Lemon Blueberry Cookies 

These thick, chewy lemon blueberry cookies are packed with fresh lemon flavor. Both zest and juice bring out their bright, citrusy taste!

If I had to choose a flavor combination that emulated springtime, it would be lemon and blueberry! These cookies have a soft, buttery sugar cookie base flavored with fresh lemon and packed with fresh blueberries. These cookies are as beautiful as they are delicious, making them perfect for bake sales, cookouts, birthdays, or graduations! 

Spring baking will always hold a special place in my heart because it is the beginning of berry season! If you have extra blueberries, make this moist blueberry cake recipe or this blueberry cobbler! You may have bought all the berries, so you should make my easy lemon curd and use it for this show-stopping berry trifle. 

Professional Tips for Thick Lemon Blueberry Cookies

• Softened butter. The butter should be fully softened. A fully softened butter allows for a softer final dough, which helps prevent bursting the blueberries. during the final stage of mixing. It does mean, however, that the dough will need to chill before baking. A quick 45-minute refrigeration is all that is needed. Since the butter is fully softened, be careful not to over cream the butter and sugars—just a quick mix to incorporate. 
• Do NOT scoop with a cookie scoop. The large cookie scoop was too violent and burst the blueberries. Using my hands was the only way to ensure a delicate enough touch to keep the blueberries intact. I suppose it isn’t the end of the world, but they do look best when the blueberries on the outside are nice and plump and held in their flavor. 
• Allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack before breaking open. Not only will hot blueberries scald the roof of your mouth, but I found the flavor and texture improved after cooling. What looked slightly underbaked when warm looked like absolute perfection once cooled. In the professional world, we call this “carry-over cooking.”

Ingredients & Substitutions 

• All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour has the right amount of gluten to make a soft and chewy cookie. If using volume measurements, the flour must be fluffed and not compressed in the measuring cup; otherwise, the cookie will become cakey.
• Baking Powder: The baking powder reacts instantly when mixed with an acid (the lemon) and then again when heated. Giving you a more controlled rise than baking soda.
• Cornstarch: Adding cornstarch to cookies helps keep them chewy and thick. 
• Kosher Salt
• Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar is here for sweetness, but if you add too much in proportion to the butter and flour, the cookies will spread rather than stay tall and chewy.
• Light Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar adds sweetness along with a little moisture. This will keep the cookies softer while adding a nice, light molasses flavor. Dark brown sugar may be substituted. 
• Lemon Juice and Zest: Fresh is always best when it comes to lemon juice and zest. If you have extra lemons, be sure to make these lemon blondies or these lemon sugar cookies.
• Unsalted Butter: The butter should be fully softened. This ensures a soft dough that prevents bursting the blueberries. This is different from my white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, where the butter needs to be cold but pliable. 
• Large Egg
• Fresh or Frozen Blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. Frozen blueberries won’t affect the taste, but they will stain the dough purple.

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

Variations 

• Change the citrus or add extracts. Take inspiration from my blueberry pie recipe and add orange zest and vanilla extract to the cookie dough. You can also use limes, blood oranges, or yuzu. 
• Add some chocolate. Try adding in some semi-sweet or white chocolate chips! These cookies would also be delightful with dark chocolate. 
• Change the fruit. Swap out the blueberries for blackberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries, cherries, or peaches. You may be lucky enough to find some wild blueberries at the farmers market because they would be amazing!
• Top with a glaze. Use the lemon glaze from my lemon poppy seed muffins to add more lemon flavor. You could also use a cream cheese glaze from my carrot cake scones or a blueberry glaze inspired by my lemon pound cake. In the name of excess, you could use these cookies to make an ice cream sandwich with vanilla bean ice cream or frost with cream cheese buttercream frosting.

How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cookies 

Use these instructions to make perfect lemon blueberry cookies every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, light brown sugar and the zest of 1 medium to large lemon. Gently massage the zest into the sugar to draw out the essential oils and unique flavor. 

Zest the lemon directly into the sugars so they can catch all those essential oils. Then, allow the lemon zest to sit with the sugars for at least an hour. This can also be done the night before and kept wrapped in the fridge for optimal infusion. 

Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and kosher salt. Set aside. 

Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the softened butter, sugar mixture and mix on medium-low speed until a smooth paste forms. Scrape down the sides and the paddle, then briefly mix again. 

Since the butter is fully softened, be careful not to over cream the butter and sugars—just a quick mix to incorporate. 

Step 4: Add the egg and mix on medium until lightened.

Step 5: Reduce the mixer to low and drizzle in the lemon juice. The batter will curdle slightly, but don’t stress about it.

Step 6: Add about a third of the dry ingredients, then mix on low until flour has almost incorporated. Stop the mixer, add another third, and repeat until all the flour has been added. 

Step 7: Add the blueberries and gently fold them in to incorporate with a rubber or silicone spatula. 

This is a balancing act between perfectly distributed blueberries and softening and discoloring the dough! If you mix too much, the blueberries will burst. There isn’t anything wrong with that, but they won’t look like mine! 

Step 8: Scoop up about 2 tablespoons of the dough using your fingers or a spoon (each of my cookies weighed between 52-60g), and roll into a ball. Place on a parchment-lined baking tray. Press a few extra blueberries into the tops of the cookies for a nice looking finish. Wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes or overnight.  

You can also freeze the scooped cookie dough balls for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen at 350°F conventional (without the fan) for an additional 3-5 minutes. 

Step 9: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°F convection (with the fan) or 350°F conventional (without the fan). I prefer convection for these cookies and their cousins white chocolate raspberry cookies! 

Step 10: Place cookies 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Don’t bake on the same cold sheet pan from the fridge—it will alter bake time.

Step 11: Bake for 13 minutes, regardless of whether the dough was chilled for 45 minutes or overnight. At 13 minutes, they were fully baked and had a nice crunch to the bottom but were soft and chewy in the center. When broken open immediately, they looked slightly under-baked, but after cooling on a wire rack, they turned out to be perfect. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this professional pastry chef cookie recipe. Check out our other delicious, thick, chewy cookies like these slightly tangy cream cheese chocolate chip cookies or easy chocolate crinkle cookies!