Lemon Blueberry Cookies
These bright, tender Lemon Blueberry Cookies combine zesty citrus notes with sweet blueberry bursts in a buttery, soft-baked cookie that’s perfect for summer gatherings or brightening winter afternoons.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest from about 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups fresh blueberries or frozen, but don’t thaw
- Optional: ½ cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare your oven and equipment. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. This ensures even distribution of leavening agents throughout your cookies.
- Cream the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with both sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. This incorporates air into the batter for a better texture.
- Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined – the mixture might look slightly curdled due to the lemon juice, but don’t worry!
- Combine wet and dry mixtures. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Over-mixing will develop too much gluten and make your cookies tough.
- Fold in the blueberries. Gently fold in the blueberries (and white chocolate chips if using) with a rubber spatula. Be careful not to crush the berries, especially if using fresh ones, to avoid purple streaking throughout the dough.
- Scoop the dough. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop rounded portions of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. These cookies will spread moderately during baking.
- Bake to perfection. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden but the centers still look slightly underdone. They’ll continue cooking slightly after removal.
- Cool properly. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This allows them to set up without breaking.
Notes
- For an extra touch of lemon flavor, consider making a simple glaze with powdered sugar and lemon juice to drizzle over the cooled cookies.
- These cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerated for up to a week.
- The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. You may need to add 1-2 minutes to the baking time if baking cold dough.
- If using frozen blueberries, add them to the dough while still frozen to prevent color bleeding.
- For a more uniform appearance, you can use dried blueberries instead of fresh/frozen, though you’ll lose some of the juicy bursts.