Lemon Poppyseed Cream Cheese Cookies

Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies are soft, delicious, and dotted with poppy seeds, making them look and taste like lemon poppy seed muffin tops.

I love using cream cheese to make cookies; these lemon cream cheese cookies are a new favorite. They’re soft and moist little bites with a subtle tanginess from the cream cheese and a bright lemon flavor. They’ve become a new family favorite cookie recipe at our house!

I recently made blueberry cream cheese cookies, and they were such a hit that I had to make another version. This time, I made lemon poppy seed cream cheese cookies, and, like the blueberry version, they turned out beautifully.

The timing was great because I needed a celebratory treat for my son, Madden. He just finished a successful track season, so I made him a batch of these cookies. He loves lemon desserts – especially lemon poppy seed cake – so I knew lemon cookies would be a winner with him.

These lemon cream cheese cookies are soft, rich, and taste like lemon muffin tops. I use lemon extract instead of lemon juice in the cookie dough for the best lemon flavor, and the cream cheese adds richness, moisture, and a kick of tangy flavor. I couldn’t wait for him to try them! It was all I could do to keep from eating half the batch before he got home.

Once he did and had a first taste of these lemony cookies, they were gone in 20 minutes! He had help from his dad and a few friends – not a crumb was left.

When I think of lemon, I think of summer, and we’ll be making these lemon poppy seed cookies that are summer-long.

Ingredients

• Softened butter
• Softened cream cheese
• Granulated sugar
• Large egg
• Fresh lemon zest
• Lemon extract
• All-purpose flour
• Poppy seeds
• Baking powder
• Salt

How to Make the Cookies

Using an electric or stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy; then, add the egg and beat until combined. Add the lemon extract and lemon zest and mix until combined.

Whisk the flour, poppy seeds, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl.

Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat slowly until the dough is combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then mix again.

Cover the bowl with parchment paper and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Use a cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough balls and place them two inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until the edges are set and golden. Cool them on a wire rack before serving or storing them.

Pin to Pinterest.