My Aunt's Famous Italian Lemon Drop Cookies Recipe

Every time I want to make a lemon drop cookies recipe, I pull out my aunt’s famous Italian version. She made them every Christmas so, while these cookies are perfect year round, I always make them come December. They’re chewy and soft, almost like cake cookies, and have an irresistible citrusy flavor that balances perfectly against the butter and sugar.

She made these so often that they became known as Aunt Angie’s cookies. They’re really easy to make and a true crowd pleaser, so if you’re in need of a decorated lemon drop cookies recipe, make this your new family favorite!

Lemon Drop Cookies Recipe

I actually wasn’t very close to my aunt. Her name was Aunt Angie and she was a twin. I’d only see my Aunt Angie and Aunt Mary at family holiday parties, but we rarely talked given our age gap (I’m the youngest of all the cousins/grandkids in my family and they were at least in their 70s, if not 80s).

Yet despite not having much of a relationship, I’ve come to associate this decorated lemon drop cookies recipe as “Aunt Angie’s cookies” because she made them every Christmas. She’d mosey into my Aunt Cathy’s house carrying a plate covered in plastic wrap.

You could physically feel everyone’s spirits lift as soon as they saw the bright rainbow sprinkles atop her Italian lemon drop cookies.

Oftentimes my younger cousins and I couldn’t wait to eat them. We’d tip toe into my Aunt Cathy’s bedroom and sneak a few before dinner, carefully arranging the remaining cookies so no one would notice. I’m sure they did, but no one ever said anything…even when we lectured people on having to split the cookies evenly. Because, you know, it’d only be fair.

This ritual made me associate these cookies with Christmas, but they are also a great dessert for Easter given the lemon flavors. And since there’s no rolling, shaping, or piping these decorated lemon cookies, they’re super easy to make. I hope these become your new go-to Italian lemon drop cookies recipe, just as they became a staple at my family gatherings.

What do these decorated lemon cookies taste like?

These spongey cake-like cookies are chewy and lemony, just the way I had them when growing up! The lemon really comes through and somehow makes these decorated lemon cookies feel light…despite having their fair share of butter and sugar! So if you love lemon, you’re going to love this lemon drop cookies recipe!

The sprinkles add a nice crunch to the cookies, but these are also satisfying without. The key to getting the right texture is letting the icing harden before eating. That way it’ll shatter before your teeth sink into the soft and chewy lemon drop cookie. Just make sure that you don’t stack these cookies until the icing has hardened, as they’ll stick together and ruin the sheen of icing needed for that shatter with every bite.

Lets make it: the lemon drop cookies recipe

Makes ~24 cookies | Active time: 20 mins | Total time: 50 mins

Ingredients

For cookies:

3.5 C all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder (not baking soda!)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C granulated sugar
1 C butter, softened to room temperature (2 sticks)
6 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (lemon extract can work in a pinch, but I recommend the real thing! If using extract, use ~1 tsp. instead.)

For icing:

2 C sifted confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. whole milk
1/2 C decorating sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
Cream the butter and granulated sugar together in a stand mixture until creamy, about 3 minutes.
Add the lemon juice, vanilla extract, and eggs into creamed sugar. Beat until incorporated.
With the mixer turned off, slowly add the sifted flour mixture to the bowl a bit at a time, incorporating into the mixture on low. Stop when it’s just incorporated, being careful not to over mix.
Remove mixture from stand and get a spoon. Spoon about 2″ dough mounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave about 2 inches between lemon drop cookies so they have room to expand.
Bake for 8-10 minutes per batch. The lemon drop cookies should be ever-so-slightly golden brown around the edges and bounce back when pressed in the center. It’s better to undercook than overcook these if you’re not sure what lightly browned means. When done, remove from the cookie sheet with a flat spatula and let cool completely on wire rack. Repeat until all dough is gone.
Meanwhile, make the lemon glaze icing. Stir the sifted confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, and zest together. Stir in milk about 1 tsp. at a time until the lemon icing is the desired consistency. It should be a loose paste texture that drizzles off a spoon when lifted.
When cookies are cool, arrange an assembly line with the cookies, your bowl of icing, a bowl of sprinkles (if using), and wire cooling rack set over wax paper to collect icing drips. Quickly dip each cookie in the icing, tilting to cover the whole top. Then dip it in the sprinkles, tilting again. Place the iced cookie on the wire rack to harden and repeat until all the decorated lemon cookies are finished. Let harden, then serve and enjoy!

Want more Italian recipes?

My family mostly cooked Italian growing up, so it’s one of my favorite cuisines to cook! Here are some of my favorites that would be perfect to serve before this lemon drop cookies recipe.