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    Home Β» Cookies

    Published: Aug 8, 2022 by Cheryl Norris Β· This post may contain affiliate links

    Lemon Shortbread Cookies

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    If you're a lemon lover, you'll love these buttery Lemon Shortbread Cookies. These buttery cookies have a subtle lemon flavor from the fresh lemon zest and are the perfect melt-in-your-mouth cookie when you want something just a little sweet.

    A stack of 6 lemon shortbread cookies surrounded by cookies and fresh lemon
    Lemon Shortbread Cookies
    Jump to:
    • The Ingredients for These Shortbread Cookies
    • How to Make Easy Lemon Shortbread Cookies
    • How to Store These Shortbread Cookies
    • Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
    • Recipe - Frequently Asked Questions
    • Shortbread Cookie Variations
    • Lemon Shortbread Cookies

    These easy shortbread cookies are based on my classic shortbread cookies recipe and come together with just a handful of simple ingredients you probably have in your pantry.

    The cookies keep for weeks when stored properly and you can make the dough well in advance for on-demand treats! Plus they are a great year-round cookie and perfect anytime with a cup of coffee or tea.

    The basic shortbread cookie recipe is so good that I use it as the base for some of my most popular cookies: Cranberry and Pistachio Shortbread Cookie and one of my favorites: Apricot Pistachio Shortbread Cookie.  

    The Ingredients for These Shortbread Cookies

    Below are the ingredients for this recipe:

    Lemon cookie ingredients - all-purpose flour, lemons, unsalted butter, kosher salt, granulated sugar
    Lemon Shortbread Cookie Ingredients
    • Unbleached All-Purpose Flour. Use all-purpose unbleached flour for this recipe.
    • Unsalted Butter. Butter adds flavor and produces a nice tender cookie. You can use salted butter, but don't add the additional salt that the recipe calls for. It's also important to use a good quality butter that tastes good. Make sure to use room temperature butter for the best texture and to ensure the dough comes together.
    • Granulated Sugar. Granulated sugar produces nice crisp edges and helps with the light browning on the bottom edge of the cookie.
    • Fresh Lemon Zest. The lemon zest contributes to the burst of lemon flavor you taste when you bite into these delicious cookies.
    • Fresh Lemon Juice. The lemon juice bumps up the flavor in this delicious butter cookie.
    • Egg Yolk. The egg yolk adds tenderness to the cookie, making them softer.
    • Kosher Salt. The salt bumps up all the other flavors.

    These cookies have a 3-2-1 ratio which refers to the ratio between flour, butter, and sugar - 12 ounces of flour, 8 ounces of butter, and 4 ounces of sugar. This ratio ensures that the cookies won't spread and they will hold their shape. This recipe will produce some of the best cookies you've ever tasted.

    How to Make Easy Lemon Shortbread Cookies

    Place the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Zest the lemons into the sugar and use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar and make lemon sugar.

    Add the butter and salt to the lemon sugar and beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment until the ingredients are combined and the mixture is creamy.

    Sugar and lemon zest in bowl of electric stand mixer
    Rub the Lemon Zest Into the Sugar
    Sugar, Lemon Zest, Butter and Salt in bowl of electric stand mixer
    Add the Butter and Salt
    Butter and sugar mixed together in electric stand mixer until creamy and smooth
    Mix the Butter and Sugar
    The flour has been added to the sugar and butter mixrture
    Add the Flour

    Add the egg yolk and lemon juice, and mix on medium speed until the egg yolk and juice are incorporated. Add the flour to the sugar-butter mixture and mix on medium-low speed until the flour is mixed in and the dough starts to come together.

    Lemon shortbread cookie dough in bowl of electric stand mixer
    Lemon Shortbread Cookie Dough

    The dough will initially appear crumbly, but will eventually come together into large pieces. Mixing the flour in at a low speed is important to prevent the development of too much gluten.

    Pour the shortbread dough onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to lightly knead the dough until it forms a uniform mass. Roll the dough until it's 1/4-inch thick.  The dough will have a crumbly texture at first, but will eventually come together as you knead it.

