Summer’s Best Kept Secret: Irresistibly Soft Lemon Blueberry Cookies

Forget about chocolate chip. Ditch the boring oatmeal raisin. It is time for a new kind of cookie. These light, chewy lemon blueberry cookies are just what you need to try. They are perfectly sweet and full of fresh summer flavors. You will be baking these cookies all summer, and everyone will beg you for the recipe.

Why this is the best Lemon Blueberry Cookies recipe

1. No unique ingredients required – This old-fashioned lemon blueberry cookie recipe requires just ten simple ingredients that you have at home or can easily pick up at your neighborhood grocery store.
2. It is made from scratch – The cookies are made using fresh blueberries and lemon glaze from my lemon ricotta cookies recipe. Everything is 100% made from scratch, so you do not have to worry about artificial flavors or colors!
3. It is easy to make – This simple lemon blueberry cookies recipe is detailed enough to explain the science behind the baking, yet easy enough for inexperienced bakers to follow.
4. It is versatile – There are several ways to customize and enhance this recipe for lemon blueberry cookies.

Ingredients

For the Lemon Blueberry Cookies:

2/3 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup Granulated sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

1 Egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Baking soda

2/3 cup Fresh blueberries

For the Lemon Glaze:

3/4 cup Powdered sugar

1 tablespoon Lemon juice, freshly squeezed

How to make the cookies

1. Zest one large lemon, then massage the zest into the sugar.
2. With the help of an electric hand mixer, combine the room-temperature butter with the sugar. Mix for a few minutes until it becomes a light and fluffy cream.
3. Then, mix the room-temperature egg and vanilla extract until just combined.
4. Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Then, add the blended mixture to the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the two together together gently. Next, fold in the fresh blueberries until just combined.
5. Next, line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Using an ice cream or medium cookie scoop, divide the cookie dough batter into ten equal portions and place them on the lined baking sheet. You can also use a large cookie scoop for bigger cookies. Make sure to leave enough space to allow each cookie to spread. I like to bake just five cookies per sheet. Chill the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for an hour before proceeding to the next step.
7. Preheat oven to 347°F without the fan.
8. Once the lemon blueberry cookies have chilled for an hour, bake them for approximately 18 minutes.
9. Then, remove them from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will continue to set as they cool.

Top Tip: To prevent overmixing, only use a rubber spatula when folding the wet and dry ingredients together. Overmixing can cause too much gluten development, resulting in lemon blueberry cake cookies! Overmixing can also cause the blueberries to break and make the batter too wet.

How to glaze the cookies

1. Combine the freshly squeezed lemon juice and the sifted powdered sugar. The consistency should not be too runny nor too thick.
2. Use a piping bag or a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the cookies. Finish by sprinkling lemon zest and freeze-dried blueberries on top.

Top Tip: Add more powdered sugar if the glaze is too thin. If it is too thick, add more fresh lemon juice.

Storage & freezing

As tasty as these blueberry lemon cookies are, I doubt you will have leftovers! However, if you do, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to five days.

To freeze, first, wait until the cookies have completely cooled, then place them in a freezer-safe plastic bag or container and freeze them for up to a month. Thaw at room temperature.

Flavor Variations & Substitutions

Orange Blueberry Cookies – Instead of lemon zest, use orange zest in the batter and glaze to make citrusy orange blueberry cookies.

With different fruits – Swap out the blueberries for other berries that go great with lemons, such as blackberries, strawberries, or raspberries. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can combine all of the above! Or, eliminate the berries altogether to make plain lemon cookies.

With add-ins – Add some crunch to your cookies with crunchy add-ins such as poppyseed, white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, or crushed nuts. 

Expert Tips

1. For the batter to come together correctly, the butter must be soft, and the egg needs to be at room temperature.
2. Do not skip chilling the dough, or you risk having flat cookies.
3. Preheating the oven is essential for the cookies to bake correctly and within the given timeframe. I always recommend using a digital oven thermometer to ensure you have the correct temperature before baking.
4. If you like soft, gooey cookies, you can slightly underbake the cookies.
5. Avoid using the baking sheet to cool the cookies completely, as moisture will build up on the bottom.