Lemon Labneh Cookies

These lemon labneh cookies were inspired by my tiramisu cookies, plus all my extra lemon peels lying around. I wanted to make something that was just as creamy and mind-blowing in texture as the tiramisu cookies (if you’ve made them, you know what I mean), but also tangy, subtly sweet and really fun to bake and decorate. These labneh lemon cookies sealed the deal for me.

The labneh gives these cookies a soft, tangy flavor and texture, where the lemon adds some much-appreciated acid, and the candied citrus peels give a relatively boring cookie so much amazing color and design. The peels are by no means necessary to the recipe, but they are SO fun to make and play around with.

The cookie recipe itself is a very easy lemon cookie, subbing in labneh of course for a layer of pliable, creamy texture, but the edges stay crisp while the inside gets creamy. It’s truly a mind-blowing cookie, and I’m excited to add it to my cookie repertoire!

First, let’s talk about labneh

If you’ve never tried or worked with labneh before, it truly is an amazing ingredient. Labneh is a strained yogurt and a common ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking. Essentially it is a yogurt that has been strained of most of its whey, making it a thicker consistency, but still giving it the tanginess and sourness of yogurt. When you try it, it might feel more akin to a soft cheese, but it’s truly a yogurt just trying to fool you.

What does labneh do in baking? Great question! Like sour cream, yogurt, crème fraîche and mascarpone, labneh gives off a distinct moisture and flavor that can’t easily be replicated in baking. In this cookie, it gives the center a soft, almost creamy texture, and the flavor gets a hint of labneh’s signature tang. If you haven’t tried baking with labneh before, give it a go, it turns many things into a real treat.

How to candy leftover lemon peels

Lemon and orange peels are a key part of what makes this recipe so pretty, and the process might take a bit of time, but it’s very easy and very rewarding.

Here’s what you need to candy citrus peels:

• 2 lemons
• 1/2 orange
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp beet powder

How to candy your citrus Peels:

• First, prepare the candied citrus peel. Juice the lemons and reserve the juice for later. Quarter them, and peel out any remaining lemon pulp. Slice into thin strips. Repeat this with the half of the orange.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil and boil all the citrus peels for 10 minutes, or until soft. Remove them from the pot and add the 1 cup of sugar. Stir to let the sugar melt and then put in the orange peels and 1/2 of the lemon peels. Let cook for another 10 minutes, the remove and set aside.
• Add the beet powder to the sugar water and stir to mix. Add the remaining lemon peels and boil for 7-8 minutes, or until the peels are a deep pink. Set all the peels to the side while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Ingredients you will need for these lemon labneh cookies

Now that we have the candied citrus peels all covered, here are all the ingredients you’ll need for the cookie base!

• 16 tbsp salted butter, 226 grams, softened
• 1 & 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 290 grams
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 1/2 cup labneh, 100 grams
• 2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 340 grams
• 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 2 tsp baking powder

How to make the lemon labneh cookies

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• In a stand mixer, add the butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon extract and labneh. Mix on medium-high until light and fluffy.
• Add in the flour, salt and baking powder and mix again until a soft dough forms.
• Portion the dough into 3 oz. pieces and spread them evenly on a baking sheet. These will be large cookies, so give them a lot of room to grow!
• Using your hands and a lot of patience, closely nestle the candied citrus peels on top of the cookies in the design you prefer. Get the peels as close together as possible.
• Then bake for 15-16 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are slightly golden brown. Give the baking sheet a few taps on the counter to help deflate the cookies, and then let them cool before serving!

Looking for other baking recipes?

Here are a few that I have been LOVING lately! Looks like the blog loves them too <3

Tiramisu Cookies

These cookies taste so similar to tiramisu that it always surprises me. You'll get notes from the espresso, the rum, the creamy mascarpone and the rich dark chocolate. It might look like a normal cookie, but it will leave you thinking tiramisu was what you had for dessert!

Check out this recipe

Banana Coffee Cake Muffins

These are the most moist, soft, sweet and delicious banana muffins out there. And that's promising a lot, I know, but after countless tests, I feel confident saying these banana coffee muffins are the real deal. They have a crisp crumble topping, a sugary layer inside, and a soft coffee cake texture that you won't be able to get enough of.

Check out this recipe

The Best Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know it's hard to say you have something that is the best – but when it comes to these double chocolate cookies, I'm pretty confident. They use brown butter, just the right amount of coffee, and two whole blocks of dark chocolate, what more could you need?

Check out this recipe

And that’s it for these lemony labneh cookies!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Lemon Labneh Cookies

These cookies are soft (and dare I say creamy?) in the center from the labneh, bright and acidic from the lemon, and nice and crisp on the edges, making them one of my favorite cookies for citrus season. You can also top them with candied citrus, giving them simultaneously a stellar look and delicious taste.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time:45 mins

Cook Time:15 mins

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Fusion, Mediterranean

Keyword: cookies, labneh, lemon

Servings: 10 large cookies

Equipment

• 1 Small Pot
• 1 chef's knife
• 1 Stand mixer or hand mixer
• 2 large baking sheets

Ingredients

For the candied citrus peels

• 2 lemons
• 1/2 orange
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp beet powder

For the labneh cookies

• 16 tbsp salted butter 226 grams, softened
• 1 & 1/3 cup granulated sugar 290 grams
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 1/2 cup labneh 100 grams
• 2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 340 grams
• 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 2 tsp baking powder

Instructions

• First, prepare the candied citrus peel. Juice the lemons and reserve the juice for later. Quarter them, and peel out any remaining lemon pulp. Slice into thin strips. Repeat this with the half of the orange.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil and boil all the citrus peels for 10 minutes, or until soft. Remove them from the pot and add the 1 cup of sugar. Stir to let the sugar melt and then put in the orange peels and 1/2 of the lemon peels. Let cook for another 10 minutes, the remove and set aside.
• Add the beet powder to the sugar water and stir to mix. Add the remaining lemon peels and boil for 7-8 minutes, or until the peels are a deep pink. Set all the peels to the side while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• In a stand mixer, add the butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon extract and labneh. Mix on medium-high until light and fluffy.
• Add in the flour, salt and baking powder and mix again until a soft dough forms.
• Portion the dough into 3 oz. pieces and spread them evenly on a baking sheet. These will be large cookies, so give them a lot of room to grow!
• Using your hands and a lot of patience, closely nestle the candied citrus peels on top of the cookies in the design you prefer. Get the peels as close together as possible.
• Then bake for 15-16 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are slightly golden brown. Give the baking sheet a few taps on the counter to help deflate the cookies, and then let them cool before serving!