These lemon shortbread cookies are buttery and crisp with a super lemony and tart flavour. They're topped with a simple lemon glaze and lemon zest for maximum citrus flavour.
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Notes from the baker
Lemon-flavoured baked goods are the key to my heart. The tart citrus flavour cuts through the richness from the butter so lemon desserts are never too sweet or heavy.
These lemon shortbread cookies are wonderful for showing off the yummy citrus flavour. I shocked myself with how amazing my house smelled while these cookies were cooling on the counter. I was even more pleasantly surprised with how much lemon flavour they have considering how they only have a bit of lemon juice and lemon zest in them.
These cookies are stable enough (the lemon icing sets once it's dry) for holiday cookie boxes and just perfect for citrus season or any time of year when you need a quick cookie pick-me-up with a cup of tea.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Super lemony flavour. You might not think just a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice would give these cookies that much flavour but the lemon zest does all the heavy lifting! These cookies are so tart and lemony and delicious.
- Crisp and buttery shortbread cookies. The rich and crumbly texture of shortbread pairs perfectly with the citrus flavour.
- Simple lemon icing. The 2-ingredient lemon icing on top of these cookies adds more lemon flavour. It's so good I started dipping other cookies I had in it before I even iced these cookies.
- Easy to make recipe. You only need 6 ingredients and less than an hour of active work. The hardest part is waiting for the dough to chill in the fridge!
- Great for making ahead of time. Since the dough needs to chill in the fridge, this is a great recipe to make in advance. You can bake the cookies the next day when you're ready.
Tools
- Electric hand mixer - I always use my hand mixer when I'm working with softened butter. It makes it easy to mix and ensures I'm aerating the dough enough for fluffy cookies.
- Microplane - You'll need a microplane to zest the lemons. A microplane shaves the lemon zest down into tiny pieces so they lend seamlessly into the cookie dough and gives it all its lemon flavour.
- Rolling pin - You'll need a rolling pin to roll out the cookie dough.
- Scalloped cookie cutter - You can use any cookie cutter you like, including holiday-themed ones (these cookies would make cute snowflakes!). I used a 2" scalloped round cookie cutter for mine. I find that the scalloped or fluted edges are more forgiving if the cookies get a bit misshapen during baking. It's very obvious if the cookies aren't perfectly round when they have smooth edges.
- Baking sheet - You can use any baking sheet or baking tray to bake your cookies.
- Piping bag - You'll need a piping bag to pipe drizzles of lemon icing on top of the cookies or just use a spoon!
Ingredient notes
As always, the full recipe card with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post! Keep reading for more details on each ingredient or skip ahead to the recipe.
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Unsalted butter - This should be softened to room temperature.
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon zest - Don't skip the lemon zest! It adds the most lemon flavour and aroma to the cookies. It doesn't look like much but it packs a punch! Zest the lemon directly into the ingredients in the bowl to catch all the juices that are released.
- Lemon juice - After zesting the lemon, cut it in half to squeeze out the juice.
Tips for making the best lemon shortbread cookies
- Roll the dough out in between parchment paper. This method keeps your surfaces and rolling pin mess-free. It's also easier to roll the dough out while it's soft and then letting it firm up afterwards. The parchment paper peels cleanly off the dough once it has been chilled.
- Chill the dough. This is a very buttery dough so it'll be much easier to work with if you chill it until it's solid before working with it. You should also pop it back in the fridge any time you feel like it's becoming too soft and hard to work with, like after re-rolling the dough scraps or after cutting out the cookies.
- Chill the cookies before baking. This helps the cookies keep their shape during baking and ensures they all bake evenly.
- Dip your cookie cutter in flour. Shake off the excess. Do this before cutting out the cookies to prevent the dough from sticking to the cookie cutter.
Storage
These lemon shortbread cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
The cookies can also be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw them at room temperature before eating.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! You can roll out the dough and keep it covered in the fridge for 1-2 days before cutting out the cookies. You could also cut out the cookies and keep them in the fridge or freezer for up to 1 month until you're ready to bake them.
This is a buttery dough so always chill it before working with it and always keep it cold! Work quickly when the dough is out at room temperature and pop it back in the fridge if it gets too soft. Most issues with the dough can easily be fixed by just letting it chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
Baking by weight is much more accurate than volume. When using US standard cups, ingredients like flour and sugar can easily be overpacked into the cup causing you to add too much of certain ingredients. Recipes with weight measurements are also easier to scale to smaller or bigger batches without dealing with weird fractions. To measure by weight, you simply need a kitchen scale which you can usually pick up for less than $20.
Small measurements are given in tablespoons and teaspoons because most kitchen scales are not accurate under about 10g. Tiny amounts like a ¼ teaspoon may not register accurately unless you have a drug scale. Mixing these measurements is a common practice among other recipe sites and commercial kitchens.
More cookie recipes to try
- Lemon Meringue Cookies
- Earl Grey Sugar Cookies
- Ruby Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- Salted Chocolate Sablé Cookies
Recipe
Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Cookies
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 50 g powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Lemon Icing
- 50 g powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- lemon zest, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
Lemon Cookies
- Flour mixture: In a small bowl, stir together flour and salt. Set aside.
- Butter mixture: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the softened butter until it becomes very creamy. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat on low speed until creamy and fluffy.
- Combine flour and butter mixtures: Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until it forms a crumbly dough. It may look a bit dry at first but it'll come together if you keep mixing. It should stick together if you squeeze a handful of dough together.
- Press dough together: Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Use your hands to press the dough together into a flattened disc shape.
- Roll dough: Lay another sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until about ¼" thick.
- Chill dough: Slide the parchment paper onto a cutting board to transfer it to the fridge. Chill the dough sheet in the fridge for about 1 hour or until firm.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cut out cookies: Once chilled, peel the top layer of parchment paper off the dough sheet. Use a 3" scalloped cookie cutter to cut out cookies from the dough. Place each cookie on your lined baking sheet, leaving about 1" in between each cookie. Re-roll the scraps and cut out more cookies. If the dough has become too soft while you've been working with it, chill the baking sheet in the fridge for about 15 minutes before baking.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for about 14-15 minutes or until the bottom edges of the cookies begin to lightly brown.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
Lemon Icing
- Mix icing: In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice until it becomes a thick but viscous icing. If it's too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add a bit more lemon juice.
- Ice the cookies: Transfer the icing to a piping bag and snip the tip of the bag off. Drizzle the icing on top of the cookies. Zest a lemon directly over the cookies before the icing sets.
Anita says
Love these, made them several times now 🙂
Nana says
So delicious!! Everyone in my house loves it 🙂
Anonymous says
Good recipe, turned out well and easy to follow.
Stephanie says
I doubled the recipe and still only got 16-3”cookies.
Sxynch says
It was really good with and without the icing
toffee says
Cus of my baking skills, I was prepared to be disappointed but holy! it was perfect. Thank you for the recipe.
viv says
Thanks for this recipe! I'm making another batch to keep in the freezer but I'm wondering if I can bake from frozen or if I should let them sit at room temp first?
Deanna says
Wow! I had some leftover lemons from a meringue pie I made earlier this week and was on the hunt for my next lemon-inspired bake. I came across this recipe on TikTok and knew I had to try it!
This is only my second time making shortbread cookies, but this recipe turned out to be a winner.
I used a stand mixer instead of an electric hand mixer, and it worked perfectly.
The cookies have the ideal balance of crumbly texture and tart lemon flavor.
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed them!
Catherine says
I’ve never made a shortbread cookie like this before, so I was a bit worried I would mess these up. I followed these instructions exactly and watched Gail’s TikTok video several times and these came out SO SO good! My piping wasn’t as beautiful, but the cookies still looked pretty and tasted amazing. I can’t wait to make these for the cookie exchange parties I’m going to this season!