Lemon Shortbread Cookies
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These Lemon Shortbread Cookies are a sweet little bite of sunshine. With a buttery crumb and a delicate balance of sweetness and citrus, they’re crisp at the edges, tender in the center, and deeply infused with fresh lemon zest. Perfect for afternoon tea, holiday cookie trays, or everyday indulgence, these cookies are a simple pleasure with a refreshing twist.
A Classic Cookie with a Touch of Citrus:
Shortbread is one of the oldest and most beloved cookie traditions, prized for its minimal ingredients and rich, crumbly texture. Originating in Scotland, traditional shortbread uses a simple 1-2-3 ratio: one part sugar, two parts butter, and three parts flour. This lemony version adds the bright, aromatic flavor of fresh lemon zest, giving the classic a fresh, sunny update.
With just a few ingredients, these cookies rely on quality and balance. The lemon lifts the buttery richness, making each bite light and fragrant. You can enjoy them plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or glazed for an extra lemony finish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Foolproof Shortbread Dough: This is my perfect shortbread cookie recipe, which I have used to make various other layered or shaped cookies like my Swedish Checkerboard Cookies. It works perfectly every time and the cookies retain their shape after baking, creating perfectly shaped pansy flowers.
Beautiful and Eye-Catching: Have you seen a cuter cookie? These shortbread cookies are the perfect dessert for a spring tea time spread.
Classic Buttery Shortbread: Not only is this shortbread recipe easy and fool-proof, but it’s absolutely delicious. The cookie is crisp, buttery, and melts-in-your-mouth. The added touch of lemon flavor makes them even better!
Gathering Ingredients:
Lemon Zest. To give these cookies their signature lemon flavor, you will need fresh lemon zest. This is rubbed into the sugar to infuse it with the natural oils from the lemon rind.
Sugar. You will need granulated sugar.
Butter. For this recipe, make sure that your butter is slightly colder than “room temperature,” or about 62° F (16° C).
Egg Yolks. This dough uses only egg yolks. Use large eggs!
Vanilla Extract. For a fun twist, use almond extract instead!
Flour. This recipe uses all-purpose flour.
Salt.
Milk. Any type of milk will work!
How to Make Lemon Shortbread Cookies:
Step One: Begin by mixing together the lemon zest and sugar in a small bowl. With your fingers, rub the lemon zest into the sugar to release the oils and infuse the sugar with the lemon flavor, about 2 minutes.
Step Two: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and lemon infused sugar until it is light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolks and vanilla bean paste, beating them into the butter mixture until well combined, about 2 minutes more. Then, add the flour and salt, mixing until a dough begins to form, another 3 to 4 minutes. Finally, cream in the milk and beat on medium speed for a further 3 minutes.
Step Three: Shape the dough into two discs. Then, wrap each disc loosely in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours.
Step Four: After chilling, remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap it. On a lightly floured surface, roll one of the discs of dough to about 1/2-inch (1-cm) thick. With a 3-inch (8-cm) fluted cookie cutter, cut the dough into cookies. Press and re-roll the dough as needed. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Step Five: Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 2-inches (5-cm) apart. With the tines of a fork, poke holes into the centers of the cookies all the way through to the bottom. Place the baking sheets into the refrigerator for 1 hour to chill the cookies fully.
Step Six: Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C). When the oven is hot, remove the cookies from the refrigerator.
Step Seven: Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are set and the edges are slightly golden brown. The underside of the cookies should be lightly browned as well. Remove the trays from the oven and leave the cookies to rest on the trays for 5 more minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Step Eight: The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for about 4 to 5 days. They can also be frozen after baking and enjoyed later!
Tips for Making Perfect Lemon Shortbread Cookies:
Weigh Your Ingredients — My biggest tip when it comes to baking is to weigh your ingredients! I create my recipes with metric units, so using a kitchen scale will ensure that this lemon shortbread recipe turns out perfectly every time.
Use Minimal Flour for Shaping — If the dough is sticky when you are rolling it out, use as little flour as possible. Rather than coating the dough with flour, sprinkle a tiny bit on the counter and on the outside of your rolling pin. The more flour that is added to the dough, the more it will alter the overall texture of the final cookies.
Chill Your Dough — If for any reason you feel that your dough is becoming too soft or warm, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it back into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Then continue the shaping process. This dough will only retain its shape while baking if it has been fully chilled!
Serving Suggestions:
These Lemon Shortbread Cookies are delightful on their own or paired with tea, especially herbal or green varieties. They make a lovely finish to a springtime meal or a thoughtful homemade gift. Stack them in a jar, tie with ribbon, or box them up with other citrusy treats for a cheerful cookie box.
Try these other whimsical spring recipes for your tea party spread!
Final Thoughts:
Simple, adorable, and full of bright flavor, this recipe for Lemon Shortbread Cookies is the kind of treat that is perfect for spring. With just a handful of ingredients and a touch of citrus, they offer a perfect balance of richness and lightness in every bite. Whether you’re making them for guests or keeping a stash for yourself, they’re sure to brighten your day—one cookie at a time.
xoxo Kayla
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Lemon Shortbread Cookies
With a buttery crumb and a delicate balance of sweetness and citrus, they’re crisp at the edges, tender in the center, and deeply infused with fresh lemon zest.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (12 g) lemon zest
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (232 g) salted butter, softened
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) milk, any kind
Instructions
- Begin by mixing together the lemon zest and sugar in a small bowl. With your fingers, rub the lemon zest into the sugar to release the oils and infuse the sugar with the lemon flavor, about 2 minutes.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and lemon infused sugar until it is light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolks and vanilla bean paste, beating them into the butter mixture until well combined, about 2 minutes more. Then, add the flour and salt, mixing until a dough begins to form, another 3 to 4 minutes. Finally, cream in the milk and beat on medium speed for a further 3 minutes.
- Shape the dough into two discs. Then, wrap each disc loosely in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours.
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set these aside for now.
- After chilling, remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap it. On a lightly floured surface, roll one of the discs of dough to about 1/2-inch (1-cm) thick. With a 3-inch (8-cm) fluted cookie cutter, cut the dough into cookies. Press and re-roll the dough as needed. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
- Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 2-inches (5-cm) apart. With the tines of a fork, poke holes into the centers of the cookies all the way through to the bottom. Place the baking sheets into the refrigerator for 1 hour to chill the cookies fully.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C). When the oven is hot, remove the cookies from the refrigerator.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are set and the edges are slightly golden brown. The underside of the cookies should be lightly browned as well. Remove the trays from the oven and leave the cookies to rest on the trays for 5 more minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for about 4 to 5 days. They can also be frozen after baking and enjoyed later!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
82Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
