These Pink Lemonade Cookies are light cookies that are tart and tangy. They make a perfect summer treat but are also good for any time you’re in the mood for something summery.
Why Pink Lemonade?
You can use any frozen lemonade concentrate in this recipe but pink lemonade adds a hint of colour. I also prefer to drink pink lemonade so that’s why I use it. For me, there is a hint of a different flavour to pink lemonade than regular lemonade. Of course, that could just be in my mind, but I am putting it out there anyway.
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Why Frozen Lemonade?
This recipe calls for frozen lemonade concentrate. The recipe just doesn’t turn out well with refrigerated lemonade. The concentrate is used without the addition of water to give these cookies more flavour without watering down the cookie dough.
The concentrate does need to be thawed before making the cookies. The remaining concentrate can be used to make lemonade to serve with these cookies. Usually, I have half a container of concentrate left over so I follow the instructions on the package using half the recommended amount of water.
The Icing is Important
Although you can serve these cookies without the icing, I highly recommend adding the icing to these cookies. The icing is what adds a touch more sweetness to the finished product. Without it, the cookies are dry and don’t have the full flavour of the lemonade.
I also like to top the cookies with the zest of half of a lemon. This is optional, but I like the way the tartness of the lemon zest and the sweetness of the icing work together to add a new level of flavour to the cookies.
Tools Used To Make This Recipe
A hand mixer or stand mixer makes this recipe easier to make, but you can also do it by hand. I have made this recipe using all three methods and found that a hand mixer gave the best results. Using a stand mixer sometimes overworks the dough resulting in less favourable results. (That’s because the mixer works on its own so many times I tend to get distracted and overbeat the butter and sugar).
To make the cookies even, I like to use a cookie scoop. A small cookie scoop is how I measure out the dough for this recipe. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, a tablespoon works well but your cookies won’t be as uniform in size and shape.
Special Occasion Cookies
Pink Lemonade Cookies can be served on special occasions as well.
Valentine’s Day is a time when pink and red desserts are served more than on other days. These cookies make a great Valentine’s Day treat.
Baby showers are another occasion to serve these cookies. Paired with some blue-coloured cookies, Pink Lemonade Cookies make the perfect cookie for a gender reveal or any baby shower.
Pink Lemonade Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
- zest and juice of half a lemon
- 2 drops red food colouring, optional
- 2 cups all purpose flour
Lemonade Icing
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 3 Tbsp pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp milk
Instructions
- Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy
- Mix in baking powder and baking soda
- Beat in egg, lemonade concentrate, lemon zest and juice
- Stir in red food colouring if using
- Add flour 1 cup at a time, stirring to combine after each addition.
- Cover bowl and refrigerate for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
- Scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart
- Bake in preheated oven for 11 minutes. Bottoms will start to brown and tops will still be a little wet.
- Cool on pan for 3 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
Pink Lemonade Icing
- Place icing sugar in a large bowl.
- Add lemonade concentrate and lemon juice.
- Beat on medium to combine, adding milk 1 teaspoon at a time until fully smooth.
- If icing is too runny, add a tablespoon of icing sugar. If too thick add another tsp of milk.
- Frost cooled cookies with icing. Top with lemon zest if desired.
- Stored cookies in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
Great recipe. Great blog easy to read. Thank you for explaining why frozen concentrate is best.
These look like they would satisfy any lemon lover, me included!
These look yummy. I can’t wait to try them.
These look amazing and are such a fun flavor! They will be the perfect summer cookie as a treat on a warm day! Thanks for sharing another great recipe with us!
These look SO good! I will have to try making these after dinner tonight.
Never would have thought to use lemonade in cookies! so creative
Mmmm these look and sound delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Yummy! I love pink lemonade.
I need to try this recipe.
so tasty! pinned for later