Go Back

Lemon Poppy Seed Butter Cookies

PREP TIME 20 minutes
COOK TIME 18 minutes
TOTAL TIME 38 minutes
servings24 cookies
Buttery lemon cookies with poppy seeds, crisp edges, and fresh citrus flavor. No chilling needed and the cookies keep their shape while baking.
Lemon poppy seed butter cookies stacked on white marble board
Ingredients

Cookie dough

  • ½ cup (100 g) white granulated sugar
  • ½ tablespoon lemon zest
  • ¾ cup (170 g) salted butter, cold and cubed
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • Optional: 1 drop yellow gel food coloring
  • 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (use ½ teaspoon if using unsalted butter)
  • 1½ tablespoons poppy seeds

Lemon sugar topping (optional)

  • ½ tablespoon white granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions

Make the dough

  • In a mixing bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together until fragrant.
  • Add the cold cubed butter and beat on low-medium speed for 2–3 minutes until creamy.
  • Mix in the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and optional food coloring.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, and salt. Add it to the butter mixture and mix just until crumbly.
  • Use your hands to gently bring the mixture together into a soft dough.

Roll and cut

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), or 160°C fan.
  • Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about ½ inch (1 cm) thick. You can divide the dough into smaller portions to make rolling easier.
  • Cut using a 2-inch (5 cm) round cookie cutter. Gather the leftover dough, re-roll, and cut more cookies until all the dough is used.
  • Place the cookies on a lined baking tray, leaving a little space between them.
  • Optional lemon sugar topping: Rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until fragrant. Lightly sprinkle the tops with the lemon sugar topping if using.
  • Bake: Bake for 15 –18 minutes until the edges are lightly golden
  • The cookies may still feel soft when removed from the oven but will firm up as they cool.
  • Leave on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
  • Let the cookies cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
  • Rolling between parchment paper keeps the dough smooth without adding extra flour.
  • The cookies hold their shape well and barely spread while baking
  • See post above for step-by-step photos and detailed tips
 
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 4g | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg