Easy Gluten Free Lemon Cookies Recipe: They Melt in Your Mouth! (2024)

This is the simplest recipe for tender gluten free lemon cookies that literally melt in your mouth. Make them as drop cookies, or cutout cookies. They'll hold any shape you like!

Gluten free lemon cookies are bursts of summer flavor. Ice them, make a lemon glaze, or leave them plain, since you'll still see beautiful flecks of lemon zest. The bright lemon flavor and beautiful tender crumb make these cookies a guaranteed family favorite.

Enjoy them on a picnic, at a birthday party, or brighten up a winter’s day and savor their zestiness with a hot latte.

Why you'll love these gluten free lemon cookies

These light, tender and simple cookies really do melt in your mouth. They're like a cross between shortbread and sugar cookies.

What’s the secret? Rather than a whole egg, they're made with just an egg white. The only sugar in the whole lemon cookies recipe is 2/3 cup of confectioners' sugar.

They get their richness from butter, and their fine texture from the higher starch of confectioners' sugar—plus added cornstarch to the gluten free flour blend.

Meltaway cookies like these are even a total winner for the cook. The dough is not only simple to throw together, but incredibly easy to handle and requires no chilling before baking. These cookies can be made at the last-minute so you’ll never be caught out by unexpected guests or a school bake sale.

Enjoy the cookies at any time of day. I love lemon-flavored desserts, so I'd happily add some lemon zest to my no-churn vanilla ice cream, and sandwich a scoop between two of the thinner lemon cookies for a beautiful, melt-in-your-mouth lemon-vanilla ice cream sandwich.

These lemon cookies are the perfect summertime snack, but they’re also a delicious in the colder months too. They’re ideal for events like baby showers, bridal showers, brunch or afternoon tea.

Do these taste like gluten free lemon sugar cookies?

Not exactly! This recipe makes cookies with a more delicate texture and a less sweet taste than our recipe for gluten free lemon sugar cookies.

This recipe is made with confectioners' sugar and just an egg white, plus much more butter. The sugar cookie recipe is made with a whole egg and granulated sugar—overall less starch.

Finally, this recipe can be made as drop cookies or as shaped cutout cookies. You'll need to add more all purpose gluten free to the cookie dough to roll it out so it rolls cleanly.

Tips for making the best lemon meltaway cookies

This is a truly simple recipe for light and bright lemon cookies. And the simpler the recipe, the more closely you need to follow it to see success.

So, while this recipe is quick and easy there are some tips to help you get the perfect results. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you read through and begin making the cookie dough.

Choose the right gluten free flour blend

Meltaway cookies came by their name honestly. They really do melt in your mouth!

This lemon cookies recipe calls for quite a bit of starch, which helps create that extra tender texture. I like making it with (mock) Better Batter, which I lighten up by adding cornstarch as a separate ingredient.

That makes Better Batter, one of my favorite all purpose gluten free flour blends, into something like a cake flour. There's also a touch of cornstarch in the confectioners' sugar.

If you're using a higher-starch all purpose gluten free flour blend, like Cup4Cup, do not add more cornstarch.

Instead, replace that ingredient with 48 grams more Cup4Cup. You may also need to add some more liquid in the recipe to bring the dough together, though.

Don't chill the cookie dough

That’s right, there’s no need to chill the cookie dough. This cookie dough is perfectly balanced to roll out perfectly when the cookie dough is just made, cut out with a cookie cutter, and then bake right away. You'll get clean edges and the cookie dough will not spread during baking.

Use freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Baking concentrates flavors, so you want your lemon juice to be fresh, not bottled, so it tastes bright and fresh. You'll need that lemon for all that lemon zest anyway! Choose the freshest lemons you can as their flavor dissipates as they age. You’ll be zesting these lemons so make sure the ones you buy are unwaxed, and wash them before you start.

Be careful not to overbake the cookies

The cookies will barely brown around the edges when they're done baking. They're done when they no longer glisten at all in the center.

Be careful not to over-bake them. If you do, they'll go from tender shortbread-style homemade lemon cookies to crumbly and dry.

Over-baking could happen if your oven is too hot. Use a simple oven thermometer that hangs from the wire rack in your oven, as most ovens aren't properly calibrated.

