Brace yourself for the bright, tart, and buttery homemade taste of Sunshine Lemon Cooler Cookies! The best nostalgic copycat cookie to brighten your day by blending citrus and sweet flavors.
Lemon Coolers Copycat Recipe
Our easy Lemon Cooler Cookies recipe has the perfect balance between tart and sweet. They’re loaded with fresh citrus flavor from the zest and juice of real lemon and then coated in a mixture of powdered sugar and lemonade powder.
The cookies alone have a burst of citrus fruit baked right into batter. But when dipped in a lemon powdered sugar mixture, the coating merges with the cookie making them melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
What Are Sunshine Lemon Coolers
The original Sunshine Lemon Coolers were made popular in the mid to late 20th century but are no longer in production. While there have been many attempts to recreate the Keebler lemon cooler cookie recipe, (say hello to Girl Scout’s Savannah Smiles), my homemade rendition is a close copycat!
Just like the old fashioned Lemon Cooler cookies, these small, round treats have a distinctive lemon taste. A dusting of powdered sugar gives them a light, sweet coating that complements the tang; they have a crisp texture on the outside but are soft and chewy inside.
Lemon Cooler Cookies Ingredients
- White granulated sugar
- Fresh lemon zest: This can be omitted and replaced with ½ teaspoon of lemon extract instead. The result won’t be quite as fresh but the lemon flavor will be there. One large lemon provides sufficient zest and juice for this lemon cookie recipe.
- Salted butter: Make sure to use room temperature butter to achieve a smooth, evenly textured batter. Unsalted butter can be substituted with a pinch or two of salt for flavor.
- Large egg yolk
- All purpose flour
- Cornstarch: This ingredient helps keep the cookies intact without spreading but can be omitted if needed.
- Lemon juice: I recommend fresh lemon juice for this recipe when possible but juice from concentrate can also be used when needed.
- Powdered sugar: Also known as icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar, is the perfect cookie coating.
- Lemonade Kool-Aid Powder: Feel free to substitute your favorite lemonade powder or mix as desired for this recipe. True Lemon Lemonade Mix most closely mimics the taste of fresh lemon juice when mixed with water and is a great low calorie, low sugar option.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Lemon Cooler Cookies
- Create The Cookie Dough: Beat together the white sugar and lemon zest until fragrant. Add in the butter and beat to cream. Beat in the egg yolk, followed by the flour and cornstarch until a crumbly dough forms. Pour in the lemon juice and beat on low until firm.
- Scoop and Roll Round: Scoop out cookie dough balls and split them in half. Roll each half into a ball.
- Firm Up In The Fridge: Place on lined baking sheets, flatten slightly, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes or until firm.
- Bake: Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, one sheet at a time, for 9-12 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.
- Coat The Cookies: Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemonade powder. Once cooled, dip each cookie in the powder sugar mix to coat.
- Double Dip: Return the cookie to the tray to cool completely. Recoat each cookie in the powdered sugar mixture.
- Serve: Serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Powdered lemon cookies are perfectly refreshing during the warmer months, especially since lemon juice leaves your body hydrated. Stay recharged this summer by serving your citrus cookies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet.
You can also dip your desserts it in a dish of lemon curd, crumble the cookies over over Greek yogurt or a bowl of fresh berries, or serve them alongside my other lemon cake, Lemon Coole Whip cookies, and Lemon trifle recipes.
Tips & Variations
- Swap the Citrus: One of my favorite things to do with this recipe is to change the type of citrus fruit flavor that I use. Orange or lime can be substituted for the zest, juice, and kool-aid coating and will give delicious results.
- Don’t Love Lemon? You can omit the citrus flavoring completely and use water, milk, or cream to make the cookies come together. Consider adding a teaspoon of vanilla for flavor as well.
- Cut the Calories: While these cookies cannot be considered diet food, using a packet of True Lemon powder has fewer calories than Kool-Aid! One packet equals the taste of 1 lemon wedge, has 0 calories, 0g sugar, and no artificial colors or preservatives.
Proper Storage
- To Store: Store your Lemon Cooler Cookies in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. If the weather is warm or humid, consider storing them in the refrigerator to maintain freshness, though that may cause them to dry out slightly.
- To Freeze: Lemon Cooler Cookies can be frozen for 2-3 months. Be aware that storing them for too long may cause the powdered sugar coating to absorb moisture from the cookies, potentially altering the texture and making the outside sticky. I recommend recoating them with powdered sugar to refresh the appearance before serving.
More Lemon Desserts
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Lemon Cooler Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoon lemonade kool aid powder
Instructions
- Beat together the white sugar and the lemon zest with a hand or stand mixer in a large mixing bowl until fragrant, about 1 minute.½ cup granulated white sugar, ½ tablespoon lemon zest
- Add in the butter and beat together until well creamed. Mix in the egg yolk and beat until combined.½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, 1 large egg yolk
- Beat in the flour and cornstarch on high until a crumbly dough forms. Pour in the lemon juice and beat on low speed until a firm dough forms.1¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- Using a 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out dough and split it in half. Roll each half of dough into a ball.
- Place each cookie ball on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup.
- Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30-60 minutes or until firm through.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray lightly with baking spray.
- Remove a baking sheet from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap.
- Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 9-12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to brown.
- While the cookies are baking, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemonade powder until fully combined.1 cup powdered sugar, ¾ teaspoon lemonade kool aid powder
- Allow the warm cookies to cool for 1-2 minutes and then dip each one in the powdered sugar mix to fully coat it.
- Return the cookie to the tray and let it cool completely.
- Once cooled, recoat each cookie in the powdered sugar mixture and then serve.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store your Lemon Cooler Cookies in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. If the weather is warm or humid, consider storing them in the refrigerator to maintain freshness, though that may cause them to dry out slightly.
- To Freeze: Lemon Cooler Cookies can be frozen for 2-3 months. Be aware that storing them for too long may cause the powdered sugar coating to absorb moisture from the cookies, potentially altering the texture and making the outside sticky. I recommend recoating them with powdered sugar to refresh the appearance before serving.
- Swap The Citrus: One of my favorite things to do with this recipe is to change the type of citrus fruit flavor that I use. Orange or lime can be substituted for the zest, juice and kool aid coating and will give delicious results.
- Don’t Love Lemon? You can omit the citrus flavoring completely and use water, milk or cream to get the cookies to come together. Consider adding a teaspoon of vanilla for flavor as well.
- Cut The Calories: While these cookies cannot be considered diet food, using a packet of True Lemon powder has less calories than Kool-Aid! One packet equals the taste of 1 lemon wedge, has 0 calories, 0g sugar, and has no artificial colors or preservatives.
