Tangy-sweet and buttery, these cut-out lemon shortbread cookies are a ray of sunshine on a plate. The texture strikes a wonderful balance of crumbly, crunchy, soft, and tender. Roll out the dough and cut into your choice of shapes. Enjoy plain, topped with sparkling sugar, or dipped in an easy lemon icing that sets.
One reader, Sue, commented: “These shortbread cookies are SO delicious! I made them as is and added a few green sprinkles on top after icing. Another great recipe in my Christmas cookie baking. Thank you, Sally! โ โ โ โ โ ”
Another reader, Lisa, commented: “A delicious cookie with perfect shortbread texture. Nice and buttery, and the lemon adds freshness… They were very popular and I’ll definitely make them again. โ โ โ โ โ “
Among all the holiday cookies, from spiced (molasses cookies) to rich (crinkle cookies) to sweet (Christmas sugar cookies), it’s so refreshing to have a burst of citrus in the mix.
It’s why I love these lemon crinkle cookies and these cranberry orange icebox cookies at the holidays. (Though of course you canโand should!โmake these sunny lemon treats year round!!)
Lemon Shortbread Cookies Recipe Snapshot
- Taste: Like all shortbread cookies, the flavor is buttery and not overly sweet. Using fresh lemon zest and juice in these cookies gives them pure lemon flavor.
- Texture: Because shortbread does not require leavener or egg, the texture is uniquely crisp, yet soft and tender. This is an egg-free baking recipe.
- Ease: You only need 7 basic ingredients to make the dough. An electric mixer, a rolling pin, and cookie cutters are the main tools to have on hand. A food processor, blender, or mini chopper is key for combining the sugar and lemon zest.
- Time: The soft dough needs to chill for 3 hours before you can cut it into shapes and bake the cookies.
Some of my favorite shortbread recipes include these shortbread wedge cookies (customizable with different add-ins); sweet & salty chocolate pistachio shortbread; and slice-and-bake-style pecan shortbread & brown sugar shortbread. Today’s recipe is practically the same as my beloved shortbread cookies, which are baked in round cake pans.
For today’s version, we are flavoring it with oodles of lemon and cutting it into shapes with cookie cutters, just like we do with sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies.
7-Ingredient Lemon Shortbread Cookie Dough:
Traditional shortbread recipes are made with a 3-2-1 ratio: 3 parts flour, 2 parts butter, and 1 part sugar. Sometimes there’s vanilla and salt, too, but there’s no egg and no leavening agent. As I have tested many, many shortbread cookie recipes over the years, I’ve played around a lot with the ingredients, so you’ll notice the ratio I use is not the exact 3-2-1 of traditional shortbread.
Here’s what you need for this lemon shortbread recipe:
- Granulated Sugar: You’ll start by pulsing the sugar together with the lemon zest in a food processor, which breaks it down into a finer texture and helps infuse more flavor into the dough.
- Lemons: You need 2 fresh lemons for this shortbread recipeโwe are using both the zest and the juice.
- Unsalted Butter: As the base of nearly all shortbread recipes, butter supplies these classic cookies with flavor, and gives them that uniquely buttery, melt-in-your-mouth quality. Make sure you use room-temperature butter that’s still cool to the touch. If it’s too warm, the butter and sugar cannot properly cream and the cookies will overspread and taste dense. If you’re a beginner baker, here is a helpful tutorial on how to cream butter and sugar.
- Vanilla Extract: We’re using less than in these regular shortbread wedge cookies, because we want the lemon flavor to shine through.
- Flour: All-purpose flour provides structure and produces sturdy, yet terrifically tender shortbread cookies.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch really is the “secret” to texture success here. It keeps the cookies extra soft, tender, and light, just like it does in peppermint meltaway cookies. I love adding a small amount to chocolate chip cookies too.
- Salt: A pinch of salt keeps the flavor balanced.
