Easy Lemon Shortbread Cookies

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Published: 03/13/2019 | Updated: 03/29/2024

These Lemon Shortbread Cookies are an easy recipe that freezes well too! A buttery meltaway cookie recipe with a tart lemon frosting, these cookies will become one of the fastest favorite recipes, especially for lemon lovers!

I’m such a fan of anything tart and lemony, and these buttery cookies hit the spot. A tender cookie that melts in your mouth topped with a tart lemon icing and lemon zest for an addicting lemon flavor… pretty much cookie perfection if you ask me!

Ingredients Needed for Lemon Shortbread Cookies

• Butter (softened)
• Sugar
• Lemon juice
• All-purpose flour
• Cornstarch
• Lemon zest
• Powdered Sugar

How to Make Shortbread Cookies

In a small-sized bowl, combine your flour, cornstarch, and lemon zest. Stir it well to combine and then set aside.

Using an electric stand mixer, beat your softened unsalted butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. I always make sure to use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides a couple of times. Then, gradually add your flour mixture into the butter mixture and beat on medium-low until it is mixed well.

This dough needs to chill in the fridge for an hour before you bake it to prevent the cookies from spreading out too much. I just take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it out on the counter. Transfer your cookie dough to the plastic wrap and then shape it into a log that is about 1.5″ in diameter. Wrap it up well, and then refrigerate for at least an hour.

When you’re ready to bake the cookies, remove the cookie roll from the fridge and slice it into 1/4″ slices. Place on a cookie baking sheet or parchment paper with about an inch or so between them. Don’t forget to check out the Frosted Lime Cookies recipe.These frosted lime cookies are perfect for summertime! They’re easy to make and delicious!

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely on the pans before you transfer them to a wire rack. These cookies are very tender and may break if you try to move them when they’re still warm.

To make the lemon frosting, beat the softened butter until it’s light and fluffy. Then, add the powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest for a fresh lemon flavor. Beat it all together until it’s smooth.

Once the cookies have cooled completely, you can spread the frosting on. I sprinkled a little extra zest on top as garnish, but that’s completely optional!

Make sure you let the icing set, though, before you stack them; otherwise, they will all stick together!

Tips for Making Shortbread Cookies

• Be sure to remove the shortbread cookies when the timer goes off. You want to remove them before they start to become golden brown because once they’ve started to brown, they are too well done. You want to keep them tender and flaky with no browning at all.
• Use Silicone Mats to line my cookie sheets with. The cookies come right off when they’re done baking, and you don’t need to worry at all about them sticking.
• You can use bottled lemon juice if that is all you have on hand, but it really is preferable to use freshly squeezed lemon juice. I promise you’ll notice a difference!
• I always zest my entire lemon before I cut it open and juice it. If you have more zest than what your recipe calls for, just freeze it for later use! In fact, the little secret here… even if I’m just eating an orange for a snack, I zest it first and freeze it for later! There is always a baggie in my freezer for zest!
• These cookies really do need the lemon frosting to bring it all together. I’m a huge fan of shortbread, but even I don’t really eat these without the tart icing. It makes the whole cookie complete!

Can I Freeze Shortbread Cookies!

YES!! Shortbread cookies freeze beautifully!

There are 2 ways you can freeze these cookies, but both are done before baking them, which is what I recommend.

The first option is to roll your dough in a log, wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze the entire log. On the day you want to make them, remove the cookie log from the freezer and use a sharp knife to cut 1/4″ slices. Let the slices sit on a cookie sheet for about 30 minutes and then bake following the recipe’s instructions.

The second option is to cut them into slices before you freeze them. Just lay the slices out on a cookie sheet and flash freeze them for about 30 minutes. Once they’re frozen, you can transfer the slices to a freezer bag to store. This method lets you just pull out 2 or 3 slices if you don’t want to bake the whole batch at a time.