You'll love these tender buttery lemon shortbread cookies if you're a lemon lover. This lemon cookie recipe (based on my shortbread cookie recipe) is a delicious combination of fresh lemon zest, lemon juice, and buttery shortbread cookie dough. These cookies require only 35 minutes of hands-on time before they're baked to perfection.
Why You'll Love These Cookies
This easy lemon shortbread cookie recipe comes together with just 6 simple ingredients you probably have in your pantry.
- They're buttery with a burst of lemon flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth texture
- Perfect for easy entertaining or anytime you're craving cookies
- Keep well for weeks when stored properly, and can be made ahead of time
This cookie is so good and the lemon flavor is so perfect that I use it to make Lemon Sandwich Cookies.
And if you came to this recipe because you love lemon, try some of my favorite lemon recipes, including:
Lemon Shortbread Cookie Ingredients
Below are the ingredients that you'll need for this delicious lemon cookie:
- Fresh Lemon Zest. Depending on the size of the lemons, you'll need 2-3 lemons for enough zest. Use lemons with a shiny peel, as these are the ones that will have the most lemon oil and flavor in the peel. Do not use lemons with dried or shriveled skin; you won't get a lot of zest or flavor from them.
- Fresh Lemon Juice. The lemon juice bumps up the flavor in this delicious butter cookie.
- Egg Yolk. Most shortbread cookies don't have egg, but I added the egg yolk for color and richness. It also makes the cookie a little softer.
These cookies have a 3-2-1 ratio, which refers to the amount of 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 Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Step 1: Zest the lemons into the sugar and use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar.
Step 2: Add the butter. Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg yolk and lemon juice.
Step 3: Add all the flour at once and mix on low speed
Step 4: 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 ball of dough. 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.
Step 5: Pour the shortbread dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it is smooth. Roll the dough until it's 1/4-inch thick.
Step 6: 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.
Step 7: Chill the unbaked shortbread cookie dough for at least 20 minutes or up to 2 days before baking.
Step 8: Bake the cookies at 300°F on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
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.
How to Make Easy Lemon Glaze
This lemon glaze is easy to make and perfectly tart. You need two ingredients:
- Powdered Sugar: Sift the powdered sugar to avoid lumps in your glaze.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Use fresh-squeezed lemon juice and not bottled lemon juice for the best flavor. Adjust the amount of juice depending on how thick or thin you want the glaze.
Sift the powdered sugar into a medium-sized bowl. Add the lemon juice and stir with a spoon until the glaze is smooth.
Drizzle the glaze over the cookies or spoon some of the glaze in the center of the cookie and use the spoon to spread the glaze evenly around the cookie.
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 flares out just a little bit when baked on Silpat
- When baking multiple batches, don't place unbaked cookies on a warm baking sheet.
Shortbread Cookie Variations
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.
If you make this lemon shortbread recipe please rate the recipe below.
Connect with me on Instagram and tag me @bakesbybrownsugar to share your recipe remake photos.
Like what you see? Click here to subscribe to Bake's by Brown Sugar Baking Newsletter to get free and delicious treats delivered to your inbox.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email below and I'll send it to your inbox. Plus get new and recommended recipes sent to you every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Bakes by Brown Sugar.
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (113 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons lemon zest
- 8 ounces (227 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large (20 grams) egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 12 ounces (340 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
Lemon Glaze (Optional)
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar sifted
- 4-5 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Make the Cookie Dough
- 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. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar, until the sugar has a sandy texture.
- Add the butter and salt to the lemon-sugar mixture. Mix on medium speed with the paddle attachment until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl, add the egg yolk and lemon juice and mix on medium speed just until the ingredients are incorporated.
- Add all the flour and mix it 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 come together and forms large clumps.
- 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 a parchment-lined cookie sheet or board. Prick each cookie in the center with a fork. Pricking the cookies will ensure 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.
Baking the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 300°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 cool them for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving them to a wire rack to completely cool. If you're using one baking sheet let it cool completely before baking the next batch of cookies.
- At this point the cookies are ready to eat.
Storing the Cookies
- Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Lemon Glaze (Optional)
- The cookies are delicious on their own but this lemon glaze amps up the lemon flavor makes a nice presentation if serving the cookies at a party.
- Sift the powdered sugar into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add 3 teaspoons of lemon juice and stir together. Add the remaining lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Use an offset spatula or the back of a small spoon to spread the lemon glaze across the top of the cookie. Lay the cookies on a flat surface and let the glaze dry.
- If serving the cookies right away and while the glaze is still wet make sure not to stack the cookies.
Notes
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour - 2 3/4 cups (spoon and level, ~125 grams of flour per cup)
- Unsalted Butter - 1 cup (16 tablespoons)
- Granulated Sugar - 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon
Britney says
These shortbread cookies were so easy to make, I loved them! The lemon flavor was exceptional!
