Lemon Bar Cookie Cups Recipe

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4.88 from 8 votes
Published: January 7, 2022Updated: April 28, 2022Author: Elyse Ellis
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Sugar cookie cups with an easy, no-bake lemon curd filling. These tasty cookie cups are perfect for parties and showers! All the goodness of a lemon bar in one tasty cookie cup!
Lemon Bar Cookie Cups Recipe

I have been on a major lemon kick now that it’s officially spring and these Lemon Bar Cookie Cups are just what I needed!  I made our amazing lemon bars last week and have been dreaming of them ever since!

A few years ago, I made these Cream Filled Sugar Cookie Cups and thought they would be so good with a lemon curd filling.  These lemon filled sugar cookie cups are perfect for parties or showers!

  • 2 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup butter (softened)
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 6 Tablespoons butter (softened)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs (divided)
  • 2/3 cup lemon juice
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Lemon Bar Cookie cups in muffin pan without filling

Start with a homemade sugar cookie crust for each cookie cup.  If you are short on time, a roll of pre-made sugar cookie dough would work fine for this recipe!  After the cookie cups come out of the oven, press the middle in with the backside of a spoon while they are warm.

Mixing the lemon filling in bowl with whisk

While my sugar cookie cups were cooling, I made this easy no-bake lemon curd.  This lemon curd is simple to make and absolutely foolproof!

Lemon Bar Cookie cups in muffin pan

As soon as the curd thickened a little, I spooned it into the cookie cups.  A teaspoon of lemon curd filled them up perfectly!

Lemon Bar Cookie cups in muffin pan with lemon zest

Top the cookie cups off with some fresh lemon zest and let them set up a little more in the fridge!  The trick to getting these lemon filled cookie cups out of the pan is by running a butter knife along the edge of each cookie cup and just popping them out!

Don’t use a spoon to try and get them out because it is too rounded and will dent in the sides of the cookie cup…. I speak from experience haha!

Lemon Bar Cookie Cups on a serving plate

After about a 30 minute wait we were ready to dig in. I took them out of the fridge and dusted them with powdered sugar before diving right in!

Lemon Bar Cookie Cups on a serving plate

You could go without the powdered sugar on top, but it adds just the right amount of sweetness!

Lemon Bar Cookie Cups

These tasty little cookie cups had all the goodness of lemon bars in one convenient little bite!

LIttle girl with lemon bar cookie cup in her hand

My cute little helper might have liked them even more than I did!  Check out that powdered sugar mustache! Haha!

Looking for more lemon goodness? Try our Easy Lemon Sheet Cake and our Layered Lemon Dessert!

Serves: 24

Lemon Bar Cookie Cups Recipe

4.88 from 8 votes
These tasty cookie cups are perfect for parties and showers! All the goodness of a lemon bar in one tasty cookie cup!
Prep Time 40 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Print Pin

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 2¾ cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1¼ cups sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Lemon Curd Filling

  • 6 Tablespoons butter softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs divided
  • ⅔ cup lemon juice

Topping

  • 1 lemon zest
  • 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
  • Beat in egg and vanilla.
  • Gradually beat in dry ingredients until combined.
  • Roll into 1" sized balls and place in muffin tin.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Press the insides of the cookies down with the backside of a spoon to make an indent for filling; let cool.
  • To make the Lemon curd filling, cream together 6 Tablespoons softened butter with 1 cup sugar.
  • Mix in 2 eggs and just the yolks from the other 2 eggs, and beat until well combined.
  • Add lemon juice and mix until combined, there will still be some lumps.
  • Pour filling mixture into a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Whisk constantly for 5 minutes, or until smooth and thickened.
  • Remove lemon curd from heat and let cool for 2-3 minutes.
  • Carefully spoon a teaspoon of lemon curd into each cookie cup.
  • Top cookie cups with lemon zest of one lemon, and place in fridge for 30 minutes, or until lemon curd has set up.
  • Remove cookie cups from pan using a butter knife and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

