If you’ve ever been to Maggiano’s, you’ve probably tried their lemon cookies. These small treats strike the ideal mix between sweet, tart, and soft, with just the right amount of lemony zing. And the best part? You can easily make them at home! Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just getting started, this maggianos lemon cookie recipe is both simple and tasty.
I adore how bright and refreshing these cookies are—it’s like a small burst of freshness in each bite! They’re ideal for every occasion, whether you’re throwing a party, packing lunches, or simply desiring something sweet.
So, gather your stuff and get ready to make these delicious Maggiano’s lemon cookies! I am confident that they will not disappoint you, and you will save bucks as well.
Also, try my no-brown sugar cookies and no-bake cookie dough. I guarantee you’ll love them!
Why you will love this maggianos lemon cookie recipe?
- Tastes better than the original (which is always the case because it is homemade and fresh).
- It’s quite easy to make.
- Uses common grocery ingredients.
- Perfect bite-sized cookies.
How to make a maggianos lemon cookie recipe?
Making these lemon cookies is super easy! Here’s a quick rundown of the steps:
| Sr. No. | Steps |
| 1. | Mix dry ingredients. |
| 2. | Combine wet ingredients. |
| 3. | Cream butter and sugar. |
| 4. | Add wet and dry ingredients and form dough. |
| 5. | Freeze the cookie dough. |
| 6. | Roll, cut, bake. |
| 7. | Top it up with lemon glaze (optional) and serve. |
Maggianos lemon cookie recipe ingredients
Let’s take a quick look at the ingredients to make these delicious and homemade maggianos lemon cookie.
Maggianos lemon cookie ingredients
All-purpose flour – This recipe calls for standard, simple flour. Do not substitute self-rising or cake flour.
Cornstarch – This gives our cookie a chewy texture. We’ll only use two teaspoons.
Baking powder – This functions as a leavener, allowing the cookies to rise.
Salt – You may question, “Why add salt to a sweet cookie?” Trust me—it brings out all the flavors! A sprinkling of salt balances out the sweetness and intensifies the tart lemon flavor.
Egg yolk – Use one egg yolk, making sure it is at room temperature. Eggs will keep everything together. It allows the dough to come together smoothly and contributes to its chewy texture.
Lemon juice – As the name suggests, this is the main ingredient. Lemon juice adds a little more tang and amps up the overall lemony flavor of each cookie. It also provides moisture to the dough, which keeps the cookies soft. You can use store-bought lemon juice but I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice since it delivers an intense lemon taste. I always use this lemon squeezer to squeeze lemon juice.
Lemon zest – This is an essential element in our recipe. Lemon zest gives these cookies a refreshing, zesty zing that tastes like sunshine in a bite. It’s crucial for the bright lemon flavor!
Vanilla extract – Since they are lemon cookies, I recommend adding a small amount of vanilla extract to balance the flavors. Use either pure extract or a vanilla imitation. It is acceptable to use vanilla paste, but it is unnecessary in my opinion, and it is also expensive.
Unsalted butter – I always use unsalted butter in my dessert recipes so that I can manage the salt content. If you don’t have it on hand, substitute salted butter. Also, ensure that the butter is at room temperature.
Sugar – To sweeten the cookies, use standard granulated sugar or caster sugar, which will produce soft cookies.
Lemon glaze ingredients
- Icing sugar – Whether you call it icing sugar, confectioners sugar, or powdered sugar, all are the same. Buy from any grocery store and make homemade icing sugar.
- Lemon juice – As the name suggests, this is the star ingredient of our recipe. You can use store-bought lemon juice but I would recommend using fresh lemon juice for intense lemon flavors.
- Milk – You use either full fat or 2% milk, whichever is available at your home. For a dairy-free version, use water instead.
Check my easy lemon glaze recipe for more details.
Any substitute?
Plain glaze (for dipping) – Simply exclude the lemon juice from the lemon glaze recipe and prepare the basic glaze.
