These soft lemon blueberry cookies are the perfect mix of zesty lemon flavour and bursts of dried blueberries in every bite. They're soft and cakey, ideal for a summer dessert or a Christmas snack and are a great twist on your homemade cookies.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Citrusy. Bursting with zesty lemon flavour like lemon shortbread cookies, these are a refreshing twist on classic homemade cookies.
Blueberry. The dried blueberries add sweet, chewy bites and compliment the lemon like my lemon blueberry oatmeal.
Soft & Chewy: If you're a fan of soft cookies like peanut butter chip chocolate chip cookies and choc mint cookies, these stay tender and pillowy for days.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Brown sugar and white sugar. These sugars work together to create a soft cookie texture. You can substitute with one or the other, but the overall consistency of your cookie will be quite different (e.g. more white sugar means a thinner, crunchier cookie)
Butter. I recommend dairy-butter for these as the lemon zest can make the cookies softer than my other ones. However, substitute with margarine or dairy-free butter if you need, but note they may end up flatter.
Lemon zest. You want to make sure only to get the zest (yellow part, not the white) without the juice as juice will change the texture of the cookies.
Lemon extract. Lemon extract intensifies the lemon flavour without adding extra liquid.
Dried blueberries. Dried blueberries won't change the texture of the cookies. You can substitute with fresh or frozen blueberries but these will change the texture due to the water content.
If you do use fresh or frozen blueberries, make sure to pat out any excess liquid as this will change the texture of the dough.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity.
How to make blueberry lemon cookies
Step 1: Beat the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
Step 2: Add the lemon extract, lemon zest, and egg, mixing until smooth.
Step 3: Gradually stir in the flour, mixing just until a soft dough forms-be careful not to overmix to keep the cookies soft.
Step 4: Gently fold in the dried blueberries, saving a few to press on top before baking.
Chill the dough for 30 minutes to help the cookies hold their shape.
I highly recommend chilling this recipe as it is slightly runnier than my other cookie recipes because of the added lemon zest.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Roll tablespoon-sized portions of dough into balls, place them on a lined baking tray, and space them a few centimetres apart. Press the reserved blueberries gently into the tops of the cookies.
Step 6: Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set but the centres remain soft. Let the cookies cool on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
If the dough is slightly thin (especially if using fresh or frozen blueberries), decrease the baking time to make sure the centre is still soft, and increase the time it's on the tray to allow the base to firm up.
My Top Tips
Lemon Zest. only grate the yellow part; avoid the white underneath as it can make the cookies bitter and alter their texture because of the juice.
Don't Overmix. Stir the flour in gently and stop as soon as the dough comes together. Overmixing will make the cookies dense instead of soft.
Make cookie dough ahead of time
Store in fridge
You can prepare the dough up to 5 days in advance. Make sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap so it's not exposed to the cold fridge as this will impact the texture.
Store in freezer
Roll the cookie dough into balls and arrange them in a single layer on a tray or plate. Freeze until firm to prevent sticking, then transfer the dough balls to a ziplock bag or airtight container. They'll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you prefer freezing the dough as one big batch, let it thaw in the fridge overnight before scooping and baking.
If freezing in already scooped balls, you can then bake the cookie dough balls straight from the freezer - just add 1-2 minutes to the baking time to allow for the colder dough.
Freezing baked cookies
Once baked, let them completely.
Then, place them in a single layer on a tray to freeze until firm, then transfer them to a ziplock bag or airtight container, layering with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
They'll stay fresh for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat, let them thaw at room temperature for 15-20 minutes or give them a quick 10-15 second zap in the microwave for that fresh-baked softness.
FAQs
Lemon and blueberry complement each other perfectly because lemon's bright, tangy citrus flavour enhances the natural sweetness of blueberries, creating a balanced, refreshing taste. The acidity in lemon also helps highlight and intensify the blueberry's flavour, making it a classic pairing in desserts like cookies, cakes, and muffins.
Yes, you can substitute fresh blueberries, but keep a few things in mind. Fresh blueberries contain more moisture, so they might make the dough a little wetter and cause the cookies to spread more while baking. To avoid this, pat the blueberries dry with a paper towel before folding them in, and gently mix them to prevent breaking. If the dough becomes too sticky, chill it for 30 minutes before baking. You might also want to reduce the baking time slightly to ensure the centres remain soft.
Other delicious sweet treats
Or, you can have a browse through my Desserts & Sweets Category for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Soft Lemon Blueberry Cookies
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Ingredients
- 115 g butter, room temperature, subs note 1
- 30 g white sugar, see note 2
- 120 g brown sugar, see note 2
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, yellow only, don't pierce juice
- 2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 egg room temperature
- 225 g flour
- 100 g dried blueberries, see note 3
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the lemon extract, lemon zest, and egg, stirring until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Slowly incorporate the flour, mixing just until a soft dough comes together-avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Fold in the dried blueberries, reserving a few for topping. Chill the dough for 30 minutes to ensure the cookies hold their shape while baking.
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough, roll into balls, and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving a bit of space between each. Press the reserved blueberries gently into the tops.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set but the centres remain soft. Cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
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