This copycat Panera Bread lemon drop cookies recipe will be your new favorite. Soft, chewy sugar cookies loaded with the perfect hint of lemon. Made with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract for extra lemon flavor then rolled in powdered sugar for a fun crinkle look. These only require a short chill time and come out perfect, they can even be kept frozen. The traditional cookie from Panera has white chocolate chips, you can add those or leave them out as desired!
I love making copycat recipes at home! I can make my favorite restaurant dishes when I want, how I want, and for a fraction of the price. Some other fan favorite copycat recipes from Panera are Cranberry Orange Muffins, Pumpkin Streusel Muffins, or Strawberry Banana Smoothie!
Find all of my cookie recipes and dessert recipes here for more inspiration!
Why You’ll Like the Lemon Cookies
- Gooey center and crispy edges: these chewy cookies have slightly crisp edges and a nice gooey center. The powdered sugar creates the perfect crinkle looks that elevates these cookies!
- Perfect lemon flavor: using fresh lemon juice, fresh lemon zest, and lemon extract add the perfect tangy lemon flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the cookies!
- Short chill time: luckily these cookies only require a short chill time, all you need is 30 minutes and these are ready to go in the oven. Don’t skimp on chilling, it helps the butter set up so the cookies don’t spread to thin.
- Simple ingredients: these cookies are made with mostly pantry ingredients you already have on hand like all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, and powdered sugar. Softened butter, eggs, and vanilla are also common ingredients. Make sure to grab some fresh lemons and lemon extract!
What Are Lemon Drop Cookies?
These lemon sugar cookies are soft, cake-like cookies roll in powdered sugar for a fun crinkled top! They have the perfect hint of fresh lemon and the lemon extract adds even more lemon flavor. Bring Panera Bread home and make batches of cookies for a fraction of the price.
When I was in Culinary School (learn more about that here!) I would try and remake my favorite restaurant recipes at home for practice. Remaking baked goods can be more difficult then savory dishes. While these cookies are pretty spot on to the Panera classics, it’s good to remember we are not using the same commercial ingredients or equipment so there will always be a slight variance.
Recipe Variations
This recipe can be customized in a few different ways with some simple recipe additions!
- Turn into sandwich cookies by sandwiching two cookies together with frosting. These Lemon Poppy Seed Sandwich Cookies have a great lemon buttercream recipe!
- Add a lemon glaze to the freshly baked cookies combine a little lemon juice and powdered sugar to drizzle over the cookies once cooled.
- Make into ice cream sandwiches by adding a scoop of your favorite lemon or vanilla ice cream.
- Mix in white chocolate chips just like the original Panera recipe!
Tools I Recommend
- USA Pan Half Sheet Pan – my go-to sheet pans, these are truly non-stick and clean up nicely.
- Rubber Spatula – a must have! I like these because they don’t come apart so I don’t have to worry about water getting inside the spatula and causing mold.
- Pyrex Mixing Bowl Set – I love this set of nesting bowls. I use them for everything, Pyrex glass does not break easily so you can trust on these bowls for years, plus they come in 3 useful sizes and can be stacked!
- Portion Scoops – my go to for getting even sized cookies that bake perfectly each time!
- Zester – you’ll need a zester or grater to zest the lemons! The micro plane is my favorite and forever my go to. If you don’t have a zester on hand, you can cut off a thin slice of lemon zest and chop it up super fine.
More Drool-Worthy Lemon Desserts
If you are a lemon fan like me, you will love these tangy and refreshing lemon desserts made with fresh lemon juice and zest!
- Frosted Lemonade – a refreshing lemon beverage!
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins – light and airy muffins with fresh lemon.
- Lemon Poppy Seed Sugar Cookies – roll out sugar cookies studded with poppy seeds.
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins – a quick and delicious muffin recipe!
- Lemon Poppy Seed Sandwich Cookies – fun bite sized sandwich cookies!
How To Make The Panera Bread Cookies
Let’s talk a little about how to make these copycat Panera Bread lemon drop cookies (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Quick overview:
- Cream butter and sugar.
- Add in whole eggs and vanilla.
- Mix in dry ingredients, lemon juice, lemon zest, and chocolate chips – if using.
- Chill, scoop, roll in powdered sugar, and bake!
