Chewy Lemon Crinkle Cookies

These Lemon Crinkle Cookies are unbelievably moist and chewy with a perfectly crispy outside and filled with zesty citrus in every bite. Rolled in powdered sugar for a delightfully sweet and citrus blend.

4.50 from 8 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 12

Total Time: 22

Servings: cookies

Calories: 110kcal

Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp . salt
1 cup vegan butter
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
zest of 2 large lemons, optional
½ cup apple sauce
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup granulated sugar, for rolling
1 cup powdered sugar, for rolling

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
In a stand-up mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat together vegan butter, sugar, and lemon zest (if using) on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add apple sauce, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides as necessary. Mix until fully combined. Turn the speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Place the rolling granulated sugar and powdered sugar into two shallow bowls. Roll one rounded tablespoon of dough into a ball. Toss it in granulated sugar until completely coated and then cover it in powdered sugar. Place the cookie on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the cookies are rolled. Bake cookies for 10 minutes until edges are firm. The cookies will be light in color and should look a bit underdone. They will continue to cook when cooling.
Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to allow cookies to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Serving And Storing - Once cookies are completely cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Raw dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Freeze Cookie Dough: If you only want to make only a few at a time, you can store the remaining dough in the freezer. To do this, roll all the dough into balls. Place them on a baking sheet in the freezer to freeze all the way through. Once frozen, transfer your cookie dough into a large ziplock bag and return to the freezer. You can store the cookies this way for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, remove from freezer and bake!

Recipe Tips

These cookies have a great lemony flavor but if you LOVE lemon, you could make it bolder. Add up to 2 tablespoons of lemon zest for a bold citrus cookie.
When rolling your crinkle cookies, roll them in granulated sugar first before rolling them in powdered sugar for the PERFECT crinkle every time.
Vegan white chocolate chips make a great addition to this cookie. You can buy them online here.
Pull cookies out when they are slightly underdone. I found 10 minutes to be the perfect baking time. They will continue to harden as they cool, giving you a crispy outside with a deliciously fudgy and chewy center.

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