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My Lemon Iced Oatmeal Cookies are a sunny, summer twist on the classic spiced oatmeal cookie brightened with fresh lemon zest, finely chopped golden raisins, and a drizzle of tangy lemon icing. While most iced oatmeal cookies tend to be thin and raisin-free, these have the perfect nostalgic balance: medium thick chewiness thanks to brown sugar and finely chopped golden raisins in every bite.
Key Ingredients
- Whole Old Fashioned Oats: Oats create the classic chewy and hearty texture of an oatmeal raisin cookie.
- Unsalted Butter: I use European-style cultured butter with high butterfat, which makes the dough extra tender and rich.
- Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is the key ingredient for a softer chewier oatmeal cookie. With less molasses than dark brown sugar, the light brown sugar lets the lemon flavor shine through.
- Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice: Brightens everything up with a citrusy zing and give the icing extra lemon flavor.
- Confectioners Sugar: Sifted powdered sugar mixed with lemon juice and vanilla make a bright citrus icing to top the cookies.
- Golden Raisins: With a bit lighter flavor I prefer finely chopped golden raisins for lemon oatmeal cookies. The smaller pieces disperse more evenly through the cookie dough.
Helpful Tips
- Pre-Scoop Dough: Use a 3 Tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out the cookie dough into equal sized balls before refrigerating. Trying to scoop chilled dough will just break your cookie scoop, trust me! Place the dough balls on a lined cookie sheet or in an airtight container until ready to bake.
- Chill the Dough: This is soft cookie dough will over-spread in the oven unless its properly chilled. Refrigerate cookie dough for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before baking. I often chill my dough overnight and bake the next day. Cold cookie dough will spread less in the oven.
- Pack the Dough: Before baking pack the dough into tall mounds.
- Don’t Over Bake: Chewy cookies are done with the sides are slightly golden brown and the centers look puffy and underbaked. The centers will drop and the cookies will firm as they cool.
- Save a Few for Later: I noticed the lemon flavor came through even more with cookies I baked and ate the next day.
“Cookie Scoot” for Perfectly Round Cookies
You know my little secret for bakery-perfect cookies? The Cookie Scoot. Totally optional… but oh my goodness, it makes me so happy every time I do it. Here’s the deal, when your cookies come out of the oven, still warm and soft, grab a round object that’s just a smidge bigger than the cookie.
I use a either a larger round cookie cutter or sometimes just a glass. Place the cutter over the cookie, give it a gentle swirl or “scoot” to tuck in any uneven edges, and voilà perfectly round, photo-worthy cookies.
Cookies straight from the oven will look puffy in the center and then flatten out as they cool.
- Hot baked oatmeal cookies straight from the oven with golden brown edges and a puffy center.
- Oatmeal cookies cooled on a baking tray, with deflated centers and golden edges.
How to Ice the Oatmeal Cookies
Two important tips for icing oatmeal cookies:
- Thick icing is key.
Start with sifted powdered sugar, a splash of vanilla, and just 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Whisk until smooth, then add in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice if needed. You want a thick, creamy texture that holds its shape. - Go easy on the dip.
For that pretty crackled top, gently dip just the tops of the cookies, no full dunking. A light touch gives the best finish. But, if you accidentally add a little more icing, no big deal.
Storage Recommendations
- Store baked and iced cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Make sure icing is set before stacking cookies. Place a piece of wax or parchment paper between cookies to prevent the icing from sticking.
- Make Ahead: Oatmeal cookie dough can be made up to 2 days prior to baking. Cover in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to bake.
- Freeze: Place cookie dough balls in airtight freezer safe container for up to three months. Frozen cookie dough balls may take a few extra minutes to bake in the oven.
★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and review below if you make this recipe! THANK YOU!!
Lemon Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Lemon iced oatmeal cookies made with fresh lemons, brown sugar, and golden raisins, then topped with a zingy lemon icing.