Don't press the cookies too thin

Be sure not to make the cookies too thin, as they'll bake too quickly. This is especially a risk if you're making the rolled, cutout cookies. See more tips on this below in the troubleshooting section.

And don't touch the cookies on the tray until they're cool. Otherwise, they may crumble.

Substitutions for gluten free lemon cookies ingredients

For lemon cookie perfection, I'd say don't mess with this recipe unless you absolutely must. It works beautifully, just the way it is.

If you want a different type of cookie or a different type of flour or flavor, there are plenty more gluten free recipes for cookies and desserts here on the blog. But, if you really do need to make substitutions for this recipe, here are my best recommendations.

How to make gluten and dairy free lemon cookies

There is quite a lot of butter in these cookies, which helps give them their melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness. If you’re looking for an alternative, I would not recommend using Earth Balance buttery sticks. They have too much moisture, and I don't think the cookies would hold their shape.

I think Melt brand or Miyoko's Kitchen brand vegan butter might work in place of the butter, though. You could also try butter flavored non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, but you'll likely need more moisture as it has nearly none.

How to make egg free lemon cookies

There is no whole egg in this recipe, and only one egg white, which helps provide structure.

You may be able to replace it with aquafaba, which is just the brine from a can of chickpeas. If you go this route, I recommend beating it until foamy, and using the same amount, by weight (25 grams).

How to make corn free lemon cookies

The cornstarch in this recipe can be replaced easily with arrowroot, or even potato starch. If you want to avoid corn, you'll also need to be sure that your confectioners' sugar is corn-free.

If you're using a higher-starch all purpose gluten free flour blend, like Cup4Cup, do not add more cornstarch. Instead, if you're using Cup4Cup as your all purpose GF flour blend, replace the cornstarch with more Cup4Cup. You may also need some more liquid in the recipe to bring the dough together.

Troubleshooting gluten free lemon cookies

Gluten free baking, as we all know, can sometimes be a bit of an adventure, right? We've all had those kitchen moments where things just don't go according to plan. So, I've compiled a handy little troubleshooting section in case you encounter any issues at all!

1. Problem: Cookie dough too sticky
   • Possible cause: You might have added too much liquid or under measured your flour.
   • Solution: Try adding a little more flour, one teaspoon at a time. Go slowly, though, because you can't undo it once you've added it.
2. Problem: Cookie dough too dry
   • Possible cause: You might have overmeasured your flour, used a blend that's too high in starch so it absorbs too much liquid, or added too little liquid.
   • Solution: Try adding a little more fresh lemon juice, one half teaspoon at a time. That should make your dough workable again.
3. Problem: Cookies spread too much in the oven
   • Possible cause: Your butter, liquid, or baking soda measurements might have been a little generous, or your oven may have been running hot.
   • Solution: Double-check your measurements and oven temperature. And since most ovens run hot, you’ll want to ensure yours is at the correct temperature. Buy an inexpensive standalone oven thermometer and hang it inside your oven so you know when you need to lower the temperature.
4. Problem: Cookies do not spread at all
   • Possible cause: You might have added too much flour, or your oven is running too cold.
   • Solution: Have another look at your oven temperature and measurements (be sure to measure by weight, not volume!).
5. Problem: Cookies burn on the bottom
   • Possible cause: Your baking sheet could be too thin or too dark, or your oven is too hot.
   • Solution: Try a thicker, light-colored baking sheet. Dark metals absorb and distribute the heat much faster than lighter ones. Again, use a separate oven thermometer to keep your oven on track.
6. Problem: Cookies are too hard or too crumbly
   • Possible cause: You may have left your cookies in the oven a bit too long, overmeasured your flour, or used a blend that's too high in starch so it absorbs too much liquid.
   • Solution: Shave a few minutes off your baking time, and ensure you're measuring your well-balanced flour blend accurately by weight, not volume.
7. Problem: Cookies are not uniform in size or shape
   • Possible cause: You shaped your dough too quickly, or didn't remember to shape it at all.
   • Solution: Use a cookie scoop or a measuring spoon for consistent cookie dollops. For cutout cookies, make sure your dough is rolled evenly by feeling the surface gently with the palm of your hand.
8. Problem: Flavor is too weak
   • Possible cause: Not enough lemon zest.
   • Solution: Add a bit more lemon zest, and try using fresher lemons as they tend to lose their potency as they age.

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