These lavender sugar cookies are soft, chewy, and have a delicate floral flavor from lavender extract and dried lavender flowers. They're a perfect sweet treat to brighten your day.
If you love lavender, try my lemon lavender cupcakes with lavender buttercream too!
I love a good buttery sugar cookie, and this lavender sugar cookie recipe is next level good. The cookies are soft, tender, chewy, and fragrant with slightly crisp golden edges. They're perfect to make for Spring and Summer and I love them so much!
The soft cookie dough is flavored with lavender extract and then rolled in sugar and dried lavender buds before baking. This ensures that the lavender flavor is present- but I promise your cookies won't end up tasting like soap!
These cookies are easy to make in under 30 minutes with no mixer required! They're perfect for afternoon tea, a light snack, or as a special treat to share with family and friends. You're definitely going to want to keep this recipe on hand to make over and over again!
This recipe is a variation of my olive oil sugar cookies! For more cookie recipes, try these birthday cake sugar cookies, white chocolate blueberry cookies, lemon bar cookies, and chocolate chipless cookies.
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Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes about the ingredients used. For quantities and full instructions, see the recipe card below.
- All purpose flour- All-purpose flour provides the right amount of gluten for the dough to hold together without being too tough. It also provides structure and stability, allowing the cookies to hold their shape as they bake.
- Baking powder and baking soda- These leavening agents work together to create a balanced rise and light texture. Baking soda is an alkaline ingredient that reacts with acidic components in the dough, producing carbon dioxide gas that causes the cookies to rise. Baking powder, on the other hand, contains both an acid and a base, which react when combined with liquid and heat to produce gases. Make sure both are fresh and not expired.
- Salt- A pinch of salt is essential for making cookies; without it, they can be overly sweet and lack flavor. You can use sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, or Kosher salt. Just make sure the salt is finely ground, otherwise, add an additional ¼ teaspoon.
- Unsalted butter- Butter binds the ingredients together while providing a rich flavor and tender texture. For the most flavor control, use unsalted butter. This recipe uses melted butter so the cookies spread a bit more.
- Granulated sugar- Granulated white sugar is a classic choice and adds just the right amount of sweetness. You'll also need some to roll the cookie dough in.
- Vanilla extract- This helps to bring out the flavors of the other ingredients and creates a more balanced flavor profile.
- Lavender extract- This provide a unique floral flavor and aroma. Even though it's used sparingly, it packs a punch! You can use lavender extract or lavender paste; do NOT use lavender essential oil.
- Egg- An egg binds the ingredients together while promoting the cookies to rise and spread at the same time.
- Egg yolk- Using an extra egg yolk makes the cookies extra rich and chewy. Make sure your egg and egg yolk are room temperature.
- Dried lavender- This is also known as culinary lavender, which is a type of lavender that is specifically grown and harvested for use in cooking and baking. It's important to use culinary lavender because it is safe for consumption and free from pesticides and chemicals.
Substitutions
- All purpose flour: Use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour if you're making these gluten free.
- Granulated sugar: Cane sugar and caster sugar are both great options.
Helpful Equipment and Tools
- For mixing and folding the ingredients, you need a whisk and a rubber spatula.
- For evenly sized cookie dough balls, try using a 1.5 tablespoon medium cookie scoop. This will create large cookies that won't spread into each other as they bake.
- Bake 8 cookies at a time on a half sheet trays lined with parchment paper. If you have a small oven, bake 6 cookies at a time on quarter sheet trays.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are the steps to make the lavender sugar cookies! Before you start, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
STEP 1: First, whisk the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
STEP 2: Next, vigorously whisk the melted butter and sugar together in a separate large mixing bowl. Cream them together until well combined.
STEP 3: Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and lavender extract into the butter and sugar mixture. Stir with a whisk until everything is well combined and texture looks like a paste.
STEP 4: Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients and gently fold with a rubber spatula until only a few streaks of flour remain. Then, pour in the rest of the dry ingredients and fold until no streaks of flour are visible. Set aside.
STEP 5: Pour ¼ cup of granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons of dried lavender buds into a small bowl and combine with a spoon or small whisk.
