Classic Lemon Shortbread Cookies

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These lemon shortbread cookies are buttery, tender, and full of fresh lemon flavor. This easy shortbread comes together with just 7 simple ingredients and only 20 minutes of hands-on prep. 

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Lemon Shortbread Cookies

I've been baking and sharing recipes here since 2012, and if there's one thing I know, it's that a good shortbread never goes out of style. You loved my whipped shortbread cookies so much that I knew I had to bring you a citrusy spring version - and these lemon butter cookies are it.

Fresh lemon zest goes right into the dough, and then each cookie gets a swirl of zesty lemon buttercream on top. They're delicate, melt-in-your-mouth, and they make your kitchen smell incredible.

They join a well-loved shortbread family on my blog: my lemon thumbprint cookies filled with lemon curd, pecan shortbread cookies, hazelnut shortbread cookies, and my almond shortbread cookies with Amaretto. If you loved any of those, I promise these will be your new favorite lemon cookies. Make them year-round: for Easter and Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Christmas, birthdays, bridal showers, and summer gatherings!

Recipe Highlights

• Melt-in-your-mouth texture. The secret is cornstarch. It keeps the crumb soft, light, and delicate instead of chewy or tough. It also helps the cookies hold their shape while they bake.
• Just 7 simple ingredients for the cookies. Butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, flour, cornstarch, salt, and fresh lemon zest. I'm willing to bet you have most of these in your pantry right now.
• Easy cut-out cookies that keep their shape. Roll, cut, bake! Use any cookie cutter shape you like for holidays and celebrations all year round.
• Bright, real lemon flavor. Fresh lemon zest in the dough and in the buttercream means these buttery lemon shortbread cookies taste like actual lemons, not lemon candy.
• Three ways to finish them. Spread with lemon buttercream, drizzle with a pourable lemon glaze, or turn them into lemon curd sandwich cookies.
• Make-ahead friendly. The dough can chill overnight, and the baked cookies freeze beautifully.

Grab These Ingredients

This recipe consists of 2 components (shortbread cookies and lemon buttercream). Let me give you a few tips about each ingredient. For complete recipe instructions and the ingredient list, scroll down to the full printable recipe card below.

1) Shortbread Cookie Ingredients

• Unsalted butter (1 cup, room temperature) - It should be soft enough to dent easily with your finger, but not greasy or melted.
• Powdered sugar (½ cup) - Powdered sugar dissolves right into the butter, which is what gives these cookies their fine, tender crumb. Granulated sugar would make them crispier.
• Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) - A little vanilla rounds out and softens the lemon.
• All-purpose flour (1½ cups) - Measure it properly: fluff it up, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level the top. Packed flour is the #1 cause of dry, crumbly shortbread dough.
• Cornstarch (½ cup) - Don't skip this! Cornstarch is the secret to that soft, delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and it keeps the cookies from spreading in the oven.
• Salt (¼ teaspoon) - Just enough to balance the sweetness.
• Lemon zest (from 1 large lemon) - Zest only the bright yellow part of the peel. The white pith underneath is bitter.

2) Lemon Buttercream Ingredients

• Powdered sugar (1½ cups)
• Unsalted butter (½ cup / 1 stick, room temperature)
• Lemon zest (1 tablespoon)
• Lemon juice (1-2 tablespoons, as needed) - Start with a tablespoon for a spreadable buttercream; add more for a looser, pourable lemon glaze.
• Pinch of salt

How to Make Lemon Shortbread Cookies (Step-by-Step)

This is a quick overview with my tips along the way. For the complete recipe with exact amounts, scroll down to the full printable recipe card below.

• Cream the butter and sugar. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream the butter with a hand mixer, then add the powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Whip in the vanilla.

• Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, salt, cornstarch, and lemon zest on top of the butter mixture and whisk the dry ingredients together a little. Then stir everything with a wooden spoon until just combined. Overmixing is the enemy of tender shortbread.
• Chill the dough. Press the dough into a thick disc, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for about an hour. Don't skip this: cold dough means clean rolling and cut-out cookies that hold their shape.

• Roll, cut, and bake. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Roll the dough to about ¼-½ inch thick, cut into shapes, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden (shortbread should stay pale). Cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a wire rack.
• Make the lemon buttercream. Beat the butter until smooth, then mix in the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Add lemon juice a little at a time: thicker for spreading, looser for a pourable glaze.

• Frost and finish. Spread buttercream over each cooled cookie (or pour the glaze over cookies set on a wire rack) and sprinkle with extra lemon zest.

My Top Tips for Perfect Shortbread

• Room temperature butter, not melted. Soft enough to dent with a finger. Butter that's too warm makes the dough sticky, and the cookies spread.
• Measure flour the right way. Fluff, spoon, level. I've tested this recipe multiple times, and properly measured flour is the difference between tender cookies and crumbly frustration.
• Don't skip the cornstarch. It's the secret to thick, soft, melt-in-your-mouth cut-out cookies that don't spread.
• Cool the cookies completely before frosting. Buttercream on warm cookies turns into a melty puddle. I know it's hard to wait, but patience is a virtue here. 
• Chill again if your kitchen is warm. If the cut-out shapes soften while you work, pop the cookie sheet in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.
• Keep them pale. Overbaked shortbread turns dry and crisp. Pull the cookies when the edges are just barely golden.
• Zest before you juice. If you're making the glaze or lemon curd version, zest the lemon first. It's nearly impossible to zest a squeezed lemon.

FAQ (You Ask, I Answer)

1. Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes! The wrapped dough disc keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before rolling so it doesn't crack.
2. Why did my shortbread cookies spread? Usually the butter was too soft (or slightly melted) or the flour wasn't measured generously enough. Make sure the dough is well chilled before baking. If your kitchen is very warm, chill the cut-out cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before they go in the oven.
3. My dough is too crumbly to roll - what now? Shortbread dough is naturally a little crumbly, but it should come together when pressed. Knead it gently a few times with your hands, as the warmth helps. If it's still dry, you likely packed the flour; add a teaspoon of soft butter and work it in.
4. Can I make these without a mixer? Yes! Very soft butter and a sturdy wooden spoon will get you there. It just takes a little more elbow grease to get the butter and sugar fluffy.
5. Can I use bottled lemon juice? For the best flavor, use fresh lemons. You need the zest anyway, and fresh juice tastes noticeably better.
6. Do these cookies need to stay pale? Yes, classic shortbread should be pale with just barely golden edges. If your cookies are browning quickly, your oven may run hot; check them a few minutes early.
7. Can I double the recipe? Absolutely. This recipe doubles beautifully. Just chill the dough in two discs and bake in batches.

More Shortbread Cookie Recipes

• Whipped Shortbread Cookies - the classic melt-in-your-mouth cookie that inspired this lemon version
• Lemon Thumbprint Cookies - buttery shortbread filled with zesty lemon curd
• Pecan Shortbread Cookies - nutty, crumbly, and perfect with coffee
• Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies - just 5 ingredients