Eggless Glazed Lemon Cookies

If you love bright citrus flavors, these soft eggless glazed lemon cookies are going to be your new favorite treat.

They have a gentle sweetness and a fresh lemon taste that feels light and refreshing any time of the year.

Best of all, this recipe is completely egg free. If you have an egg allergy or simply ran out of eggs at home, you can still enjoy a soft, bakery-style cookie without missing anything.

Instead of eggs, a little bit of Greek yogurt gives the dough moisture and keeps the center perfectly tender.

I love dipping them into the sweet lemon glaze at the end, which gives each bite a little extra burst of flavor.

Why You’ll Love It

Intense Citrus Flavor – Rubbing fresh lemon zest into sugar pulls out natural oils for an amazingly bright taste.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Softness – Greek yogurt replaces eggs to keep the centers plush, thick, and perfectly moist every time.

Luscious Glaze – The tangy powdered sugar icing adds a lovely sweet crunch that complements the soft base.

Tender Crumb – A touch of cornstarch creates a delicate, bakery-style texture that never turns dense or dry.

Ingredient List

For the Cookies

• 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 tbsp Lemon Zest
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 3 tbsp Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 2/3 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt

For the Glaze

• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Lemon Zest

Directions

Step 1

In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar with your fingertips for about 1 minute, until fragrant and slightly damp. This releases the lemon oils for a much brighter flavor.

Step 2

Add the butter and beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the Greek yogurt, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth.

Step 3

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low just until a soft dough forms.

Step 4

Cover and chill the dough for 30 minutes. Near the end, preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 5

Roll the dough into 1 1/2 tbsp balls, place them 2 inches apart and flatten each one slightly with your palm.

Step 6

Bake for 10-11 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden and the tops are set but still pale.

Step 7

Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The glaze sets best on fully cooled cookies.

Step 8

Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze, let the excess drip off and let set for 20 minutes. Makes about 20 cookies.

Tips

Zest Only the Yellow Skin

When you grate your lemon, make sure you only take off the bright yellow outer skin. The white layer right underneath has a very bitter taste that will ruin the sweet lemon flavor of your cookies.

I recommend rubbing the yellow zest right into the sugar with your fingers until it feels like wet sand. This draws out the natural citrus oils and makes the cookies taste fresh and bright.

Use Full-Fat Greek Yogurt

Since this is an eggless recipe, the plain Greek yogurt acts as the main binder and provides all the moisture that eggs normally give. I’ve found that full-fat Greek yogurt gives you the softest, most tender bite.

Avoid using low-fat yogurt or regular thin yogurt here. Regular yogurt has too much water in it, which can make your cookie dough too sticky to roll into clean balls.

Chill the Dough Before Baking

Do not skip chilling the dough in the fridge for the full 30 minutes. If the butter is too warm when the cookies hit the oven, they will spread out too fast into flat, greasy puddles.

Chilling gives the flour time to absorb the liquid from the yogurt and lemon juice. You will get thick cookies with nice, soft centers every single time.

Try These Next

• Eggless Creamy Lemon Bars
• Eggless French Madeleines
• Eggless Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake
• Eggless Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookies
• Eggless Zesty & Tangy Lemon Curd

Questions You Might Have

Can I use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt?

Yes, full-fat sour cream works wonderfully as a direct substitute for plain Greek yogurt in this eggless recipe.

It provides the exact same moisture and slight acidity needed to keep the cookies tender and soft without eggs.