Lemon Cream Cookies – The Petite Cook™

Published: Mar 25, 2025 · Updated: Mar 25, 2025 by Andrea

These lemon cream cookies have a light, crumbly exterior and a rich lemon cream filling, bursting with fresh citrus flavor!

These popular Italian lemon cream cookies are a such a delicious treat, and it’s easy to see why!

They have a light, crumbly texture on the outside with a smooth, lemon cream filling inside. Plus, their fresh citrus note makes them even more irresistible!

Growing up in Italy, I remember spotting them in the supermarket and begging my mom to buy them, but instead, she chose to make them from scratch.

From that moment on, they became one of my all-time favorites cookies! To this day, I still use the same recipe, and I’m so excited to share it with you.

These lemon pastry cream cookies are a must-try—they are sure to wow your family, kids, guests, and of course, you!

These butter-free Italian cookies are made with simple ingredients and feature two delicious components:

• A light and crumbly olive oil pastry dough, but you can also opt for the classic Italian pasta frolla recipe (Italian pastry dough).
• A rich, creamy lemon pastry cream, following my recipe for orange pastry cream and based on the classic crema pasticcera recipe (Italian pastry cream).

They come together quickly and are perfect for any special occasion.

I love making these cookies for parties and family gatherings, and they’re always a huge hit!

And if you’re looking for more classic Italian cookies to try, I recommend these almond-flavoured Ricciarelli cookies, these delicious anginetti cookies , these breakfast-perfect honey cookies and these easy Italian butter cookies!

Ingredients

For this lemon cream cookies recipe, you only need  simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen!

Here are my ingredients tips for the best results:

• Olive oil: I recommend using a light olive oil for making the cookie dough.
• Flour: I use regular all-plain flour or Italian 00 flour.
• Eggs: Opt for medium-sized eggs at room temperature.
• Lemon: You’ll need both the juice and zest so opt for unwaxed organic lemons if possible.
• Sugar: You’ll need regular caster sugar for the lemon pastry cream and powdered sugar for the cookie dough.
• Baking powder: a little baking powder gives the cookies a nice soft texture.
• Milk: Use fresh full fat milk for the best texture, avoid part-skim or skimmed milk.

How to make lemon cream cookies

As I said earlier, these stuffed lemon cookies are very easy to make, even for novice bakers.

Here below you can find the simplified recipe with step-by-step pictures, scroll down until the end of the post for the full printable recipe.

STEP 1. Heat milk with orange zest. Whisk egg yolks, orange juice, sugar, and flour. Gradually whisk in warm milk, then cook until thick. Cover and cool.

STEP 2. Blend sugar, salt, oil, egg, yolk, and lemon zest. Add most of the flour and baking powder, then knead in the rest until smooth. Use immediately or chill.

STEP 3. Divide dough in half. Roll each half between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Cut half the dough into 2-inch rounds. Repeat with remaining dough.

STEP 4. Add 1 teaspoon of chilled lemon pastry cream, cover with a 3-inch round, and seal the edges. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden, then cool completely.

Baking tips

Want to make the best stuffed lemon cookies ever?

Here are my top baking tips for perfect cookie dough and lemon pastry cream filling!

• Use a light extra-virgin olive oil to avoid overpowering the dough’s delicate flavor.
• Avoid overworking the dough for a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
• Use room-temperature eggs; let them sit for 30 minutes before using.
• Add flour gradually—mix in two-thirds first, then knead in the rest on a floured surface.
• If the cream is too thin, remove it from the heat, whisk vigorously, and return it to low heat for a few seconds if needed.
• For faster setting, cool the cream in a shallow dish instead of a bowl.
• Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
• Make the lemon cream a day ahead to allow it to fully cool and thicken.

Storage tips

Store these delicious cookies in a tin box for up to 3 days, I recommend storing them in the fridge due to the lemon cream filling.

I don’t recommend freezing them.

Did you try this recipe?

Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook!

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Recipe

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These lemon cream cookies have a light, crumbly exterior and a rich lemon cream filling, bursting with fresh citrus flavor!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Serving: 14

Calories: 252kcal

Ingredients

1x2x3x

For the lemon cream filling:

• 1 organic lemon,
• 450 ml fresh whole milk, approx 1.9 US cups
• 3 egg yolks
• 120 g sugar, approx ½ US cup
• 60 g all-purpose flour, approx ½ US cup

For the cookies:

• 150 g powdered sugar, approx 1 ¼ US cups
• 90 ml extra-virgin olive oil, approx ⅜ US cup
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• zest of 1 organic lemon
• a pinch of salt
• 270 g all-purpose flour, approx 2 ¼ US cups
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

MetricUS Customary

Instructions

For the lemon cream filling:

• Peel the lemon, avoiding the white pith, then juice it until you have 35ml/ 2½ tablespoons.

• Heat milk with lemon peel until warm (not boiling), then let it infuse for a few minutes. Remove and discard the peel.

• In a large saucepan, whisk egg yolks, lemon juice, and sugar until creamy. Mix in sifted flour, then slowly whisk in warm milk.

• Return to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring until thick (about 5 minutes). Transfer to a shallow dish, cover with plastic wrap (pressing it directly onto the surface), and cool completely.

For the cookie dough:

• In a food processor, blend powdered sugar, extra-virgin olive oil, whole egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, and a pinch of sea salt on low speed. Gradually add ⅔ of the flour and baking powder until the dough starts to come together.

• Transfer the dough to a work surface, gradually adding the remaining flour while kneading until smooth (you may need slightly less than 280 grams/9.8 oz). Use immediately or shape into a thick disc, wrap in cling film, and chill for 30 minutes for easier rolling.

For the cookies:

• Preheat oven to 180°F (200°C). Arrange the baking tray into the middle shelf. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Divide the dough in half and sprinkle each with the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour. Roll each half between two sheets of parchment paper to a ⅛-inch thickness.

• Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out circles from both halves of the dough. Add 1 teaspoon chilled lemon pastry cream in the center, and top with another circle. Pinch the edges to seal, brushing edges with a little water if necessary. Place cookies the lined sheet pan, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.

• Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are golden and the tops look dry. Cool on the sheet pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Dust with optional powdered sugar and serve.

Notes

Baking tip: I always recommend using a baking scale to weigh your ingredients. US cups measurements are provided but please refer to grams/oz measurements for best results.
This recipe makes about 2 US cups or 500 g of lemon pastry cream. Store leftover cream in the fridge for up to 4 days.
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.