These Lemon Bar Cookie Cups are easy to make, and easier to serve than lemon bars. If you’re a lemon bar lover, you’ll love this cookie cup version.
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While searching for fun new cookie recipes to try, I saw several lemon thumbprint cookie recipes, and I couldn’t resist turning them into cookie cups. Cookie cups are fun to make, easy, and the possibilities are almost endless. After I tasted one of my lemon cookie cups, I realized it tasted like a lemon bar.
These Lemon Bar Cookie Cups are a sweet, slightly crumbly cookie filled with tart, silky smooth lemon curd, dressed up with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
I based this cookie on the Fudge-Filled Toffee Pecan Sandies recipe and filled it with homemade lemon curd. Of course, you could also use store-bought lemon curd, but this lemon curd is so fabulous you really need to give it a try.
This luscious, best-I’ve-ever-tasted Lemon Curd recipe is from FineCooking.Com and their foolproof method is really unique. You cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl, slowly beat in whole eggs, then add the lemon juice, and finally, thicken it in a pan on the stove.
It is satiny smooth and you don’t need to worry about accidentally having bits of cooked egg white in your curd that need to be strained out.
The Lemon Curd recipe makes more than you’ll need for filling the cookies in this recipe. But it will keep in the refrigerator for a week, or it freezes well and will keep in the freezer for 2 months. I made a double batch of lemon curd and plan to make mini lemon pies next week with the extra.
Update: This has become one of my most popular recipes on Pinterest, so I updated it with some new pictures, a new collage for Pinterest, and a video to show you how easy they are to make.
If you haven’t tried this one yet, you really should. It’s one of my all time favorites too.
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Lemon Bar Cookie Cups
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour*
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda*
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup sugar*
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar powdered sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup lemon curd recipe below
- powdered sugar for decorating optional
Lemon Curd
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ⅔ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Prepare lemon curd.
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Combine the flours, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the oil, egg and extracts. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and stir until combined.
- Drop one tablespoon dough (I used a #50 scoop) into each cup of a greased mini muffin tin or lined with mini cupcake liners. Bake for 8 minutes.
- Remove from oven and using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Fill with a teaspoon of lemon curd.
- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 4 minutes, or until cookies are firm and lightly browned on the sides. Remove to wire racks to cool.
- Sprinkle the edges of the cookies with powdered sugar.
Lemon Curd
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, until well combined. Add the eggs and yolks and beat for 1 min. Add the lemon juice and mix until blended – the mixture will look lumpy.
- In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it melts. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170°F on a thermometer. Don’t let the mixture boil. (Once it was completely melted, mine thickened and reached 170º in just a few minutes, so watch it closely.)
- Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.
Video
Notes
- I made the following high altitude adjustments for the cookies: added 2 tablespoons flour, reduced baking soda to ¼ teaspoon, and subtracted 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Lemon Curd recipe slightly adapted from from Fine Cooking
Nutrition
More lemon dessert recipes you might like:
Lemon Doodle Cookies, Barbara Bakes
Lemon Bliss Bundt Cake, Barbara Bakes
Lemon Blackberry Chess Pie, Barbara Bakes
Lemon Lovers Trifle, Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen
Lemon Jello Cake, Sweet Basil
Lemon Whippersnaps, Mom On Timeout
Pin It:
Denise
Do you think jellos lemon pie filling would work for the curd?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Denise – yes it would probably work. You can also buy lemon curd in the jam section at the grocery store.
Sally
The Cookie cups never firmed up after baking, even after giving them extra time in the oven. What a disappointment.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Sally – the recipe works for most people. Perhaps your measurements were off?
Aimee
Hi Barbara,
I would like to make these and ship them in a care package to a friend in another state. Do these have to be refrigerated after they are baked? Or do you leave yours out to room temperature? Thank you
Barbara Schieving
HI Aimee – I always keep the lemon curd refrigerated, but do often leave the cookie cups out at room temperature. If I was shipping them to a friend, I would make an egg free lemon curd https://www.shakentogetherlife.com/2012/04/taste-this-easy-eggless-lemon-curd.html How nice of you to send cookies to a friend!
Dawn
I’d like to make and freeze these for my daughter’s wedding. Is that possible?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Dawn – I haven’t tried it, but they should freeze well.
JAnn
When you drop the dough in the cup, do you have to shape it in anyway, or does it bake up the sides? I love lemon bars and this recipe is so pretty
Barbara Schieving
Thanks! Yes, you just drop the dough in the cup and it bakes up the sides. Enjoy!
