Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

If you’re all about lemon, these Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies belong on your must-bake list! They’re soft and chewy, with a bright citrus flavor from lots of fresh lemon zest and juice, plus a little crunch from poppy seeds. A tangy lemon glaze ties it all together for the perfect sweet and zesty treat.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I tested this gluten-free lemon poppy seed cookie recipe using King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 flour blend. Both produced delicious cookies with a moist crumb and fantastic flavor. The main difference? Cookies made with King Arthur spread less than those made with Bob’s Red Mill. While other gluten free flour blends will work, I haven’t tested them in this recipe. Keep in mind that the flour blends I used contain xanthan gum, which helps with texture and structure.

Lemons: You can't make Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies without lemons. In this recipe, we are using lemon zest as well as lemon juice for the ultimate lemon flavor. Therefore I recommend using organic lemons (if you can). Make sure to give them a good rinse. I do NOT recommend using bottled lemon juice. (If you have access to Meyer Lemons, I highly recommend using them!)

Egg Yolk: Make sure to only use the egg yolk in this recipe. The egg white is replaced with fresh lemon juice.

Poppy Seeds: You can find poppy seeds in the spice or baking aisle of most grocery stores. They come from the same plant that produces opiates like morphine and codeine, but the seeds themselves are completely safe to eat. Since poppy plants can't be grown in the U.S. for commercial use, all poppy seeds sold here are imported. Austria is one of the top producers, known for its high-quality poppy seeds often used in baking and traditional recipes like Gluten Free Mohnnudeln.

Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cookie Dough

The dough for lemon poppy seed cookies comes together in no time. Make sure your unsalted butter is at room temperature and remember to use only the egg yolk for a rich, tender texture. There is no vanilla extract in this cookie dough recipe since it overpowers the lemon flavor.

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the gluten-free multi-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, poppy seeds and kosher salt. Set this aside for now.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest from 1 large lemon (about a generous tablespoon of lemon zest). Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to rub the zest into the sugar - this releases the oils and boosts the lemon flavor.
3. Add the room temperature butter to the lemon sugar and at a medium-high speed cream the ingredients together for 2-3 minutes until they become fluffy and pale. Remember to pause halfway through and use a flexible spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
4. Next, add the egg yolk and the lemon juice and mix until the ingredients are well combined.
5. Mix in the dry ingredients at a low speed into the wet ingredients until a dough forms. With a flexible spatula, give the batter a few good stirs making sure there are no pockets of the flour mixture hiding.

Baking Instructions

The dough for gluten free lemon poppy seed cookies can be baked right away. So no need to refrigerate it.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. With a medium cookie scoop (around 1.5 tablespoons), portion out the cookie dough and roll it into balls. You should get around 12 - 14 cookie dough balls from this batch.
3. Roll each dough ball into a smooth ball.
4. Next, gently roll the dough ball in granulated sugar until evenly coated, ensuring a crisp, sweet exterior after baking. Gently flatten it slightly, shaping it more like a hockey puck than a round ball. Since the cookies only contain an egg yolk, it needs a little help to get started spreading in the oven. Gently pressing down the dough helps with this.
5. Arrange 6 cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and bake them at 350F for 11-12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are set and the tops are still pale and slightly puffy.
6. Remove the pan from the oven (make sure to close the oven door) and tap the baking sheet onto a towel-covered countertop a few times. This creates the perfect crinkle top! You can also carefully lift the sheet pan in the oven 3-4 inches and drop it on the oven rack. This will help the cookies to spread and deflate. And, get a crinkle topping. (If you prefer puffy, cakey cookies, clearly skip this step)
7. Once they're out of the oven, use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookies to give them a neat shape. Allow them to cool on the sheet tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
8. Repeat the baking steps with the second tray of unbaked lemon poppyseed cookie dough.

Lemon Glaze

Make sure the gluten free lemon cookies are completely cooled before decorating them with a quick lemon glaze. You can either dip the entire surface of the cookies into the lemon glaze or just drizzle a little bit over them. I prefer using a spoon to control the drizzle.

1. In a shallow bowl, mix powdered sugar with lemon juice. Stir until smooth. The icing should coat the back of a spoon but still drip easily.
2. Drizzle some of the lemon glaze over the fully cooled poppy seed cookies and garnish with additional lemon zest and some poppyseeds if you like.
3. Let the lemon glaze set before serving or storing.

Storage & Freezing

Before storing, let the gluten free lemon poppy seed cookies sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the lemon glaze is fully set and firm. This prevents smudging and ensures the cookies stay neat.

Store the cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh and prevent them from drying out. If stacking, place a sheet of parchment or wax paper between layers to keep the glaze from sticking. Properly stored, these cookies will stay fresh for 4-5 days.

To freeze, prepare the lemon cookie recipe as written and portion it into individual cookie-sized portions. Make sure to gently press them down. Place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or a tray. Place the baking sheet or tray with the cookie dough portions into the freezer. Allow them to freeze for about 1-2 hours or until they are firm. Once the cookie dough portions are solid, place the dough balls into a resealable freezer bag or an airtight container. When you're ready to bake the frozen cookie dough, preheat the oven according to the original recipe instructions. Make sure to freeze the plain dough and wait to roll it into sugar until ready to bake. Add 1-2 additional minutes to the baking time.

FAQ - Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Note about Salt in my Recipes

I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.