The classic madeleine recipe has been updated and given a citrus twist! You’ll love these homemade Lemon Madeleines, with their delicate seashell shape, cake-like texture, and vibrant lemon flavor. Perfect with tea or as dessert!

Lemon Madeleines on white parchment with a half lemon in the background

Madeleine cookies with a citrus twist

These Lemon Madeleines brighten up a classic French recipe with sunny, refreshing citrus flavor. These elegant little shell shaped cakes wow at garden teas, bridal showers and other warm weather occasions. You’ll love how these cookies bring a splash of sophistication and charm to any event!

If you’re ready to explore more French desserts, don’t miss my recipe for Chocolate Pots de Creme, Chocolate Profiteroles, or this gorgeous Strawberry Rose Tart.

Madeleine cookies with a citrus twist
What are madeleines? Cookie or cake?
🧾 What You’ll Need
📋 Instructions
💡 Tips and FAQs
🍋 More Lemon Desserts
Lemon Madeleines Recipe

Hand pulling a Lemon Madeleine out from a clear jar

Madeleines are a classic staple of French cafes, but in the United States, they are less well known and harder to find on menus. (As an English major, I first encountered them not on the plate, but in a Proust novel, where they were described so vividly that I made it a mission to try them myself one day!)

Madeleines have a modest appearance–they are small, hand-held pastries, about the size of a standard cookie, so you would be forgiven for thinking they’re just an oddly-shaped cookie with a hard-to-spell name.

However, madeleines are actually petite, shell-shaped tea cakes. They have a cake-like texture, flavor, and crumb–imagine a bite-sized sponge cake with a crisp exterior and fluffy interior. They can easily fit in your hand, or snuggle up to the side of your teacup, and they’re light enough to be an afternoon snack, or an after-dinner dessert. Madeleines are prepared like most cake recipes, from a light batter that gets its volume from well-whipped eggs and sugar.

Traditionally, madeleines are flavored with a bit of vanilla extract, but this version has a citrus twist thanks to the one-two punch of lemon zest and lemon extract. The bright, tangy lemon flavor makes these mini cakes the perfect recipe for any spring or summer occasion.

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients

Think just because madeleines are a touch fancy that they need tons of hard to find ingredients? Nope! You probably have most of the ingredients at home, and anything you don’t already have is easy to find. Here’s what you should look for as you gather your supplies:

Eggs: You’ll want large eggs for this recipe and they should be at room temperature. Don’t skip letting them warm up to room temperature! The yolks break more easily and mix with the other ingredients better when they are warmer.
Butter: Use unsalted butter that you have melted and allowed to cool slightly. I like to melt the butter before I begin working with the rest of the ingredients so it has time to cool. This way the butter will still be liquid, but not warm enough that it will cook the eggs.
Lemon flavoring: To get a punchy lemon flavor, I like using LorAnn Lemon Bakery Emulsion because it is so vibrant. You can substitute lemon extract if that’s what available to you. Different brands and extracts have different strengths so if you are using a different product, you might need to adjust the amount you use depending on the potency.
Lemon zest: Lemon zest has tons of pure lemon flavor without all the acidity of lemon juice. When you zest the lemon, use a microplane to remove only the bright yellow part of the peel without zesting the white rind underneath. The white part has a bitter flavor that we don’t want in our baked goods!

Overhead shot of many Lemon Madeleines scattered on a silver baking sheet

Equipment

Madeleines do require one specialized piece of cookware: a madeleine pan. You probably already have the rest of the equipment you’ll need, but just to be sure, check the list below. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

Madeleine pan: A MUST for getting that signature sea shell shape! This heavy-duty pan won’t warp and makes beautiful madeleines.
Cookie scoop: If you make a lot of other cookies, I highly recommend getting a cookie scoop to help make even sized cookies. For this recipe it will help you fill the pans evenly.
Microplane:A microplane helps to get the zest super fine, which helps avoid larger chunks that you often get with an ordinary zester.

Hand picking up a Lemon Madeleine from a cutting board

📋 Instructions

Now’s the time to roll up our sleeves and start baking. These are just an overview of the steps–the full, printable instructions are included in the recipe card down below!

Two photo collage showing how to make the batter for Lemon Madeleines

Mix the Wet Ingredients

Use a hand or stand mixer to beat together the eggs and granulated sugar. You should set it on medium speed and mix until it is smooth and creamy, which will take about 10 minutes. You’ll know the mixture is ready when it flows like warm caramel sauce.
Add the lemon extract and zest, and mix just to combine.

Two photo collage showing how to make Lemon Madeleines

Add in the dry ingredients

Fold in the flour and baking powder using a spatula. You’ll need to be gentle, so the egg mixture does not deflate.
Fold in the melted and cooled butter. I like to melt the butter first to give it a chance to cool some so that it does not cook the eggs when you add it.

Chill and fill

Place the madeleine batter in the fridge to chill for one hour.
Scoop the batter into the prepared molds until they are about ¾ full. To make this easier, I use a cookie scoop.

Bake, cool, and serve

Place the pan in the oven and bake until the madeleines are light brown on top. Remove them from the oven and transfer the madeleines to a wire rack to cool.

Lemon Madeleine with a bite taken out of it

💡 Tips and FAQs

Variations

Lemons aren’t the only citrus that shine in madeleines–oranges are a great addition as well! You can replace both the extract and the zest with orange, or you can mix and match using lemon extract and orange zest.

For toppings, a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar looks pretty and provides a bit of sweetness. You could also dip them in melted semi-sweet chocolate for some added flavor.

And, if you dip them in chocolate, you can fancy them up by sprinkling fresh zest onto the chocolate. You could even go playful and add some sprinkles to the chocolate!

Zesting a lemon

When you zest a lemon, I recommend using a microplane. A microplane makes a super fine texture that is perfect for baked goods.

If you don’t have a microplane, you can use a standard zester. I recommend using a knife to cut up any larger chunks, which helps you to avoid any weird texture issues with pieces of pulp.

Make-ahead and storage instructions

Madeleines are best served the same day they are made, since they dry out and grow stale quickly. If you need to prolong their shelf life, dipping them in chocolate helps keep them moist, and you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.

🍋 More Lemon Desserts

Lemon and other citrus flavored baked goods are a personal favorite of mine. They are sweet, but also light and fresh tasting, so you will never feel stuffed when eating them. Here are a few more treats to try when you are in the mood for lemon:

Leave a review!

If you make this recipe, let us know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe below, and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram @elabau, or use #sugarhero on IG!

Save Pin Print

Lemon Madeleines

Author Elizabeth LaBau

5 from 7 votes

Prep20

Cook15

Chilling Time1

Total1 35

Yields madeleines