Gluten-free – Replace ordinary flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. However, omit cornstarch from the recipe. Also, make sure it contains xanthan gum to improve texture. The cookies might be softer, but they’re still tasty!
Sugar-free – Replace ordinary sugar with a 1:1 monk-fruit sweetener.
Dairy-free – Replace conventional butter and milk with dairy-free alternatives.
Tools needed
- Mixing bowl – For mixing and making the cookie dough, lemon glaze.
- Measuring cups/spoons – To measure ingredients.
- Weighing scale – Again to measure ingredients.
- Rolling pin – To roll the cookie dough.
- Hand blender – To mix the cookie dough.
- Cookie sheet – To bake cookies.
- Parchment paper – To line up the cookie sheet.
- Wire rack – To cool down cookies.
- Round cookie cutter (small) – To shape cookies.
Maggianos lemon cookie (step-by-step) recipe
Vera’s lemon cookies recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Also, line the cookie sheet with parchment paper or a reusable silicon sheet.
- In a mixing bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add lemon zest and mix until well combined.
- In another medium bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients (egg yolk, yogurt, lemon juice, yellow food coloring).
- Using a whisk, mix together all of the wet ingredients. Keep aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine unsalted butter and sugar. Use a hand beater or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat until light and fluffy.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture and beat until well combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients and gently fold until the cookie dough is formed.
- Transfer the cookie batter to a plastic wrap. Cover the dough and chill for at least two hours.
- After 2 hours, roll out the cookie dough until it is 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut the cookie with a round cutter.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet and chill for ten minutes.
- After chilling, bake in a preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are brown.
- Cool the cookies and serve.
Lemon glaze recipe (optional)
Combine the sifted icing sugar, milk, and lemon juice. Mix everything until it is smooth. Check out my easy lemon glaze recipe for more information.
Assemble (optional)
Dip the top of each Maggiano’s lemon cookie in the lemon icing and place it on parchment paper.
Allow the glaze to dry completely.
Serve, and enjoy!
Watch me making (video)
Storing and freezing instructions for maggianos lemon cookie recipe
Leftover cookies can be stored at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or frozen.
Storing instructions
Allow the cookies to cool fully. Once cooled, keep in an airtight container. If you’re stacking cookies, place parchment paper between them to prevent them from sticking together.
To extend the shelf life, store them at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Room Temperature – They stay on for up to 3 to 4 days.
In the refrigerator – They stay on for up to a week.
Freezing instructions
These cookies freeze well, just like any other cookie. So make a large batch and enjoy it whenever you want. Follow the steps below to freeze the cookies.
- Line the cookies – Place all of the cooled cookies on a baking sheet.
- Freeze – Freeze the cookies by placing the baking sheet in the freezer for at least two hours.
- Transfer – Once firm, place the cookies in an airtight container or freezer-friendly Ziplock bag.
- Label – Finally, write the date on the Ziplock so you know when you need to devour the cookies.
In the freezer – They stay on for up to 2 months.
Thawing instructions
To eat the lemon cookies, thaw them at room temperature for 30 minutes. Simply pull it out and place it on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes, and you’re done. If you are in a rush and cannot wait, simply microwave it for 10 to 15 seconds. The warm maggianos lemon cookie is ready to be eaten!
Variations
Make the recipe as mentioned here to make an exact copycat of maggianos lemon cookie recipe. But in case, if you want to try out some other topping, here are some of the alternatives I have tried in the past.
- Icing sugar – Top it up with just plain icing sugar instead of lemon glaze.
- Melted white chocolate – Drizzle some melted white chocolate over warm biscuits. It pairs perfectly with a zesty lemon flavor.
- Cream cheese glaze – Dip the lemon cookies into the luscious cream cheese icing and serve. Cream cheese, like red velvet cake, goes great with lemon-flavored sweets.
