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Delicious Lemon Curd Cookies Recipe

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Enjoy these delicious zesty lemon curd cookies and make your day brighter!  

A tray of lemon curd cookies with confectioner's sugar and fresh lemon in the background.

With its fantastic mix of sweet and sour flavors, you will enjoy eating these cookies any time of the day. Serve them as a tasty treat alongside strawberry lime sugar cookie tarts or trail mix cookies.

Or better yet, enjoy them with iced coffee or a copycat Starbucks white chocolate iced mocha recipe for an experience straight out of a coffee shop. 

People should always make room for desserts as they’re the perfect way to cap off any meal. And, after enjoying these lemon curd cookies, you’re sure to leave the dining table with a bright smile.     

Jump to:

What is Lemon Curd Made of? 

Typically, lemon curd is made from lemon zest and juice, egg yolks, butter and sugar. When these ingredients are combined, you’re left with a luscious, deliciously tangy, and zesty custard-like mixture.

Lemon curd has a lot of uses in dishes, particularly when you want to elevate the flavors of your desserts with something bright and citrusy. It’s amazing to use on tarts, pancakes, cheesecakes and pies. 

Nutrient-wise, lemons can give you vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium and fiber. Meanwhile, egg yolks are a good source of protein and offer calcium, iron, and magnesium, among other nutrients. 

Individually, they’re great for your body. However, lemon curd also has high levels of fats and carbohydrates thanks to the sugar and butter content. 

As with all things sweet, the key is to enjoy it in moderation. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying lemon curd every once in a while, and eating lemon curd cookies is one way you can indulge in this delicious treat.    

Why are They Called Lemon Thumbprint Cookies?

These round cookies are sometimes called lemon curd thumbprint cookies because the indentation in the middle can be made by pressing a thumb down the middle of the cookie. This was the practice of some bakers before. 

Now, you can use a cookie scoop or the back of a measuring spoon to make a perfectly round indentation perfect for holding in the delicious filling. 

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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Not sure why you ought to give these buttery lemon thumbprint cookies a try? These reasons might convince you:

  • Ready in under 40 minutes: Making these cookies won’t take a whole chunk of your day. If you have an hour to spare, you will have more than enough time to create these delicious cookies.  
  • Easy to make: You will use cake mix to make the lemon cookie dough and store-bought lemon curd for this recipe, so there won’t be any overly complicated steps involved in creating the cookies. Even teens and novice bakers can try making them on their own.

Of course, you can always go ahead and make homemade lemon curd from scratch and use that for these cookies. 

  • Awesome gifts: Gifting these cookies to others is an excellent way to cheer people up. You can also wow your friends by bringing them as your contribution to afternoon tea parties or gatherings.

Looking for more lemon desserts that you can try making at home? This easy homemade lemon blueberry ice cream is a must for lemon lovers.   

🥘 Ingredients

Baking ingredients laid out on a table, labeled for a lemon curd cookies recipe.

Here are the things you will need to create these lemon thumbprints:

  • Lemon cake mix: This will be used as the base to create the cookies. 
  • Eggs: Whole eggs give you flavor and structure, giving your cookies a lovely light yellow hue. 
  • Confectioner’s sugar: This sugar gives your cookies sweetness and a beautiful snow-dusted look.
  • Lemon curd: Adding creamy lemon curd to fill the cookies will make this tasty treat even more amazing.     

See the recipe card for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.

🔀 Substitutions

Don’t have any of the required ingredients to make these cookies with lemon curd? Here is a swap you can do:

Lemon curd: If you don’t have lemon curd, feel free to use any fruit jams that you have, like blueberry, raspberry, and strawberry, as the filling.  

🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins

Here are some ways to make these cookies even more amazing:

  • Make it more citrusy: Love lemon flavors? Up the lemony goodness of the cookies by adding some lemon juice or lemon zest to the cookie dough. 
  • Make it sweeter: Put some icing on top of the cookies to give them a sweet boost. 
  • Spice it up: Adding a bit of ginger and cinnamon while making the dough can give your cookies a playful kick that complements the zesty flavors of lemon.  
  • Add some vanilla: Feel free to add vanilla extract to the dough for a warm, sweet, and aromatic note.
  • Serve without the lemon curd filling: If anyone in the family is not a big fan of lemons, opt to serve the cookies without any lemon curd in the middle or with a different fruit filling. The sugar cookies will still taste great. 

Have some leftover lemon cake mix? Try making these summer-perfect lemon cake mix cookies with frosting next.

🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools

Here are the tools you will use to make amazing cookies filled with lemon curd:

🔪 How to Make Lemon Curd Cookies

Here are the super easy steps to make these lemon curd cookies at home:

Step 1: Preheat the Oven

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Step 2: Line Baking Sheets

Next, line two baking sheets with parchment paper, then set aside for now.

Step 3: Mix the Ingredients 

In a large bowl, beat together the lemon cake mix, eggs and vegetable oil. Do this for about two minutes until smooth and completely combined into a dough.

Cookie dough in a glass mixing bowl.

Step 4: Prepare Confectioner’s Sugar

 In a separate bowl, place the confectioner’s sugar.

Then, use the 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the cookie batter. Afterward, roll them in the bowl with the confectioner’s sugar until they’re completely coated.

A ball of cookie dough placed in a bowl of confectioner's sugar.

Step 6: Put Dough on Baking Sheet

Next, place the cookie dough balls on the baking sheets. Keep them at least three inches apart, as the cookies will spread once baked.

Unbaked Lemon Curd Cookies dusted with confectioner's sugar on a parchment-lined baking tray.

Step 7: Bake the Cookies

Bake them for 10-12 minutes until the cookies turn lightly golden and spread out. Remove from the oven once done.

