These iced Italian Lemon Drop Cookies, also known as Anginetti, are the perfect sweet treat. They are topped with sprinkles on a simple lemon glaze and have a refreshing lemon flavor. They are great for Easter, Christmas, weddings, or any time you need a delicious cookie dessert!
These zesty and zingy Italian Lemon Drop Cookies are one of my favorite sweet treats. They're super easy to make and taste incredible.
Combining the refreshing flavor of lemon into desserts is always a good idea, especially in cookie form!
Italian lemon drop cookies are a type of cookie that is popular in Italy and the United States. They are usually made with lemon or almond flavorings and are often decorated with a glaze or icing and topped with sprinkles.
What makes these cookies so special is their unique shape and delicate flavor. Anginetti cookies are typically round with a flattened bottom, and they are covered in a lemon or orange glaze. Some are formed into a knot shape.
If you're looking for a delicious and unique cookie recipe, then these Lemon Drop Cookies are the perfect recipe to try. They're made with simple ingredients and are great to bring to a spring potluck or Easter holiday brunch!
Enjoy with Italian pignoli cookies for more taste of Italy! Or try these Christmas Cookies From Around The World.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
These cookies have a light and refreshing lemon flavor that is perfect for spring.
They are made with simple baking ingredients you can find anywhere.
You can bring them to an Easter celebration or serve them at a wedding.
Decorate them with sprinkles or toppings to match the occasion! Choose any color sprinkles to match your occasion's decor.
Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar - Sweetens up the base of these lemon cookies.
- Butter - Adds a rich buttery flavor and moist and dense texture to the cookies.
- Eggs - Binds the ingredients together helping them set while baking.
- Lemon Extract - Adds a refreshing lemon flavor to the base of the cookies.
- All-Purpose Flour - The main dry ingredient, flour gives structure to the cookies when mixed in with the rest of the ingredients.
- Baking Powder - Gives the Anginetti cookies a rise in the oven when baked.
- Salt - Helps activate the baking powder and gives the sweet flavor a bit of contrast.
For the lemon glaze
- Powdered Confectioner's Sugar - Sweetens up the base of the glaze and also gives it a thick texture.
- Milk - Thins out the sugar making it easy to drizzle on top of the cookies.
- Lemon Extract - Adds a complementary lemon flavor to the glaze.
- Sprinkles - Adds a fun colorful topping to the cookies. You can use any sprinkles or decorations you enjoy, but traditionally they will be nonpareils, the small colorful round balls.
Please see the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Wondering how to make this Lemon Drop Cookies recipe? It's easy! Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then, scroll down for the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.
Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with baking parchment paper. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar: Cream sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl, with an electric hand mixer until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and lemon extract until fully combined.
Add the dry ingredients and chill: To the bowl with the wet ingredients, sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir to combine into a smooth dough. It will be slightly sticky. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
Assemble and bake: Drop small cookie scoops of the dough (or roll heaped teaspoonfuls into balls) onto a cookie sheet 2-inches apart, and bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes until set but not browned. Once fully baked, transfer the lemon drop cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze and serve: While the cookies are cooling, make the glaze by stirring all of the ingredients together until a smooth icing is formed. Once the cookies are completely cooled, frost the tops and add sprinkles before it dries before serving and enjoying.
Top tips
When mixing the wet and dry ingredients together, be careful not to overwork the cookie dough as this will result in tough cookies.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before adding the glaze as this will help it set better and not melt off.
When adding sprinkles, make sure you add them quickly after the glaze before it dries to ensure they stick properly.
Chilling the dough before baking is important as it helps the cookies keep their shape and prevents them from spreading too much in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
Serve inside this Italian Easter Egg Bread for a beautiful presentation.
Pairs well with these Chocolate Easter Egg Nests for a springtime dessert.
Serve as part of a Vegan Afternoon Tea celebration.
Makes a great addition to a Breakfast Pancake Board.
Variations
Instead of using the lemon extract for the cookies, try another citrus extract such as orange, lime, or grapefruit.
For a different look, omit the lemon glaze and sprinkle with powdered sugar instead.
You could also dip the cookies in melted chocolate for a delicious lemon cookie treat. White chocolate is my favorite!
You can use any sprinkles, but traditionally it will be nonpareils, the small colorful round balls.
For even more lemon flavor, add the zest of one lemon to the cookie dough.
Storage
Storing: To store, lemon drop cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up one week.
Freezing: Lemon drop cookies can be frozen by either freezing the dough or the baked and unglazed cookies. To freeze the dough, form it into a disc, wrap in cling film, and place it in a freezer-safe bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to three months. To freeze the baked cookies, place them on a baking sheet in the freezer until frozen solid. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to six months.
FAQs
Drop cookies are made by scooping the dough with a cookie scoop or spoon and dropping it onto the baking sheet. Rolled cookies are made by taking small balls of dough and rolling them into balls before flattening slightly on the baking sheet.
Lemon drop cookies are a type of Anginetti, which are Italian wedding cookies. The main difference is that lemon drop cookies are lemon-flavored while Anginetti can be flavored with various different extracts such as anise, vanilla, or almond.
More Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Shortbread Cornstarch Cookies
- Italian Pine Nut Cookies
- Naturally Blue Blackberry Cookies
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Drop Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- ¼ cup butter (57g) softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon extract (or almond or orange extract)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour) (260g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
For the lemon glaze
- 2 cups powdered confectioner's sugar (260g)
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- Sprinkles to decorate optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line two cookie sheets with baking parchment paper.
- Cream sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl, with an electric hand mixer until smooth and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs and lemon extract.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir to combine into a smooth dough. It will be slightly sticky.
- Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Drop small cookie scoops of the dough (or roll heaped teaspoonfuls into balls) onto a cookie sheet 2-inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until set but not browned.
- Transfer the lemon drop cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the glaze, stir all ingredients together. Glaze by drizzling over the cooled cookies, then add sprinkles.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Claudia Lamascolo
We are huge fans of this cookies and love the lemon, we also have made them in anisette flavoring and almond delicious cookie we make often!
Kathleen
Needed a quick and light cookie for Easter, these turned out beautifully! Reminded me of my grandma!
Sue
I love lemon EVERYTHING and these cookies were amazing 🙂 I only baked half and froze the dough so we can enjoy them again soon!
Diana Reis
These are one of my favorites. The crunchy little sprinkles just make them so extra yummy.
Jacqueline Savage
I love anything lemon. I'll have a dozen please!
Jess
These are the perfect Spring time treat!