Soft, bakery-style lemon cream cheese drop cookies bursting with lemon flavor, topped with lemon frosting.
These cookies are a bakery-style drop cookie that turns out incredibly rich from the cream cheese mixed in.
They have a soft chew (my favorite cookie texture) with a crusting buttercream frosting on top that gives a slight crunch, especially with sugar sprinkles on top.
I could eat and eat these cookies just because of their texture alone. It’s so satisfying.
Ingredients
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- White Granulated Sugar
- Large Egg Yolk
- Lemon Extract
- Yellow Food Color or Icing Gel
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
- Yellow Sprinkles, optional
How to Make Lemon Cream Cheese Drop Cookies
Lemon Cream Cheese Drop Cookies
- In a stand mixer, cream together butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Add egg yolk, lemon extract, and yellow food color.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add to the mixer and mix until combined.
- Using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop mounds of cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This prevents spreading while they bake.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Bake the cookies in the oven for 12-15 minutes until they are set.
Lemon Frosting
- Add butter to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whip the butter for 3-4 minutes, until it begins to get light in color, almost white. Slowly add powdered sugar. Add lemon extract and milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Let the frosting chill in the fridge until ready to use.
- Once the cookies are fully cooled, use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon to add a dollop of frosting to the top of each cookie.
Pro Tips
- Use room-temperature cream cheese and butter to avoid it being clumpy
- Slightly underbake for soft cookies
- Use a cookie scoop to get a rustic mound shape
- Refrigerate the cookies for at least an hour after scooping them to maintain their shape
FAQ
Lemon zest carries the true lemon flavors without adding liquid. Lemon extract punches it up further if you want more intensity, which I personally use. Lemon juice alone won’t give you enough flavor and adds too much liquid, so it should be minimal if used at all.
Yes, either keep in a covered container or scoop the dough, place on a baking sheet, and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking. You can also freeze the scooped dough balls to bake for later.
Cookies can fall flat for a number of reasons. Too much butter, too much sugar, not enough flour, too much baking soda, and overall, not the right ratio of wet to dry ingredients.
When I set out to make these cookies, I had to consider every ingredient. I tried using shortening, which usually helps stabilize, but it made the cookies more cake-like, which I wasn’t looking for. I wanted a soft chew, but still a rich cookie.
Using a full teaspoon of baking soda was too much. ½ teaspoon seems to be the perfect amount in these drop cookies. I also added enough flour until the dough began pulling from the side of the bowl. That seems to be just the right texture to get those rough edges I like and hold their shape.
I was nervous about using only granulated sugar because brown sugar works best due to the molasses. However, they still maintained their shape with only white sugar.
Refrigerating after scooping the dough onto a cookie sheet really helps keep their shape, too. I also don’t take them out of the fridge until the oven is fully preheated.
Refrigerate in an airtight container because of the cream cheese frosting. They keep well for 4-5 days.
Recommended Recipes
- 35 Best Frosted Drop Cookies
- Banana Pudding Drop Cookies
- Birthday Cake Drop Cookies
- Key Lime Pie Drop Cookies
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Lemon Cupcakes
- Lemon Meringue Pie Cookies
- Minion Drop Cookies
- Orange Creamsicle Drop Cookies
- Peanut Butter Drop Cookies
- Strawberry Shortcake Drop Cookies
Lemon Cream Cheese Drop Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Cream Cheese Drop Cookies
- ¼ cup Butter room temperature
- 3 tablespoons Cream Cheese room temperature
- ½ cup White Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg Yolk
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Extract
- 2 drops Yellow Icing Gel
- 1 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
Lemon Frosting
- ½ cup Butter room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Extract
- 2 tablespoons Milk
- Yellow Icing Gel
Instructions
Lemon Cream Cheese Drop Cookies
- In a stand mixer, cream together butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Add egg yolk, lemon extract, and yellow icing gel.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add to the mixer and mix until combined.
- Using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop mounds of cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This prevents spreading while they bake.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Bake the cookies in the oven for 12-14 minutes until set.
Lemon Frosting
- Add butter to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whip the butter for 3-4 minutes, until it begins to get light in color, almost white. Slowly add powdered sugar. Add lemon extract, yellow icing gel, and 1-2 tablespoons of milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Let the frosting chill in the fridge until ready to use.
- Once the cookies are fully cooled, use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon to add a dollop of yellow frosting to the top of each cookie.
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