How to Make Cut-Out Shortbread Cookies
Start by pulsing the sugar and lemon zest together in a food processor. (I use and love this one.) This step at the beginning is key to these lemon shortbread cookies, because it 1) breaks down the sugar granules and lemon zest into a finer consistency, 2) extracts some of the oil from the lemon peel, which moistens the sugar, and 3) infuses more flavor into the dough because it is then creamed with butter (fat carries flavor).
Beautifully infused lemon sugar:
Once you have your lemon sugar, from here on you’re making an easy 1-bowl cookie dough. Cream the butter and lemon sugar together, and then add the lemon juice and vanilla.
Finally, mix in the dry ingredients. Beat on low speed to begin bringing all of the ingredients together. The dough will be crumbly at first, but then clump up as you increase the mixer speed.
Roll Out the Dough Before Chilling
This is the same order of steps as my sugar cookies recipe, and we do it this way because after chilling, the dough will be quite stiff and much more difficult to roll out.
With a floured rolling pin, roll out the soft dough onto a floured piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat. We want to keep these shortbread cookies on the thicker side, so don’t roll it too thin. Between 1/4 and 1/2 inch is great.
Pick up the parchment/baking mat with the rolled-out dough on it and place the whole thing on a baking sheet and refrigerate it. This dough needs to chill for at least 3 hours before you cut it into shapes and bake it.
The number of cookies you get out of this dough will depend on the size of your cookie cutters. The cookie cutter I used here is 2.25 inches in diameter, and I was able to get 38 cookies after re-rolling the scraps. I use a fluted-edge cookie cutter from this set.
Use a fork to gently poke indents (not holes, don’t push all the way through) in the tops of the cookies before baking. Why? This is really just for looks! Feel free to skip, especially if you plan to cover them in icing.
Optional Toppings
These lemon shortbread cookies taste great as is, but you’ll especially love them topped with a creamy, dreamy lemon icing. You can simply dip the tops of the cooled cookies in itโno piping bags or tips required. If you want to pipe intricate designs on the cookies, use royal icing and see my how to decorate sugar cookies tutorial for inspiration. You could also use cookie decorating buttercream, or lemon buttercream. See frosting recipes for more options.
A sprinkle of fresh lemon zest over the icing adds a little extra zing and is the perfect finishing touch on the iced cookies. The icing sets after about 1 to 2 hours, or you can speed it up a little by placing the iced cookies in the refrigerator.
OR… if you don’t plan to ice these cookies, you can add a sprinkle of coarse sugar or sanding sugar sprinkles before baking, which gives the shortbread a sparkly crunch. I usually reach for white sparkling sugar sold as sprinkles in the baking aisle.
Can I Make These With Orange or Lime Instead of Lemon?
Yes! Simply replace the lemon juice and zest with either fresh lime or orange.
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page.
Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes
- Yield: 36-38 2.25-inch cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Zesty, buttery, and tangy-sweet, these cut-out lemon shortbread cookies are simply sunshine on a plate. Enjoy plain, topped with sparkling sugar, or dipped in an easy creamy lemon icing. The number of cookies this recipe yields depends on the size of the cookie cutter you use. Be sure to refrigerate the rolled-out dough for at least 3 hours.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2/3 cupย (135g)ย granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g)ย unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 1/3 cup (40g) cornstarchย
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- optional (if not icing cookies): coarse sparkling sugar, for sprinkling
Icing (Optional)
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk (any kind), heavy cream, or half-and-half
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: fresh lemon zest for garnish
Instructions
- Make the cookies: Place the sugar and lemon zest in a small food processor, and pulse several times (about 12โ15 times) until the sugar is moistened and lemon zest is finely chopped. This step is imperative and should not be skipped.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the lemon sugar and butter together on high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. (Hereโs a helpful tutorial if you need guidance onย how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the lemon juice and vanilla, and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt and beat on low speed for 1 minute as the mixture begins to combine. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat until the dough clumps together, about 1โ3 minutes. The dough will be thick yet soft.
- Dust a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat generously with flour. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Use more flour if the dough seems too sticky. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly thick. Transfer the rolled-out dough (still on the parchment/baking mat) to a baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 2 days.
