Lemon Raspberry Cookies are soft, fluffy, buttery, and bursting with the flavors of fresh lemon and raspberries. Fun and incredibly easy to make, this delicious Lemon Cookie Recipe will vanish before your very eyes!
Lemon recipes are in constant rotation at my house and include Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze, Ginger Honey Lemon Chicken, and Easy Lemon Bars.
If you ask me, cookies are always a terrific idea. I am a self-diagnosed cookie addict, so this makes total sense. But these soft, fluffy, cake-like Lemon Raspberry Cookies? Something about them makes me want to dance, or sing, or run through a field of flowers.
A sweet buttery cookie light and fresh from the zing of fresh lemon juice and zest, these cookies are perfectly complemented by the tart and fruity raspberries. Butter, lemon, raspberries, sugar- all equal in flavor.
This is a cookie recipe you will find yourself making over and over.
INGREDIENTS IN LEMON RASPBERRY COOKIES
- butter
- sugar
- vanilla extract (preferably good stuff)
- egg
- lemon juice (only)
- lemon zest
- baking soda
- baking powder
- all-purpose flour
- frozen raspberries
Like most cookies, the ingredients are not complicated. But, for this raspberry lemon cookie recipe, you will not find pre-made cake or cookie mix, lemon juice concentrate, or butter substitutes.
They’re what I call a “clean” cookie. Obviously, they’re not healthy. We all know that cookies are not healthy. BUT, they’re made with basic, classic-cookie, ingredients.
FRESH VS. FROZEN RASPBERRIES?
You can make these cookies one of two ways-
- So they’re (hopefully) pretty.
- Or, to look however they turn out.
In other words, when it comes time to fold in the raspberries (more on that below) things can get…messy. And they can get messy fast.
So, when you make these lemon raspberry cookies, just take note that frozen raspberries typically result in prettier cookies. After all the raspberries are, well, frozen, and are less likely to get mashed together immediately.
As far as taste is concerned, they taste the same.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST RASPBERRY LEMON COOKIES
Ok, dear readers, this is the most important part of this whole post. So if you haven’t skipped past everything (yet), it’s best not to start now.
- This lemon cookie recipe works best as a drop cookie. Scoop and plop, that’s the way you do it.
- Do not try to roll these beauties into balls. The batter is far too sticky.
- Be prepared. Before you even START making the cookies, preheat the oven and line your baking sheets.
- Only when the oven is ready, baking sheets prepped, batter mixed, can you remove the raspberries from the freezer and add them to the mix.
- Very gently fold the raspberries into the batter. It does not have to be perfectly mixed (unless you want that).
- Store remaining batter in the refrigerator until the first round of cookies have been baked, cooled, and removed from the baking sheet.
- I do not recommend making double or triple batches of this recipe at one time UNLESS you divide the batter into separate bowls and store each individual bowl in the refrigerator (without the raspberries) until ready to bake.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO MAKE LEMON RASPBERRY COOKIES
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment paper or Silpat
- Cookie scoop
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY THESE OTHER RASPBERRY AND LEMON RECIPES
- Lemonade and Fruit Popsicles
- Berry Cups with Lemon Cake and Honey Lemon Yogurt Mascarpone Cream
- Raspberry Banana White Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Raspberry Almond Overnight Oats
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Raspberry Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter - softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg - at room temperature
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 lemon zested - zested
- 1 lemon - juiced
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1.5 cup frozen raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium power until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes). On low, add the vanilla extract, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the bowl and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when needed.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the baking powder, baking soda and flour.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until just combined. Use a rubber spatula or wood spoon and mix in the frozen raspberries (do not overmix!)
- Using a cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet (approximately 1 heaping tablespoon). The dough is extremely sticky so it is much more difficult, messy and time consuming to use a spoon, so use a scooper if you have one 🙂 Bake for approximately 14-16 minutes or until they are no longer shiny on the top and just starting to brown around the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- While the first sheet of cookies are baking, place the second half of cookie dough in the fridge to prevent the raspberries from thawing completely.
- Recipe adapted from Bake. Eat. Repeat.
Nutrition
Has anyone tried these without parchment paper on an air layered cookie sheet?
Hi Carol,
I try to always use parchment paper… but if you don’t have any and are in a pinch for time, a quick google search states aluminum foil with a non-stick spray could be used… I hope that helps 🙂
When I first saw the directions, I thought…”Good grief”. But I went ahead and read everything and so glad you told all. It made making them certainly easier , knowing. Thank you so much for the time you took in informing everyone. They are wonderful. I’m making this my favorite cookie recipe. Merry Christmas to you!!
Do you think you could make the dough ahead of time and freeze until ready to bake?
Hello Helen,
While I have not tried to freeze this dough until ready to bake, I think it will probably work – but I can’t guarantee it as I have not tried this before.
These cookies are very good. I am thinking about making them again, but adding white chocolate chips. Is there any reason this would not be advisable?
Hi Sue,
I don’t see why adding chocolate chips would be unadvisable – good luck! 🙂
I am wondering if i can freeze these as i will be shipping them? By the way they are amazing!
Thanks
Hi Angie,
Freezing these lemon raspberry cookies should be fine. While I have never shipped them, I would be sure to ship them overnight as you don’t know what temperatures they will be exposed to while in transit.
These look great! Few questions, Do you thaw the raspberries before adding? If you thaw them first, do you drain the juice off? Would these freeze well? Thanks!
Well I saw the note about putting the dough into the refrigerator to keep berries from thawing in the dough, sorry I missed that when posting the original comment.
Hi , we made these and loved loved loved them. A huge it at our event. Have you ever made them with a different berry or citrus? I was thinking of doing a blueberry orange cookie with the same base ingredients.
Thanks.
Hi Angie,
I have not tried making this cookie with a different berry or citrus – but it does sound good!
How long do these cookies stay fresh for? I’m looking to make them ahead for a party. Thanks!
Hi Emily,
For these cookies, they are really best within 24 hours, as there no preservatives in them. I would keep them stored in the refrigerator.
What’s the best way to store these cookies? With the raspberry in it should they be refrigerated?
Hi Alisha,
I recommend putting them in an airtight container/bag in the refrigerator.
I’m excited to make these for an office birthday!
How many cookies are in a “serving”?
This recipe makes 18 cookies – I updated the recipe card to better reflect that.
Thanks!
I love, love, love the combination of lemon and raspberry together, especially during the summer and in a cookie too? Oh man, I’m in heaven! #addictedtocookies
I love the pretty mottled effect on these cookies and raspberry and lemon always works so well together. Thanks for the recipe. Shared.
Oh wow!!! these lemon raspberry cookies are the best cookies I’ve seen all day!! So chewy and gooey!! I need this in my life!!
These cookies look stunning! Thanks for all the tips. I would have ended up with delicious but not very pretty cookies.
Raspberries are in season now so I will be giving these cookies a go! They look perfect! 🙂
Lemon and raspberry is such a gorgeous combo, I’ve never thought of combining them in a cookie. After reading this I’m definitely going to give it a go!!! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! Do you need to use all the lemon peel for the zest?
Hi Ricki! Yes, I zest the entire lemon. Hope that helps 🙂
Do the raspberries have to be frozen?
Hi Ricki! I have only made these cookies with frozen raspberries; that said, I can’t see why that wouldn’t turn out just as amazing with fresh raspberries. The most important thing is not to overmix the batter once the raspberries have been added 🙂