Meet these Raspberry Lemonade Cookies. They are lemony soft cookies dusted with powdered sugar and filled with sweet raspberry lemon icing. They are summer in every bite and not to mention they’re gluten free, nut free, egg free and easily dairy free (vegan).
If you had to sum up an entire season in cookies, it would be THESE cookies.
Of course you can eat them any time of the year but these cookies really encapsulate summer.
They’re so nostalgic and bring me back to the pink lemonade sales my dear friend/neighbor, Laura, and I had every summer growing up.
Larry, our mailman, was our biggest customer and he would buy about 10 cups of pink lemonade. Thanks, Larry!
I did not know how to bake at this point and Laura could tell you all about my baking mishaps, like accidentally sending a bowl of brownie batter flying across a room.
At any rate…these cookies are fairly simple to make and will be a total hit. They're sweet with a little tang from the citrus but mild. If you're looking for sweeter and more citrus flavor, check out my Fruity Pebbles Cookies or for fruity sweet cookies check out my Strawberry Sugar Cookies.
For more shortbread cookies, try my Orange Shortbread Cookies, Lemon Thumbprint Cookies and my Double Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies.
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Substitutions and Variations
How to Make these Vegan
- Make sure to use a gluten free flour that is free of dairy.
- Instead of butter, use vegan baking sticks.
- Use a non dairy milk of choice.
This recipe has not been tested with these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Raspberry Lemonade Cookies
Here are the step by step instructions to make these cookies!
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Whisk the Dry Ingredients
Whisk together the gluten free flour, ½ cup confectioners' sugar and salt in a bowl.
Step 3: Cream the Sugar with Lemon and Zest
In a large bowl, beat butter or vegan baking sticks with ¼ cup confectioners' sugar, zest, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Step 4: Add in the Dry Ingredients and Milk
On low speed, beat in the gluten free flour mixture and milk of choice, alternating and starting and ending with the flour mixture.
Step 5: Roll Dough Balls
Roll dough into 1-inch balls and chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
Remove dough balls from fridge and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
Step 6: Bake and Indent Cookies
Bake for 6 minutes. Remove sheets and carefully press the end of a wooden spoon handle into the center of each ball to indent. Continue to bake for an additional 6 minutes. Repeat making the hole with the back of the wooden spoon. Let cool completely on sheets.
For the Icing
Step 1: Mix the Ingredients
Whisk together remaining 1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice with 2 raspberries in a bowl, breaking up berries. If the icing is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar one tablespoon at a time. If it’s too thick, add more lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon at a time. It should be thin enough to pour but thick enough to generously coat the back of a spoon. Your pink icing will have red flecks in it and that’s normal.
Step 2: Dust with Sugar and Fill with Icing
Dust cookies with confectioners’ sugar, spoon icing into indents, and let set, about 15 minutes. Wait till the icing hardens before eating otherwise it will be very tangy. Enjoy!
It's summertime in every bite! These Pink Lemonade Thumbprint Cookies are so delicious and refreshing…you’ll want to eat them all summer long. They’re gluten free, egg free, nut free and easily vegan deliciousness!
Expert Baking Tips
- Chill the dough balls- Roll the dough into one inch balls and refrigerate them for at least 10-15 minutes.
- Dress up the cookies- The icing will harden after about 15 minutes. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Other Raspberry Recipes You'll Love
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @laneandgreyfare and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube! Enjoy!!!
📖 Recipe
Raspberry Lemonade Cookies
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups of gluten free flour make sure to use dairy free if you’re making them vegan
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 sticks 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature or vegan baking sticks
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup milk of choice
- 2 frozen raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the gluten free flour, ½ cup confectioners' sugar and salt in a bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat butter or vegan baking sticks with ¼ cup confectioners' sugar, zest, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- On low speed, beat in the gluten free flour mixture and milk of choice, alternating and starting and ending with the flour mixture.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls and chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove dough balls from fridge and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 6 minutes. Remove sheets and carefully press the end of a wooden spoon handle into the center of each ball to indent. Continue to bake for an additional 6 minutes. Repeat making the hole with the back of the wooden spoon. Let cool completely on sheets.
- Make the icing: Whisk together remaining 1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice with 2 raspberries in a bowl, breaking up berries. If the icing is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar one tablespoon at a time. If it’s too thick, add more lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon at a time. It should be thin enough to pour but thick enough to generously coat the back of a spoon. Your pink icing will have red flecks in it and that’s normal.
- Dust cookies with confectioners’ sugar, spoon icing into indents, and let set, about 15 minutes. Wait till the icing hardens before eating otherwise it will be very tangy. Enjoy!
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Nutrition
The recipe for these Pink Lemonade Thumbprint Cookies was adapted from Martha Stewart.
John
Such a delightful blend of sweet cookie and tart raspberry icing!
Nancy DiPaola
These cookies are easy to make. The directions are easy to follow . The cookies were a hit ! My family loved them
Lee
So so glad!!! Thanks!
Valerie Taylor Shannon
I have made at least a dozen of your recipes, and they are all good...this knocks it out of the park! My very domestic baking friend requested these for her daughter's wedding. Not one left! So pretty too.
Lee
Oh so so glad!!! Thanks so much!