  • Lemon zest is optional but it give this dessert great flavor

Nutrition

Calories: 235 kcal · Carbohydrates: 31 g · Protein: 3 g · Fat: 12 g · Saturated Fat: 7 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 62 mg · Sodium: 161 mg · Potassium: 39 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 20 g · Vitamin A: 374 IU · Vitamin C: 3 mg · Calcium: 16 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Equipment

  • Mini Muffin Tin
  • Small Mixing Bowl
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Mixing Bowl

Recipe Details

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

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  1. Wendy Condon says:
    March 30, 2018
    These look delicious. Do they need to be stored in the refrigerator?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      March 30, 2018
      If they aren't going to be eaten right away, store them in the fridge in an airtight container. They are fine to be left out for a few hours for a party.
      Reply
    • Lori says:
      August 31, 2020
      It was delicious. I got several compliments. My brother told me he didn't like lemon bars, but put these away.
      Reply
      • Dawn says:
        October 19, 2021
        These are delicious. I do want to ask how long can the be stored in the refrigerator? How far in advance for a wedding should I make these?

        5 stars

        Reply
        • Momma Cyd says:
          October 19, 2021
          We have frozen these before. You may want to freeze some in an airtight container and then thaw them and see if you feel like they are good enough for your wedding reception. They are so tasty and should be just fine.
          Reply
  2. Laura Adams says:
    April 9, 2018
    Do these bake in a regular muffin tin, or a mini? The pictures kinda look like they're mini-size. Thanks! I am a lemon lover, & these look yummy!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      April 10, 2018
      They are in a mini muffin tin.
      Reply
  3. Krista says:
    June 22, 2018
    I followed this to the letter and the lemon never set. Stayed like liquid ? Very disappointed
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      June 25, 2018
      The lemon curd thickens as you cook it on the stove top. Then you transfer it to the cookie cups. So if it never thickened in your pan, it may have needed to cook longer.
      Reply
  4. Candace says:
    July 4, 2018
    These are fantastic! The curd never set to the point where I could stack them, or toss them on a plate at an angle, like the ones in the picture (the curd would eventually slide), but they were a huge hit! Definitely a keeper!
    Reply
    • Candace says:
      July 4, 2018
      These are fantastic! The curd never set to the point where I could stack them, or toss them on a plate at an angle, like the ones in the picture (the curd would eventually slide), but they were a huge hit! Definitely a keeper! *** Update: a couple of hours in the fridge, and they firmed up nicely. So delicious!
      Reply
  5. jenny says:
    December 6, 2018
    i baked them in a bigger muffin tin and they came out perfect
    Reply
  6. Deborah says:
    December 10, 2018
    Can they be frozen?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      December 13, 2018
      Yes, these will freeze fine in an airtight freezer container.
      Reply
  7. Lauri Cikowski says:
    December 11, 2018
    How many does the recipe make?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      December 13, 2018
      It says it in the recipe as you scroll down. But it makes about 24.
      Reply
  8. Chris says:
    December 12, 2018
    can you use refrigerated sugar cookie dough?
    Reply
  9. Jennifer says:
    April 1, 2019
    I'd like to get a head start because we have a crazy week...can the lemon curd be made 1 day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator? Or does it need to be put in the cookie cups as soon as it is made a d comes to room temp? Thank you for this fun spring recipe!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      April 4, 2019
      You can make the lemon curd ahead of time!
      Reply
  10. Shannon says:
    June 30, 2019
    These are so yummy! I cooked the curd longer than said to thicken it up. I had leftover curd so I put it in an airtight container in the fridge. A couple of weeks later, I made another batch of cookies with the leftover curd. It was still good and it had set up nicely. They were a big hit at both parties.
    Reply
  11. Debby Berteotti says:
    October 28, 2019
    I was going to make these for my granddaughter’s wedding reception . Would they be able to sit out for about 4 hrs ? They look so good !
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      October 31, 2019
      They will be fine sitting out for 4 hours. Congrats on the wedding!!
      Reply
  12. Sandy says:
    December 14, 2019
    Delicious. I made these but I found that it makes more than 24. Really if you use a 24 ct mini cupcake pan and you use 1” balls for each pan you can get double the amount. I did 24 and they puffed over the top. The curd was perfect. Next time, I’ll make 48 for this recipe. Thank you.
    Reply
  13. Kelly says:
    February 4, 2020