    Cookie dough rolled out and 2-inch cookies cut with round cookie cutter
    Lemon Shortbread Cookies
    Side view of cookie dough rolled out and 2-inch cookies cut with round cookie cutter
    Lemon Shortbread Cookie Cutouts

    Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter (or your favorite cookie cutters) to cut out the cookies and reroll the dough scraps to cut out the remaining cookies.

    Chill the unbaked shortbread cookie dough for at least 20 minutes or up to 2 days before baking. 

    Unbaked lemon shortbread cookies with three holes in the center.  The cookies are on parchment paper
    Unbaked Lemon Cookies

    Bake the cookies at 300 degrees F on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. If you want a little color on your cookie, increase the oven temperature to 325 degrees and start checking the cookie after 15 minutes.

    The cookies are done when you see a little browning on the bottom edge of the cookies. Remove the cookies from the oven, allow them to cool briefly on the baking pan then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

    Lemon shortbread cookies in short stacks on a hard surface

    How to Store These Shortbread Cookies

    Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Shortbread cookies keep remarkable well, so they can be enjoyed for a long period of time. These cookies also ship well if you want to send them to friends and family.  

    A single lemon cookie on a board

    Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

    • Weigh the ingredients. The ratio of flour, butter and sugar are the key to the cookies keeping their shape. Too much flour will result in a dry, crumbly cookie and too little flour will result in a cookie that spreads.
    • Use great tasting butter. The taste of the butter is very prominent once the cookies are baked so make sure your butter tastes great.
    • Bake the cookies on parchment paper instead of Silpat. I noticed that the bottom of the cookies flare out just a little bit when baked on Silpat
    • When baking multiple batches, don't place unbaked cookies on a warm baking sheet.

    Recipe - Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I freeze these cookies?

    The cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 2 months after cutting out the shapes. Freeze the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and then place the cookies in a freezer bag. When baking the cookies straight from the freezer allow an extra 5 minutes for baking.

    Can I make these cookies gluten-free?

    I haven't tested this recipe with gluten-free flour so I don't know how they will turn out.

    A stack of 6 lemon shortbread cookies surrounded by cookies and fresh lemon

    Shortbread Cookie Variations

    If you like this variation on my classic shortbread cookie recipe please try these other variations on the blog:

    • A stack of strawberry shortbread cookies on a white porcelain plate. A fresh strawberry is on the plate and more fresh strawberries are in the background
      Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
    • Chocolate Cherry Hazelnut Cookies
      Chocolate Cherry Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
    • Chocolate Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
      Chocolate Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
    • shortbread cookies in a single layer on a white surface
      Shortbread Cookies

    There are multiple variations that you can try on your own and here are just a few ideas:

    • Make Vanilla Shortbread Cookies by adding vanilla extract and vanilla beans to the recipe.
    • Add your favorite spice: cinnamon, cardamom, or nutmeg
    • Add chopped nuts, dried fruit, or dark chocolate
    • Make Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies by replacing the granulated sugar with light or dark brown sugar.
    • Dip the cookie in dark chocolate or white chocolate.

    The possibilities are endless and this is a great cookie recipe to experiment with. The cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 2 months after cutting out the shapes. Freeze the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and then place the cookies in a freezer bag. When baking the cookies straight from the freezer allow an extra 5 minutes for baking.

    I  hope you try these amazing shortbread cookies. If you do make it please rate the recipe below. And please subscribe to the baking newsletter to get updates on the newest recipes.

