cool and Frost Cookies
- When cookies are done baking, immediately remove from the pan and place on a wire cooking rack.
- When cooled completely, spread or pipe buttercream frosting on cookies. Enjoy!