Lemon Shortbread Cookies

These lemon shortbread cookies are buttery, full of lemon flavor, and perfect with a cup of hot tea. In about 30 minutes, you can have a batch of homemade cookies that will keep you coming back for just one more.

Wooden board with several lemon shortbread cookies.

If you’re a lemon lover like me, you’re going to adore these delicious little cookies. Using lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract gives them a hefty citrus punch. Also, the recipe uses no eggs, so the cookies are tender and crumbly. They melt in your mouth.  The biggest challenge is eating only one or two.

Ingredients Needed

  • Flour – all-purpose is all you need.
  • Baking powder
  • Salt – a little pinch of salt offsets the sweetness of the cookie. Not using salt leaves the cookie tasting flat.
  • Butter – I like using unsalted butter for this recipe so that I can control how much salt I add. If you use salted butter, adjust the amount of salt you use.
  • Sugar
  • Lemons
  • Lemon extract
  • Vanilla extract
Wire tray with freshly baked lemon shortbread cookies.

Steps To Make This Recipe

  1. Stir the dry ingredients together.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  3. Stir in the lemon zest,  juice, and flavorings.
  4. Roll the dough into balls and bake.
  5. Kick back with a hot cup of tea and enjoy a couple of cookies.

Big Lemon Fan? Here Are More Lemon Recipes To Consider:

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Lemon Shortbread Cookies

These lemon shortbread cookies are buttery, full of lemon flavor, and perfect with a cup f hot tea. In about 30 minutes, you can have a batch of homemade cookies that will keep you coming back for just one more.

  • Author: Millie Brinkley
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 3 dozen cookies 1x
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

Zest from 1 medium lemon

1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon extract

½ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar until pale yellow and creamy looking – about 3 minutes.

Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon extract, and vanilla. Beat until well combined.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients.

Mix until just combined.

Using a tablespoon or a large cookie scoop, roll the dough into balls and pace 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Don’t overbake the cookies.

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for 5-6 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Keywords: Lemon shortbread cookies, shortbread recipes, lemon cookies, tea cookies, lemon cookies, lemon cookie recipes