Baked Lemon Curd Cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Step 8: Make an Indent

While the cookies are still warm, use a teaspoon measuring spoon to press into the center of each cookie to create an indent. Then, allow them to cool for about five minutes.

Making indentations in powdered sugar-coated Lemon Curd Cookies with a measuring spoon.

Step 9: Spoon Some Lemon Curd

Next, portion about 1/2 to one teaspoon of lemon curd into each cookie indentation.

A scooping spoon adding Lemon Curd into a dusted sugar cookie cup.

Step 10: Allow Cookies to Cool 

Lastly, allow the cookies to cool completely before serving or storing them for later consumption.

A tray of lemon curd cookies with confectioner's sugar. lemon curd and fresh lemon in the background.

👩‍🍳 Pro Tips

Here are some ways to make these lemon cookies like a pro:

  • Don’t overbake the cookies, as they might become dry. 
  • You can make the cookie dough in advance and keep the dough chilled in the fridge. Then, when it’s time to create the cookies, bring it to room temperature and bake it.
  • Also, if you think the cookie dough is too wet or runny, chill it in the fridge for at least two hours. This will help firm it up for scooping and help keep it from spreading quickly. 
  • Make the lemon curd at home if you can. This will allow you to customize the flavor and texture, which premade lemon curd doesn’t offer. 

❓ Recipe FAQs

How do you store lemon curd cookies?

You can store any leftover cookies inside an airtight container, then put them inside the fridge. If you store them this way, you can enjoy them for up to a week.

Can you freeze lemon curd cookies?

Yes. After you’ve baked and cooled the cookies, don’t remove them from the baking sheet. Instead, put them in the freezer. Once frozen solid, you can just remove them from the sheet and then place them into a freezer-safe bag. You can store them in the freezer for up to two months. 

Does baked lemon curd need to be refrigerated?

Yes, because lemon curd is made with butter and eggs. You need to refrigerate it when you’re not using it for making desserts or serving it to guests.

What’s the difference between lemon curd and lemon pie filling?

The difference is both in ingredients and usage. 

Lemon pie filling, as the name implies, is mostly used for pies. It also has cornstarch or flour as an ingredient and has a gelatinous appearance.

Lemon curd, on the other hand, doesn’t have either cornstarch or flour and appears more creamy and thick. It can be used for pies, tarts, yogurts, scones, toasts, cake filling, ice cream topping, pancakes, waffles, cheesecake topping, lemon parfaits, and as a fruit dip.

🙏 Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with lemon curd cookies:

Ready to get cooking? Print off the recipe card below or toggle on Cook Mode to keep your screen from going dark while you follow along on your phone or tablet.

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📋 Recipe

A tray of powdered lemon curd cookies filled with lemon curd.

Delicious Lemon Curd Cookies Recipe

Corinne Schmitt
Make these amazing lemon curd cookies at home by following this recipe.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Cooling Time 10 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Course Cookies
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 134 kcal

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Equipment

  • 2 Baking sheets
  • Parchment paper
  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • Cookie scoop
  • Teaspoon measuring spoon

Ingredients
  

  • 1 box lemon cake mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
  • 1/2 cup lemon curd

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, then set aside for now.
  • In a large bowl, beat together the lemon cake mix, eggs and vegetable oil. Do this for about two minutes until smooth and completely combined into a dough.
    1 box lemon cake mix, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • In a separate bowl, place the confectioner's sugar.
    1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
  • Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the cookie batter. Afterward, roll them in the bowl with the confectioner's sugar until they’re completely coated.
  • Place the cookie balls on the baking sheets. Keep them at least three inches apart so they won’t spread into each other.
  • Bake them for 10-12 minutes until the cookies turn lightly golden. Remove from the oven once done.
  • Use a teaspoon measuring spoon to press into the center of each cookie to create an indent on them. Then, allow them to cool for about five minutes.
  • Portion about 1/2 to one teaspoon of lemon curd into each cookie indentation.
    1/2 cup lemon curd
  • Lastly, allow the cookies to cool completely before serving or storing them for later consumption.

Notes

Pro Tips

 
  • Don’t overbake the cookies as they might become dry. 
  • You can make the cookies in advance and keep the dough chilled in the fridge. Then, when it’s time to create the cookies, just bring it to room temperature and then bake it.
  • Also, if you think the cookie dough is too wet or runny, chill it in the fridge for at least two hours. This will help firm it up for scooping and help keep it from spreading quickly.
  • Make the lemon curd at home if you can. This will allow you to customize the flavor and texture, which premade lemon curd doesn’t offer. 
 

Recipe FAQs

 
How do you store lemon curd cookies?
You can store any leftover cookies inside an airtight container, then put them inside the fridge. If you store them this way, you can enjoy them for up to a week.
 
Can you freeze lemon curd cookies?
Yes. After you’ve baked and cooled the cookies, don’t remove them from the baking sheet. Instead, put them in the freezer. Once frozen solid, you can just remove them from the sheet and then place them into a freezer-safe bag. You can store them in the freezer for up to two months.
 
Does baked lemon curd need to be refrigerated?
Yes, because lemon curd is made with butter and eggs. You need to refrigerate it when you’re not using it for making desserts or serving it to guests.
 
What’s the difference between lemon curd and lemon pie filling?
The difference is both in ingredients and usage. 
Lemon pie filling, as the name implies, is mostly used for pies. It also has cornstarch or flour as an ingredient and has a gelatinous appearance.
Lemon curd, on the other hand, doesn’t have either cornstarch or flour and appears more creamy and thick. It can be used for pies, tarts, yogurts, scones, toasts, cake filling, ice cream topping, pancakes, waffles, cheesecake topping, lemon parfaits, and as a fruit dip.

Nutrition

Calories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 176mgPotassium: 15mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 20IUCalcium: 48mgIron: 1mg
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