    A stack of 6 lemon shortbread cookies surrounded by cookies and fresh lemon

    Lemon Shortbread Cookies

    If you're a lemon lover, you'll love these buttery Lemon Shortbread Cookies. They have a beautiful lemon flavor with a melt in your mouth texture.
    5 from 70 votes
    Print Pin Comment
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: English
    Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Chilling Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Yield: 40 cookies
    Author: Cheryl Norris

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces (227 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
    • 3 teaspoons lemon zest
    • 4 ounces (113 grams) granulated sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 large (20 grams) egg yolk
    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
    • 12 ounces (340 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Place the sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Zest the lemons directly onto the sugar, until there is about three (3) teaspoons of zest.
    • Place the butter, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.
    • Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl, add the egg yolk and lemon juice and mix in on medium speed just until the ingredients are incorporated.
    • Add all the flour and mix it in on low speed just until all the flour is mixed in. The dough will be crumbly at this point. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until the dough has completely come together and forms a dough.
    • Turn the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured surface. You can also turn it out onto a large piece of parchment paper or Silpat. Use your hands to shape the dough into a rectangle and lightly flour the top of the dough. Do not use too much flour, just enough to keep the rolling pin from sticking.
    • Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thick. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place the cookies on parchment-lined cookie sheet or board. Prick each cookie in the center with a fork. Pricking the cookies will ensure that the steam releases as they bake and you'll end up with an even cookie.
    • Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Chilling the dough will help the cookies hold their shape when baking.
    • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a half baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cookies on the baking sheet 1-1/2 inches apart.
    • Bake the cookies for 20-22 minutes. The bottom of the cookies will be lightly golden brown.
    • Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving them to a wire rack to completely cool.
    • At this point the cookies are ready to eat.
    • Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

    Notes

    Weigh the Ingredients: It’s important to use a scale to weigh the ingredients to ensure that these cookies come out right.
    Kosher Salt: The cookies can be made without kosher salt, but I love my cookies to be a little salty.
    Unsalted Butter: Use butter that tastes great all by itself as that along with the lemon will be the most prominent flavor.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 148IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    PIN IT FOR LATER!If you like this recipe Pin it for later and make it at home. Post a picture and mention @bakesbybrownsugar or tag #bakesbybrownsugar!
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    About Cheryl Norris

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. Britney says

      August 11, 2022 at 6:52 am

      These shortbread cookies were so easy to make, I loved them! The lemon flavor was exceptional!

      Reply
    2. Anina Belle Giannini says

      August 11, 2022 at 6:55 am

      This is great! We love lemon! Your shortbread cookies are now a family Christmas tradition and I can’t wait to make these lemon ones now too

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        October 27, 2022 at 10:18 am

        Thank you Anina Belle. I'm so happy to hear the shortbread cookies are part of your Christmas celebrations.

        Reply
    3. Shani Whisonant says

      August 12, 2022 at 4:09 am

      These delicious cookies are so easy to make and have the perfect amount of lemon! You've nailed this one Cheryl!

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        October 27, 2022 at 10:19 am

        Shani
        Thank you so much for this wonderful comment. I'm so glad to hear that you like this recipe.

        Reply
    4. Nolitha Mdleleni says

      August 13, 2022 at 11:50 pm

      I would like to have more of baking recipe

      Reply
    5. Donna says

      August 14, 2022 at 5:55 pm

      Hi Cheryl, your lemon shortbread recipe looks great, but my daughter is anaphylactic with eggs (+ gluten & ALL nuts). I've made other shortbread recipes gluten & egg free before but would love to try your lemon version. Do you think it would work using gluten free flour & just leaving egg out or substituting an egg replacer?
      Thanks, Donna

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        October 27, 2022 at 10:24 am

        Hi Donna
        This is a great question. You can leave out the egg, but decrease the baking time by 2-3 minutes. And yes you can make these with gluten-free flour. I haven't made them with GF flour, but one other reader said they made the cookies with GF flour and the cookies were good.

        Reply
    6. Yop says

      August 15, 2022 at 1:13 am

      This is great! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        August 18, 2022 at 12:00 pm

        You're welcome. If you make these cookies and I would love to hear back from you.

        Reply
    7. Lenore Litwin says

      August 28, 2022 at 3:34 pm

      These were absolutely buttery lemony delicious. I will make those again and again. Thank you for a great recipe!

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        August 31, 2022 at 7:04 am

        Hi Lenore
        Thank you for trying this recipe. I'm so glad you enjoyed the cookies enough to make them again. I also appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment.

