Move over vanilla wafers, it’s time for lemon to shine. These Lemon Wafers are a delectable little bite of sunshine and can be made in about 20 minutes!
These Lemon Wafers are the perfect little cookie. They are light, delicate, with a delicious but not overwhelming taste of lemon. They’re so simple to make and a great for a quick and tasty snack. I love packing these in my kids’ lunchboxes.
I love sharing Cookie Recipes with my readers. In case you need more cookie inspiration, ome of my other favorites are these Homemade Vanilla Wafers and Sourdough Vanilla Wafers.
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❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Light: These cookies are so light and refreshing!
- Quick: There’s no need to chill the cookie dough. These lemon wafers are quick and easy to make.
- Snack or light dessert: These delectable little cookies are perfect for a quick dessert or snack.
- Simple ingredients: Unlike store bought lemon wafers, these cookies have simple ingredients and no preservatives.
🥣 Ingredients needed
For these lemon wafers, you will need:
- Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter for this recipe so that you can control the amount of salt going into the cookie dough. Be sure to soften your butter to room temperature.
- Sugar
- Lemon: You’ll need a large lemon for this recipe because you’ll need both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Egg
- Cream of tartar
- All purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
The complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the printable recipe card further below in the post.
🍋 Variations
Love lemon? You can add a bit more zest for some extra lemony flavor.
🔪 Equipment needed
You will need a hand or stand mixer, baking sheet, and parchment paper.
⏲️ Recipe instructions (step by step guide)
Begin by preheating your oven to 400° F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper (not wax paper).
Next, using either a stand or hand mixer cream together the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and softened butter (image 1).
Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined but do not over mix (image 2).
Form small dough balls (about 2 to 3 teaspoons of dough) and leave room for them to spread a little on your baking sheet (image 3). Bake for 6 to 9 minutes or until the edges are golden. If you make your cookies smaller or larger, you may need to adjust the baking time.
Let your cookies rest on your baking sheet for about 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Your baking time may vary depending on the size of your cookie. If you made them on the smaller size, watch for golden edges.
- When enjoying these wafers warm and right out of the oven, the lemon flavor isn’t as pronounced as when the cookies have cooled.
🥡 How to store leftovers
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will be good for up to four days after making.
📋 Recipe FAQs
These are similar to store bought lemon wafers but in my opinion much better. They are a bit softer than what you’d get at the grocery store and use real lemon instead of lemon extract. They also use simple ingredients instead of complex processed ingredients and preservatives.
Yes, you can absolutely double this recipe if you like.
This recipe yields about 20 to 25 small cookies.
Other recipes you may like:
If you tried these Lemon Wafers or any other recipe on my site, please leave a ⭐ rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I would love to hear from you and I’m always happy to try to answer any questions you may have!
Lemon Wafers
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper not wax paper
- Hand or stand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 large egg beaten
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (4 tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest *
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 400° F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper (not wax paper).
- Next, using either a stand or hand mixer cream together the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and butter (softened to room temperature).¼ cup unsalted butter, 2 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, ½ cup sugar
- Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined but do not over mix.1 large egg, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Form small dough balls (about 2 to 3 teaspoons of dough) and leave room for them to spread a little on your baking sheet. Bake for 6 to 9 minutes or until the edges are golden. If you make your cookies smaller or larger, you may need to adjust the baking time.
- Let your cookies rest on your baking sheet for about 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
Lathiya says
I love baking with citrus. These wafers were so refreshing.
Liz says
These cookies were so easy and delicious! My lemon loving husband was a huge fan, too!
Helen says
These have the perfect amount of lemon flavor. Two thumbs up from this lemon lover