Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Lemon and poppy seeds are a classic pairing for a reason—the bright, zesty flavor of lemon combined with the subtle crunch of poppy seeds creates a cookie that’s refreshing, satisfying, and hard to resist. These Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies strike the perfect balance between sweet and tangy, making them a delightful treat for any occasion.

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

Bursting with Flavor: The lemon zest and juice infuse these cookies with a vibrant, tangy flavor that’s balanced perfectly with the sweet glaze.
Perfect Texture: These cookies are buttery and tender, with a slight crispness on the edges and a soft, melt-in-your-mouth center.
Eye-Catching Design: Their beautiful glaze and poppy seed-speckled dough make them look as good as they taste. Totally optional: I used a cookie stamper here to make them prettier but if you don’t have one, simply roll the the dough into balls then slightly press them down a bit with your fingers to get a disc shape.
A Silky Lemon Glaze: This simple glaze, made with powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice, ties everything together with a glossy finish.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Shop efficiently (treat this as your grocery list) and gather your ingredients at home without running circles in your kitchen. (i.e. One trip to the fridge to get all your dairy needs.) You can still find the full printable recipe at the end of this post.

REFRIGERATED:

butter. 226g (1 cup) of unsalted butter, at room temperature. What is Room Temperature Butter?

egg. A batch of these cookies need 50g room temperature eggs (weight is without shell) or 1 large egg if you are in US/Canada.

PANTRY:

sugar. You’ll need 150g or ¾ cup white granulated sugar.

vanilla. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

lemon. You need a total of 4 tablespoons of lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon. It’s important to use fresh lemon here, not the bottled ones. The oils from the lemon zest add so much flavor that can’t be replaced with juice alone.

flour. 313g (2½ cups) of all-purpose flour/ plain flour. If measuring by cups, use the spoon and level method. Don’t scoop directly from the bag of flour or you’ll get too much!

salt. ½ tsp of fine salt. I use sea salt, but regular table salt should be ok.

baking powder. 1 tsp of baking powder gives these lemon poppy seed cookies a bit of lift. Note that baking powder expires, so make sure yours still works.

poppy seeds. 20g or about 2 tablespoons. Poppy seeds add a slight crunch to the cookies, creating a pleasing contrast to the soft, buttery texture of the dough. While poppy seeds have a mild, nutty flavor, they complement the bright, citrusy notes of lemon without overpowering them. They enhance the overall taste of the cookies, adding depth and complexity.

confectioner’s sugar. Also called powdered sugar. We need 114g (1 cup) to make the glaze. Sifting is not necessary.

mise en place ingredients for lemon poppy seed cookies with lemon glaze

Recommended Tools

digital food scale (this is a must…and check-out the cute colors!)
Oxo medium scooper/ cookie scoop
Nordicware Prism half sheet pan (I love the embossed pattern.)
parchment paper sheets (VERY convenient if you bake a lot)
Nordic ware heirloom cookie stamps
Microplane zester

a bright yellow zester tool beside a lemon with lemon zest scattered around — A good-quality zester is worth the investment.

A stack of lemon poppy seed cookies topped with a lemon glaze, with the top cookie partially bitten to reveal its soft texture. A sliced lemon and a cup are blurred in the background.

Let’s Make Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies Step-by-Step

STEP 1. Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven (NO FAN) to 350°F (175°C) and place a rack in the middle of the oven.

In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and poppy seeds. Set aside.

STEP 2. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes on medium-low speed. You can also do this using a hand mixer.

STEP 3. Add egg, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat on low speed until combined.

STEP 4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and continue beating on low speed until just combined. Be careful not overmix.

STEP 5. Scoop the dough with a medium scoop or weigh around 33g of dough each then roll into a ball. Dip the ball in sugar and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

STEP 6. If using a cookie stamp, center a cookie stamp on the ball and press until the dough reaches near the edge of the stamp. The sugar prevents the dough from sticking to the stamp.

If you’re not stamping the cookies, flatten the dough balls a bit by pressing it down with your fingers so you’ll have like a disc shaped dough.

STEP 7. Bake until light golden brown at the edges, about 12-13 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

PRO TIP: When you hear the oven beeps it’s not really preheated to the correct temperature. Place an oven thermometer in the middle rack and only put your baking sheet inside the oven when the thermometer is actually at 350F.

STEP 8. Make the Glaze. While the cookies are cooling, make the glaze by mixing lemon juice and confectioner’s/powdered sugar in a small bowl.

After cookies have cooled completely, immediately coat the tops with glaze. A pastry brush would be helpful for this task. They are ready once the glaze has dried completely.

A green tray filled with lemon poppy seed cookies.

FAQs

How long do these cookies stay good?

These lemon poppy seed cookies stay good for up to 5 days when they are stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Can I make this ahead?

You can make the cookie dough until step 4 then portion them into balls. Don’t roll them in sugar yet if you aren’t baking them immediately.

Place the cookie dough balls in a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze until hardened. Once firm, transfer the cookie dough balls to a freezer bag or airtight container. Label the bag with the date, oven temperature, and baking time. Then, return to the freezer and store for up to 3 months.

When you are ready to bake, move the bag from the freeze to the fridge the night before so you can dip them into sugar and stamp your cookies before baking. Baking time might need an extra minute or two.

Can I skip the lemon zest?

I don’t recommend. The oils in lemon zest add so much flavor that can’t be replaced with juice alone.

Lemon poppy seed cookies with a glaze, served on festive plates with pine designs, placed on a rustic wooden surface.

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