Lemon Bar Butter Cookies pair lemon curd with cream-cheese dough. Each three-tablespoon scoop is coated in powdered sugar, indented, filled, and baked. The recipe makes 18 cookies in 40 minutes preparation, 30 minutes cooking, and 70 minutes total at 350°F.
Lemon Bar Butter Cookies Ingredients
Homemade Lemon Curd: 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar; 3 large egg yolks; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 2 tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 large lemons); 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice (2-3 large lemons); 1/4 cup (55g) unsalted butter, sliced into tablespoons.
Gooey Butter Cookies: 2 1/4 cups (286g) all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, room temperature; 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, room temperature; 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar; 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional but recommended); 1 cup powdered sugar for coating.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Banana Pudding Cheesecake Cones.
How to Make Lemon Bar Butter Cookies
- Make the lemon curd: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch until smooth and well combined. Then whisk in the lemon zest and juice.
- Cook the lemon curd: Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring occasionally at first but constantly toward the end. This takes about 8-10 minutes on a gas stovetop or about 20 minutes on electric. The curd is ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
- Finish and chill the curd: Remove from heat and add the butter. Stir until completely melted and combined. Pour the curd into a wide, shallow heat-proof container. Cover and refrigerate while making the cookie dough.
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and cheese: In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth and lump-free. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again.
- Add sugar and eggs: With the mixer running on medium speed, slowly pour in the sugar. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for about a minute. Then mix in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using). Scrape down the bowl and mix again until well combined.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Use a rubber spatula to incorporate any dry bits from the bottom of the bowl. The dough should be thick but sticky.
- Shape the cookies: Fill a small bowl with powdered sugar. Using a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons), scoop balls of dough directly into the powdered sugar and coat completely. Place 5 coated dough balls on your baking sheet, evenly spaced apart.
- Create indentations: Using the back of a rounded tablespoon or your thumb, press into the center of each dough ball to create a round indent for the lemon curd.
- Add lemon curd: Fill each cookie indent with a full teaspoon of the chilled lemon curd.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies have flattened and the curd is pale and bubbly. The curd will look very pale right out of the oven but will become more vibrant as the cookies cool.
- Cool and set: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Continue baking the remaining cookies in batches. Once completely cooled, refrigerate for about 15 minutes to fully set the curd.
- Final touch: Dust the edges of each cookie with any leftover powdered sugar, leaving the lemon curd in the center visible. Enjoy!
For storage details after serving, the USDA leftovers and food safety guidance.
Why the Order Matters
Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, three yolks, and one teaspoon cornstarch smooth in a saucepan, then whisk in two tablespoons zest and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until the curd coats a spoon—eight to ten minutes on gas or about 20 on electric—stirring constantly near the end. Off heat, melt in 1/4 cup sliced butter, transfer shallow, cover, and chill. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat room-temperature cream cheese with 1/2 cup butter smooth, add 1 1/2 cups sugar gradually, then one egg, one yolk, vanilla, and optional almond extract. Mix in dry ingredients only until combined. Coat three-tablespoon scoops in powdered sugar, place five per sheet, indent, fill with one teaspoon curd, and bake 10–12 minutes.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Fried Strawberry Cheesecake Sandwiches.
Critical Visual and Timing Cues
Curd needs different clock ranges for gas and electric heat, so the reliable endpoint is a coating on the back of a spoon. Stir only occasionally early but constantly as it thickens to prevent scorching. Melt butter into the curd away from heat and spread it in a wide shallow container for efficient chilling. Beat cream cheese and butter until completely lump-free, scraping the bowl before and after later additions. Cookie dough should remain thick and sticky; overmixing after flour can toughen it. Powdered sugar must cover each scoop completely. Bake only until cookies flatten and the curd looks pale and bubbly. They should still seem soft and slightly puffy rather than browned hard when removed.
Serving and Storage
Cool cookies on the sheet for about two minutes before moving them to a rack. Once completely cool, refrigerate about 15 minutes so the centers set, then dust only the edges with leftover powdered sugar. The yield is 18 cookies. Recorded nutrition is 285 calories, 42 grams carbohydrate, 12 grams fat, and four grams protein each. Butter and cream cheese contain dairy, eggs are present, and flour contains gluten. Almond extract adds a tree-nut concern if used. The cookies are vegetarian but not dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, or low-carb. Lemon curd may be prepared up to three days ahead and refrigerated.
Practical Kitchen Notes
Keep the two butter measures distinct: 1/4 cup or 55 grams finishes the curd, while 1/2 cup or 110 grams enters the dough. Curd uses three yolks; dough uses one whole egg plus one additional yolk. The dough has 2 1/4 cups or 286 grams flour, two teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, eight ounces full-fat cream cheese, and one teaspoon vanilla. Almond extract is optional at 1/2 teaspoon. Use a three-tablespoon scoop and a full teaspoon curd in every indentation. Place only five cookies on each lined sheet because they flatten and need space.
Details Worth Preserving
Bring cream cheese and dough butter to room temperature, but keep the curd chilled. Stream sugar into the moving mixer, then beat about one minute before adding eggs and extracts. Scrape the bowl as directed. After dry ingredients enter, stop promptly and use a spatula only for dry pockets. Drop sticky scoops directly into powdered sugar. Press a rounded spoon or thumb deep enough to hold curd without breaking through. Preserve the 10–12-minute bake, two-minute sheet cool, rack cool, and 15-minute chill sequence.
Recorded Recipe Tips
- These cookies combine the flavors of tangy lemon bars with the soft, gooey texture of butter cookies.
- The lemon curd can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
- For the best texture, don't overbake the cookies - they should still be soft and slightly puffy when removed from the oven.
Conclusion
Lemon Bar Butter Cookies makes 18 cookies in 70 recorded minutes. Preserve every listed quantity, temperature, timing cue, and ordered instruction for the intended result.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → How many servings does Lemon Bar Butter Cookies make?
It makes 18 cookies and serves 18.
- → How long does Lemon Bar Butter Cookies take?
The recipe records 40 minutes of preparation, 30 minutes of cooking, and 70 minutes total.
- → How do I know the lemon curd is cooked enough?
It is ready when it coats a spoon, usually after eight to ten minutes on gas or about 20 minutes on electric heat.
- → How much dough and curd go into each cookie?
Use about three tablespoons dough for each powdered-sugar-coated ball and fill its center indentation with one full teaspoon chilled curd.