Jump to Recipe
A delicious soft and chewy cookie filled with the flavor of fresh lemons and white chocolate. These cookies are a copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie recipe that you’re going to want to save!
Have you ever tried Panera Bread’s Lemon Drop Cookies? They are absolutely to-die for! They are soft in the middle with just enough crunch on the outside, and absolutely bursting with lemon flavor.
If you’ve ever wondered how to recreate this recipe at home, wonder no more! After researching the ingredients that Panera uses to make their cookies, I finally came up with the perfect copycat recipe that you can make in the comfort of your own home.
Why This Recipe Works
- These cookies are even better than the Panera version
- They are soft and chewy with just enough of crispy bite on the edges
- They have the perfect amount of lemon flavor!
Ingredients
These lemon drop cookies are easy to make with a few basic ingredients. The only thing you may not already have on hand is the lemon and white chocolate chips
- Corn starch makes the cookie soft and tender
- Softened butter is essential for the right texture and flavor
- The addition of both fresh lemon zest and juice adds a burs of lemon flavor to every bite
- Mini white chocolate chips add sweetness and an unexpected crunch
- A dusting of powdered sugar on the baked cookies adds a pretty touch and just an extra touch of sweetness
Variations
- These cookies are perfect as-is! I don’t recommend substituting or adding any ingredients.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.Mix the flour, corn starch, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and
sugar, until light and fluffy. - To the creamed butter and sugar, add the eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract
and just ½ cup of the flour mixture to prevent curdling. Mix until well blended. - Mix in the remaining flour in 2 additions, stirring on low speed until the flour is just
incorporated.
- Stir in the white chocolate chips.
- Using a ¼ cup, scoop out the cookie dough and gently roll into a ball. Then drop the all of dough onto the baking sheet (for evenly baked cookies, check that they weigh approximately 55 grams each).
- Place the cookies far apart on the cookie sheet – no more than 4 per tray.
- Bake at 350 for 10 – 12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are just starting to brown.
- Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the tray, then carefully transfer to a wire rack.
- Once completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar.
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container or Ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to use fresh lemon juice?
Since the zest of the lemon is important to the final taste of these cookies, you will definitely need a fresh lemon. I have not tried using bottled juice, and I definitely would not recommend using lemon extract as the flavor is too artificial.
Everyone that has tasted these cookies agrees that they are one of the best drop cookie recipes. I hope you’ll love them, too!
More you may love
Panera Lemon Drop Cookies Recipe
A delicious soft and chewy cookie filled with the flavor of fresh lemons and white chocolate. These cookies are a copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie recipe that you're going to want to save!
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes minutes
Serving Size 10 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ¼ cup corn starch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup mini white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup powdered sugar for dusting
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Mix the flour, corn starch, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
To the creamed butter and sugar, add the eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract and just ½ cup of the flour mixture to prevent curdling. Mix until well blended.
Mix in the remaining flour in 2 additions, stirring on low speed until the flour is just incorporated.
Stir in the white chocolate chips.
Using a ¼ cup, scoop out the cookie dough and drop onto the baking sheet. (I like my cookies to weigh around 55 grams each to keep them equal… a few grams on either side is fine).
Place the cookies far apart on the cookie sheet – no more than 4 per tray.
Bake at 350 for 10 – 12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are just starting to brown.
Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the tray, then carefully transfer to a wire rack.
Once completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar.
Jenna is a self-taught baker originally from Ireland, infusing Irish charm into every dish and showing you that baking can be fun and fearless.
