Easy to make and perfect for spring and summer, these Iced Lemon Shortbread Cookies are what you need to make for your next tea party! They’re delightfully flavored with fresh lemon zest and a homemade icing that’s both sweet and lightly tangy.
Lemon Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Lemon shortbread cookies are one of my favorite lemony treats! They’re buttery, not too sweet, and have the perfect amount of real lemon flavor that comes from fresh zest. I love how real the flavors are, unlike all those artificially flavored cookies from the store.
When the sun starts melting the snow and the trees start returning to their pretty green color, it’s time for all the lemon recipes! Lemon always sets the spring and summer mood for me, and these shortbread cookies are a MUST make of mine during these seasons.
If you’re looking for the perfect Easter Sunday snack, tea party cookie or cookies to gift to neighbors this spring, these shortbreads are a total treat. Iced shortbread cookies are almost always a crowd-pleaser, as they remind most people of their childhoods!
Why You’ll Love this Lemon Cookies Recipe:
- Fresh: Fresh lemon zest is what makes these shortbread cookies really stand out! Why buy a store-bought container of cookies that are loaded with artificial flavors and preservatives when you can make these simple, naturally flavored delights?
- Simple: These cookies will only take you about half an hour from start to finish, and the list of ingredients isn’t extensive. They’re simply the best!
- Iced: To be honest, I’ve never met a shortbread cookie I didn’t like. But with that being said, the iced ones are always my favorites! This homemade icing is easy to make and seriously elevates the cookies.
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How to Make Iced Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Preheat the oven and prepare a baking sheet.
- Beat the butter, icing sugar, and lemon zest together.
- Add flour and salt to the mixture.
- Use your hands to form a dough.
- Bake until the edges are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven.
- Mark into 16 rectangle fingers with a knife.
- Prick each finger with a fork.
- Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling wire rack.
- While they’re cooling, make the icing by combining all of the ingredients.
- Ice the cookies once they’re fully cooled.
While I think that the fresh lemon zest adds the perfect amount of lemon flavor, you can add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the cookie batter if you’d like even more flavor. Don’t add too much, though, or it will compromise the consistency of the batter.
These cookies are deliciously soft! That means that if you wait too long to cut them, they’ll likely crumble and fall apart. Cutting them fresh out of the oven ensures that they’ll maintain their shape.
In an airtight container at room temperature, these cookies will stay fresh for up to 3 days. In the refrigerator, they will stay fresh for up to 5 days, and in the freezer for up to 1 month. I recommend freezing these cookies un-iced.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Careful not to bake the cookies for too long! As soon as the edges are a gorgeous golden brown color, you should be good to go.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. If you move them too soon, they’ll likely break apart.
- If you don’t have a zester, you can just use the smaller side of a cheese grater to zest the lemon.
Try These Lemon Desserts
These iced lemon shortbread cookies are slightly sweet, delicately tangy, and all around perfect for the sunny season!
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Lemon Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
- 1 tablespoon water
- Lemon zest optional, for serving
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Baking Sheet
- Hand Mixer
- Fine-Mesh Sieve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and lemon zest until combined.1 cup unsalted butter, ⅔ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Add the flour and salt and mix by hand until the dough starts to clump. Gently press the dough into a ball.2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and gently pat into a circle or rectangle.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes until just turning light golden at the edges.
- As soon as the shortbread is out of the oven, cut into 16 rectangle fingers with a sharp knife, and prick each finger with a fork.
- Leave for 5-10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the shortbread cools, make the icing. Sift the powdered sugar and mix with the lemon juice and water.1 cup powdered sugar, 1½ tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon water
- Spoon ½ teaspoon of icing to the end of each cooled shortbread finger.
- Sprinkle over lemon zest, if using.Lemon zest
Notes
- Make sure your butter is room temperature.
- If you don’t have a zester, you can just use the smaller side of a cheese grater to zest the lemon.
- Careful not to bake the cookies for too long! As soon as the edges are a gorgeous golden brown color, you should be good to go.
- This is a short and tender shortbread. Cut the shortbread as soon as it comes out of the oven. If left to cool slightly, it will crumble when cut or pricked with a fork.
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
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