Description
Lemon bar cookie cups bring zesty sunshine right to your dessert plate, combining buttery cookie base with tangy lemon filling that melts perfectly in your mouth. These adorable handheld treats deliver a refreshing twist that makes sharing sweet moments with friends totally irresistible.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Finishing Ingredient:
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Fire up your oven to 350°F and prepare a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Cream ½ cup softened butter with ¾ cup granulated sugar until the mixture looks pale and fluffy.
- Fold 1 cup flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder into the butter mixture until just combined.
- Roll small 1-inch dough balls and press them into each muffin cup, creating thin cookie shells along the bottom and sides.
- Whisk 2 room temperature eggs with ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and the remaining sugar until silky smooth.
- Fill each cookie shell about ¾ full with the bright lemon mixture.
- Slide the muffin tin into the 350°F oven and bake precisely 18-22 minutes until the centers look set but slightly trembling.
- Let the cookie cups rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Dust generously with powdered sugar just before serving for a delicate, sweet finish.
Notes
- Softening butter completely ensures a smooth, creamy base that blends seamlessly with sugar for perfect cookie cup texture.
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest for the brightest, most vibrant citrus flavor that makes these cookie cups truly special.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend, which maintains the same delicate crumb.
- Press cookie dough evenly into muffin cups using the back of a spoon or your fingertips to create uniform, thin-walled shells that bake consistently.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 155 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 65 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 37 mg