- Once chilled, preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes. Re-roll the dough scraps and continue cutting until all is used. *Work quickly. If the dough sits out for too long and the cookies feel room-temperature or soft to the touch, refrigerate the shaped cookies for 15 minutes before baking.* If desired, use a fork to gently poke holes in the tops of the cookies (don’t push all the way through). If using (instead of icing), lightly sprinkle coarse sparkling sugar on top of the cookies. It won’t stick at first, but it will as the cookies bake.
- Bake for 14โ15 minutes, until the edges are set and just starting to turn golden. If your cookies are cut smaller than 2 inches, keep an eye on them after the 10-minute mark. If your cookies are larger than 2 inches, they may take longer to bake. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- For the icing: In a small bowl, whisk the confectionersโ sugar, lemon juice, milk/cream, and vanilla together until smooth. Dip the tops of the cooled cookies in the icing, and let any excess drip off over the bowl before placing the cookies on a cooling rack or baking sheet to dry. Feel free to top each with fresh lemon zest while icing is still wet. The icing sets after about 1 to 2 hours, so you can easily store, stack, and transport the cookies.
- Enjoy cookies right away or wait until the icing sets to serve them. Once the icing has set, these cookies can be stacked. Cover and store iced cookies at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cover and store plain cookies at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Plain or iced cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Wait for the icing to set completely before layering between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. To thaw, thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. You can also freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months before rolling it out. Prepare the dough through step 2, then flatten into a disc as we do with pie crust, wrap in plastic wrap, then freeze. To thaw, thaw the disc in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature for about 1 hour. Roll out the dough as directed in step 3, then chill rolled-out dough in the refrigerator for 45 minutesโ1 hour before cutting into shapes and baking. See this post on how to freeze cookie dough for a video tutorial.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Zester | Food Processor | Citrus Juicer | Electric Mixer (Handheldย orย Stand Mixer)ย |ย Silicone Baking Matsย orย Parchment Paper |ย Rolling Pin or Adjustable Rolling Pin |ย Baking Sheets | 2โ2.5-inch Cookie Cutter (Roundย orย Fluted) | Cooling Rack | Whisk
- Yield: The number of cookies this recipe yields depends on the size of the cookie cutter you use. I usually use a cookie cutter that is 2 and 1/4 inches in diameter. Feel free to make your cookies larger or smaller, using any shape cookie cutter.
- Pulsing Lemon Zest + Sugar in Step 1: This step is key for 3 reasons because it: 1) breaks down the sugar granules and lemon zest into a finer consistency, 2) extracts some of the oil from the lemon peel, which moistens the sugar, and 3) infuses more flavor into the dough because it is then creamed with butter (fat carries flavor). If you don’t have a food processor or a blender, you can crush the lemon zest into the sugar with a mortar and pestle, or skip this step altogether. If you skip it, expect to lose some flavor.
- Sugar on Top of the Cookies: If you do not plan to ice these cookies, you can add a sprinkle of coarse sugar or sanding sugar sprinkles before baking, which gives the shortbread a sparkly crunch. This is optional. I usually reach for white sparkling sugar sold as sprinkles in the baking aisle.
- Can I Make These Cookies With Other Citrus? Yes. Simply replace the lemon juice and zest with either fresh lime or orange.
- Can I Double the Recipe? Yes. Simply double all of the ingredients.
- More Frosting/Icing Options: If you want to pipe intricate designs on the cookies, use royal icing and see my how to decorate sugar cookies tutorial for inspiration. You could also use cookie decorating buttercream, or lemon buttercream. See frosting recipes for more options.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I have freeze dried strawberries- can this be adapted? Or do you have a recipe that would work for cutout cookies with freeze dried strawberries? Love this recipe by the way! Made it many times and itโs perfect!
Hi Sharon, what about this recipe for Slice and Bake cookies using freeze dried strawberries.
