Creamy Lemon White Chocolate Cookies

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If you are a fan of lemon cream pie, you will love these Lemon White Chocolate Cookies! Made with lemon pudding, these chewy cookies are creamy and loaded with sweet white chocolate chips for a little bit of lemon heaven. Perfect for summer parties, afternoon snacks, or an Easter treat.

If you’ve never tried cookies with pudding mix, then I highly recommend you try this recipe. Pudding mix makes cookies extra thick, rich and chewy. It gives texture to an otherwise thin cookie…and it gives a flavor boost to any cookie you are making.

I use this same basic recipe for all of my pudding cookies: Salted Butterscotch cookies (my personal favorite) with butterscotch pudding and these fun Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter cookies with chocolate pudding. You can also experiment with other flavors like Vanilla, Cheesecake or Cookies & Cream pudding mix.

Why you’ll love these cookies:

AMAZING FLAVOR. These Lemon White Chocolate cookies are bursting with a sweet creamy lemon flavor, akin to a lemon cream pie. They are not tart cookies by any means but do have a lovely lemon zest that comes through the sweet white chocolate.

QUICK & EASY. These come together quickly in under 30 minutes with no refrigeration time needed.

SUMMER DESSERT. These are a great dessert to bring to a spring or summer get-together. When you want something a little lighter, but still easy to grab at a party, these will check all the boxes.

Why I use Einkorn flour in cookies:

I try to use Einkorn flour as much as possible in everything I bake because I prefer wheat that has not been genetically modified. Einkorn flour is an ancient grain species that has not been genetically modified like modern wheat. It is easier to digest and also has a lower glycemic index than All-purpose flour, so it won’t spike your blood sugar as much. I find that it adds extra texture and a wonderful rich flavor to baked goods… and the high protein adds to the chewiness of these cookies. If you haven’t tried baking with Einkorn flour yet, I highly recommend you give it a shot.

Tools you will need:

• STAND MIXER. You’ll want to use the flat beater attachment. You can also use a hand mixer, it just takes a bit more elbow grease.
• SPATULA. A good quality heavy-duty one.
• BAKING SHEET. I prefer aluminum for even consistent baking and Nordic Ware is high quality and made in the USA.
• COOKIE SCOOP. This is optional, but highly recommended. I use this scoop from Nordic Ware.
• MEASURING CUPS. All-Clad is one of my favorite brands for its quality. These are heavy-duty and will last a lifetime.
• MEASURING SPOONS. I also use All-Clad measuring spoons, which are great quality.

Ingredients needed for Lemon White Chocolate Cookies:

• SALTED BUTTER. At room temperature.
• DARK BROWN SUGAR. To add that nice rich flavor.
• GRANULATED SUGAR.
• EINKORN FLOUR. I use Jovial Einkorn Flour. You can also use regular all-purpose flour.
• LEMON INSTANT PUDDING MIX. The secret ingredient that makes these cookies rich and decadent.
• EGGS. The chicken kind.
• VANILLA. I recommend this vanilla extract for a rich flavor.
• BAKING SODA
• BAKING POWDER
• LEMON JUICE. Freshly squeezed.
• LEMON ZEST. This gives the cookies that extra punch of citrus.
• WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS. Use good quality chips like Ghirardelli for a decadent flavor.

How to make Lemon White Chocolate Cookies:

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350°.

STEP 2: In a large bowl cream the butter and sugars together for 2-3 minutes.

STEP 3: Add the pudding mix and mix for another minute. Then add the eggs and vanilla and mix for 2-3 more minutes.

STEP 4: Add the lemon juice and lemon zest and mix just to combine.

STEP 5: In a separate bowl add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder and mix to combine.

STEP 6: Now add the flour mixture to the batter and mix on low just until combined.

STEP 7: Stir in the white chocolate chips. You’ll need a heavy-duty spatula for this (and a strong arm) as this dough is dense.

STEP 8: With a cookie scoop, add cookie dough to a prepared baking sheet. I prefer a parchment-lined baking sheet for easy cleanup.

STEP 9: Bake 10-12 minutes or until the middles are set and the edges just start to brown. It is always best to slightly undercook a cookie if you like them soft and chewy as they will continue to bake on the sheet when you take them out and firm up when cooled.

STEP 10: Cool on tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookie Baking Best Practices:

Make sure your butter is at room temperature.

You should be able to indent your finger into the butter, but not press it straight through. If you can’t make an indent, it’s too cold. If your finger presses straight through or you see melted spots, it’s too warm.

Test one cookie.

Bake just one cookie first to see how it does in the oven. From there if there are any issues you can troubleshoot the rest of the dough before you bake a big batch. This is also important for determining the amount of time to bake them. I find that I always have to adjust the baking time from the suggested baking time to suit my specific oven. Even these Lemon White Chocolate cookies needed adjusting after testing.

Don’t overmix.

It’s easy to overmix, and this can ruin your cookies in two ways: if you overmix the butter and sugar in the creaming process it can warm up the butter too much resulting in a flat cookie. Second, if you overmix the dough after the flour has been added it can cause the cookies to flatten and also result in a tough cookie due to excess gluten development.

Use a cookie scoop.

Getting consistent cookies that are the same shape and size can best be achieved with a cookie scoop. This also helps avoid some cookies being overbaked and some underbaked.

FAQ’s & Troubleshooting:

How do you store Lemon White Chocolate Cookies:

They are always best the first day, but kept in an airtight container, they will keep fresh and chewy for up to a week.

Can I freeze the Einkorn cookie dough?

Yes. Pre-scoop all of the cookie balls and freeze them uncovered on a baking sheet or tray. Once frozen seal them in a freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to bake, let them come up to room temperature and then bake. Avoid storing them in the freezer for longer than 1 month to keep them at their freshest.

Why are my Lemon White Chocolate cookies spreading in the oven?

One reason is not enough flour. It’s inevitable that at some point, even when you’ve followed a recipe to a “T”…it just doesn’t come together as it should. If your cookies are spreading too thin during baking, try adding a little more flour to the dough.

Another reason could be that the butter was too soft when you creamed it with your sugar. The best way to fix this is to add more chunks (e.g., chocolate chips, nuts, etc.) to help plump up that cookie.

Happy Baking!

-Jessica

More scrumptious desserts to try:

• Decadent Salted Butterscotch Cookies
• The Best Einkorn Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies
• The Ultimate Fudgy Cocoa Brownies
• Scrumptious Strawberry Cream Sandwiches

Now Milton, let's not be greedy. Share it!