Lemon Blueberry Cookies are so soft and chewy! This recipe is sweet, tart and tangy and bursting with blueberries. They are the perfect cookie for warm weather or for when you are dreaming of warm weather. They are fun and unique and great for entertaining!
These are most popular during the summer, but are the perfect way to add sunshine in the depths of winter. Better than Starbucks, they are lemon and blueberry together in cookie form.
This was inspired by my Lemon Cookies and Strawberry Lemon Cookies. It would go great at a summer gathering paired with our Creamy Lemonade and Blackberry Tart.
For another blueberry treat, try our chocolate covered blueberries. For another tasty lemon treat try this Lemon Poke Cake.
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Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients needed for this recipe. Follow our tips on each ingredient for best results
- butter - I used regular salted butter
- sugar - granulated white sugar only for this recipe to highlight the lemon and blueberry flavors
- lemon zest - from fresh lemons. I use a microplane to get the most zest quickly
- lemon juice - fresh is best, but you can use bottled if you need a little more or are in a pinch
- vanilla - we always recommend pure vanilla, but this is a recipe where the vanilla flavor isn't highlighted and imitation vanilla would work fine
- flour - regular all-purpose flour, bleached or unbleached
- baking soda - helps the cookies rise and spread
- baking powder - helps the cookies rise and not spread too much since they have a more wet dough
- salt - regular table salt
- blueberries - we used fresh but you could absolutely use freeze dried for this recipe
- white chocolate chips - these were delicious without the white chips, but 5 out of 6 taste testers preferred the cookies with white chips.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cookies
Use these process shots to help get the results you are wanting. The pictures can help with texture and be a visual guide for best results.
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Zest and juice the lemons. I highly recommend using a microplane to zest the lemon fo the best results. Chop white chocolate, if applicable.
2. Use your fingers to mix together the lemon zest and sugar together. This helps the lemon flavor really pop!
3. Beat the butter and lemon sugar together on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, eggs and vanilla and beat an additional minute until well combined.
4. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix on low only until just combined. It's okay if there is still a small amount of flour not mixed in. Add the blueberries and the white chocolate chips and stir in by hand with a spatula until combined. You can use an electric mixer, but many of the blueberries will burst.
5. Place cookie dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Dough balls should be about 1.5 Tablespoons. Bake for 10 minutes, only until the tops are matte and the edges are set. Don't wait for the lemon blueberry cookies to turn golden or they will be dry and crumbly. You can make bigger or smaller, but adjust the baking times!
Hint: After adding the blueberries, don't use a hand mixer or the blueberries will burst!
Learn From Us
You'll notice this recipe doesn't call for lemon extract, as I don't prefer the slightly fake taste it gives. I tested and tested this recipe to get the perfect lemon cookie full of that tart lemon flavor without having to use lemon extract. You'll find this cookie is full of lemon flavor!
Substitutions and Variations
We love switching things up when we're in the kitchen. Try any of these variations for something a little different.
- Frozen blueberries, dried blueberries, freeze dried blueberries and blueberry tidbits - These can all be used instead of fresh blueberries. They will not taste the same and the frozen ones will turn your cookies purple, but they are all options.
- Key Lime - if you prefer a blueberry lime, we do not recommend using regular limes, the flavor is just not very good in these cookies. However, key lime juice is okay (but we prefer lemon).
- Raspberry or Blackberry - if you like lemon raspberry, you can absolutely use raspberries in this cookie. We highly recommend using freeze dried at a 1:1 substitution. We do not recommend using fresh or frozen raspberries in this recipe. For Blackberries use fresh or freeze dried at 1:1
- With Lemon Glaze - mix together 1 Tablespoon lemon juice with ½ cup powdered sugar and drizzle over the top for a tart lemon glaze and an extra pop of flavor!
Try our yummy Strawberry Lemon Cookies!
Tips and Tricks
I have made these cookies many times and have discovered little tricks to make them perfectly. Follow these tried and true tips to get the best results.
- Use fresh lemons! For that punch of lemon flavor and that fresh lemony taste, use lemons and not bottled lemon juice. If you find that you need a little extra lemon juice to make the ½ cup, it's okay to add a little lemon juice concentrate in.
- Don't over mix the dough! Follow the directions for mixing carefully and be careful not to over mix once the dry ingredients are added in. Over mixing will make the cookies tough and crumbly instead of soft and chewy.
- Don't over bake - if your cookies are dry and/ or crumbly or crisp, they are likely over baked. These cookies are done as soon as the tops are set and the edges are matte. Don't wait for the edges to turn golden.
Storing Lemon Blueberry Cookies
Store at room temperature for 3 days. If you live in a dry climate, store them in a container that isn't quite air tight. The blueberries can make them mushy. If you live in a humid climate, cover them with a tea or other towel. These lemon blueberry cookies are super soft and don't dry out easily.
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. These freeze great and are super soft when thawed.
Top tip
Mixing the lemon zest in with the sugar really helps bring out that delicious lemon flavor. The easiest way to do this is to massage the lemon zest into the sugar, but you can also use a food processor.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve them with:
Recipe
Lemon Blueberry Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- zest from 2 lemons
- ⅔ cup butter softened, I used salted
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup lemon juice fresh squeezed, about 3 lemons worth
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups blueberries
- ¾ cup white chocolate chunks chopped (regular white chips also work)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Zest and juice lemons.
- In the bowl of stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, place the sugar and lemon zest and massage together with your fingers. Add the softened butter and beat on high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla and lemon juice and beat one more minute, until well mixed.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix only until just barely combined. Add the blueberries and chopped white chocolate and mix by hand with a spatula until combined. If you use an electric mixer, the blueberries will burst.
- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes until the edges are set and the tops have turned matte. Allow to cool on the pan (they will finish baking) for 5-10 minutes, then remove and place on a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use a microplane to zest the lemons more easily and get more out of them. I also love using a citrus juicer to get the maximum amount of juice out of my lemons
- Be careful not to over mix after adding the dry ingredients or they will end up tough and crumbly.
- Make sure to not over bake! For the softest chewiest cookies, remove from the oven when the tops are matte and the edges are set. Do not wait for these cookies to turn golden or they will be dry and crumbly.
- Store at room temperature for 2-3 days. These cookies are very soft and the blueberries can make them mushy, so storing in an airtight container is not recommended. If you live in a dry climate, store in a closed but not air tight container. If you live in humidity, simply cover with a towel on the counter (I like to place mine on a tea towel, then drape another tea towel over the top.
- These freeze great! Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Eat partially frozen (yum!) or allow to come to room temperature in the open air so they don't get mushy.
- You can use frozen blueberries, but they will likely turn your cookies purple.
Nicole
These Lemon Blueberry Cookies are so yummy. We loved how tart and tangy and chewy they were and the burst of blueberries. So good. We shared some with friends and they said they tasted like lemon blueberry muffin tops and I agree!