Lemon Blueberry Cookies Recipe

I’m excited to share my Lemon and blueberry recipes twist on a browned-butter blondie that becomes soft, chewy cookies studded with juicy blueberries and bright lemon.

I wasn’t expecting to fall for a cookie, but these Lemon Blueberry Cookies hooked me. They sing of browned butter and bright lemon zest and fresh lemon juice with little blueberry explosions in every bite.

It’s not just sweet, its like sunshine and a tiny surprise at the same time. If you like Blueberry Cookies With Frozen Blueberries or once loved Lemon Berry Cookies, this one feels familiar yet different, making you want to take another bite to figure out why.

I swear something about the texture is almost wrong in a good way, and I can’t stop eating them.

Ingredients

• Browned butter: nutty, deep flavor, adds fat and richness, makes cookies irresistible
• Brown sugar: moist, caramel notes from molasses, sweetens and keeps cookies chewy
• Lemon zest and juice: bright, tart, cuts sweetness, adds fresh citrus aroma
• blueberries: juicy, sweet-tart bursts, provide fiber and antioxidants, stain everything delightfully
• All purpose flour: gives structure and chew, mostly carbohydrate, not very nutrient dense
• Egg and extra yolk: bind, add protein and richness, helps crisp edges and softness
• Cornstarch: tenderizes dough, gives a softer, almost cakey bite
• Coarse sugar: optional, gives crunch and sparkle on top

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter, browned and cooled a bit
• 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, room temp
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of 2 lemons (about 2 tablespoons) and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• Optional 2 tablespoons coarse sugar for sprinkling

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Brown the butter: melt 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) butter in a light saucepan over medium heat, swirl occasionally until it foams and you see tiny brown bits and a nutty smell, about 5 to 8 minutes. Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool a bit until warm but not hot.

3. In the warm butter stir in 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar and 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar until mostly dissolved. Add 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk (room temp), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, zest of 2 lemons (about 2 Tbsp) and 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice; mix until smooth.

4. Whisk together 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt in a separate bowl.

5. Fold the dry mix into the butter mixture gently until just combined; dont overmix or cookies will be tough.

6. Toss 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries in about 1 tablespoon of the flour from the bowl to keep them from bleeding and sinking, then fold them in very gently so you dont crush them.

7. If dough seems very soft chill it 20 to 30 minutes; this helps the cookies keep their shape. You can skip chilling if you want thinner cookies.

8. Scoop dough using about 2 tablespoons per cookie onto prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Optional sprinkle with 2 tablespoons coarse sugar.

9. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set and centers still look slightly soft. Baking time may vary a bit with oven and cookie size.

10. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet 8 to 10 minutes so they finish setting, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350°F) plus 2 rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper
2. Light saucepan for browning the butter
3. Heatproof bowl to pour and cool the browned butter in
4. Two mixing bowls, one for dry ingredients and one for wet
5. Measuring cups and spoons (and a kitchen scale if you like precision)
6. Whisk and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to fold the dough without overmixing
7. Microplane zester and a small citrus juicer or fork for the lemon zest and juice
8. Cookie scoop (about 2 Tbsp) or a tablespoon and an offset spatula to transfer dough
9. Wire cooling rack so the cookies finish setting evenly

dont forget a timer — baking times can vary, so keep an eye on them.

FAQ

Lemon Blueberry Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Unsalted browned butter (1 cup): you can just use 1 cup unsalted butter at room temp if you don’t wanna bother browning it, you’ll lose that nutty depth though. For dairy free use 1 cup solid coconut oil, it works but gives a light coconut taste.
• Light brown sugar (3/4 cup packed): swap with 3/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon molasses to mimic light brown sugar, or use 3/4 cup coconut sugar 1:1 for a less moist, slightly caramel note.
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk: simplest swap is 2 large eggs (bakes fine, a tad less rich). For a vegan option make flax eggs 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water per egg, so use 1.5 tablespoons flax + 4.5 tablespoons water for this recipe, let sit 5 minutes.
• Blueberries (1 1/2 cups): fresh or frozen both work; if using frozen fold them in straight from the freezer so the dough doesn’t turn blue, or use 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries or raspberries for a different berry flavor. If you wanna use dried cranberries, use about 1 cup and soak briefly so they aren’t too chewy.

Pro Tips

1) Browned butter trick: brown it in a light colored pan so you can actually see the little brown bits. Pull it off the heat a touch earlier than you think, pour into a cool bowl and scrape those bits in. Let it cool until just warm so you dont cook the eggs when you mix them in.

2) Blueberry handling: if you use frozen berries keep them frozen and fold them in gently so they dont burst, or toss fresh berries in a little extra flour or cornstarch right before adding so they dont sink and stain the dough. For really big berries cut them in half, they bake more evenly that way.

3) Shape and chill hacks: scoop all the cookies at once with a cookie scoop, freeze the scoops on a tray for 10 to 20 minutes then bake. They spread less and come out more consistent. If you want thinner cookies skip chill, if you want taller cookies chill longer.

4) Finish, texture and storage: sprinkle the coarse sugar right before baking for crunch, or grate a touch more lemon zest on top after baking for fresh brightness. Let cookies cool fully on the sheet so they finish setting then store in a single layer with parchment between layers, or freeze baked cookies in an airtight bag for up to 2 months.