Lemon Cheesecake Cookies are thick, soft, and chewy with a cheesecake-like texture and a simple lemon glaze.

A stack of three lemon cheesecake cookies topped with a delicious frosting with a bite taken from the top cookie.

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Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

These Lemon Cheesecake Cookies could be your new favorite dessert! They taste like a mini cheesecake with lemon and a soft, chewy texture—totally different from Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies or Peanut Butter Cookies.

They take more time than usual, but it’s worth it. Let the cream cheese and butter warm up to room temp before starting, and chill the dough before baking. The whole process takes about three hours, but most of it is waiting time.

Creaming butter and sugar, beating in cream cheese, adding vanilla, zest, and egg, mixing until smooth, combining dry ingredients, adding to wet ingredients, and measuring out the dough with a tablespoon.

Lemon Cheesecake Cookies Ingredients

  • Sugar & Butter: Cream the sugar and butter until fluffy to get a light texture.
  • Cream Cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture and flavor.
  • Egg: Holds everything together and helps the cookies hold their shape.
  • Vanilla & Lemon Extract: A little goes a long way, so don’t use too much.
  • Lemon (Zest & Juice): Only zest the yellow part, avoiding the bitter white part.
  • Flour: Spoon and level the flour when measuring to avoid using too much.
  • Baking Powder & Cornstarch: Helps the cookies rise and become fluffy.
  • Salt: Just a pinch helps bring everything together.
  • Lemon Pudding Mix (Instant): Use the dry pudding mix, not the prepared pudding.
  • Lemon Glaze: Just whisk together lemon juice and powdered sugar.
Adding cookie dough balls to a baking tray, baking them, mixing glaze, and drizzling it over cooled lemon cheesecake cookies.

How To Make Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

  1. Prep: Let the butter, cream cheese, and egg sit out to get to room temp.
  2. Mix sugar and butter: Use an electric mixer to get a light, smooth texture.
  3. Add rest of wet ingredients: Make sure it’s fully blended for a smooth dough.
  4. Dry ingredients: Stir them together well before adding to the wet ingredients.
  5. Combine: Mix until just combined to keep the cookies light.
  6. Chill: Chilling helps the dough keep its shape while baking.
  7. Roll the dough: Use a spoon to make the dough balls the same size.
  8. Bake: Don’t bake too long to keep them soft.
  9. Glaze: Add lemon juice slowly to get the right glaze thickness.
Finished dessert, sweet and zingy with glaze on top, ready to be enjoyed.

Quick Tip

When zesting the lemon, be careful to avoid the bitter white pith directly under the yellow peel. We’re after only the yellow part in these Lemon Cheesecake Cookies. 

Finished dessert, sweet and zingy with glaze on top, ready to be enjoyed.
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5 from 3 votes

Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

By Chelsea Lords
Lemon Cheesecake Cookies are thick, soft, and chewy with a creamy texture and a sweet-tart lemon glaze.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
chilling time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies

Equipment

Ingredients

Cookies
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces cream cheese full-fat; I don’t recommend reduced-fat or Neufchâtel
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1 lemon
  • 1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons instant lemon-flavored pudding and pie filling mix see note 1
Glaze
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 lemon or more lemon juice from the other lemon

Instructions 

  • 1 hour in advance: Set out the butter, cream cheese, and egg to get to room temperature. Make sure these ingredients are all at room temperature before starting. Don’t melt any of these ingredients in the microwave or the texture will be off (see note 2).
  • In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter with an hand mixer until light and fluffy. (Or use a stand mixer.)
  • Add in cream cheese and continue to beat until the batter is completely smooth. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, lemon extract, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest. When zesting the lemon, be careful to avoid the white pith of the lemon, which is very bitter; just get the outside yellow part.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cornstarch, and pudding mix. Stir together, then add to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, being careful to not overmix (to avoid dense cookies).
  • Cover the dough tightly and chill for 45 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon, measure the cookie dough to just fill the measuring spoon (not heaping; these are small cookie balls). Place cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment or silicone-lined sheet pan. I bake 8–10 at a time.
  • Bake for 9–11 minutes (10 minutes is perfect in my oven), then remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Be very careful to not overbake these cookies as they go from a thick, soft cheesecake texture to a biscuit-like texture very quickly.
  • Glaze: Once cooled, prepare the glaze by whisking together the lemon juice and powdered sugar. Add 2–3 teaspoons lemon juice just until a thick glaze can come together. Spoon the glaze over the cookies and allow to set.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: If you aren’t familiar with lemon pudding mix, here’s a picture of the box. Not lemon Jell-O® and not vanilla pudding mix, these lemon cheesecake cookies need the lemon instant pudding and pie filling mix. Do not prepare the pudding mix; just use the dry powder.
Note 2: Don’t have time for these ingredients to get to room temperature? Use some of these tricks to bring them to room temperature quicker.
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–5 days. These cookies don’t freeze or thaw very well.

Nutrition

Serving: 24cookies | Calories: 124kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 76IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

 

Meet Chelsea

Hello, and welcome to Chelsea’s Messy Apron! I’m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. I’m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping by—I hope you find something delicious to make!

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23 Comments

  1. Cindy Mc says:

    You should remove the notation at the end of the ingredient list for the butter. It says 1/4 cup no matter how many times the recipe is increased. (4, 8 & 12 Tbsp do not all equal 1/4 cup.) Someone is going to be very disappointed if they don’t notice the error, but have chosen to increase the recipe! I’m going to make these for my husband’s birthday later this week! (c;

    Reply
  2. Sally says:

    5 stars
    These are so yummy

    Reply
    1. Chelsea says:

      Thanks so much Sally! 🙂

      Reply
      1. Sally says:

        Can I freeze rolled cookie dough balls?

        Reply
        1. Chelsea says:

          Yes!! 🙂

          Reply
  3. Jackie says:

    5 stars
    Wow! These were a little scary at first because the dough is really soft! But they were excellent! Keep the great recipes coming!

    Reply
    1. Chelsea says:

      Haha I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thanks for your comment Jackie! 🙂

      Reply