These lemon shortbread cookies are the perfect combination of sweet, tart and buttery! This cookie has a sweet lemon glaze that elevates the traditional shortbread, not to mention, they are melt in your mouth delicious. Lemon shortbread cookies are the ultimate spring cookie!
If you love these lemon shortbread cookies, be sure to try our lemon blueberry crumble loaf or the lemon poppyseed cake that is in our Spring Cookbook!
What you will need-Grocery List
Lemon Shortbread Cookies are made with just a handful of pantry staples and are so easy to put together. Below is a list of everything you will need to make these buttery delicious cookies.
- All Purpose Flour
- Granulated White Sugar
- Butter
- Kosher Salt
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Vanilla
- Powdered Sugar
- Half-n-half or heavy Cream
- Parchment paper
- Cookie sheet
- Cooling rack
How to make Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Follow these easy steps for the most delicious melt-in-your-mouth lemon shortbread cookies!
Making the Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and set out 3 sticks of real butter to soften to room temperature.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix together 3 cups all purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 cup granulated white sugar.
- Cube butter sticks and add to dry ingredients. Mix on low until all butter is incorporated. Dough will resemble cornmeal at this time. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Turn mixer back on to medium speed and mix until dough comes together and easily forms into a ball. Don’t over mix at this point.
- Remove dough from mixing bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Separate dough into two equal pieces. Roll each into uniform size round logs. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for a minimum 30 minutes.
- Take dough logs out of fridge, unwrap and cut into 1/4th-1/2 inch slices. Add cookies to a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake on 350 F for 15-18 min. Do not over bake as cookies will become dry and crumbly.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on wire rack.
- While cookies are cooling, make the lemon glaze (directions below).
Making the lemon glaze:
- In a small bowl, add 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1 teaspoon of half and half or heavy whipping cream at a time until you reached desired consistency. The glaze should be easy to drizzle without being too thin.
- Once the cookies have cooled, drizzle the lemon glaze over the top of the cookies and allow the glaze to set up before serving or storing.
Variations to Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Once you try the lemon version of these traditional shortbread cookies you will most likely not want another version, but the following variations are hard to beat as well!
- If you love the buttery flavor of traditional shortbread, omit the lemon juice and add vanilla in its place.
- Leave out the lemon, add vanilla and dip half of the shortbread cookies in melted milk or white chocolate.
- Instead of cookies, press the shortbread dough into a baking dish and cut the shortbread into bars.
Final Thoughts about Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Shortbread is such a classic, easy dessert, but adding lemon flavoring and topping with a sweet lemon glaze these lemon shortbread cookies become the ultimate spring treat! Serve these cookies at your Easter dinner, baby shower, or next family gathering and you are sure to impress!
Don’t forget to save this recipe to your Pinterest board or print out to add to your favorite family recipes!
Happy baking, friend!
Lemon Shortbread Cookies
These lemon shortbread cookies are the perfect combination of sweet, tart and buttery!
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4th teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 sticks (3/4lb) room temperature unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1-2 teaspoons half and half or heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and set out 3 sticks of real butter to soften to room temperature.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix together 3 cups all purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 cup granulated white sugar.
- Cube butter sticks and add to dry ingredients. Mix on low until all butter is incorporated. Dough will resemble cornmeal at this time. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Turn mixer back on to medium speed and mix until dough comes together and easily forms into a ball. Don't over mix at this point.
- Remove dough from mixing bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Separate dough into two equal pieces. Roll each into uniform size round logs. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for a minimum 30 minutes.
- Take dough logs out of fridge, unwrap and cut into 1/4th-1/2 inch slices. Add cookies to a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake on 350 F for 15-18 min. Do not over bake as cookies will become dry and crumbly.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on wire rack.
- While cookies are cooling, make the lemon glaze (directions below).
Making the lemon glaze:
- In a small bowl, add 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1 teaspoon of half and half or heavy whipping cream at a time until you reached desired consistency. The glaze should be easy to drizzle without being too thin.
- Once the cookies have cooled, drizzle the lemon glaze over the top of the cookies and allow the glaze to set up before serving or storing.
Notes
Be sure to chill the dough for at least 30 min before slicing.
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