Homemade Creamy Portuguese Lemon Cookies

These delightful Homemade Creamy Lemon Cookies bring the bright, zesty flavours of Portugal right to your kitchen. With their tender, cake-like texture and vibrant lemon essence, these cookies offer a perfect balance of sweetness and citrusy freshness that will transport you to the sunny Portuguese coastline. The secret lies in the generous amount of fresh lemon zest and the unique combination of olive oil with eggs, creating cookies that are both rich and surprisingly light.

What makes these cookies truly special is their versatility and authentic Portuguese character, the golden-brown exterior gives way to a soft, almost creamy interior that melts in your mouth, while the lemon zest provides bursts of aromatic citrus throughout each bite. These cookies are particularly cherished during Saint Martin’s festivities in Portugal, where families gather to celebrate the harvest season with traditional sweets and the first taste of new wine.

Whether you’re looking to add a touch of Portuguese tradition to your holiday baking or simply want to enjoy a delicious homemade treat, these lemon cookies deliver on both flavour and simplicity. The recipe requires just a handful of common ingredients, yet produces cookies that taste like they came straight from a Portuguese bakery. Let’s check the recipe!

Homemade Creamy Portuguese Lemon Cookies

Servings: 8
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Nothing like a big pile of delicious creamy lemon cookies, perfect for the Portuguese Saint Martin's celebrations.

Ingredients

Lemon – 1 (Zest)
Brown Sugar – 140g
Flour – 400g
Baking Powder – 1 Teaspoon
Olive Oil – 100ml
Eggs – 3
Egg – 1 (for brushing)
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

Combine the brown sugar, 3 eggs, and olive oil in a bowl and whisk well until creamy.

Then add the zest of 1 lemon, followed by the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Mix everything well until you have a thick cream.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC and line a baking tray with non-stick paper.

Now spoon the batter onto the tray until you have no more batter left. Finally, whisk an egg and brush each cookie with it, then bake for about 10 minutes until they are golden brown. That’s it, enjoy!

Notes: Use a fine microplane grater to get the most aromatic zest, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath the skin.

Use a mild, fruity olive oil for best results, like portuguese extra virgin works perfectly ;D

These cookies stay fresh for up to a week in an airtight container and while they will lose the crispiness of the outside it actually improve in flavour after the first day, the olive oil keeps them creamy.

This recipe for Homemade Creamy Portuguese Lemon Cookies was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Biscoitos de Limão foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.