Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies Whisking Up Holiday Magic

Last Updated on June 22, 2024 by Lisa Keys

Every December I am on the hunt for a new holiday cookie recipe. Citrus is in season, so it's the perfect time to bake up lots of goodies bursting with fresh off the tree flavors. Meyer lemon is one of my all time favorite citrus fruits and readily available now. You are going to love these glazed lemon poppy seed cookies made with fresh meyer lemons. The natural lemon flavor is so bright and the cookie just melts in your mouth.

This recipe is inspired by one that I tried from the Melissa's Produce family baking challenge. If you love lemons these are the perfect addition to a Christmas cookie dessert tray. Slightly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside they have a light and bright flavor that will have you reaching for a second and third cookie. Bake a big batch.

Cookie ingredients

These glazed lemon poppy seed cookies are so easy to make with just a few ingredients. Here is what you will need. Probably most of these ingredients are already in your pantry. You will find the quantity of each ingredient in the recipe card.

• all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• salt
• granulated sugar
• fresh meyer lemons*, zest and juice
• coconut oil (measured in its solid state at room temperature)
• egg
• vanilla
• poppy seeds
• powdered sugar

*Note: you can substitute regular lemons or better, yet, a combination of orange and lemon that simulates the sweetness and less acidity of Meyer lemon.

How to make these burst of sunshine cookies

The trick to getting maximum lemony flavor is pulsing the zest and sugar together in a food processor.

Step 1. Heat oven 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 2. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Step 3. In food processor, combine lemon zest and sugar until blended and fragrant. Add coconut oil, lemon juice, egg and vanilla.

Step 4. Add wet mixture and poppy seeds to dry ingredients folding it all together with a rubber spatula. Chill dough for 10 minutes.

Step 5. Using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop drop dough on prepared baking sheets.

Step 6. Bake 10 minutes or until edges are golden. While cookies are still warm shape into perfect rounds with a biscuit cutter, if desired. Cool on a wire rack.

Step 7. Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice and a pinch of salt to make a thick glaze or icing. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

Step 8. Before the glaze sets sprinkle with additional poppy seeds and lemon zest.

Pro tip: Freeze cookie dough balls for less spread or for baking later.

Pro tip: Cut out warm baked cookies for perfect shapes. Snack on the scraps.

Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Lisa Keys

With a burst of fresh lemon flavor and melt in your mouth texture you will be baking these again and again.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course cookies and bars

Cuisine American

Servings 40 cookies

Calories 99 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 fresh Meyer lemons, zest and juice
• ¾ cups sugar
• 1 cup coconut oil, room temperature
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds plus additional for garnish

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoon meyer lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Heat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt for 30 seconds; set aside.
• In food processor, pulse grated zest of 1 Meyer lemon with the sugar until blended and fragrant. Add the coconut oil, 4 tablespoons of Meyer lemon juice, egg and vanilla; mix on low speed until well blended.
• Pour wet ingredients and poppy seeds into flour mixture; stir with a rubber spatula until well mixed. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
• Using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, drop cookie dough 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. While cookies are still warm, shape cookies with a round cutter, if desired.
• Cool on wire rack.
• Make a thick glaze of powdered sugar (1 cup) mixed with Meyer lemon juice (2 tablespoons) and ⅛th teaspoon salt. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Sprinkle with additional grated lemon zest and poppyseeds, if desired.

Notes

Meyer lemons are a bit sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons. Regular lemons or a mix of lemon and orange can be substituted for Meyer lemons.

Freeze dough balls in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet for less spread or baking for a later time. Store in air-tight container once dough balls are frozen.

Nutrition information is for 1 cookie.

Nutrition

Calories: 99kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gTrans Fat: 0.001gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 32mgPotassium: 17mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 7IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 0.4mg

Keyword Christmas, citrus, dessert, holiday, Meyer lemon, poppyseed, snack

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

For more holiday cookie recipes try cinnabun cookies or sweet maria's thumb cookies.