Thank you so much for visiting! This post contains affiliate links. That means I may receive a small amount of compensation if you choose to purchase from my links. I only link to products that I know and love.
Last Christmas Eve – our first Christmas Eve on the farm – the kids and I were making a Christmas cookies to bring back to Illinois for Christmas Day. We were making cut cookies and my Cranberry Shortbread cookies when I decided a Lemon Shortbread Cookie would also be delicious.
With all of our family back in Illinois we had no where to go on Christmas Eve (for the first time in my life). So we had nothing but time to make different versions of our cookies. Just like that, my Lemon Shortbread Cookies were born.
Lemon love all year
Now we make these cookies at Christmas time because citrus is in peak season, but really, they’re pretty perfect for the rest of the year too. The Lemon Shortbread Cookies are bright and sunny little cookies that add a little sunshine to drab Midwest winters. But bright spots are always good throughout the year – especially in early spring.
These make lovely Easter desserts too and they’re kind of perfect for an old fashioned tea time. (And now I want tea.)
A take on Italian
In all truthfulness, I made these Lemon Shortbread Cookies to be an easier version of Italian Knot Cookies, which is considered an Italian Easter Cookie.
I made Italian Knot Cookies a million years ago when I worked in the corporate world at a team building event in a random person’s home. The whole experience was honestly a bit strange but it inspired my love for lemon cookies.
Instead of making the dough a knot as is done with Italian Knot cookies, I kept it simple. Also, instead of using anise in the glaze of my Lemon Shortbread Cookies, I just used vanilla. I’m not a huge fan of the licorice flavor so I just left it out.
As seen on…
I recently made these cookies for WZZM13 here in Grand Rapids just before Christmas. I love them so much that when the station asked me to make a recipe for one of their segments, I knew I wanted to make these Lemon Shortbread Cookies.
You can see the whole segment, which was pre-recorded in my barn due to coronavirus, {HERE}.
Tips for making Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Prep all your ingredients to start to make it easier. Once you have everything together, you can actually make these in less than 20 min. (Not including cooling time.)
- Use a melon baller to help keep the size of your cookies consistent.
- You can use a little bit of flour when shaping your cookies but don’t go overboard. Just pat your hands in it.
- Use a cup to flatten your cookies just a bit and if it sticks again use just a bit of flour.
- You must use parchment paper with this recipe. The bottom of the cookies cook much faster than the tops and without it you will burn your bottoms.
- Don’t forget to set a timer and don’t go over cook time! These Lemon Shortbread Cookies won’t brown like chocolate chip cookies as they cook. They stay very light in color.
My baking essentials
There’s a few standard pieces that I always use when baking and I wanted to share them with you.
- Stoneware Mixing Bowls
- Stoneware Batter Bowl
- Metal Whisk
- Spatula set
- Stainless Steel Hand Mixer
- Stainless Steel Melon Baller
Thank you so much for visiting today, friends! I hope you love this recipe and your families do too. You can find the full, printable recipe below. And try our Cranberry Shortbread Cookies {HERE} and our Cut Sugar Cookies {HERE} too.
Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Lemon Shortbread Cookies are some of our favorites! Made from scratch and bright and happy too.
Print
Pin
Rate
Servings: 20 cookies
Equipment
- Hand mixer
Ingredients
Lemon Shortbread Ingredients
- 2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp. lemon zest
- 1.5 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1.5 sticks salted butter, melted but not hot
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 egg
Glaze Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Additional lemon zest or sprinkles for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375
- Combine the sugar and the butter using a hand mixer. Mix until it is fluffy.
- Add in the baking powder, egg, honey, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest. Blend well.
- Add in the flower slowly, mixing about ½ cup at a time.
- Using a melon baller for consistency, roll dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Using the bottom of a glass, flatten out the cookie balls a bit.
- Bake in the oven for 9 minutes. No longer or you will have burnt cookies. These will not brown like chocolate chip cookies.
- Once done, remove from the oven and cool. I like to remove mine immediately from the cookie sheet and put them on a cooling rack.
- While your cookies are cooling, combine milk, powdered sugar and vanilla for the glaze. Mix well until the glaze is smooth.
- Spoon or drizzle the glaze on top of the cookies once cooled. You can also add it on with a piping bag. Add the lemon zest or sprinkles.
- Once the glaze hardens, serve and enjoy!
These look so delicious!! How do you get all your cookies so perfect 🤩 I can’t wait to make these. I love lemon.
I am craving cookies and was going to bake some. This is the perfect recipe
Yum, yes please. These are my kind of cookies. I just love lemon desserts.
Those look so good! I love shortbread cookies. I grew up with my mom making sugar cookies, and they’re still my favorite. I love this variation.
Your cookies always look so delicious! Now I’m craving lemon shortbread cookies!
I WANT THESE RIGHT NOW!!! I love lemon and shortbread!!
These shortbread cookies are absolutely gorgeous and I have no doubt delicious! Can’t wait to slap them on my Christmas cookie platter!!
These cookies look amazing. I’ve been wanting to make some new cookies this year. I’ll have to try these ones. I do love lemon too as well as shortbread cookies. I’m sure they’re a great combo.
Your spare time made you so creative. This shortbread seems great..!
I love trying different cuisines. Especially if it’s this easy. Thanks for sharing, can’t wait to try.
Okay these look so good!!! I love a good lemon cookie! I gotta try making these
It really looks nice,so neat. I bet it taste so so great.
Ooooh it looks so yummy! I love shortbread cookies since it’s easy to make and perfect for the holiday season. I’ll try your recipe this weekend when I bake. Thank you!
Don’t mind me just drooling over here! These look so yummy and I love how you decorated them too! These would be such a great switch for the typical Chocolate Chip Cookies,
This is one of my absolute fave cookies. I can’t wait to try your recipe.
These cookies look great! I need to remember to use a melon baller to make my cookies more uniform! Mine are usually all over the place size-wise! 🙂
I have always loved lemon cookies! These look amazing and a perfect addition to our cookie making list!
My husband loves these cookies, I am going to need to bake him a batch this weekend. Yummy
These look delicious! I think they will be the perfect addition to our holiday cookies this year!
I love lemon desserts. I love shortbread cookies. Lemon shortbread! YES PLEASE!
Oh my I love lemon and anything shortbread! I can’t wait to make these. Gimmie now!
I love shortbread cookies and lemon-flavored desserts. I’ve never thought of putting them together. Sounds amazing and the recipe not too difficult to follow. Will certainly give this a try. Yum!!
I love the idea of this recipe and especially the lemon flavor. Not the average Christmas cookie flavor and that’s what I love about it.
I have been trying to bake lately and so far so good. Looking for some ideas and glad I came over this post. Definitely would love to try this one too!