Soft Lemon Raspberry Cookies (Printable version)

Soft, buttery cookies loaded with fresh raspberries and bright lemon zest. Perfectly sweet and citrusy treats ready in under 35 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
05 - 1 tsp lemon zest
06 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - ½ tsp baking powder
09 - ¼ tsp baking soda
10 - ¼ tsp salt

→ Mix-Ins

11 - ⅔ cup fresh raspberries, halved if large

→ Optional Topping

12 - 2 tbsp coarse sugar or powdered sugar for dusting

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
03 - Beat in the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until well combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined; do not overmix.
06 - Gently fold in the raspberries, trying to keep them as whole as possible.
07 - Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
08 - Sprinkle with coarse sugar or dust lightly with powdered sugar before baking, if desired.
09 - Bake for 11–13 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden. The centers should remain soft.
10 - Allow cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • These cookies strike that perfect balance between tart and sweet without being too sugary
  • The texture is incredibly soft, almost like little cakes, with bursts of juicy raspberry
  • They come together quickly and always make people smile when they see the pretty pink speckles
02 -
  • Overmixing the dough will make these tough, stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • Room temperature ingredients make a huge difference in how the dough comes together
  • Frozen raspberries work fine but add them straight from the freezer, do not thaw first
03 -
  • Zest your lemons before juicing them, it is so much easier that way
  • Pat your raspberries dry if they are very wet to prevent soggy cookies

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