These soft and chewy White Chocolate Lemon Cookies are packed with bright citrus flavor and sweet white chocolate chips. With crisp edges and melt-in-your-mouth centers, they’re the perfect zesty twist on a classic cookie.

If you’re a fan of citrus desserts, these cookies are about to earn a permanent spot in your rotation. The combination of tart lemon and sweet white chocolate is one of those surprisingly perfect flavor matches, both bold and punchy but balanced and not too sweet.

These cookies have that chewy-in-the-middle, crisp-on-the-edge texture I love, and thanks to lemon extract, they’re loaded with lemon flavor in every bite.

If you’ve already made my Lemon Sugar Cookies, you know how much I love adding citrus to classic recipes. These cookies take things in a richer, more indulgent direction. The dough includes extra butter to give the cookies an ultra-tender, almost melt-in-your-mouth texture and slightly crisp edges. And of course, the white chocolate chips take these to the next level!

Achieving the perfect cookie texture is all about the butter and baking time. You want your butter room temperature but not melty — too soft and the cookies will spread like pancakes. And don’t overbake them! Pull the cookies out when the edges are just set and the centers still look a little underdone. They’ll finish cooking as they cool, leaving you with that perfect soft bite.

This dough is scoopable right away, but if it’s a hot day or your butter was on the softer side, a quick chill in the fridge helps keep spreading in check. You can also freeze the dough and bake later—ideal for when a cookie craving strikes and you want a fresh batch fast.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Butter: Use unsalted butter at room temperature – you should be able to push a finger firmly into the butter, but it should not slide right in. If the butter is too soft, the cookies will spread.
• Sugar
• Egg
• Lemon Extract: Stick with lemon extract; lemon juice doesn’t provide a strong enough flavor in this recipe.
• Lemon Zest
• Flour: To make these cookies gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix containing xanthan gum.
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• White Chocolate Chips: Substitute with chopped white chocolate for bigger pockets of melted chocolate.

How to Make White Chocolate Lemon Cookies

1. Cream Butter and Sugar: Beat together until light and fluffy to incorporate air and ensure a smooth dough. Mix in the egg, lemon extract, and lemon zest.

2. Add Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, an salt, mixing just until no dry streaks remain.

3. Add Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in the white chocolate chips.

4. Scoop and Bake: Drop the dough onto the baking sheet and bake until the edges are just set. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Baking with Lemon Extract

When it comes to baking, lemon extract is a game-changer. While fresh lemon juice adds tartness and acidity, it contains a lot of water. That water content can dilute the dough and weaken the final flavor.

(Remember the lemon sugar cookies I mentioned earlier? Since the cookies use less butter, the lemon juice provides some extra liquid, resulting in a lighter cookie. But since these cookies use more butter for an extra rich texture, we don’t want to add more liquid!)

So how do we get a strong, bold lemon flavor without adding so much lemon juice that we’re going to throw off the texture of the cookies? The answer is simple: lemon extract!

Kitchen Chemistry

Lemon extract is made by infusing lemon oil from the zest into alcohol, which delivers a much stronger and more consistent citrus taste. In baking, extracts are more stable and reduce excess liquid, helping preserve the structure and texture of the cookies.

Tips and Tricks for the Best White Chocolate Lemon Cookies

1. Room Temperature Butter: Butter that is too cold doesn’t mix properly with the sugar, while butter that is too soft will spread in the oven.
2. Measure Flour: Too much flour results in dry cookies. Fluff, spoon, and level for the best results – or better yet, bake by weight!
3. Chill If Needed: If your kitchen is warm or the dough feels sticky, or you have extra time, chill the dough briefly before baking. 30 minutes is plenty, although the dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
4. Use a Cookie Scoop: For evenly-sized cookies with a more uniform bake time, portion the dough using a cookie scoop.
5. Freeze the Dough: Scoop into balls, freeze, and bake straight from frozen for fresh cookies anytime! Add 1-2 minutes to the bake time to account for the frozen dough.
6. Storage: The cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
7. Recommended Tools: Stand Mixer | Cookie Scoop | Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack | Lemon Extract | White Chocolate Chips

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