This year I’ve baked a batch of lemon and spice sugar cookies, especially for Easter. It’s a little kiwi twist on the classic sugar cookie flavour. I’m going to put them into little cellophane bags to give to my family especially my grand-nephew, who’s three years old and full of beans. He loves anything with sprinkles, so I know these will go down a treat.
I’ve used Easter-shaped cookie cutters – bunnies, carrots, and flowers – to make them fun. Have a look in the supermarket for Easter sprinkles
And yes, I’ve tucked a sneaky bag aside for my daughter too – even though she’s all grown up now, she still enjoys a homemade treat!
What Happened When I Made It
It’s not something I’d make often—it takes most of the day—but the recipe worked well and gave me lovely crisp little shapes for decorating. I only baked a few at a time, but they didn’t spread, so I could’ve fit more in. The decorating was the tricky part! I even considered taking a class if I ever wanted to do it properly. In the end though, I went back to my usual way—dipping in chocolate and adding 100s and 1000s. Tasted great. Final verdict: the bunny shapes are the cutest part, but fancy icing? Probably not for me.
Recipe Card
To print the recipe, simply click the ‘Print’ button below and save your PDF for easy reference!
🐣 🍋 🍪 ✨ 🌼 🌷 💛 ⋆ ˚ ₊ ⊹ ♡ 𓍢 🐇 ♡ ⊹ ₊ ˚ ⋆ 💛 🌷 🌼 ✨ 🍪 🍋 🐣
Lemon & Spice Easter Sugar Cookies
Perfect for decorating and full of flavour – a Kiwi twist on classic sugar cookies with a touch of lemon and optional spice. Great fun for Easter or any time!
Tip: These cookies freeze well undecorated. You can also halve the recipe if making a smaller batch.
Recipe Credit: My own Kiwi twist on the classic favourite
Ingredients
- 225g unsalted butter, softened
- 200g caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ½ tsp salt
- 2½ cups (310g) plain flour
- ¼ tsp ground mixed spice or cinnamon (optional)
Directions
- Cream: Beat butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
- Mix: Add egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Beat until combined.
- Stir: Add flour, salt, and spice (if using). Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Chill: Divide dough into two portions. Wrap each in baking paper and chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat: Heat oven to 180°C fan bake. Line trays with baking paper.
- Roll & Cut: Roll dough to about 5mm thick. Cut into Easter shapes using cookie cutters.
- Bake: Place on trays and bake for 8–10 minutes, or until just golden at the edges.
- Cool: Let cookies cool completely before decorating.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 110 calories; 6 g fat; 14 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 7 g sugar.Toppings for Easter Sugar Cookies
Two simple and tasty ways to decorate your sugar cookies – lemon icing or a white chocolate dip with fun toppings.
Ingredients
- Lemon Icing:
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1–2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh is best)
- A few drops of food colouring (optional)
- 100g white chocolate, roughly chopped
- Optional toppings: crushed freeze-dried raspberries, shredded coconut, or pastel sprinkles
White Chocolate Dip:
Directions
- To Make Lemon Icing: In a small bowl, stir icing sugar with lemon juice until smooth and runny enough to drizzle. Add food colouring if using.
- Decorate: Drizzle the icing over cooled cookies using a teaspoon, or pipe around the edges for a neater finish.
- To Make White Chocolate Dip: Gently melt the white chocolate in the microwave (short bursts, stirring between each) or over a bowl of hot water.
- Dip: Dip one corner of each cookie into the melted chocolate. Let the excess drip off.
- Add Toppings: While the chocolate is still soft, sprinkle with your choice of decorations.
- Set: Place the cookies on baking paper until the icing or chocolate has fully set.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 110 calories; 6 g fat; 14 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 7 g sugar.Storage Tip:
Once decorated, the cookies can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. If you’re not decorating straight away, the plain baked cookies freeze well too – just pop them into a sealed container or freezer bag. When you’re ready, defrost, decorate, and pack into cellophane bags or sealed containers. Nice and easy!
Decorated cookies can be frozen too. Just make sure the icing or chocolate has set completely. Layer them between sheets of baking paper in a sealed container, then pop them in the freezer — they’ll keep well for up to a month. When you’re ready to use them, take them out and let them come to room temperature in the container to avoid any condensation spoiling the decorations.
If you’re giving them away and want to make things easy, you can pack them into cellophane bags or containers ready for the freezer.
📌 Don’t lose it — Pin it! Save this recipe to Pinterest or share it with a friend so you can find it again. ♡ Janet
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