Sally,
I am a big fan. I have never had and issue with any of your recipes, but these were a flop for me. I am a cottage baker, so I have some mad baking skills myself. My butter was the perfect temp, and I creamed it correctly, but my dough was very soft. I left it in the fridge for six hours before baking. My cookies did not retain their shape once baked. I could see that the butter was bubbling in the oven and they spread into thin flat discs that just crumbled once cooled. Flavor was chalkyโ not the bright lemon flavor I was hoping for. Big disappointment.
I love lemon cookies but not these. I am an excellent baker but the cornstarch ruined the flavor. I wish I had omitted it. This was a big miss for me.
Iโve baked a lot of your cookie recipes but these may be my favourites!
Made these for Christmas and they were a hit. Used oranges instead of lemons and the flavour is divine. Beautifully buttery and melt in your mouth. Will definitely make again, thanks for a great recipe!
What Are the amounts of each ingredient that you need to use?
Hi Nick! You can use the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page to go straight to the full written recipe.
I love this recipe! It turned out perfect. I have made it a few times already this season. Sallyโs recipes never fail.
I weighed everything and timed it exactly like the recipe says, but the cookies didn’t hold their shape even though I put them in the oven straight from the fridge. When the dough was at room temperature, it was super soft. Maybe too soft. I’m not sure what went wrong. It was super delicate and not easy to work with. The cookies also have a bit of a cornstarch-y flavour that I wish wasn’t there.
I was surprised that this is one Sally recipe that didn’t turn out. I weighed all of the ingredients and made sure that the cutout cookies went directly from the fridge to the oven. Next time, maybe I’ll add more flour to the original batter. The lemon flavor is kind of there, but not as much as I was expecting.
I never use corn starch in my shortbread cookies (my favorite). I regret using it in this recipe. Missing the fall-apart texture of a “normal”, simple shortbread cookie. Please advise to the shortbread purists out there that the alteration is quite detectable!
Hi Sally! I loved these cookies when I first baked them I found the dough cut and straight out of the fridge resulted in a harder bite, but when they were left out for just about 10 minutes they yield a softer bite and a perfect shortbread! My only thing is I didnt find them to be very lemon forward. Would it be advisable 1/4 to 1/2 a tsp of lemon extract?
Hi Ivy, We haven’t tried adding lemon extract although you certainly could. You can also increase the amount of lemon zest with no other changes to the recipe. Let us know what you try!
I added 1/2 tsp of lemon oil to the dough with the vanilla, and 1/4 tsp lemon extract to the icing. Made the lemon really pop without messing up the texture. I donโt think youโd miss the oil, but the extract in the icing (with the lemon juice, too) is very lemony.
Wondering if I can make the following changes: Yuzu juice instead of lemon (I know, recipe already says other citrus is fine) but I do not have yuzu peel. I do have a few oranges laying around though. But I really want to yuzu to shine and not get lost to the orange zest. Would also like to add poppy seed. And lastly would like to log roll and slice (I donโt own any cookie cutters) How do you think the yuzu juice/orange zest combo will go? Any issues with adding poppy seed? Thanks in advance!
Hi Sally! Diwali is coming up and I’d like to gift shortbread cookies. But I’d like to add cardamom and cinnamon instead. I looked online for other recipes but I only trust yours! ๐ Is it possible to add those spices, rather than the lemon? Thank you!
Hi Ashika! If you don’t mind a wedge-shaped cookie, these shortbread cookies are a great base recipe and adaptable to different add-ins. Cinnamon and cardamom would be lovely there! If you want to try adapting this recipe, you could replace the lemon juice with milk, leave out the lemon zest and add your spices. Let us know what you try!
I used this recipe but left out the lemon and added about 1tsp of cardamom and 1tsp of cinnamon. It was perfectly spiced and kept its shape!
Hello Bakers
Can I add shredded/flaked coconut in this recipe?
Hi Lee, we havenโt tested a coconut version, but let us know if you do. The taste and texture will certainly change. Hope you enjoy them!