Anina Belle Giannini says
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
Cheryl Norris says
Thank you Anina Belle. I'm so happy to hear the shortbread cookies are part of your Christmas celebrations.
Shani Whisonant says
These delicious cookies are so easy to make and have the perfect amount of lemon! You've nailed this one Cheryl!
Cheryl Norris says
Shani
Thank you so much for this wonderful comment. I'm so glad to hear that you like this recipe.
Nolitha Mdleleni says
I would like to have more of baking recipe
Donna says
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
Cheryl Norris says
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.
Nohema says
Use flaxseed instead 1 tablespoon of flaxseed hydrated in 3 tablespoon of water. That’s equivalent for 1 egg but in t this case she only uses the egg yolk.
So check this out:
For baking, common egg yolk substitutes include a combination of oil and water, a flaxseed "egg," applesauce, pureed pumpkin or sweet potato, or a cornstarch slurry. The best choice depends on the recipe, with ingredients like applesauce and banana working well for moisture and binding, while a flaxseed or chia seed "egg" is good for binding in cookies and brownies
Yop says
This is great! Thank you for sharing.
Cheryl Norris says
You're welcome. If you make these cookies and I would love to hear back from you.
Lenore Litwin says
These were absolutely buttery lemony delicious. I will make those again and again. Thank you for a great recipe!
Cheryl Norris says
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.
Carol O'Neill says
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.
Cheryl Norris says
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.
Maryeileen says
I'm confused by the eggs. Shortbread cookies are not supposed to have eggs in them. A basic recipe is butter, sugar, and flour.
Cheryl Norris says
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.
Maryeileen says
Thanks for the explanation of an egg yolk in the lemon shortbread cookies.
Cheryl Norris says
You are more than welcome. Thanks for asking.
Sheena says
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.
Sarah C Sluss says
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!
Cheryl Norris says
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.
carol oneill says
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.
Gracie says
Can you use a handmixer to mix ingredients?
Cheryl Norris says
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.
Suzanne says
Absolutely delicious cookies. FIVE STARS
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Suzanne
Thank you so much for this compliment. I'm so glad you enjoyed this cookie.
cindy says
weighing ingredients in a home kitchen for a quick cookie recipe ??? get real. quick and easy - you need to buy a scale.
Cheryl Norris says
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.
Stacy says
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!
Cheryl Norris says
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.
Heather says
What a wonderful recipe. Thanks, so much! We make them all the time. 🙂
Cheryl Norris says
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.
Susan Bunts Wachtel says
Yum...these sound so good. Especially for summer. Thanks for posting the recipe, going to give this a try.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Susan
Thank you. Truly is my pleasure. I love baking and sharing with others.
Hettie says
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. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Cheryl Norris says
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.
SUSAN MEADS says
Great plug. Great baker! Will these cookies do well with a 3 inch round scalloped cutter and icing?
Cheryl Norris says
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.
Karin Gollon says
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.
Cheryl Norris says
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.
Holly says
Delicious, loved these! Just made them for the first time today. Thanks for the recipe. Will certainly be making them for holiday cookies!
Cheryl Norris says
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.
Patricia Martin says
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 party🥳. Thank you thank you I tried several other sites, the are put to shame, shame I tell you! I've subscribed!
Cheryl Norris says
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.
P. Martin says
All the commercials on your page has made me leave I will not return to page again. Suggestion get rid of the commercial so people can read thepage without being forced to sign up!
Cheryl Norris says
Hello
I get it - no one likes ads, but I glad you brought this up. The ads pay for the website and enable me and other bloggers to offer free content. Expenses for running the blog include food for recipe development and testing, website hosting, software, internet, IT support, photography equipment. These are just a few of the items required.
And nowhere on my site are your forced to sign up for anything in order to access content.
Kelly says
Wow wow wow wow these are amazing cookies. Easy to make an so light. Wonderful Cheryl. Thanks!!!!
Kelly
Gail says
OMG! These cookies are so delicious! Just the right amount of lemon. I love shortbread and have made both this recipe and the original shortbread recipe. Will make the strawberry recipe next.
Every recipe of Cheryl’s I have made have been perfect, just as she described. This is my go to website 😊😊😊
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Gail
Thank you so much for this lovely review! It made my day and reminded me why I do this. I'm so glad you have enjoyed this lemon shortbread and the original shortbread recipe. I have a vanilla bean shortbread cookie coming soon!
Susie Kennedy says
I made these cookies this morning for a bridal shower. I had to rush the room temperature for the butter and the dough was too soft. Chilling it helped. I did not have time to roll and cut out the dough. I just made balls and pressed them lightly with a small glass jar. They were delicious! I was worried they would be too soft in the South Carolina heat and humidity, but they held their ground. The icing did well too. (It was an outdoor event.)
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Susie
First of all thank you for trusting my lemon shortbread recipe for the bridal shower. That is a big deal! I'm so glad you enjoyed and that they held their shape. Thank you for the wonderful review.