        Reply
    8. Carol O'Neill says

      September 26, 2022 at 7:41 am

      THESE COOKIES ARE ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!! I have been trying to make different recipes for Lemon Cookies (my grandkids LOVE lemon) to send to my college kids. This was by far the best. They actually get better after a few days but are also delicious out of the oven. I sprinkled a little lemon zest on the finished cookie as well. And importantly they ship well. I wrapped small layers in parchment paper and put them in disposable containers to ship.

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        October 27, 2022 at 10:33 am

        Hi Carol
        Thank you so much for this amazing compliment and that you like them well enough to send to your kids at college. I know I loved the packages I got from home when I went to college and my mom sent the best baked goods.

        Reply
      • Maryeileen says

        December 30, 2022 at 2:41 pm

        I'm confused by the eggs. Shortbread cookies are not supposed to have eggs in them. A basic recipe is butter, sugar, and flour.

        Reply
        • Cheryl Norris says

          January 20, 2023 at 7:15 am

          Hi Maryeileen
          The typical shortbread cookie does not have eggs, but I decided to add an egg yolk for color and texture since these will also be the basis for a sandwich cookie.

          Reply
          • Maryeileen says

            January 20, 2023 at 3:53 pm

            Thanks for the explanation of an egg yolk in the lemon shortbread cookies.

            Reply
            • Cheryl Norris says

              January 23, 2023 at 9:00 am

              You are more than welcome. Thanks for asking.

    9. Sheena says

      October 04, 2022 at 6:58 pm

      Awesome. Great texture and lemony flavor. Even the chocolate loving husband is gobbling them up. I couldn't resist putting a bit of sparkling sugar on top. Thanks, Cheryl, for another super easy and tasty recipe that I will make again and again.

      Reply
    10. Sarah C Sluss says

      October 08, 2022 at 1:16 pm

      Is there any way to provide measurements not by weight? I don't have a scale but would love to try to make these! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        October 27, 2022 at 10:30 am

        Hi Sarah
        I use to provide volume measurements for my shortbread cookie recipes, but I received a few complaints about the dough not coming together which I suspect was because too much flour was added. This recipe only works with the right ratios by and you'll get the best results with weighing the ingredients.

        Reply
    11. carol oneill says

      October 27, 2022 at 8:08 am

      Oh I forgot to add to my comments about this fabulous recipe. I only use Gluten Free flour because my grandkids have celiac. The cookies are wonderfully the same. I've made them so many times recently its like Lemon heaven in my kitchen.

      Reply
    12. Gracie says

      January 22, 2023 at 10:44 am

      Can you use a handmixer to mix ingredients?

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        January 23, 2023 at 7:44 am

        Hi Gracie
        Thank you for visiting the blog. Yes, you can use a hand mixer for this recipe. It will take longer for the dough to come together after the flour is added.

        Reply
    13. Suzanne says

      March 29, 2023 at 8:58 am

      Absolutely delicious cookies. FIVE STARS

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        March 30, 2023 at 12:51 pm

        Hi Suzanne
        Thank you so much for this compliment. I'm so glad you enjoyed this cookie.

        Reply
    14. cindy says

      April 24, 2023 at 10:55 pm

      weighing ingredients in a home kitchen for a quick cookie recipe ??? get real. quick and easy - you need to buy a scale.

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        April 25, 2023 at 8:59 pm

        Hi Cindy
        Thank you for your question about weighing ingredients. Most of my recipes have the ingredients in volume and weight measurements. And I almost always recommend using a kitchen scale because you will get the best and most consistent results. The reason this recipe and most of my shortbread cookie recipes have the ingredients listed by weights only is because they're based on my shortbread cookie recipe which uses a 3:2:1 ratio - 3 parts flour, 2 parts butter, and 1 part sugar. That formula is based on weight measurements. For readers looking for a shortbread cookie that holds it shape and tastes amazing it's the perfect recipe. And a kitchen scale does save time, especially with baking recipes. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

        Reply
        • Stacy says

          May 09, 2023 at 6:34 pm

          Home kitchen scales are actually incredibly affordable and one of my most used kitchen tools. I always prefer and appreciate a recipe that has ingredients by mass. Thank you so much for providing this wonderful recipe!