    Is it possible to use prenade lemon pie fillong? I know it's kind of a jelly and already set...thanks...cookie cup are always a hit!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      February 6, 2020
      We like the taste of lemon custard better than lemon pie filling. It's a creamier texture. But lemon pie filling should work great too!
      Reply
  14. Sylvia Cruz barcelo says:
    February 5, 2020
    A little confusing, do you beat the eggs separately then pour dry mixture in. Yolk beaten separately, then whites beaten separately then tossed together to then mix dry ingredients.
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      February 6, 2020
      The lemon curd section of the recipe calls for 4 eggs. Add in 2 of the eggs and just the yolks from the other 2. You won't be using the egg whites for those 2 eggs. So you can toss it in the trash or use it in some other way.
      Reply
  15. Cindy says:
    March 6, 2020
    I would love to make these. I was wondering if you can tell me how you measure flour for your recipes. Do you spoon the flour into a measuring cup, or dip the cup into the flour and sweep off the excess? Better still, can you tell me the weight of a cup of flour that you typically use? Thank you!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      March 11, 2020
      We scoop the measuring cup into the flour and tap it a little to be sure it all settles well. If we need to add a little more to get the correct measurement, then we add a little more. Nothing fancy!
      Reply
  16. Shirley says:
    June 20, 2020
    These turned our perfectly! I topped them with raspberries and blueberries with a sprinkle of powered sugar! Great Fathers Day treat!
    Reply
  17. Debby says:
    August 5, 2020
    On the 2/3 cup of lemon juice is this fresh squeezed or the concentrated stuff from a bottle?
    Reply
    • Cyd Adamson says:
      August 27, 2020
      Either one will work just fine.
      Reply
  18. Lexi says:
    August 10, 2020
    I was just wondering, are these Gluten-free? Also, how many calories are in each cup?
    Reply
    • Lori D says:
      November 3, 2020
      Um..no. Flour is in the ingredient list above.
      Reply
      • Momma Cyd says:
        November 11, 2020
        Flour is the first ingredient listed for these cookies.
        Reply
  19. Linda gazda says:
    August 22, 2020
    Can you use store bought lemon curd?
    Reply
    • Cyd Adamson says:
      August 27, 2020
      Yes, store bought lemon curd works great too.
      Reply
  20. Anthony says:
    October 7, 2020
    Would this Recipe transfer over to a Mini Cheesecake Pan, instead of a Mini Muffin Pan?...I wonder if the Pans Wells are close enough to each other to work? Thank you!
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      October 15, 2020
      It makes sense that it would work. We haven't personally made it that way before. You may have to play with it a little to get it just right.
      Reply
  21. Paula S. says:
    December 4, 2020
    Can you use store bought lemon curd
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      December 9, 2020
      Yes, you can totally use store bought lemon curd.
      Reply
  22. Angie says:
    December 8, 2020
    Can it be frozen with lemon curd?
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      December 9, 2020
      Yes, these cookie cups freeze well in a freezer container.
      Reply
  23. Claire J says:
    December 9, 2020
    The recipe gave a little more actually 31! Cant wait to taste them, looks so yummy!
    Reply
    • Ree says:
      January 24, 2021
      Yes I also got 31. Balls were actually about 1.5 inch or 1 oz. I have plenty lemon curd for more.
      Reply
  24. Paula Ward says:
    December 16, 2020
    These were great my mother in law used to live a lemon pie with chocolate top I was able to make these and melted chocolate to put on top it reminded the whole family of my mother in law
    Reply
  25. Lynn says:
    December 27, 2020
    I love this recipe..everything about it was easy and delicious! My curd set up perfect. Family loved them..will make again and again. Note: these sat out overnight and curd was still amazing. (I did put in fridge the 30 minutes required before boxing up for next day party) no problem leaving out. Plus gone in no time 😂
    Reply
  26. Cherry johns says:
    January 5, 2021
    I cheated!! Used store bought cookie dough and store bought lemon curd! So fast, so easy, so yum!
    Reply
  27. Suggie says:
    January 23, 2021
    These cookies are a keeper !
    Reply
  28. Andrea says:
    April 4, 2021
    This was delicious! I will say my cookies took at least 13 minutes to cook and I would suggest not filling with curd until you are going to them as the cookies got a little hard in the frig.. I softened them up a bit and they were delicious 😋
    Reply
  29. Alvera says:
    May 24, 2021
    Hello there I have a graduation and I wanted to make these. Can they be frozen? Gradutation is in July
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      May 24, 2021
      Yes, these will freeze well in a freezer bag or an airtight freezer container.
      Reply
  30. Roxanne C. says:
    June 1, 2021
    These cookies were a hit. The lemon curd was easy to make and the cookie recipe yielded almost 6 dozen. I topped each little cup with a fresh raspberry. At the end of the party, there were only a few left. yum!

