Description
These Lemon Coconut Cheesecake Cookies combine the creamy richness of cream cheese with bright lemon flavors and tropical shredded coconut, resulting in soft, flavorful cookies perfect for dessert or a sweet snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Additional
- ¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Cream Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which ensures a smooth base for the cookies.
- Add Wet Flavorings: Beat in the egg, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla extract until fully combined, blending the citrus and vanilla flavors evenly throughout the dough.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to ensure they are evenly mixed.
- Mix Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the dough. Gently fold in the sweetened shredded coconut to distribute it throughout the dough.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for 1 hour to firm up, which helps maintain the cookie shape during baking.
- Preheat & Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop the chilled dough into tablespoon-sized balls and space them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet to allow for spreading.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set, indicating they are baked through but still soft.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, ensuring they firm up properly.
Notes
- For extra lemon flavor, drizzle cooled cookies with a simple lemon glaze made from powdered sugar and lemon juice.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
