Lemon Bars are a favorite of mine, so turning them into a cookie cup has been so much fun!  These Lemon Bar Cookie Cups are a perfectly baked sugar cookie cup that is filled with a super quick homemade lemon filling.  You are going to want to grab the recipe and make them for yourself.

Not only are Lemon Bars one of my favorites but they are also a favorite of my Tale’s. Growing up, it was a dessert she asked for a lot when it was her birthday or any other occasion that she got to choose the sweet treat.

Birthdays were always a fun time for my kids because they could choose whatever they wanted for dessert.

When they were little it was all about decorated cakes {think race car and Barbie} but the older they got, things like these Lemon Bar Cookie Cups are what they asked for.

How to make Lemon Bar Cookie Cups

1. Begin by combining the sugar cookie mix with softened butter and an egg. I like to use a handheld mixer to be sure I get everything mixed nicely, but you can also do this step by hand.
2. Use a small cookie scoop and scoop mounds of dough into each cavity of the mini muffin pan that has been liberally sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Then go back and press down the top of each cookie dough mound with your fingers to get a flat top.

3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 9-11 minutes or until the sugar cookie dough has puffed up. It might also drop in the middle while it bakes, but that doesn’t matter. Once you remove them from the oven, immediately run a knife around the edges to release the sides so they don’t stick.
4. The next step is to take a tart shaper and press down the middle of each cookie. This is going to give you the perfect spot for the lemon filling.

5. For the quick homemade lemon filling, combine butter and sugar in a medium saucepan.  Cream the two ingredients together and then add the egg yolks and stir to combine. Finally, add the lemon juice and zest and whisk until combined.  Cook over medium heat until smooth and thick. Be sure to whisk most of the time.
6. Once the mixture is ready, pour it out onto a sheet pan and spread it out. This will make cooling the filling super quick.  You can even put it in the refrigerator to speed up the process.

7. Once the lemon filling is cooled, spoon a teaspoon of it into each cookie indention. It might take a bit more than a teaspoon, so adjust by filling to just under the top of the cookie edge.
8. The last step is to sprinkle each Lemon Bar Cookie Cup with powdered sugar. A few pieces of the lemon zest on top is always nice too.  That way everyone knows exactly what they are about to eat.

They really are the perfect cookie bite.  Anyone who loves lemon {and even people who say they don’t} will be ready to gobble these babies down.

Expert Tips

• Use a small cookie scoop to get just the right amount of dough into each mini muffin cup.
• Take a knife and run it around the edge of each cookie to loosen just as soon as you remove them from the oven.
• Use a tart shaper to make an even indentation into the middle of each cookie.  If you don’t have a tart shaper, use the end of a wooden spoon.
• Cool the lemon filling on a cookie sheet so that it will cool quickly.
• Add fresh lemon zest to the top of each cookie so that everyone will know that it is lemon flavored.

Do you love cookie cups?  Try these recipes…

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Cake Mix Cookies

Cannoli Cookie Cups {made with a Cake Mix}

Cookies

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookie Cups Recipe