Lemon Shortbread Cookies recipe makes deliciously lemony treats! These cookies are buttery and smooth with a crunch, just like other classic shortbread cookies. They're made with fresh lemon and simple ingredients, and have the perfect amount of zing to impress your guests at any event.
How do you make a buttery, soft, yet crunchy, and delicious Lemon Shortbread Cookies? Well let me tell you!
Made with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, you can make this sweet treat in less than an hour (including chilling time).
Thy're is one of the easiest cookies to make, and it's a great recipe to have up your sleeve for the holiday season for a cookie exchange.
They're also perfect for after-school snacks with a cold glass of milk or for your afternoon break with a cup of hot coffee!
I personally love to enjoy these cookies plain but they can be even more fun when dipping into a lemon frosting or a chocolately dip.
Want more amazing cookie recipes for lemon lovers? Check out my Lemon Blueberry Cookies, Strawberry Lemonade Bars, Lemon Cheesecake Bars, Lemon Frosted Cookies, Lemon Curd Cookies and even a simple Lemon Sugar Cookie Recipe!
Ingredients for Buttery Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Wet Ingredients. Butter, Vanilla Extract, Egg Yolk, Lemon Juice
Dry Ingredients. All Purpose Flour, Granulated Sugar, Salt, Lemon Zest
Garnish (Optional). Powdered Sugar, Fresh Lemon Juice, Fresh Lemon Zest
How to Make Easy Lemon Shortbread Cookies
In a large bowl, combine softened Butter and Granulated Sugar, and cream together with a hand mixer or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure you're including all the ingredients.
Add Fresh Lemon Juice and Egg Yolk to the butter mixture and continue to cream for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Gradually add the All-Purpose flour, Salt, and Lemon Zest to the butter mixture until combined.
The shortbread dough will be thick. Work and roll into a log shape or a flat rectangle shape, as shown below. Do this on a lightly floured surface so the cookie dough doesn't stick to the counter.
Cover it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and slice into ¼ inch slices. Place on a baking sheet, allowing 2 inches between cookies.
Using the tines of a fork, prick the cookies, leaving the dots from the fork imprinted into the cookies.
Bake at 375 F Degrees for 8-10 minutes.
(Optional) Garnish with additional Lemon Zest or drizzle a bright lemon glaze on top for an extra special finish!
Lemon Glaze (Optional)
Making a Glaze is super simple.
In a small bowl, mix ½ cup of powdered sugar with some lemon juice (1-2 tablespoons) will create a tangy lemon glaze that you can drizzle on top
Add just enjoy lemon juice to thin out the powdered sugar so you can drizzle it over the cookies.
Storage & Freezing
Store: Store cooled cookies in a sealed container. Cookies will stay fresh for up to a week but are best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
Freeze: These Shortbread Cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed container or freezer bag. Place parchment paper between the layers to prevent sticking.
Substitutions & Variations
- Fresh Lemons. You are best using fresh lemons to get the lemon juice and lemon zest, as they have a far superior lemon flavor to store-bought lemon juice.
- Salted Butter. Use salted butter to bring out the flavors of these cookies. If you only have unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the dough.
- Use a different topping. These delicious cookies can be served plain or with a topping or coating to add more sweetness and flavor. Use a dusting of confectioners' sugar or tangy lemon glaze, or melt white chocolate in a bowl and half dip the cookies into it! Let them sit on a wire rack to set after garnishing.
- Lemon Flavor. If you prefer a more subtle lemon flavor, omit some of the lemon juice. If you want a stronger lemon flavor, add more lemon zest or a few drops of lemon extract to the dough.
Pro Tips
What makes a good cookie? Does it have a soft center and crispy edges, and is it chewy? Each of these makes a great quality cookie. To make perfect cookies every time, here are some pro tips.
Weighing Ingredients.
Baking is a science and adding too much or too little of any of the ingredients will alter the recipe. Weighing and measuring dry ingredients properly makes a world of difference. Investing in a kitchen scale is ideal. When a kitchen scale is not available, make sure to stir and lift ingredients before scooping them into a measuring cup.
| Volume | Ounces | Grams | |
| All Purpose Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Bread Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Granulated Sugar | 1 Cup | 7 Ounces | 200 Grams |
| Brown Sugar | 1 Cup | 7½ Ounces | 213 Grams |
| Confectionary Sugar | 1 Cup | 4 Ounces | 113 Grams |
Batch Yield.
This recipe makes about 24 buttery cookies. You can make a double batch to make more if you like, but it might be easier making the batches seperately. As the dough gets quite thick, it will be easier to mix in smaller amounts.
Stand Mixer.
You can use a normal mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on it to make this lemon shortbread cookie recipe. Of course, it is possible to just use a bowl and a spoon to mix your ingredients, but using a stand mixer is the easiest option.
Baking Sheets.
You can use an ungreased cookie sheet if you prefer. I like to use Parchment Paper to line baking sheets or a Silicone Mat for easy cleanup.
Baking Time.
Every oven heats a little differently. I recommend doing a test batch of 1-3 cookies to test the baking time for a perfectly baked cookie before baking the remaining dough.
Cooling Rack.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a minute or two before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Kitchen Scale. I use this for accuracy in measuring, and it's a lifesaver when it comes to consistent baking.
- Wire Rack for cooling cookies. I like to have at least two cooling racks.
- Mixing Bowls. A Large Mixing Bowl for mixing ingredients and small and medium mixing bowls for other ingredients.
- Cookie Sheet. Most recipes will take two batches to bake. It's great to have multiple baking sheets available.
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat. Line the Cookie Sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Cookie Scoop. A small #60 Cookie Scoop or a Medium Cookie Scoop #50 are great choices for uniform drops of cookie dough.
- Storage Container. An Airtight Container to store cookies or a Ziploc Bag works great too.
- Additional supplies. Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons along with a silicone spatula, are all helpful.
To find out more, check out my Pro Tips Guide for making the best cookies every time!
Have you tried this Lemon Shortbread Cookie recipe?
Let me know what you think of these lemon cookies! Tag @bestcookierecipes on social media so I can see how great your cookies turned out! I would also love to read your comments below. Let me know what you think of these cookies. It really does help!
More Delicious Fruity Cookie Recipes
- Betty Crocker Lemon Oatmeal Bars
- Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Easy Blueberry Pie Bars with Lemon
- Cranberry Bars
- Strawberry Sugar Cookies
- Pineapple Upside Down Cookies
- Fruit Pizza Cookies
Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar 100g
- 1⅓ cup All Purpose Flour 160g
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
- 1 Egg Yolk
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Zest Half of a Large Lemon
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine softened Butter and Granulated Sugar, and cream together with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure you're including all the ingredients.
- Add Lemon Juice and Egg Yolk to the butter mixture and continue to cream for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually add the All-Purpose flour, Salt, and Lemon Zest to the butter mixture until combined.
- The shortbread dough will be thick. Work and roll into a log shape or a flat rectangle shape, as shown above. Cover it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and slice into ¼ inch slices. Place on a baking sheet, allowing 2 inches between cookies.
- Using the tines of a fork, prick the cookies, leaving the dots from the fork imprinted into the cookies.
- Bake at 375 F Degrees for 8-10 minutes.
- (Optional) Garnish with additional Lemon Zest or drizzle a simple lemon glaze on top.
Notes
- Store: Store cooled cookies in a sealed container. Cookies will stay fresh for up to a week but are best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
- Freeze: These Shortbread Cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed container or freezer bag. Place parchment paper between the layers to prevent sticking.
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