Lemon Cookies with Lemon Icing
While some people like chocolate, pistachio or caramel, I love anything and everything lemon flavoured. Lemon cheesecake, cupcakes or curd, if it contains even a splash of lemon juice or zest then it’s my kind of dessert.
These cookies have lemon in both the cookie base and icing, and they are really really good. The cookie base is slightly chewy while the icing, ooohh the icing. I can honestly say that this is the best dairy free icing I have ever tried because of its thick consistency which is just like traditional butter cream frosting.
The cookies are incredibly easy to make and contain just a handful of ingredients. I like to roll out the dough and then cut it into fun shapes, but to save time you can easily just form flat cookies using your hands.
I have to be honest, the icing is a bit temperamental. If it gets too warm it quickly turns into liquid (so pop it in the fridge for a few minutes), or too cold and it becomes rock hard (microwave for no more then 3 seconds). As long as it is at room temperature it is easy to whip and quickly becomes thick, smooth and creamy.
Make sure that the Paleo Lemon Cookies have completely cooled before icing them, I promise patience will pay off! I also recommend storing these in the fridge in an airtight container so that the icing stays firm, this will also keep the cookies fresh for longer (although either way I bet a batch won’t last long, they are just too good!).
I am so excited for you guys to make these Paleo Lemon cookies, I think you are really going to enjoy them, especially if you love the flavour of lemon as much as I do. Feel free to adjust the lemon and honey to make these cookies more acidic or sweet to your preference.
Here are a few other cookie recipes that you might enjoy:
- Hazelnut Butter Cookies
- Chai Spiced Cookies
- Coconut & Raisin Cookies
- Dried Cherry & Macadamia Cookies
- Lemon & Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Pistachio, Cranberry & Orange Cookies
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Lemon Cookies with Lemon Icing
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp salt
Icing
- 1/4 cup coconut oil at room temperature
- 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp lemon zest for decoration optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a bowl combine all of the ingredients for the cookies and mix until well combined. Transfer the bowl to the fridge and let the dough chill for approximately 30 minutes.
- After chilling the dough, you can shape the dough into flat cookies using your hands or alternatively roll the dough out evenly using a rolling pin to approximately 1/4 inch and cut into shapes using a cookie cutter. Gently place the cookies on the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the cookies to make sure they do not burn, I like to flip them half way through baking to ensure they cook evenly but this isn't necessary. Remove them from the oven once they are golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool for about 15 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to completely cool.
- To make the icing combine the coconut oil, honey, lemon juice and salt in a bowl and whisk until completely smooth (you can use a hand or electric whisk for this). If the mixture becomes too liquid, place the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.
- Once the cookies are completely cool, top them with icing and sprinkle with a bit of lemon zest. Store the iced cookies in the fridge for about 45 minutes so that the icing firms up.
Nutrition
*disclaimer: not an expert baker* I would only recommend using cassava flour if you’re experienced and know how to improvise ratios. I forgot how dry cassava is and put in a whole 2 cups… it was incredibly dry and I added extra coconut oil, then also added some maple syrup and coconut milk, but once i baked it, the consistency was mochi/rice cake-like- sticky, not crunchy 🙁 i don’t know enough about the science of baking to properly adjust so i will def try these again w almond flour when I buy some. I quite enjoyed the lemon mochi result though lol just not what I had been aiming for
These are so yummy. I almost like the cookies alone better without the icing. The icing is good but the cookies are DELICIOUS. Thank you!
2nd recipe ive tried to make lemon paleo frosting and 2md time its failed. Looks nothing like the pic all i get is a weird mix of softened coconut oil and maple syrup soup?
Shame cos i just made lemon paleo cookies and would to be able to frost them
Same happened to me. Do they need to be refrigerated after shaping?
I would love to know about an almond replacement as well
Thank you for sharing! These look delicious. I want to make these for a friend who was just diagnosed with an almond allergy. What kind of flour can I sub for the almond flour? Any help you can give us so appreciated!!
Cassava flour will likely work as a substitute for the almond flour although I can’t say for 100% certainty because I haven’t tried
I made the cookies and love them. I try to eat gluten free and also refined sugar free – so these were perfect for that sweet treat! My kids didn’t even notice they were “healthy”. One thing- the icing…..I attempted it and I can’t understand how it was white in the pictures. When I added maple syrup to the coconut oil, it of course went brown. In the end I allowed my kids to drizzle “normal” icing on top – although the cookies are so tasty they don’t need it. Thanks for sharing wonderful recipes.
Thanks for the feedback Nicola, I use a very pale coloured honey which is why the icing is white color. If you don’t like the colour you could try adding in a teaspoon of pureed fruit such as blackberry (for purple) or raspberry(for red) to give the icing a more vibrant colour.
These biscuits are very yummy and lemony. I feel like an ingredient is missing from the icing. Really its maple syrup and coconut oil. Mine separated and the oil went hard. In the end I left off the “icing” and found I didnt need it anyway. I did add a tbsp of natvia into the biscuit mix though.
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the cookies! The icing is a bit difficult to make and really just depends on getting the correct temperature of the coconut oil to mix properly.
As just plain cookies are they pretty good? I adore lemon and just wonder if leaving the icing off is an option. Would be nice to have the plain cookies with my tea or whatever. They look delicious
I am a total sucker for icing and will find an excuse to put it on anything, but you could definitely eat these cookies on their own, they still have a lovely tart lemon flavour.