Easy Lemon Cookies | Shortcut Recipe for Air Fryer or Oven
These Lemon Cookies bake up quick and easy. Start with a shortcut mix and pop the cookies in your air fryer or oven for a quick treat bursting with bright lemon flavor!
Even though they start from a shortcut Betty Crocker mix, these really are the BEST lemon cookies.
Just the cookie mix and a few simple ingredients and you’ve got a quick treat that’s ready when you need it.
The little bits of lemon candy melt slightly while baking, so you get a little crunch of intense lemon flavor combined with crisp-soft sugar cookies.
These are the perfect cookies to keep on-hand in your freezer so they’re ready when the craving calls!
Using an Air Fryer to Bake Lemon Cookies
If possible, use the BAKE setting when making air fryer cookies. The fan speed is a little lower and your cookies bake up a little less crispy than on the air fry setting.
Anytime you bake in an air fryer, your cookies are going to have a crispier outside and a soft, tender inside. As you let them cool, especially overnight, the cookie will morph into a more traditional sugar cookie.
(However, since you can bake them on demand, I never have cookies last overnight anymore.)
You can make up to 4 cookies at a time if you use two slings the air fryer. In my many tests, I found that I preferred making batches of two or four cookies because it balanced better on the foil sling.
Folding the Foil Sling
For me, the sling has been a game changer in baking cookies in the air fryer. (Thanks for the tip, America’s Test Kitchen.) It makes it so quick and easy to remove and cool cookies, just like a little pan. We found it worked much better than parchment paper or silicone mats.
Make sure to spray the sling with non-stick baking spray with flour—otherwise the cookies will stick!
For best results, the sling should be long enough that it covers the bottom and goes up the sides of the air fryer basket, but doesn’t interfere with the closing of the lid.
Sling Dimensions: I like to fold my sling in thirds so it is about 4.5″ wide by about 16″ long.
Don’t worry if the foil bends over the cookie in the air fryer. The cookies are still getting plenty of hot air circulating around them and will cook great. (No need to open the oven to try to adjust it—in my experience, that only makes it worse.)
Also, DO NOT put just a little sling in the air fryer, even if you’re only baking one cookie. I tested that and it does not end well.
Baking Air Fryer Cookies from Frozen
The great thing about these cookies is there’s no change in the cook time when you’re cooking from frozen. (I tested about 6 batches, so I’m positive that the same cook time is the best cook time.)
When I make a batch of these cookies, I will bake 2 or 4 cookies from the fresh dough, then I’ll shape the rest into discs and freeze them. (I really love my Souper Cube Cookie Dough Trays for this.)
Once the cookie dough pucks are frozen solid, I’ll transfer the dough to a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 4 months.
Voila! Now you can have soft lemon sugar cookies any time!
Can I just bake this lemon cookie recipe in an oven?
Sure! Just follow the directions on the back of the package. (Bake at 375°F for 12–14 minutes on a cookie sheet.)
Want more information about ingredients and substitutions? You can now find it below the recipe card.
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Easy Lemon Cookies | Shortcut Recipe for Air Fryer or Oven
Ingredients
- Nonstick baking spray with flour (We use Baker’s Joy)
- 1 package (17.5 oz) Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
- 1 egg beaten until combined
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
- 15 lemon drop candies crushed small
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon*
Instructions
- Take a large (~16 inches long) strip of aluminum foil and fold it in thirds. Press the foil sling into your air fryer basket, making sure the sides do not interfere with the closing of your air fryer. Spray the foil sling with nonstick baking spray with flour.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the Sugar Cookie Mix, beaten egg, butter, lemon drops, lemon juice, and lemon zest. (I used an electric hand mixer for this step. You can also use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.)
- Use a small cookie scoop or large spoon to scoop the dough into 1-inch balls. Place on a plate and press down slightly to shape into a puck.
- Make a foil sling for your air fryer and fold it down so it doesn’t interfere with the basket closing.
- Select Bake and set the temperature to 325F. Place 1-4 cookie dough balls on the foil sling. Bake until the edges begin to brown and the center sets, about 12 minutes. Use the sling to remove the cookies from the air fryer. Allow to sit on the sling for a few minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Lemon Cookies Ingredient Notes
The best thing about the prepackaged sugar cookie mix is that it’s quick! No measuring how much flour or baking soda or granulated sugar.
All the dry ingredients are already combined in a flour mixture, just waiting for you to add a little butter, sugar, and lemon juice.
We used a handheld electric mixer, but you can mix it by hand if you have a bit more patience and elbow grease.
It is so convenient when you want a homemade cookie but are low on energy.
Lemon Juice and Zest
You can use bottled lemon juice if it’s more convenient, just know that your cookies will be a little more tart taste than if you used fresh lemons.
Fresh lemon juice and zest amps up the lemon flavor, and the little flecks of zest look lovely in the cookies. If you’d like, you can skip the zest and add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of lemon extract. You’ll get a punch of lemon flavor without the hassle of cleaning your zester.
What Lemon Candies to Use in Lemony Cookies
Lemon drops were surprisingly hard for us to find at our local grocery stores! We came across our favorite brand in the checkout line of our local Ace Hardware store as well as Michael’s craft store.
In a pinch, if you can’t find lemon drops, you can substitute Lemonheads candies. Since these candies are smaller, we used around 25 to equal the same amount of lemon candy as 15 lemon drops. We found these in the movie candy section of our grocery store.
No matter what candy you’re using, place them in a ziplock bag and use a meat tenderizer or heavy-bottomed glass to smash the candies into little shards. You’re aiming to have most of the pieces a little bigger than kosher salt? It’s OK if a few bigger pieces get through. (Don’t go too crazy crushing the candies, because they go from shards to powdered surprisingly quick.)
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