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December 4, 2020 4 Comments

Frosted Lemon Meltaway Cookies

8 Frosted Lemon Meltaway Cookies on a blue plate and six cookies on a baking rack with two lemons

 Meltaway cookies have always been a favorite holiday cookie for me. My mom always made Classic Meltaway Cookies at Christmas time. I still feel nostalgic every time I eat them. These Frosted Lemon Meltaway Cookies are almost identical cookies, but with a delicious sweet and tart lemon frosting on top. A perfect combination for any lemon lover.

If you’ve never had a meltaway cookie, you’re missing out. The butter and cornstarch in the recipe literally make it feel like the cookie is melting away in your mouth. It’s a unique, slightly shortbread-like flavor you just don’t find in any other cookie.

The cookie ingredients are short and sweet and most likely in your pantry–flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and butter. As you can see, this recipe doesn’t have eggs or any kind of leavening agent. You can whip up a batch of these in no time.

A hand holding a Frosted Lemon Meltaway Cookie that has a bite taken out of it, with additional cookies and a lemon in the backgroundLemon Recipes You’ll Love

  • Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
  • Strawberry Lemonade Pie
  • Dreamy Lemon Cookies
  • Best Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
  • Tart Lemon Bars
  • Fresh Raspberry Lemon Tart Bars

how to make frosted lemon meltaway cookies

12-photo picture collage of how to make Frosted Meltaway Lemon Cookies, step-by-step photos

Tips for making Frosted Lemon Meltaway Cookies
  • Use fresh lemons. Do not use bottled lemon juice.
  • Take the zest off the lemon before squeezing the juice out. If you do not have a zester, the small grate on a cheese grater is a good alternative.
  • To make cookies uniform in shape, use a cookie scoop. I use a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop, but I like to make meltaway cookies extra small. After I scoop out the dough, I break them into two separate pieces and roll each of them separately to get two cookie balls out of one scoop.
  • Handle these warm cookies cautiously because they are a meltaway, they are more fragile than a typical cookie.
  • Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.
  • Store in an airtight container with wax paper dividing the layers of cookies.

Pinterest collage with a plate of frosted lemon meltaway cookies

baker’s tools:

  • Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
  • Measuring Cups
  • Citrus Juicer
  • Zester
  • Cookie Scoops
  • Cookie Sheets
  • Cooling Racks

More Favorite Cookie Recipes

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5.0 from 2 reviews
Frosted Lemon Meltaway Cookies
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Total time
25 mins
 
Little delicious butter cookies that melt in your mouth with a sweet and tart lemon frosting on top that complements them perfectly.
Author: Recipe from my sister-in-law, Becky
Serves: 3 dozen
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ⅔ cup cornstarch
  • FROSTING
  • ¼ cup butter, softened
  • 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 2½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare baking sheet with cooking spray or parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and flour.
  3. Stir in cornstarch and powdered sugar.
  4. Roll dough into small balls and place 1-inch apart on cookie sheet. *If using a cookie scoop, see tips above.
  5. Bake cookies at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cookies will be barely browning around the bottom edge.
  6. Let cool before frosting.
  7. FROSTING:
  8. In a small mixing bowl cream together the softened butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and powdered sugar. Mix until fully combined.
  9. If frosting seems too thick, add a teaspoon or two of milk.
  10. Frost the cookies and store in an airtight container, using wax paper to separate layers.
3.5.3251

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Pinterest image showing frosted lemon meltaway cookies

Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Holiday, Lemon, Main Categories, Recipes, Seasonal, Spring
Classic Cookie, Classic Meltaway Cookie, Frosted Lemon Cookies, frosted lemon meltaway cookies, Lemon Cookie, Lemon Frosting, Lemon Meltaway Cookies
4 Comments

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4 Comments

  1. Shirley

    December 11, 2020 at 10:57 pm

    So good We loved them and will make again

    reply to this comment
    • Maria

      December 17, 2020 at 3:59 pm

      Yay! I love hearing this Shirley!

      reply to this comment
  2. Michele

    July 5, 2025 at 10:37 am

    Sound wonderful…can you freeze them frosted?

    reply to this comment
    • Ann@Real Life Dinner

      July 7, 2025 at 4:21 pm

      Hi, Michele. Yes, you can. Make sure the frosting is completely dry before freezing them. To preserve the texture and flavor of meltaway cookies when freezing them, make sure they are completely cooled before prepping them to be frozen. Wrap the cooled cookies tightly in plastic wrap, which will help the cookies from becoming soggy when thawed. Then place the cookies in an airtight container or Ziplock freezer bag, making sure to press out as much air as you can. To thaw the cookies, remove from the freezer, unwrap them, and place them on a cooling rack for 30 minutes to an hour.

      reply to this comment

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Hi, I'm Maria. A mom of five and a total foodie. My superpower is taking ordinary recipes and making them DELICIOUS. Your family will LOVE these meals! Come cook with me, I promise it will be amazing! Get started here or search my archives below.


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