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until creamy. Alternatively you can use a hand mixer and a large mixing bowl.
- Add in whole eggs, lemon extract, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
3. Add in the flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. Mix to combine then add in the lemon juice. Fold in white chocolate chips if desired. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.
4. Scoop cookie dough using a cookie scoop. Roll into powdered sugar. Place 2-3″ apart on sheet pans and bake for 9-11 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Key Ingredients
These cookies are made of simple pantry ingredients with a few fresh additions. In baking there are minimal substitutions, but if an ingredient can be swapped you’ll find it below:
- Unsalted Butter: if using salted butter, omit adding more salt later in the recipe. Do not substitute margarine and make sure the butter is softened at room temperature.
- Granulated white sugar: I do not recommend swapping any other type of sugar for this recipe. Other sugars can impact the dough differently and change how the cookie bakes and rises.
- Whole eggs: I like fresh pasture raised farm eggs if available, but any kind will work for this cookie. Let your eggs come to room temperature for this recipe, it helps the egg to incorporate better into the dough.
- Pure vanilla extract: use homemade or store-bought vanilla extract, almond extract can be added for additional flavor is desired.
- Lemon extract: this adds an extra hint of lemon in addition to the fresh lemon juice.
- Fresh lemon: fresh lemon juice and fresh lemon zest make this cookie pop with tart lemon flavor.
- All-purpose flour: no substitution here, other types of flour will change the texture and affect baking differently.
- Powdered sugar: this is optional, but it is used for rolling the cooking before baking. It creates the perfect crinkled look!
Recipe FAQs
These lemon cookies are made of creamed butter and sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon extract, flour, baking soda, and salt. Rolled in powdered sugar for a fun crinkled look! White chocolate chips are optional, but a good addition!
Yes! Make the dough according to the recipe, cover and let chill for 30 minutes. At this point you can either leave the dough to chill until needed, up to 24 hours. Or you could scoop the chill dough and store the pre-scooped cookie dough in the fridge so they are ready to pop in the oven when needed. Don’t roll in powdered sugar until ready to bake.
Allow your cookies to cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight plastic bag or glass container. Seal and store at room temperature for 3-4 days, if they last that long! Baked cookies can also be kept in the freezer or see above for how to freeze cookie dough.
At room temperature these cookies will last 3-4 days in an airtight container.
You Can Freeze This Cookie Dough
Simply make the cookie dough according to the recipe, scoop even sized amounts of dough onto a sheet pan and place in the freezer until hard. Transfer the cookie dough to an airtight container or freezer bag labeled with the date, type of cookie, and baking instructions (or reference back to this post for baking directions!). Keep in your freezer stash for 3-4 months. Remove desired cookie dough when needed, thaw, bake, and enjoy! You may even want to make a double batch!
*If making these cookies ahead of time to freeze, do not roll in powdered sugar prior to freezing. Freeze the scooped portions of dough, once ready to bake, remove from the freezer and allow to come to room temperature. Then roll in powdered sugar and bake according to recipe instructions!
Copycat Panera Bread Lemon Drop Cookies Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated sugar
- 2 whole Eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsps Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Lemon extract
- 2 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Fresh lemon juice , about half of a lemon
- 2 tbsp Fresh lemon zest
- 1 cup White chocolate chips, if desired*
- Powdered sugar, for coating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, lemon and vanilla extract, mix well.1 cup Unsalted Butter, 1 1/2 cups Granulated sugar, 2 whole Eggs, 1 tsp Lemon extract , 2 tsps Vanilla Extract
- In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, lemon zest, and salt. With the mixer on low slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Mix in the lemon juice*. If desired, mix in white chocolate chips.2 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour, 1 tsp Baking Soda, 1 tsp Salt, 2 tbsp Fresh lemon juice , 2 tbsp Fresh lemon zest, 1 cup White chocolate chips
- Chill the dough for 25-30 minutes, or overnight if needed. If chilling overnight, allow the dough to come to room temperature before scooping. Once chilled, use a cookie scoop or measuring spoon to scoop 1 oz. scoops of dough. Coat in powdered sugar.Powdered sugar
- Arrange 2-3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes until slightly golden brown, the cookies will still be very soft. Allow to cool 3-5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
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