Click Here for Help with Ingredients in this Recipe
Ingredients
Lemon Oatmeal Cookies
- 266 grams (2 cups + 2 tablespoons) all purpose flour, 10.5-11% protein
- 240 grams (3 cups) old fashioned whole oats
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 100 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest, *zest of two lemons
- 220 grams (1 cup) light brown sugar
- 227 grams (1 cup) unsalted European style butter (82% butterfat), softened at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs , room temperature
- 128 grams (1 cup) golden raisins , finely chopped or blitzed in food processor
Lemon Icing
- 165 grams (1 ½ cups) confectioners sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, *more if needed
Instructions
Lemon Oatmeal Cookies
- In a medium bowl hand whisk together the flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.266 grams all purpose flour, 240 grams old fashioned whole oats, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, work the granulated sugar and lemon zest together with your hands to release the lemon oils. Let sit for a couple minutes. Add the brown sugar and softened butter. Beat with the paddle attachment, on medium speed to form a smooth paste (1-2 minutes). *Alternative to use a large bowl with electric hand mixer.100 grams granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest, 220 grams light brown sugar, 227 grams unsalted European style butter (82% butterfat)
- Mix in the lemon juice and vanilla. Then beat in one egg at a time. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract, 2 large eggs
- Slowly spoon in the flour and oats mixture, with the mixer on medium-low. Just long enough to make a thick cookie dough.
- Take a small spatula and scrape any dough from the paddle.
- Add in the chopped raisins, mix for a couple of spins to evenly distribute them throughout the cookie dough.128 grams golden raisins
- Pre-scoop the cookie dough balls using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop and place them on a parchment paper lined tray or in airtight container. Chill cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight to firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃) and line a rimmed cookie sheet with a silicone mat and a sheet of parchment paper.
- These cookies will spread in the oven, so I suggest baking 6 cookies at a time on cooled pans. Pack the chilled dough balls with your hands for a taller mound and then place them 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake on the middle rack for 14-15 minutes, rotating tray halfway through baking.
- Watch for the edges to be golden brown while the centers still look puffy and soft. Place the pan on a wire rack and allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes.
- If any of the cookies spread too much or are misshapen, it's an easy fix. While they're still warm place a larger round cookie cutter or cup around the cookie and move it in a circular motion to reshape back into a perfect circle.
- The center will sink and the cookies will firm as they cool. Transfer the cookies directly onto a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
Icing the Cookies
- Place the sifted confectioners sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice in a medium shallow bowl. Whisk into a smooth thick icing . Add a touch more lemon juice if needed.165 grams confectioners sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Take a cookie and hold it between your thumb and forefingers. Gently dip just the surface of the cookie into the icing. Lift and let the icing drip off any excess before inverting face up.
- How deep you place the cookie will result in how much icing you'll have on top.
- Allow icing to dry and set completely before stacking cookies.
Notes
Ingredients Used:
*Weighing flour is how I test all my recipes. The measurement I use: 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams. Please note that this amount can change based on a different baker’s recipe or using a conversion tool. The weight listed in the recipe is how it was tested and should be used for accuracy. *Different brands of flour are made with soft or hard wheat and have varying levels of protein, ranging from low to high. This can change the final result of a baked good, giving different outcomes on the same recipe. I list the level of protein in the ingredients, the brand of flour tested with and a link to My Baking Ingredients for additional details. When choosing a flour, look at the protein level on the back of the bag and consult the recommended amount for the recipe.
- Flour- Gold Medal Flour, protein of 10.5-11%
- Butter- President Unsalted, European style butter, 82% butterfat
*Weighing flour is how I test all my recipes. The measurement I use: 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams. Please note that this amount can change based on a different baker’s recipe or using a conversion tool. The weight listed in the recipe is how it was tested and should be used for accuracy. *Different brands of flour are made with soft or hard wheat and have varying levels of protein, ranging from low to high. This can change the final result of a baked good, giving different outcomes on the same recipe. I list the level of protein in the ingredients, the brand of flour tested with and a link to My Baking Ingredients for additional details. When choosing a flour, look at the protein level on the back of the bag and consult the recommended amount for the recipe.
Tried this recipe?Mention @twocupsflour or tag #twocupsflour!
I can’t believe I made a cookie that tastes this good! This cookie is delicious!
These look delicious and am already gathering the ingredients but they make a very large cookie – too big for little people in my life. Any advice for time for baking a smaller 1 1/2T size scoop or even a little smaller?
Hi Sue! Yes, you can make them with a 1.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop, the bake time will be shorter closer to 8-9 minutes, for 28 gram cookies. Just keep an eye on them at the 7 minute mark. The edges will be golden but the center will look a little under baked and puffy.
These cookies are absolutely amazing!! They have that wonderful oatmeal flavor with yummy chewy cherries and then the Limoncello kicks in to bring just the right amount of refreshing tartness. The combination of flavors is awesome! Limoncello oatmeal cookies are my new favorite. Better make a double batch because they disappear fast! You are going to love them too!