Nesta
How long do they keep in the fridge after they have been made? I was hoping to make them a few days before serving. Christmas eve can get a little hectic in the kitchen! Thanks
Barbara Schieving
They’ll keep in the fridge for several days. Just be sure and decorate them with powdered sugar right before serving.
cookinggram
recipe instructs to add flour mixture to cream mixture. I was assuming all dry ingredients were for the shells and not the curd. Have never,ever added flour of any sort to my curd. last notation was in 2016.
Barbara Schieving
The instructions for making the curd are at the bottom of the recipe and the curd ingredients are separated as well. You’re correct, you do not add flour to the curd.
Teresa Ambra
These Lemon Curd cups look so heavenly Barbara. They are definitely going on my Christmas baking list this year! Thanks for sharing.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Teresa – they’re always a hit.
Holly K
These were a huge hit! I received so many compliments on them. First time I have ever made lemon curd and it was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly, but skipped the powdered sugar dusting. They were almost too cute to eat! Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
Barbara Schieving
That’s so fun Holly! They’re always a big hit when I make them too.
Ruvimbo
What if I don’t have whole wheat flour, can I substitute it with something else?
Barbara Schieving
Sure, just use all purpose flour instead.
carrian cheney
UMMMMM YES!!! I love these lemon bar cookie cups! They are so perfect!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks so much Carrian!
Rocky Mountain Woman
They are literally making my mouth water right now! Can’t wait to try them…
Barbara Schieving
Thanks! I hope you love them 🙂
Diane Troxell
I made these last Christmas to add to my cookie trays I give as gifts. Everyone loved them! Will be making again.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Diane – so nice to hear they were a hit at your party.
Rebecca
I made these today; soooo delicious! I love the fact that there’s a little bit of wholemeal flour; it gives them an extra level of complexity and depth of flavour. The lemon curd was easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy (sorry, couldn’t help myself) and utterly divine- both in looks and taste. I used a 375 degree oven and about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough in each cup. First batch was too moist, even though I baked for longer. Also, I had slathered the tins with butter but still had a *&%$# of a time getting them out of the tins and without breaking the fragile darlings. Second batch I lined the tins with mini muffin paper cups and baked for 12 minutes, then 6 minutes after placing curd in. I only wish I had thought of it before. Still seemed too moist, even with the even longer baking. Maybe I’ll try using all butter next time and no oil. This recipe yielded 3 1/2 dozen for me. Thanks for a keeper of a recipe. I can’t wait to bring them into work for morning tea. 🙂
Up at the top of the recipe it says it yields 2 1/2 dozen, and I see that in a comment you made on May 3, 2016 you informed someone that it yields 2 1/2 dozen. But in a comment you made on August 16, 2015 you told someone it made about 4 dozen- which is definitely more accurate. 🙂
Barbara Schieving
Hi Rebecca – so glad you loved the cookies. They’re one of our favorites. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I’ve updated the yield.
Marianne
Hi, these look amazing! I was wondering if I could use lemon or lime curd from a jar?
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Marianne – yes, you could substitute store bought lemon or lime curd for the homemade. Enjoy!
Marlene
I made these today for a baby shower next week, instead of the lemon bars my daughter requested. These are lovely and yummy. A few tips I used: a teaspoon or half teaspoon round measuring spoon works very well to make the indentations. I made 12 and baked them fully with the lemon curd to “test” freeze. Mine needed longer for the first bake; the one I tasted wasn’t quite cooked through; my dough might have been a bit moist). I also rolled the rest of the dough into balls, froze them in a single layer, and put in a covered container in the freezer to bake later in the week. I think I’ll make another batch to freeze the dough balls and have them on hand for the future.
Julie
I think there’s something wrong on the site – the recipe for the curd is listed twice but there is no cookie recipe? Could you share the cookie recipe?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Julie – thanks for letting me know. I’ve updated the post with the correct recipe.
Diane Troxell
What is the yield for this recipe? I’d like to make these for a Memorial Day block party but need to know if I have to double or triple the recipe. Thanks!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Diane – it makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookie cups. You’re going to be so popular. Enjoy!
Carole Resnick
Heading into the kitchen but I’ll use ALL all-purpose.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Carole – Hope you love them as much as my family does!
Cheryl
I read the comments but I wasn’t sure how to proceed if the cookies are made prior to the day you would like to serve them. Do they go back into the oven again after adding the curd?
Barbara Schieving
I haven’t tried freezing them with the lemon curd, but you could certainly try it, or just fill them and bake them for a few minutes the day before you want to serve them. Just add the powdered sugar right before serving.