Single Serve Lemon Cookie (Small Batch)

This Single Serve Lemon Cookie recipe is a super small batch cookie recipe that is mixed up in one bowl with a rubber spatula (no mixer needed) and makes only two large chewy lemon cookies, that you can either have both yourself or share one.

⭐Why I Love It:

• Lots of Lemon Flavor - We use use three different types of lemon! Lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract, we're packing these cookies with lots of tart lemon flavor! It's the perfect balance to the sweetness in this sugar cookie-inspired dough. Another favorite small batch lemon dessert is this Single Serve Lemon Bar!
• Super Small Batch Recipe - I love that this single serve lemon cookie recipe makes only two large cookies. It lets me can satisfy my cookie craving without having to make an entire batch of cookies.
• No Mixer Needed - Because it's such a small amount of dough, you can mix it all up by hand using a rubber spatula instead of needing to use an electric or stand mixer.
• Gooey and Tender on the Inside - By using an egg yolk and by not over baking the cookies, the insides stay perfectly gooey (without being raw!) and are just perfect.

🥘Ingredients

• Unsalted Butter - Softened to room temperature! As long as your butter is softened, then you can easily mix up the dough by hand. If you use salted butter, just omit the amount of salt by half. When measuring the butter, I prefer to cut from the middle of the stick since the tablespoon markers at the ends of the stick can be off. For a small recipe, it's extra important to be accurate with measurements.
• White Granulated Sugar - You'll use it both in the dough and some extra to roll the dough balls in (optional, but recommended!).
• Egg Yolk - Using only the egg yolk helps keep the recipe super small and it also gives the cookies their chewy/fudgy/almost gooey center.
• Lemon Extract - This adds extra lemon flavor that is hard to get with just lemon zest or juice alone.
• Fresh Lemon - You'll use both some of the zest and juice! Only 1 lemon is needed for this size of recipe.
• All-Purpose Flour - When measuring flour, make sure to use the 'spoon and level' method. This is where you spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level off the top. Instead of dipping the measuring cup directly into the flour bin which can lead to over measuring.
• Cornstarch (optional) - Adding just a little bit of cornstarch helps make the cookies extra chewy and tender. If you don't have cornstarch already on hand, you can skip it.
• Baking Soda - This is the leavener for the cookie to help them rise.
• Kosher Salt - I like the Diamond Kosher Salt. A small amount of salt is so important to balance the sweetness in cookies. If you use table salt, then I would cut the amount by half.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

🔪Single Serve Lemon Cookie - Step by Step

This recipe for Single Serve Lemon Cookies could not be any easier! Just mix up the dough in one bowl, pop in the fridge while the oven preheats, then bake on one sheet.

💭Recipe Tips

• Softened Butter - In order to mix up the dough, your butter needs to be softened to room temperature. If you're in a pinch you can microwave for just a couple of seconds, but be careful not to melt it!
• Allow to Cool on Baking Sheet - Letting the single serve cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes lets the cookies finish baking on the warm baking sheet so they set up.
• Don't Over Bake - The cookies will finish setting up on the baking sheet so in order to have the gooey (but not raw) insides be sure not to over bake them. The egg yolk helps give the center a gooey/fudgy interior so know that as long as they're set around the edges, golden on the bottom and golden brown/slightly set on top then they are baked 🙂
• Use 'Spoon and Level' Method When Measuring Flour - When measuring flour, make sure to use the 'spoon and level' method. This is where you spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level off the top. Instead of dipping the measuring cup directly into the flour bin which can lead to over measuring.

👩‍🍳Recipe FAQs