Lemon Blueberry Cookies are soft, chewy, and bursting with bright lemon flavor and juicy blueberries in every bite. Imagine biting into a cookie where the tangy lemon wakes up your taste buds, and the sweet blueberries add a pop of freshness—it’s like a little burst of sunshine in cookie form!
These easy homemade cookies are perfect for casual gatherings, afternoon snacks, or whenever you need a little sweet treat. If you love lemon bars and blueberry turnovers, you’ll be obsessed with these cookies like we are!
Jump to:
Why I love this recipe (and you will, too!)
- Bursting with Flavor: Like my Blueberry Bread with Lemon Glaze, Blueberry Thumbprint Cookies with Lemon Glaze, and Lemon Blueberry Icebox Cake, these decadent lemon blueberry cookies combine tangy lemon with sweet blueberries to create a refreshing, vibrant, and satisfying taste.
- Soft and Chewy Texture: These cookies boast a tender, melt-in-your-mouth consistency, making them irresistible.
- Simple to Make: This easy lemon blueberry cookie recipe requires simple pantry ingredients. It can be made in about 30 minutes, and the dough does not need to be chilled.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Below are my ingredient notes (including substitutions) for the main ingredients. The recipe card below provides a complete list of all ingredients and measurements.
- All-purpose flour: Provides the base for the cookie dough. To make a gluten-free version, substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Lemon zest and juice: Fresh lemons are essential for that bright, zesty flavor. I don’t recommend using bottled lemon juice; fresh is best.
- Unsalted butter: Gives richness to the cookies. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt in the recipe by half.
- Fresh blueberries: Provide bursts of sweetness and color. If fresh blueberries are out of season, frozen wild blueberries can be used.
How to make this recipe for Lemon Blueberry Cookies
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Infuse sugar with lemon: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons lemon zest. Mix on high speed for 2 minutes to release the oils from the zest and infuse the sugar with lemon flavor.
- Cream butter and sugars: Add 1 cup softened unsalted butter to the lemon-sugar mixture. Continue mixing until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Incorporate eggs and flavorings: Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract until well combined.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing to ensure tender cookies.
- Fold in blueberries: Gently fold in 1⅓ cups fresh blueberries using a soft silicone spatula, being careful not to crush them. It’s okay if a few break; they’ll add a nice color to the dough.
- Scoop and bake: Using a medium (2-tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers appear set.
- Let the cookies cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Serving and menu suggestions
- These lemon blueberry cookies are perfect on their own, but for an extra indulgence, consider pairing them with a scoop of Meyer lemon ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
- For a fun twist, I like to make them into ice cream sandwiches by stuffing a scoop of softened vanilla ice cream between two cookies, pressing them together, and freezing them.
- They are also excellent with a cup of hot tea or coffee. For a delicious snack, serve them with a glass of sweet tea or lemonade.
- And, while they aren’t breakfast cookies, they make a quick on-the-go breakfast treat in a pinch!
Recipe variations
- Drizzle a simple lemon glaze over the cooled cookies for added sweetness and a burst of citrus flavor. Mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice until smooth, then drizzle over the cookies.
- Add half a cup of white chocolate chips to the dough for a creamy sweetness that complements the lemon’s tartness.
How to store
- Any leftover lemon blueberry cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use frozen blueberries?
You can use frozen blueberries, but make sure they are wild; regular blueberries have too much moisture. To minimize color bleeding and excess moisture, toss them with a small amount of flour and add them to the dough straight from the freezer. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 335°F and bake the cookies for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Absolutely! In fact, this dough loves a little beauty rest in the fridge. Just mix it up (minus the blueberries) and stash it for up to 48 hours. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it come to room temperature, then add the berries when you’re ready to bake.
Why did my cookies flatten out and spread too much?
Your dough was most likely too warm. If your kitchen is warm, chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking the cookies.
Top tips to ensure this recipe turns out perfectly
- Make sure the blueberries are completely dry before adding them to the cookie dough.
- Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled when the eggs are added. Once the flour is added, the dough will look like normal cookie dough.
- When measuring your flour, be sure to use the spoon-and-level method. This involves spooning the flour into a dry measuring cup and leveling it off with the straight edge of a knife before adding it to the other ingredients.
- Because of the amount of butter in this recipe, your cookies will spread, so be sure to space them a minimum of 2 inches apart when placing them on the baking sheet.
- Want perfectly round cookies? Right after baking, place a glass (rim slightly larger than the cookie) over it and gently swirl in a circular motion. This helps shape the edges evenly. Let the cookies rest for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
More easy cookie recipes
⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ Did you try these Lemon Blueberry Cookies? I’d love to hear how they turned out for you! Did you add a twist—maybe a sprinkle of cinnamon or a drizzle of lemon glaze?
Please leave a comment below—I read every single one—and remember to leave a star rating. Your feedback not only makes my day but also helps others perfect this recipe. Let’s chat all things cookies!
Thanks for stopping by Grits and Pinecones! Your visit means the world to me. I hope you’ll swing back soon for more Southern-inspired goodness. 💛
📋 Recipe:
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Grits and Pinecones.
Lemon Blueberry Cookies Recipe (Soft and Chewy)
These soft and chewy lemon blueberry cookies are the ultimate homemade treat! Bursting with flavor, they’re simple to make from scratch with fresh blueberries and zesty lemon.
Equipment
- 2 cookie sheets
- parchment paper
- medium cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brown sugar lightly packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest, about 2 medium lemons
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together two and one-half cups of all-purpose flour, one teaspoon of cornstarch, one teaspoon of baking powder, one-half teaspoon of baking soda, and one-half teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine one cup of lightly packed brown sugar, one-half cup of granulated sugar, and two tablespoons of lemon zest. Mix on high speed for 2 minutes to release the oils from the zest and infuse the sugar with lemon flavor.
- Add one cup of softened unsalted butter to the lemon-sugar mixture. Continue mixing until light and fluffy, about two minutes.
- Add two eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in one tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice and two teaspoons of pure vanilla extract until well combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing to ensure tender cookies.
- Gently fold in the fresh blueberries using a soft silicone spatula, being careful not to crush them. It's okay if a few break; they'll add a nice color to the dough.
- Using a medium (2-tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least two inches apart.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers appear set.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for five minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Make sure the blueberries are completely dry before adding them to the cookie dough.
Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled when the eggs are added. Once the flour is added, the dough will look like regular cookie dough.
When measuring your flour, use the spoon-and-level method. This involves spooning the flour into a dry measuring cup and leveling it off with the straight edge of a knife before adding it to the other ingredients.
Because of the amount of butter in this recipe, your cookies will spread, so be sure to space them a minimum of 2 inches apart when placing them on the baking sheet. Also, if your kitchen is warm, you might want to chill the dough for 30 minutes to prevent it from spreading too much.
Want perfectly round cookies? Right after baking, place a glass (with a rim slightly larger than the cookie) over it and gently swirl it in a circular motion. This helps shape the edges evenly. Let the cookies rest for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
Any leftover lemon blueberry cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 168kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 81mgPotassium: 56mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 261IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Tag me today! Mention @gritspinecones or tag #gritspinecones!
Sharon Rigsby
These soft and chewy cookies are quick and easy to make from scratch and are perfect for any occasion.