My easy lemon cookies are perfect for when you are craving a baked goodie but don’t want to work hard. These drop cookies are light, tender and use oil instead of butter or margarine that just need mixed together by hand. I would describe this cookie with a subtle lemon flavor tamed by vanilla and nutmeg that give it not quite a spice or lemon taste but a beautiful twist on lemon.
Something else that I really like about this simple recipe is the fact that they don’t spread as other drop cookies might. I usually shape them into small balls and they form cake-like mounds that don’t take over the cookie sheet and run into each other.
One thing that I suggest is after you mix the ingredients together is to allow the dough to rest for about 10 minutes in your refrigerator before handling the dough. This small amount of time firms up the dough to make it easier to work with than even trying to scoop it with your ice cream scoop or a spoon, if that is your usual method.
If you don’t have any sour milk on hand, then here is how to remedy that. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to sweet milk and viola, and the result is sour milk.
You can also ice these cookies with your favorite confectioners’ sugar frosting to dress them up. I do that sometimes, but I was planning to freeze some so I avoided frosting. Besides, these easy lemon cookies are delicious just the way they are.
If you want to try another delectable lemon-spice cookie recipe with oatmeal, I also hope you try my oatmeal lemon drop cookies.
Easy Lemon Cookies
1 cup of sugar
1 large egg
½ cups of sour milk
½ cups of canola oil
1 teaspoon of baking soda, leveled
1 teaspoon of baking powder, leveled
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
3 cups of all-purpose flour
In a large mixing bowl, place the sugar, oil and egg. Stir to combine.
In another mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg.
Slowly add the dry ingredients and alternate with the milk and vanilla and lemon extracts until all the ingredients are incorporated.
Give this cookie dough about 10 minutes to rest in your refrigerator before attempting to work with it either rolling into small balls or dropping with your spoon.
Place your cookie balls on well-greased cookie sheets before transferring to a 350-degree oven for about 12-15 minutes, depending on how your oven is regulated.
Give them about five minutes to cool before shoveling them off your cookie sheets.
ENJOY!

My easy lemon cookies are perfect for when you are craving a baked goodie but don’t want to work hard. They are cake-like, delicious with a subtle lemon-nutmeg flavor and don't spread.
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cups of sour milk
- ½ cups of canola oil
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda leveled
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder leveled
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of lemon extract
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
-
In a large mixing bowl, place the sugar, oil and egg. Stir to combine.
-
In another mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg.
-
Slowly add the dry ingredients and alternate with the milk and vanilla and lemon extracts until all the ingredients are incorporated.
-
Give this cookie dough about 10 minutes to rest in your refrigerator before attempting to work with it either rolling into small balls or dropping with your spoon.
-
Place your cookie balls on well-greased cookie sheets before transferring to a 350-degree oven for about 12-15 minutes, depending on how your oven is regulated.
-
Give them about five minutes to cool before shoveling them off your cookie sheets.
-
ENJOY!