STEP 6: Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Roll each scoop into balls and drop each one into the bowl of lavender sugar. Toss the ball in the sugar until it's well coated. Place 8 balls on each lined baking tray about 2 inches apart so they have room to spread.
STEP 7: Bake for 10-13 minutes or until the edges appear set. The middles will still look slightly underdone. Let the cookies cool on the hot tray for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Once they're at room temperature, sprinkle with a little more sugar and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Measure your flour in grams. Weighing your flour with a food scale instead of using cup measurements ensures the best results. If you don't have a scale, fluff the flour up in the bag before scooping it into your measuring cup. Don't pack it in! Swipe the excess flour off and you're good to go.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature and the melted butter is slightly cool before baking. This helps create a smoother, more even dough.
- Don't overcrowd the cookie sheet. Leave about 2 inches between each dough ball so they spread evenly and bake up beautifully.
- Don't overbake the cookies, as they can quickly become dry and brittle. Keep an eye on them and take them out of the oven when they are just starting to turn golden brown around the edges.
- Scoot a circular cookie cutter around the cookies when they're fresh out of the oven to make them perfectly round!
Additions and Variations
Want to try jazzing these lavender cookies up a little more? Here are some ingredients you can add:
- Lemon zest: Adding some lemon zest to the dough gives the cookies a bright, citrusy flavor that complements the lavender. You can also make a lemon glaze to drizzle on top!
- Almonds: Chopped or slivered almonds add a nice crunch. You can either mix them into the dough or sprinkle on top before baking.
- White chocolate: Dipping the cookies in melted white chocolate adds decadent, creamy sweetness while also highlighting the floral notes of the lavender.
- Rose petals: If you want to make the cookies even more floral, you can sprinkle some dried rose petals on top before baking. Just make sure to use culinary grade rose petals that are safe to eat.
- Honey: A drizzle of honey on top goes perfectly with lavender.
- Coconut: Folding toasted shredded coconut into the dough adds a tropical twist to the cookies.
- Cinnamon: A dash of cinnamon adds warmth and depth to the flavor profile.
Storage and Freezing
Store the lavender sugar cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Make sure the container is completely sealed to prevent the cookies from drying out.
Freezing
These cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. After they cool completely, place them in an airtight container with wax paper between each layer to keep them from sticking together. When ready to eat, let the cookies thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common reason for cookies not spreading is over measuring the flour. Too much flour creates a tough cookie that won't spread in the oven. For accuracy, I recommend weighing the flour in grams with a kitchen scale.
If you're cookies are flat, your oven is probably too hot. You might want to check it with an oven thermometer! The butter may have been too hot as well.
For a chewy texture, it's best to remove the cookies from the oven when they are slightly underdone. They're ready when they droop slightly over the end of your spatula, and the middles are puffy while the edges are lightly browned.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
Lavender Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
Ingredients
Lavender Cookies
- 330 grams all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 226 grams melted unsalted butter slightly cooled
- 200 grams granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lavender extract
Lavender Sugar
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoon dried lavender culinary-grade
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.330 grams all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar together until well combined.226 grams melted unsalted butter, 200 grams granulated sugar
- Vigorously whisk the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and lavender extract into the butter mixture until homogenous and paste-like.1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lavender extract
- Fold half of the flour mixture into the bowl of wet ingredients until only a few streaks of flour are left. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and fold until no streaks of flour remain and set aside.
- Combine the sugar and dried lavender in a small bowl.50 grams granulated sugar, 3 tablespoon dried lavender
- Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the cookie dough. Roll each scoop into balls.
- Drop each ball into the bowl of lavender sugar, rolling around until evenly coated. Place the balls 1-2 inches apart from each other on the lined baking trays.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes until the edges are set and the middles are puffy. Let cool on the hot tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely and enjoy!
Video
Notes
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- Measure your flour in grams. If you don't have a scale, fluff the flour up in the bag before scooping it into your measuring cup and swipe off the excess.
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- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature and the melted butter is slightly cool before baking. This helps create a smoother, more even dough.
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- Leave about 2 inches between each dough ball so they spread evenly.
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- Don't overbake the cookies. Take them out of the oven when they are just starting to brown around the edges.
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