    5 stars

    Reply
  31. Lorna says:
    June 2, 2021
    Can you freeze these lemon cookie cups
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      June 2, 2021
      Yes, these will freeze well in an airtight freezer container.
      Reply
  32. Lynn Lindblad says:
    June 29, 2021
    I just finished making the and LOVE them! They were easy but will impress my friends. I was able to make 45 from the recipe.
    Reply
  33. Hn says:
    July 7, 2021
    Can you use ready made lemon curd from the jar?
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      July 12, 2021
      Sure, that should work fine too.
      Reply
  34. caro says:
    July 17, 2021
    excelente

    5 stars

    Reply
  35. Lori Morris says:
    August 21, 2021
    This was so easy to make and came out fantastic!!!

    5 stars

    Reply
  36. M. Luther says:
    August 26, 2021
    My batter was very sticky, could hardly make the balld
    Reply
  37. Shawna says:
    December 12, 2021
    These were so yummy! Can't wait to take it to my cookie exchange at work!
    Reply
  38. Theresa Sullivan says:
    December 13, 2021
    This is my first attempt at lemon curd-and, THANK YOU-it turned out fabulous!! These cookies are a home run!! Love this recipe!!
    Reply
  39. Toni Watson says:
    December 16, 2021
    Can you line the muffin cups with paper liners?
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      December 27, 2021
      Yes, you can line the muffin cups.
      Reply
  40. Nicole Cupp says:
    December 17, 2021
    Followed to a T, they were amazing

    5 stars

    Reply
  41. Patti J says:
    December 19, 2021
    Can I freeze these lemon cookie cups?

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      December 27, 2021
      Yes, they should freeze just fine.
      Reply
  42. Nicole M Cupp says:
    December 23, 2021
    This is probably my favorite dessert recipe! Loved the lemon filling but wondering if I could switch it out for something like raspberry preserves?
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      December 27, 2021
      I'm sure that would work too. You just need the filling to be as thick as lemon curd so you don't have a runny mess.
      Reply
  43. James Talvy says:
    December 24, 2021
    This recipe is amazing! I just used a tablespoon of dough and pushed them down into each mini muffin cup. I will definitely be making these again. Thanks!!
    Reply
  44. Jan says:
    December 29, 2021
    Could you use jarred lemon curd from Trader Joe’s for filling?
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      December 29, 2021
      Sure, you can use store bought lemon curd.
      Reply
  45. Deb Clark says:
    January 6, 2022
    These were delicious!!! I will make again and share the recipe
    Reply
  46. Ruth W says:
    January 10, 2022
    This was a great concept and flavors were great but I learned I need to trust my gut when following a recipe. I easily could have gotten 6-7 more tarts out of the dough but since recipe said it makes 24 I made all the dough into 24 balls, which resulted in too large of tarts with big overhangs around the rim... which made them very difficult to remove without breaking which is what happened to half of them. Going to make the rest out of store bought cookie dough to salvage them this time. The curd however was perfect and mine was thick before 5 minutes on the stovetop. They’ll be cute for a shower this weekend!

