All the delicious flavour of lemons in biscuit form. These easy lemon and sultana biscuits are simple to make and taste amazing. Perfect for making with kids, what is not to like?

If you’re a busy mum, who would love to make homemade biscuits then these lemon and sultana biscuits are for you. They are quick and easy to make but taste as if you have spent hours in the kitchen.

Lemon and sultana biscuits on a plate with a pink rim and flowery pattern

There are some days when it is necessary to have a cup of tea and a biscuit, lazy sunny weekends call for a pot of tea and biscuits in the garden. These lemon and sultana biscuits are perfect for sharing at family gatherings or having a cup of tea with friends, catching up on adventures.

The light lemon taste is perfect for a spring or summer day. It is worth the extra effort of making the biscuits yourself for the satisfaction of seeing them enjoyed. Home-made biscuits eaten with friends or family is one of life’s pleasures.

What ingredients do I need?

These are a simple bake that do not use many ingredients. You need:

Butter, self-raising flour and caster sugar – to make the cookie dough
Lemon zest – to add the lemon flavour
Sultanas – to add fruitiness
An egg – to bring the dough together

Biscuit ingredients in bowls on a tiled background

What equipment do I need?

You do not need any special equipment to make these biscuits. You will need:

Weighing scales
Mixing bowl
Pastry board
Rolling pin
Biscuit cutters
Grater or zester
Baking tray
Baking parchment

How to make lemon and sultana biscuits

Don’t forget to scroll down for the complete printable recipe card.

First, preheat the oven to 190 C, Gas Mark 5. Preheating the oven ensures your biscuits cook quickly and that they will rise.

Next, rub the butter into the flour. There is something satisfying about rubbing butter into flour, seeing the crumbs fall through your fingers and the dough coming together. It should start to resemble fine breadcrumbs.

Butter and sugar which has been rubbed together to resemble fine breadcrumbs in a bowl.

Zest the lemon, which releases a gorgeous scent into the kitchen, making it feel fresh and speaking of pleasure to come. Add the zest into the bowl with the butter and flour and add the sultanas and raisins.

Lemon zest, sugar and sultanas in a bowl with flour and sugar that has been rubbed together to resemble breadcrumbs

Stir together gently until the ingredients are combined.

Add the egg and knead together to make a dough. Don’t be afraid to use your fingers and knead it well.

An egg added to the crumb biscuit mix in a bowl

lemon and sultana biscuit dough in a bowl

Roll out the dough on a floured board until it is about half a centimetre thick. If you are making this with kids you may find bits of the dough disappear during this process. There should be plenty left to fill two trays.

Biscuit dough being rolled out with a rolling pin with a cooker cutter on the side

Grease the baking trays or cover with baking parchment and place the biscuits on the trays, leave some room between them so they can spread out a little as they cook. Place them in the oven and wait impatiently for them to cook. The smell of freshly cooked biscuits will waft through the house making you hungry while you wait.

After fifteen minutes they should be golden brown. Remove them from the oven and place them on a cooling rack to cool

lemon and sultana biscuits cooling on a cooling rack

Enjoy your lemon and sultana biscuits

Place your lemon and sultana biscuits on a plate and pour some tea into cups and enjoy your biscuits in the sunshine outside. The light lemon taste is perfect for a summer day. Peace will descend as the warmth of the sun lulls you into sleepiness. Sit and enjoy the moment and the sunshine.

The mood will soon be broken by the chirping of birds and the snoring of the dog lying in the sunshine. Quickly he burst into life, startled by a bird that has dared to venture into our garden. He chases it, woofing loudly and looking proud as it flies away. He comes over to us, looking hopeful, begging for crumbs.

Can I make these cookies ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the dough in advance. Wrap the dough in baking parchment and store in the fridge overnight, or until you are ready to cook it. Then remove it from the fridge, roll it out and cook following the instructions on the recipe card.

Can I freeze lemon and sultana biscuits?

Whilst you can’t freeze the biscuits, the dough will freeze well so why not make double and freeze half?

A top tip is to roll out and cut the biscuits into shape before freezing. Place the cut biscuits in layers in a suitable box for freezing. Separate the layers with baking parchment. When you take them out of the freezer you can just put them onto a prepared baking tray and cook. If cooking from frozen cook for about five minutes longer.

Can I make these biscuits with kids?

Yes, they are an easy bake to make and kids will enjoy cooking them with you. Why not get different-shaped cookie cutters so they can have fun making different shapes?

What can I do with leftover lemon juice?

This recipe uses the zest of one lemon. Once you remove the zest the lemon will dry out. Don’t waste it. Juice the lemon and pour the lemon juice into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen remove from the tray, pop into a bag and label.

The lemon juice cubes are great for cooking, marinades or popping into a drink to add a little flavour.

You can also add the lemon juice into a cup of water, and pop it into the microwave for five minutes. When you wipe it down afterwards it will be much easier to clean.

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