          Reply
          • Cheryl Norris says

            May 11, 2023 at 4:09 pm

            Hi Stacy
            Thank you so much for that feedback. I'm glad you find the way I write my recipes helpful. I learned to use kitchen scales from Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Cake Bible and I was immediately hooked. Using a scale made everything so much easier when it came to baking.

            Reply
    15. Heather says

      May 31, 2023 at 5:17 am

      What a wonderful recipe. Thanks, so much! We make them all the time. πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        June 01, 2023 at 8:13 am

        Hi Heather
        Thank you so much for coming to the blog and making this recipe. I'm so excited to hear that you like this recipe and have made it more than once.

        Reply
    16. Susan Bunts Wachtel says

      May 31, 2023 at 9:35 am

      Yum...these sound so good. Especially for summer. Thanks for posting the recipe, going to give this a try.

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        June 15, 2023 at 9:40 pm

        Hi Susan
        Thank you. Truly is my pleasure. I love baking and sharing with others.

        Reply
    17. Hettie says

      June 01, 2023 at 7:35 am

      Perfection! We love your lemon cookie recipe. We’ve been looking for a recipe that might become another family favourite and yours is it. I’ve made it a few times and it’s always spot on. πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        June 15, 2023 at 9:40 pm

        Hi Hettie
        Thank you so much for visiting the blog! That makes me so happy to read that this recipe has become a favorite of yours.

        Reply
    18. SUSAN MEADS says

      June 26, 2023 at 6:31 am

      Great plug. Great baker! Will these cookies do well with a 3 inch round scalloped cutter and icing?

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        June 26, 2023 at 7:06 am

        Hi Susan
        Thank you for asking. Yes, these cookies will work with a 3-inch cookie cutter and you can definitely add icing. The larger cookie may require more baking time, so I recommend testing two cookies first before baking an entire batch.

        Reply
    19. Karin Gollon says

      October 11, 2023 at 1:18 pm

      5 stars
      These cookies are amazing! They are buttery with the perfect hint of lemon. I followed the recipe as shown and they turned out great. I will definitely make these again.

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        October 13, 2023 at 7:25 am

        Hi Karin
        Thank you for visiting the blog and trying this recipe. I'm so glad to read that you enjoyed the cookies and that you plan to make them again.

        Reply
    20. Holly says

      November 02, 2023 at 12:48 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious, loved these! Just made them for the first time today. Thanks for the recipe. Will certainly be making them for holiday cookies!

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        November 04, 2023 at 10:31 am

        Hi Holly
        Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I am so glad that you enjoyed these cookies and that you plan to make them again. I appreciate the support.

        Reply
    21. Patricia Martin says

      November 25, 2023 at 1:49 pm

      5 stars
      5 Star baby! I got a counter scale to get accurate weight and trust me when I say this made a world of difference folks!! Best cookies I have ever made. Lemon icing on top and these will be the star of my xmas office partyπŸ₯³. Thank you thank you I tried several other sites, the are put to shame, shame I tell you! I've subscribed!

      Reply
      • Cheryl Norris says

        November 28, 2023 at 12:23 pm

        Hi Patricia
        Thank you so much for visitng the blog and for subscribing. Your comment really made my day. I'm glad you enjoyed these cookies and that you plan to share it at the office Christmas party. Thank you also for the comment on the benefit of weighing the ingredients. I think it really makes a difference.

        Reply

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    I'm Cheryl, an engineer by day, and a baker by night. My goal is to be your go-to resource for creating the best versions of your favorite desserts. As a baking science geek, I am passionate about understanding what makes a recipe work and sharing that info with you. I love finding new recipes to share, and I hope you join me on this journey of deliciousness. Read more!

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