    4 stars

    Reply
  47. Christine Skousen says:
    January 12, 2022
    I’m thinking these would be fabulous with a fresh berry on top once they are in season!!! Thank you for sharing!! I do cookie cups with Nutella in the middle - I had never thought to switch it out with a different filling!!!
    Reply
  48. Sherrie says:
    January 17, 2022
    Can I use another filling?
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      January 18, 2022
      You can easily use any filling you have on hand or like.
      Reply
  49. Toni Moffatt says:
    January 26, 2022
    the egg part is a bit confusing. Can't wait to make them.
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      January 26, 2022
      This recipe calls for 4 eggs - 2 whole eggs and the egg yolks from the other 2 eggs.
      Reply
  50. Chris says:
    January 27, 2022
    I am anxious to try this recipe. But I am confused as to how many the recipe makes. It says: Serves 24. But readers have gotten 45 to almost 6 dozen from a recipe. A reader who made 24 said it was too much dough for 24 and could have made more. Can you give a little more guidance please? Thanks.
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      January 27, 2022
      We usually get around 24-30. A lot will depend on your mini muffin tin. They can vary slightly in size. You do want them to be a cookie cup, not just cookie on the bottom.
      Reply
    • Diane says:
      March 3, 2022
      I made 48 and had to do 2 batches as my pan only holds 24.
      Reply
  51. Chris says:
    January 28, 2022
    Recipe says it serves 24. How many per serving? One person got 45 from the recipe, another almost 6 dozen. Could you provide more guidance about serving size? Anxious to try this. Thanks.
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      January 31, 2022
      We get around 24-30 cookie cups.
      Reply
  52. Carin says:
    February 1, 2022
    This is fantastic! I made these as well as some others as Christmas gifts and everyone loved them. Addicting 🖤

    5 stars

    Reply
  53. Peggy Marie says:
    February 7, 2022
    I have not made this yet but I know that t it will be perfect for an upcoming baby shower! But I wanted to leave a review because I save the picture of your adorable daughter every time I see that picture it just makes my day!
    Reply
  54. Marsha says:
    February 9, 2022
    No mini muffin pan, can I use a rrgular muffin pan and about how much cookie batter?
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      February 9, 2022
      These really work best in the mini muffin tin. You'll want the cookie to go up the sides of the tin when you push it down after baking. The regular sized muffin tin would make these cookie cups very large.
      Reply
  55. Jane Joseph says:
    February 13, 2022
    The recipe is amazing. And if you love lemon lime my hubby does this is a hit. But I have a question, how can I make the dough from rising so much. I love the way it’s suppose to look in your picture but my curd just sits on top. Thank you in advance for answering my questions
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      February 14, 2022
      You might have to play with it a little. If it seems like it's too big, try a smaller amount of dough. But watch it closely so they don't over cook.
      Reply
  56. Diane says:
    March 3, 2022
    These were absolutely delicious! This recipe does make 48 mini cups, and happy it does because you can't stop eating them.
    Reply
  57. Judy Walgate says:
    March 6, 2022
    Can you tell me why my cups burned on the bottom? I had the oven at 375 as stated. Kinda disappointed. I followed everything as you described,just add a little erythritol sugar substitute would that be it? Thanks
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      March 8, 2022
      It could be your sugar substitute, it could also be the pan. I have some baking sheets that are older and the finish is not as great and my cookies are always darker on those cookie sheets - even with parchment paper.
      Reply
      • Judy says:
        March 13, 2022
        Maybe I’ll leave the sugar substitute out next time but my husband didn’t even notice😉I used a patty pan I use for mince tarts at Christmas and it’s relatively new. Thank you.
        Reply
  58. Lynnsey says:
    April 7, 2022
    I ran this thru an online nutrition calculator and the carbs per serving (based on your 24 serving yield) were 55, not 31...How did you calculate your nutritional info?
    Reply
  59. Janice says:
    May 7, 2022
    Can the finished recipe be frozen?
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      May 9, 2022
      Yes, these can be frozen in an airtight freezer bag or freezer container.
      Reply
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