Light, refreshing Lemon Shortbread Cookies are a burst of sunshine! Buttery shortbread cookies with bright lemon flavor are the perfect balance of sweet and tart. They’re incredibly easy to make, requiring only a handful of ingredients and a few simple steps.
Welcome, lemon lovers! This tangy twist on the classic shortbread cookie recipe is perfect for spring and summer! They taste just as heavenly as they look.
These buttery lemon shortbread cookies are perfect for any occasion, whether you’re looking for a sweet snack or a dessert to impress your guests. This easy recipe combines tangy lemon extract with buttery shortbread dough to create the perfect blend of savory and bright!
Why You’ll Love Them
Ingredients and Substitutions
See the printable recipe card for complete ingredients and instructions.
- Salted Butter – Butter is the star ingredient in shortbread that gives them that melt-in-your-mouth quality. If you prefer, you can use unsalted butter as well. Either way, bring butter to room temperature for best results.
- Brown Sugar – Brown sugar gives these cookies a deeper flavor and a hint of color.
- Flour – All purpose flour.
- Lemon Extract – A little hint of lemon extract makes these cookies stand out. If you’re really in a pinch, you can substitute lemon juice; however, you get more flavor from extract.
- Lemon Zest – Fresh lemon zest offers more flavor than extract and adds the perfect amount of color to these cookies. Meyer lemons are my favorite, but the zest of any lemon will work!
How to Make Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Make Dough – Using an electric mixer, cream butter on medium speed, then mix in brown sugar. Add lemon extract and zest. Combine dry ingredients.
- Chill Dough – Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Slice and Stamp – Roll dough on a floured work surface to 1/2″ thick and use cookie cutters and stamps to make shapes. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake – Bake cookies as directed for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Shortcuts
- Soften the butter in the microwave. Learn how to soften butter quickly.
- Roll the cookie dough and quickly cut into squares with a knife.
Tip
- Use softened butter, not melted butter. Learn How to Soften Butter Quickly.
- If you’re not using cookie stamps, roll chilled dough into a log shape on a lightly floured surface and slice.
Serving Suggestions
- Use cookie stamps to make the cookies adorable!
- Drizzle with Lemon Glaze to take these over the top!
Tool to Use
- Stand or Hand Mixer
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie Cutter or Glass
- Cookie Stamps
How to Store
- Room Temperature – Allow cookies to cool. Store in an airtight container, layered with parchment paper or a sealable bag up to 1 week.
- Refrigerate – Allow cookies to cool. Store in an airtight container, layered with parchment paper or sealable bag, up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze – To freeze shortbread cookies in an airtight container, wrap container with plastic wrap or place in a freezer bag to prevent freezer odor from seeping in. Freeze up to 1 month.
Reheat
- Reheat in the microwave for 10 seconds or until warm.
Leftover Ideas
- Crumble and mix into Lemon Ice Cream
- Crush and use as a Shortbread Crust for No Bake Lemon Pie
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Zest a bunch of lemons and freeze the zest to use whenever you want.
Then, make the dough, roll it into a log, and freeze in plastic wrap. When ready to bake, let the dough thaw and then slice and bake.
Bake at a low temperature until the edges are just barely golden, and the tops of the cookie are dry.
You can use lemon juice instead of extract, which has a stronger, smoother flavor.
Absolutely! Click here for this bright lemon glaze recipe!
Tips
- Don’t chill the dough for more than 30 minutes. The dough won’t stick together if it’s chilled for too long.
- Shortbread cookies are a pale color with very little browning. They require a low and slow bake for a delicate crumb.
PS If you love all things lemon, you have to check out these adorable frosted lemon cookies!
More Lemon Recipes
Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups salted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour + up to ½ cup more flour, if needed
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat butter until smooth and light in color. (about 3 minutes). Add brown sugar and beat until well combined.
- Mix in lemon extract and lemon zest.
- Gradually add in flour a half cup at a time until dough begins to form. Add up to an additional ½ cup flour if needed so that the dough forms and ball and isn't sticky.
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Make a dough ball and press into a disc. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- On a floured surface, roll dough to ½" thick. Cut with cookie cutter and gently stamp. Place 12 on a large cookie sheet spaced equally.
- Bake 10-15 minutes (depending on size of your cutters), watching carefully as to not over-bake. Cookies are done when they're just set.
Tips
- If you’re not using cookie stamps, roll chilled dough into a log shape on a lightly floured surface and slice.
- Don’t chill the dough for more than 30 minutes. The dough won’t stick together if it’s chilled for too long.
- Use softened butter, not melted butter.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Shortbread cookies are my favorite because they’re not too sweet and the lemon took them over the top!
Had I only read a little further, I would have seen it! Thanks for including it in the post.
Can you use Gluten free flour instead of All Purpose flour?
Hi Gayle,
That often works if you use a gluten free flour intended for baking, but we haven’t tested it on this particular recipe. If you do, please report back so other readers can see your results!
Enjoy,
Julie
Where did you find your adorable cookie molds? As always, a great post. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Ha! No problem! Enjoy!
This looks so yummy! Shortbread is my husband’s favorite cookie but I’ve never tried a lemon one.
I am confused about the nutrition facts? We read those closely since my husband is a type I diabetic. I do know that one Walker shortbread cookie is 11g of carbs. So I assume the 300g listed here is for the whole recipe? Not just one cookie? The right side of the nutrition chart is cut off on my page – maybe it’s my browser? So I can’t read it clearly.
Thanks!
No, that’s the daily recommendation. I’m sorry, nutrition isn’t configured for all of my recipes yet, but I’m working on it.
These were so good! I’ll definitely make them again.