Gluten Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies (Small Batch)
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
These gluten free lemon crinkle cookies bring bright, tart lemon flavor to a chewy cookie made with an easy almond flour blend dough. The small batch of six buttery cookies is brightened with fresh lemon juice and zest, and after a needed chill, the dough is rolled through powdered sugar for the classic crackle finish. A favorite for lemon lovers, and just as good for summer as it is for holiday cookie platters, without a tin of leftovers.
Cookie Snapshot: Lemon Crinkles
- Yield: 6 Cookies
- Total Time: 87 minutes (includes 1-hour chill)
- Flavors: Bright, tart lemon in a rich buttery cookie
- Texture: Thick and chewy centers with crisp exterior
- ✨Why Bake These: Small batch, gluten free without tasting like it, and ready for lemon cravings any time of year.
Of all my gluten free cookies, the lemon variety is the one I go back to often. Between these lemon crinkles and my gluten free lemon shortbread, there’s always a tart variety in my cookie jar. And because lemons are a four-season fruit, fresh lemons are the way to go for the brightest flavor.
To get right to the heart of these cookies, they’re buttery, tart, and you’d never guess they’re made without traditional flour. Pairing gluten free with small batch adds a layer of finesse — the wet-to-dry ratio has to be exact when scaling down to a handful of cookies, and I’ve spent hours testing the right flour blend for the best taste and texture.
Almond flour is at the base of all my gluten free desserts for structure, while tapioca flour and sweet rice flour (paired with melted butter) proved better than cornstarch for keeping the cookies soft and chewy. And like most of my small batch cookie recipes, I opt for the egg yolk only versus the whole egg for two reasons: it’s all a small batch of dough can take, and the yolk adds richness and chew.
The result is a cookie with a toothsome bite, delightful chew, and the trademark bright white cracks. The same crackle you’d recognize from my gluten free chocolate crinkle cookies, just dressed in citrus instead of cocoa.
How To Make Gluten Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies
I want to highlight that these cookies have been tested specifically with the single-source gluten free flours listed in the recipe card. Each one’s doing a specific job, so swapping them out won’t give you the same result.
As we talk through how to make these crinkles, you’ll notice there’s not a mixer in sight! My kind of easy cookie.
With all of my gluten free recipes, I start by whisking all of the dry ingredients together first in a small mixing bowl. This ensures even distribution of the different flours, and it’s just good habit for baking.
In a different bowl, mix the melted butter and sugar, then add the egg yolk, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla. Stir until the egg yolk has been fully combined, and the mixture is smooth.
Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet and mix the dough until it is smooth. It will feel a little tacky, which is fine. Cover and chill for at least an hour. Gluten free flours need time to draw moisture from the wet ingredients and hydrate. This deepens the flavor, plus the melted butter needs some time to firm up.
Scoop the chilled dough into six equal portions and roll the balls generously through the powdered sugar to ensure a thick coating. The combination of chilled dough and lots of powdered sugar will give you those white, crackled tops.
If you love the combo of lemon and powdered sugar, you have to try my almond flour lemon snowballs next!
The cookies don’t take long to bake. You’ll know they’re ready when the edges just start to turn golden, and the cracks on top will look barely set. The cookies need time to cool completely. One thing I’ve learned baking gluten free is that any bake tastes better once it’s had time to cool. And this avoids crumbly, warm cookies.
Erin’s Pro Tips
- Fresh lemon works best – To get bright flavor from the juice and the oils from the zest. In a pinch, bottled lemon juice can stand in, and maybe even a splash of lemon extract. If you’re a fellow lemon lover, my glazed lemon shortbread cookies get the same fresh-lemon treatment.
- You can help the cookies spread and crackle – If you notice towards the end of the bake time that your cookies aren’t spreading and creating the cracks, it’s ok to briefly pull the pan out of the oven and give it a bang on the counter to help start the spread.
- For perfectly round cookies – Swirl a round cutter (larger than the cookie) around each one right out of the oven to nudge it back into shape.
Did You Make It? Let’s Hear About It!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you made these lemon crinkle cookies, a star rating and a quick comment below go a long way — not just for me, but for the next lemon lover trying to decide if these are worth the chill time (they are).
Gluten Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies (Small Batch)
by Erin Cernich
Ingredients
- ½ cup blanched almond flour
- 3 tablespoons sweet white rice flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, and salt.1/2 cup blanched almond flour, 3 tablespoons sweet white rice flour, 2 tablespoons tapioca flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the melted butter and sugar. Use a whisk or spoon to combine, then add the egg yolk, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla. Mix well until the egg yolk is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg yolk, room temperature, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and mix until no dry streaks remain. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the powdered sugar to a small bowl.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop 6 equal cookies. Roll the cookie scoops into a ball, then roll generously through the powdered sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- Bake the cookies for 11 to 12 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden – the edges will be set, but the center will look under-baked, which is what we want.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer them to the rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe that can be doubled. Use 1 whole egg vs. 2 egg yolks.
- Lemon Juice and Zest – One lemon should be adequate to get the amount of zest and juice. You can omit the zest and use bottled lemon juice, but the cookies won’t have as much lemony flavor.
- Storing Cookies – Cover the cookies and keep at room temperature for up to 5 days. They will start to soften the longer they sit.
- Freezing Baked Cookies – The cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Place in a freezer bag, and thaw at room temperature.
- Freezing Cookie Dough – The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Estimates
About the Author …
Hi, I’m Erin! With years of experience baking for two in my own small household, I know about the love for desserts without the leftovers. I’ve tested, written, and photographed every one of the 300+ recipes on my website. And even had some of my desserts featured on Taste of Home, The Spruce Eats, ELLE, Parade, and more! From traditional to gluten free desserts for two, I have the recipe for you.
Click here to learn more about me →
Cookies tasted delicious but it didn’t spread even a bit which is a bummer. Other gluten free cookies I make use a lot more butter, so I wonder if that’s the root cause.
Oh, bummer! I have a faq in the post about banging the pan about 9 minutes in to get the cookies to spread and crinkle (I should move that to the recipe card too) – but I will look at the recipe again and see if a little more butter may help. Thank you for trying the recipe though!