If you love lemon desserts with a little something extra, these sourdough lemon crinkle cookies are going to be a favorite. The sourdough adds just the right amount of tang to balance the bright lemon flavor, and the result is a soft, chewy cookie that’s full of fresh, citrusy goodness.

sourdough lemon crinkle cookies on a cooling rack over parchment paper.

If you love sourdough cookie recipes, you'll really enjoy these sourdough strawberries and cream cookies and these sourdough s’mores cookies. You might also like these sourdough chocolate crinkle cookies and sourdough gingerbread crinkle cookies.

Why You'll Love This Recipe!

Zingy Citrus Flavor - adding lemon juice, zest and lemon extract gives these cookies loads of zingy citrus flavor!

Soft and Chewy Texture - these cookies stay soft in the middle with lightly crisp, crinkled edges that make them extra satisfying to bite into.

Fermented Cookies - made with starter and refrigerated to firm up the dough, which gives your sourdough starter time to work it's sourdough magic and ferment the dough.

sourdough lemon crinkle cookies on a plate over a blue linen napkin.

Ingredients

Butter - use room temperature, softened butter. It creams better with sugar when softened, which adds air and helps the cookies rise slightly.
Sugar - you'll need granulated white sugar for sweetness and powdered sugar for the outside.
Egg - I've used a large egg that's 60g.
Lemon - you'll use the zest and juice from one large lemon
Lemon Extract - I love adding just a bit of lemon extract to really add bright lemon flavor to these cookies.
Sourdough Starter - you can use active starter or sourdough discard here. Either will work.
Vanilla Extract - you can use vanilla extract or vanilla paste for this recipe, it's up to you.
Baking Soda - make sure to use baking soda, not baking powder.
Cornstarch - the cornstarch helps give these cookies the perfect texture.
Salt
All Purpose Flour

How To Make Sourdough Lemon Crinkle Cookies

These sourdough lemon crinkle cookies are really easy to make, and kids love to help! my boys love rolling the balls of dough and dunking them in the powdered sugar.

Making the Cookie Dough

In a medium size bowl, cream butter and sugar together until well combined.

Now add the egg, lemon juice and zest, lemon extract, sourdough starter and vanilla extract and whisk again until mixed through. You might see that the mixture appears to curdle, don't worry, it will be ok.

Now add in the baking soda, corn starch, salt and all purpose flour and mix together to form a thick, sticky cookie dough. The dough will be a bit wetter than a regular cookie dough.

Cover the bowl of cookie dough with a plastic food cover and place into the fridge for at least 2 hours. This dough can be left in the fridge overnight to ferment with no issues.

When You're Ready to Bake

Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes at 175C (350F) or until they are crinkly and just set in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for around 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 175C (350F). Prepare two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough and gently roll them into shape with your hands (I've made my cookie dough balls 30g each). Roll the balls into the granulated sugar first and then into the powdered sugar until they are completely coated and then place onto the prepared cookie sheet.

You want to leave a space between each one as they do spread out.

Kate's Recipe Tips

By following these tips and techniques, you can create delicious sourdough crinkle cookies with perfectly crackly tops and a chewy interiors.

Chill the Dough - the dough must be chilled after mixing. This is even more important when using sourdough starter as it gives the starter time to ferment the dough. Chilled dough is much easier to roll into ball, and it helps the cookies maintain their shape and develop those iconic cracks during baking.

Use a Cookie Scoop - a good quality cookie scoop is essential for creating these cookies. The cold dough means that you'll need something very sturdy to scoop it up without bending. A cookie scoop also helps to keep the balls to a uniform size. My dough balls in this recipe are 30g each.

Double Sugar - before baking, roll the cookie dough balls generously in granulated sugar and then in powdered sugar. The sugar coating not only adds a sweet touch but also creates a textured surface that crinkles as the cookies expand during baking. Use twice as much powdered sugar as you think you need!

Monitor Baking Time - be vigilant about the baking time, as overbaking can lead to hard cookies. Bake just until the edges are set but the centers are still slightly soft. The residual heat will continue to cook the cookies after you remove them from the oven, so it's crucial not to overbake.

How To Store + Freeze

These cookies are best stored in an airtight container. I find they store best in a glass jar or cookie tin. If you need to layer them, adding a piece of parchment paper between each layer stops them from becoming too soft.

The cookie dough freezes really well. Once they've been rolled in powdered sugar, snap freeze them on a baking tray before transferring them to a freezer safe zip top bag.

When you're ready to bake, place the frozen cookie balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake them from frozen. Just add a few extra minutes to the baking time.