Hi Sally,
A big fan.. have tried so many of your recipes… love most.
i am doing these cookies right now. The dough is not really dough.. its the consistency of a very good frosting.. i creamed butter and sugar until it was fluffy; it had increased in volume.. then added flour+cornstarch. The quantity of flour was anyways too little for the amt of butter that went in. i weighed all my ingredients. i have frosting like batter on my hands. what can i do??
will adding some more flour help? what else should i adjust if i add another 100 gms of flour. this mix can certainly take 100 gms of APF, if not more. not certain if it will still be rollable.
Hoping for a prompt reply, thanks, Aarti
Hi Aarti! Could your butter have been a little too warm to begin with? That could make a too-soft dough. Make sure to start with proper room temperature butter – it’s cooler than most think!
It just became a huge thin cookie in the oven. It tastes good, but not worthy to try it again
These were so tasty!! I made them for a tea party themed baby shower and cut them into hearts, they held the shape perfectly, and I ran out of time to make the icing so just topped them with sprinkles and even like that the flavor was lovely ๐
We have our groceries delivered – it’s a free and helpful service from our local grocery store, for people of, ahem, a certain age.
I always give the delivery person whatever home made treat we have at the moment, wrapped in wax paper, inside a small paper bag. On the outside of the bag I write what’s inside, in case of allergies.
Today when I offered the bag, the delivery fellow said, without looking at the bag “where do you get these, I’d buy a hundred of them, they are so good!”
Asked him what he was referring to – it was these lemon cookies !!
Today’s bag had something else inside, but we had a few lemon cookies left, which he was happy to accept.
Anyone who hasn’t made them yet, do! They are that good!
can you use reg butter?
Sorry, Sally, but these are a non-winner for me. I usually love all your recipes and I bake at least once a week. But all I could taste in these cookies was the cornstarch. I love shortbread and I make both Scottish and Irish shortbread. I will definitely try pulsing sugar with zest in those recipes.
Hi Pat, I really appreciate you trying this recipe and taking the time to share your feedback. Iโm so sorry to hear these werenโt a hit for you. Cornstarch is included here to help create that super tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture, but I completely understand if the flavor stood out to you more than you liked. Glad the pulsing sugar trick was a win for you and that you’ll use it elsewhere.
I have to agree that the cornstarch made these taste a little “off”.
wonderful recipe, I used my vitamix blender it was a bit too big if I had a small processor it maybe would have been even better! I did use the icing. let it dry for a day and it held up for a few hrs at a hot summer party [they went quick]
We’re so glad these cookies were a hit, Tina! Thanks for giving this recipe a try.
I made this and the favor is spot on!!! Finally a good lemon cookie recipe
I wanted to ask about the texture because Iโm worried of them breaking, especially when I go to decorate them with royal icing – a few of mine had few crumbs coming off the cookies , even after the cooled on the rack. Is that normal for the cookie? Or could that have been something I did with the dough?
Hi Bianca! Shortbread can be a little crumbly, yes. But it will be extra crumbly if the flour was over-measured. Make sure to spoon and level instead of scooping when measuring dry ingredients.
Hi, I really want to make these, but I donโt have a food processor. Does this mean I canโt make them or would I be able to use a blender?
You can use a blender, Alex!
Lemon shortbread cookies.
Hi Sally
When making these cookies, if I donโt want to add lemon, do I add more vanilla. Kathy
Hi Kathy, We have a shortbread cookie recipe that does not include lemon.
Can I make the cookie dough the night before and chill overnight? Will it change the taste or consistency?
Hi Deirdre, yes, you can cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 2 days.
I love shortbread cookies & the addition of lemon is an unexpected treat. They are such a nice, light cookie that is a break from the usual because they are not so sweet. I love lemon so much, I added lemon extract vs vanilla. I had no problems rolling them out, cutting & decorating for the forth of July vs making sugar cookies. Thanks for the recipe!
Delicious! I didnโt roll these out instead I wrapped it in parchment into a long log. Wrapped it tight and refrigerated, then I sliced it and baked it. It worked great and cookies will be gone quick I know! This is definitely a cookie Iโll make over and over again. Thank you for sharing.
These are so good! Was a bit worried at the start as the dough was very soft, but after chilling overnight, it was easy to work with.