Make Panera’s Lemon Drop Cookie at Home with This Easy Recipe

If you love Panera’s lemon drop cookie, now you can enjoy it at home with this simple recipe. This blog post shares an easy guide to baking these sweet and tangy cookies, capturing the same bright lemon flavor and soft texture. With just a few ingredients, you’ll have bakery-quality cookies in no time. Perfect for a refreshing treat, these lemon drop cookies are sure to be a hit with your family. Get ready to bake and enjoy these delicious cookies anytime you want!

Ingredients

For this lemon white chocolate cookie recipe, you’ll need ½ cup of softened salted butter and ¾ cup of granulated sugar to cream together. Add 1 large egg and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract for a smooth base. In a separate bowl, mix 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, ½ tablespoon of cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of baking powder. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the zest of 2 lemons to give the cookies a zesty flavor. Fold in ½ cup of white chocolate chips for a sweet contrast before baking.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Prepare Lemons

Zest and juice the lemons, setting aside both the zest and juice. One lemon will likely provide enough juice for about 1 tablespoon.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Cream Butter and Sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Add Egg and Vanilla

Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, mixing thoroughly until combined.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Combine Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, measure and whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture, mixing until just combined.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Add Lemon

Stir in the lemon juice and zest, mixing until just combined.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Fold in White Chocolate Chips

Gently fold in the white chocolate chips into the cookie dough.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Chill the Dough

Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to enhance the flavors and improve the texture.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Scoop and Arrange

Using a cookie scoop, form the dough into 8 balls and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving enough space between each.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Bake the Cookies

Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until they are lightly browned around the edges and just set on top. For crisper cookies, bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Cool and Dust

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes. Then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely for another 30 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Finish with Powdered Sugar

Once fully cooled (or just before serving), dust the cookies with powdered sugar for a delightful finish.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Tips and Tricks

Here are some tips and tricks to ensure your cookies turn out perfectly every time: For best results, bake only 3 or 4 cookies per tray to allow for even cooking. An ice cream scoop is perfect for portioning out refrigerated dough into uniform balls. You can mix in lemon juice and zest with the vanilla extract; however, adding them later can help prevent curdling and clumping of the zest. While you can omit cornstarch, it does help reduce spreading, so consider leaving it in for thicker cookies. If your cookies spread too much, you can gently nudge them back together using the edge of a bowl. Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before dusting them with powdered sugar to avoid melting. For the best presentation, dust them just before serving. Finally, store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for a week, or freeze them for up to a month.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie

Variations

Here are some helpful variations and substitutions for your cookie recipe: You can replace the juice and zest with a teaspoon of lemon extract for convenience, though the natural lemon flavor and zest add both taste and color to the dough. If you prefer less sweetness or want to avoid the mess, you can skip the powdered sugar, but it does enhance the cookies’ appearance. For a delightful twist, consider using almond extract as a substitute for or addition to the vanilla extract. If white chocolate isn’t your preference, feel free to swap it out for an equal amount of chopped nuts or dried fruit. If you don’t have a convection oven, baking smaller-sized cookies for a slightly shorter time can lead to more consistent results. Lastly, for crisper cookies, extend the baking time by 3-5 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Panera Lemon Drop Cookie