These lemon shortbread cookies are tender, buttery, and bursting with a bright lemon flavor. I like to make these cookies when I have guests, and they are always a crowd favorite. My version is quick and easy, you’ll only need a few ingredients and you’ll have delightful cookies in under 30 minutes!
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💭 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Light and tender. This lemony twist to classic shortbread cookies has a perfectly light and crumbly texture.
- Perfect for entertaining. These lemon cookies are great for potlucks and gatherings. They’re also a delightful option for gifts for Mother’s Day and Christmas.
- Make-ahead friendly. The best part is you can store the dough in the freezer and bake it for later.
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make this lemon shortbread cookie recipe, you’ll need all-purpose flour, butter, cane sugar, fresh lemon juice and zest, poppy seeds, and sea salt.
Variations & Substitutions
- Lemon. Make sure to use a fresh lemon, as you’ll need both the juice and zest.
- Butter. The better the quality of the butter you use, the more rich and flavorful it will be. Use unsalted butter so that you can have more control over the saltiness. Make sure that it’s at room temperature before using it.
- All-purpose flour. I used unbleached all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Sugar. I used granulated sugar.
- Poppy seeds. Adds a mild, nutty flavor and a nice crunch to the cookies.
- Salt. I added ¼ teaspoon of sea salt to highlight the sweetness and lemon flavor.
📖 How to make lemon shortbread cookies
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Step 3:
Incorporate the lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppy seeds, and mix again. Finally, add the flour and salt, mixing until just combined.
Step 4:
Turn the cookie dough out onto a floured surface and flatten it into a 1-inch disk
Step 5:
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Alternatively, you can roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper.
Step 6:
Use 2-inch cookie cutters to cut out shapes and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
Step 7:
Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Keep any cookie dough scraps in the fridge until ready to bake.
Step 8:
Once baked, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Store them at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Shruthi’s Top Tip
Cream the butter until pale and smooth before adding sugar to incorporate more air, resulting in a lighter cookie.
- Add sugar gradually to the creamed butter to ensure even mixing and a smooth texture.
- Zest the lemon directly over the bowl to catch all the aromatic oils, enhancing the lemon flavor.
- Chill the dough briefly after mixing to make it easier to roll out and cut shapes without sticking.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to maintain an even thickness and prevent sticking.
- Use a ruler to check the dough’s thickness, aiming for a consistent ¼ inch for even baking.
- Dip the cookie cutters in flour before cutting to prevent the dough from sticking and tearing.
- If the dough becomes too warm and sticky while cutting, refrigerate it
👩🏽🍳 Troubleshooting FAQs
Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper for a smooth, non-stick surface.
Chill the dough until it’s firm but pliable, and work quickly to prevent it from warming up too much.
Yes, you can refrigerate the dough for up to two days. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling out if it’s too hard.
🍴 How to serve lemon shortbread cookies
My favorite way to serve these cookies is by drizzling them with a sweet vanilla or lemon glaze. You can also sprinkle powdered sugar on them. I just love having these with my afternoon coffee or tea, and I’m sure you will too!
🍴Storage and reheating suggestions
You can store these lemon shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
If you want to keep them for longer, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw for about an hour and reheat in the oven at 300°F for 5 minutes.
🍴 More delicious cookie recipes
If you like this recipe, check out my other cookie desserts:
Lemon Coolers
Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies
Danish Butter Cookies
Holiday Butter Cookies
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Incorporate the lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppy seeds, and mix again. Finally, add the flour and salt, mixing until just combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and flatten it into a 1-inch disk
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Alternatively, you can roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper.
- Use 2-inch cookie cutters to cut out shapes and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Keep any extra cut-out cookies in the fridge until ready to bake.
- Once baked, transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. Store them at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- This is butter-based dough, so the colder the dough is, the easier it’s to shape it. If the dough is sticky it means the butter is melting, so wrap it and chill for 15 minutes until firm but still pliable.
- This is a rather fragile dough, and it may break when shaping and cutting the cookies, so work quickly while the dough is still cold and keep the cutouts in the fridge.
- In case your cookie breaks, firmly press it into shape again and they will hold.
- They don’t rise while cooking, so you can leave just about ½ inch of space between them.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