- Plain glaze – Just as previously stated, dip the cookies in plain glaze. This will lessen the lemon flavor in cookies, resulting in a balance of zesty and sweet flavors.
- Sugar crystals – Just sprinkle some sparkling sugar on top. Just make sure the cookie is covered with any glaze so that the sparkling sugar will stick to it.
- Nuts – Want a little crunch? add chopped pistachios or almonds while making the cookie dough.
- Lemon zest – Along with the lemon zest added in cookie dough, sprinkle some lemon zest on top of glazed maggianos lemon cookies.
Feel free to mix and match any of the above toppings. Which one will you choose? Please let me know in the comments below.
Pro tips to make maggianos lemon cookie recipe
- Measure ingredients – Always measure the ingredients rather than eyeballing them; otherwise, the results will change. For example, if you use too much flour, the cookies will be hard owing to the excess gluten. I always use my weighing scale to measure ingredients, and the cookies turn out great every time. Or, if you use too much liquid, the cookies will spread out.
- Room temperature ingredients – Use room temperature ingredients, particularly butter and eggs. It blends well with the rest of the ingredients without overmixing.
- Do not overmix – When mixing the cookie dough, exercise caution! Overmixing might result in dense cookies. Stir until the ingredients are barely combined.
FAQ’s
I know you have a few questions before you start baking these wonderful lemon cookies, so let’s go over them.
How do I make these cookies more lemony? Try adding some more lemon zest or extract. However, don’t use too much liquid because it will alter the cookie texture.
Can I add any mix-ins to the dough? Yes, of course. I’ve recommended multiple variations for these Maggiano’s lemon cookies.
How do I know when the cookies are done? You must constantly be examining the cookie edges. The cookies are ready when they are golden around the edges but soft in the interior. Take them out when they’ve just turned golden brown; otherwise, they’ll be too crispy. So keep a watch on them and pull them out just in time for that perfectly soft and chewy bite!
If you have any further questions, please feel free to drop a comment below and I will be happy to answer them :).
Want to try some other copycat recipes?
Let me know what you think!
I’d love to hear what you think of these maggianos lemon cookies! Have you tried the recipe?
Maybe you’ve put your own twist on it – added a little extra zest or swapped in a different ingredient? Whatever it is, drop a comment below and let me know how it turned out! I am excited to know and your feedback matters a lot!
if you have any questions or need more tips, feel free to ask – I’m here to help! If you post on Instagram, tag @Dessertkatta or use #Dessertkatta as the hashtag.
Recipe card
Famous maggianos lemon cookie recipe (copycat)
Description
These maggianos lemon cookie recipe is the ultimate treat for any lemon lovers. Make them right away and add this cookie recipe to your to-go cookie recipe collection.
Ingredients
Recipe
Vera's lemon cookies recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Also, line the cookie sheet with parchment paper or a reusable silicon sheet.
- In a mixing bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add lemon zest and mix until well combined.
- In another medium bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients (egg yolk, yogurt, lemon juice, yellow food coloring).
- Using a whisk, mix together all of the wet ingredients. Keep aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine unsalted butter and sugar. Use a hand beater or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat until light and fluffy.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture and beat until well combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients and gently fold until the cookie dough is formed.
- Transfer the cookie batter to a plastic wrap. Cover the dough and chill for at least two hours.
- After 2 hours, roll out the cookie dough until it is 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut the cookie with a round cutter.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet and chill for ten minutes.
- After chilling, bake in a preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are brown.
- Cool the cookies and serve.
Lemon glaze recipe
Combine the sifted icing sugar, milk, and lemon juice. Mix everything until it is smooth. Check out my easy lemon glaze recipe for more information.
Assemble
Dip the top of each Maggiano's lemon cookie in the lemon icing and place it on parchment paper.
- Allow the glaze to dry completely.
- In another medium bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients (egg yolk, yogurt, lemon juice, yellow food coloring).
- Serve, and enjoy!
