These soft and chewy gluten free lemon cookies are super flavorful thanks to bright lemon zest. Just one gluten-free flour is needed!
Citrus season is always something to celebrate, and I love showcasing fresh lemons in these delectable cookies! Subtly sweet, slightly humble, yet so hard to stop eating, you can finish the cookies with a bit of lemon glaze or leave them plain, as I did.
Lean into lemons even more with my gluten free lemon bundt cake, gluten free lemon scones, and gluten free lemon pound cake recipes!
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Why This Gluten-Free Recipe Works
I love adapting cookie recipes to be gluten-free, because it's often a simple swap of one gluten-free flour for the all-purpose flour. Oat flour works beautifully here (or try brown rice flour if you don't eat oats), creating a lovely whole grain cookie that is soft with the tiniest bit of chew. I also added a tablespoon of cornstarch to lighten up the cookies.
What You'll Love
What's not to love about a lemon cookie? It's unexpected and fresh, a wonderful treat to serve when you want something a little different. Highlights include:
- Soft and cakey texture. Thanks to the oat flour and brown sugar, these cookies are nicely soft and cake-like, though still with that little hint of chewiness! I love the texture here.
- Just sweet enough. A mix of granulated and brown sugar keeps these cookies a dessert without overpowering the lemon flavor.
- So lemony. What can I say - I love lemons! You definitely will taste the bright citrus here, and feel free to add even more lemon zest if you are a true lemon-lover.
Ingredients Needed
Here's a look at what you need to make these cookies. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!
- Oat flour - Learn how to make oat flour or pick up a package at the store. If you don't eat oats, try brown rice flour or sorghum flour instead.
- Cornstarch - I like a little cornstarch here; it helps the cookies lighten up a tad (similar to using gluten free cake flour in recipes). If you don't eat corn, try tapioca starch, or it's OK to swap oat flour instead.
- Baking powder
- Salt - Use fine sea salt or table salt.
- Butter - Unsalted butter is best.
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar - Light or dark brown sugar is fine.
- Lemon zest - I use at least 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.
- Vanilla extract - Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Egg - A large or medium egg works best.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's an overview in photos of how
1. Make flour mix: In a bowl, whisk the oat flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
2. Mix batter: Cream the butter and sugars, then add the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla. Beat in the flour mix until combined.
3. Form cookies: Rest the dough in the fridge, then form the cookies into balls and place them on a lined baking sheet.
4. Bake: Place in a 350F oven and bake for about 15 minutes.
Tips & Recipe Notes
- Rest the dough overnight. I like storing the dough in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. This performs the dual purpose of allowing the gluten-free flour to hydrate and letting the flavors fully develop.
- Roll in sugar. If you like, roll the dough balls in granulated or coarse sugar before baking.
- Press with a fork. I experimented with doing a cross-hatch pattern on these cookies (similar to flourless peanut butter cookies), but I prefer the look and taste of leaving them unpressed. However, this is an option if you prefer a flatter cookie.
- Baking time options. For a crisper cookie, bake the dough a minute or two longer than instructed. For a softer cookie, pull the cookies out of the oven a minute or so earlier.
- To glaze or not to glaze? I often top my cookies with a homemade lemon glaze or a maple glaze for a different flavor twist. You could also dust them with powdered sugar or try drizzling each one with my simple chocolate icing.
- Use gluten-free all-purpose flour. If you don't have oat flour on hand, use 1 ½ cups of a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, or try my homemade gluten free flour blend instead of the oat flour.
Proper Storage
- Counter - Transfer cooled cookies to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezer - Place the cookies in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
More Gluten Free Lemon Recipes
Happy baking! If you make this gluten free lemon cookies recipe, I'd love to know. Please leave a comment below, reach out with any questions, and tag me on Instagram @Cucina Nicolina ❤️
Recipe
Gluten Free Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups oat flour (180 grams)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- lemon glaze optional, for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 ½ cups oat flour, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt.
- In a large bowl, beat together the ½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest until creamy. Beat in the ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1 large egg, beating until well incorporated, then beat in the flour mixture until a smooth dough forms. Place in the oven to chill for about 30 minutes.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350℉. Drop the cookies by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2" apart (optionally, use a fork dipped in water to gently flatten each one). Place in the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes, until golden.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to a rack to cool completely. After cookies are completely cool, drizzle with the lemon glaze if using.
Notes
- Rest the dough overnight. I like storing the dough in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. This performs the dual purpose of allowing the gluten-free flour to hydrate and letting the flavors fully develop.
- Roll in sugar. If you like, roll the dough balls in granulated or coarse sugar before baking.
- Press with a fork. I experimented with doing a cross-hatch pattern on these cookies (similar to flourless peanut butter cookies), but I prefer the look and taste of leaving them unpressed. However, this is an option if you prefer a flatter cookie.
- Baking time options. For a crisper cookie, bake the dough a minute or two longer than instructed. For a softer cookie, pull the cookies out of the oven a minute or so earlier.
- To glaze or not to glaze? I often top my cookies with a homemade lemon glaze or a maple glaze for a different flavor twist. You could also dust them with powdered sugar or try drizzling each one with my simple chocolate icing.
- Use gluten-free all-purpose flour. If you don't have oat flour on hand, use 1 ½ cups of a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, or try my homemade gluten free flour blend instead of the oat flour.
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Helen Spiridakis says
Your clear instructions and helpful modifications make these recipes easy to accomplish. Thanks!