Easy Lemon Shortbread Cookies (In A Food Processor)
These zesty, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth lemon shortbread cookies are made in 30 minutes with just 6 ingredients. Lemon lovers will love the sweet-tangy burst of lemon glaze on these cookies.
Perfect for a tea, shower, potluck, bake sale or holiday cookie exchange. And the perfect gift.
I’ve been making this easy lemon shortbread cookies recipe for over 30 years – mostly for the holiday season – ever since I discovered it in the Noreen Gilletz Food Processor Cookbook. Recently, I decided to give the cookies a refreshing tweak by incorporating fresh lemon zest and juice. The result? Rave reviews!
What to Expect
I should call these cookies shortcut cookies because the dough takes less than 3 minutes when you use a food processor. There is no need to chill, roll or cut out the dough as with many other shortbread recipes.
The recipe has 6 simple ingredients (plus an optional one) and takes about 30 minutes to make. The cookies spread very minimally when baking. Make them as small or large as you like. They are rich so I prefer to make smaller cookies.
Bottom line: Soft, tender, crumbly, buttery, glazed lemon cookies with a bright lemon flavor – easy to freeze and delicious for any occasion.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
Variations and substitutes
- Use fresh limes instead of fresh lemons
- Add a couple of teaspoons of maple syrup in the glaze to add more depth (totally optional)
- Add more lemon zest if you want even more zesty-ness.
- Replace the cornstarch with arrowroot powder or potato starch.
- Flour substitutes:
- Gluten-free option: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour.
- For added nutrition: replace up to 1/2 cup/62 grams of the flour with whole wheat flour, almond flour, or oat flour. Note that this might affect the texture and crumb a little.
Step-by-step instructions
Lemon Tips
- It’s best to use fresh lemon juice and zest in this recipe as the flavors will be more natural, vibrant, and intense than with bottled lemon juice and dried zest.
- When zesting lemons, try to avoid the white pith underneath the skin which tends to be bitter. Use a microplane grater for the best results.
- For a shiny lemon glaze, add a little corn syrup. This is optional.
Shortcuts
- If you hate zesting lemons, go ahead and use a pre-made lemon zest (dried or frozen). Since you are adding it to the dough and glaze in this recipe, it will work fine (not as good as fresh zest though!)
- Skip the glaze and keep the cookies plain or just dust them with icing sugar. If you do this, I would add another teaspoon of zest in the cookie dough.
Make Ahead
See the recipe card below for instructions on storing and freezing unbaked or baked cookies.
Recipe FAQs
These lemon shortbread cookies don’t normally spread while baking. If they do spread, there are a few possible reasons: the butter was too soft (use room temperature butter), you didn’t measure the flour properly (it’s best to use the scoop and level method), or you over-mixed the dough (it should be slightly crumbly).
Cornstarch is often used in shortbread cookies alongside flour to enhance that soft, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
If you like your glaze thinner, add a little more lemon juice or water. If you like a thicker glaze, add a little more icing sugar (confectioner sugar).
You can absolutely add a pinch of herbs or spices to the dough. Some good choices are lavender, rosemary, thyme, ginger, or cardamom.
More easy treats
- cinnamon puff pastry rolls
- crispy buttery lace cookies (30 min)
- chocolate rice crispy treats
- skor chocolate chip cookies (25 min)
- hazelnut cookies with chocolate smear
Or check out our 21 easy sweet snacks with quick prep.
If you like this recipe, please leave a 5 star rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟with a comment in the recipe card below. Thanks so much!
Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup room temperature salted butter (2 sticks) If using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup icing sugar (confectioners sugar/ powdered sugar)
- 1/2 cup corn starch (or arrowroot powder or potato starch)
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, Note 2
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, Note 2
Simple Lemon Glaze
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup (OPTIONAL) makes glaze glossy
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/176.7C. Line a large cookie sheet or baking sheets (17" x 12") with parchment paper. Or use two baking sheets.
- MAKE COOKIE DOUGH: In a food processor, process butter and icing sugar until creamy smooth, about 1 minute. Add vanilla, cornstarch, lemon zest and flour. Pulse with quick on/off turns just until dough starts to get a crumbly texture and ingredients are combined. Empty onto a cutting board or parchment paper and gently shape shortbread dough together into one big blob. If you don't have a food processor, use an electric mixer on low speed or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.1 cup room temperature salted butter (2 sticks), 1/2 cup icing sugar, 1/2 cup corn starch, 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, Note 2, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, Note 2
- FORM COOKIES: Using clean hands, break off a small piece of dough, roll into a 1 1/2 inch/3.8 cm ball. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all dough is gone. I make 24-30 balls (24 will fit in one large pan). With tines of a fork, flatten balls to just over 1/4 inch/6.3mm and make a criss-cross pattern. (Tip: dip fork into flour if dough is sticky).
- BAKE AND COOL: Bake cookies in middle rack in preheated oven for 16 minutes or until edges are starting to turn golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack.
- MAKE GLAZE: While cookies are baking, mix glaze ingredients together with whisk or fork. When cookies are cooled (if you can wait!), brush glaze on each cookie with a pastry brush. Do this over parchment paper to catch the drips. Sprinkle on extra lemon zest if you like. Glaze will harden in about 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
- Variations and Substitutions
- Use lime instead of lemon
- Add 2 teaspoons of maple syrup in glaze to add more depth
- Add a pinch of herbs or spices to the dough such as lavender, rosemary, thyme, ginger, or cardamom.
- Add extra lemon zest if you want even more zesty-ness.
- Flour options:
- Gluten-free option: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour.
- For added nutrition: replace up to 1/2 cup/62 grams of the flour with whole wheat flour, almond flour, or oat flour. Note that this might affect the texture and crumb a little.
- Tips
- Use room temperature butter (not too soft)
- Measure flour by scooping it into a measuring cup and leveling it off (or even better, weigh it)
- Don’t overmix the dough.
- Try not to zest the white pith underneath the yellow skin of the lemon as it can be bitter.
- Shortcuts
- Skip the glaze and keep the lemon cookies plain or just dust them with icing sugar. If you do this, I would add another teaspoon of zest in the cookie dough.
- If you hate zesting lemons, use a pre-made lemon zest (dried or frozen). Since you are adding it to the dough and glaze in this recipe, it will work fine (not as good as fresh zest though!)
- Make ahead options
- Store: Completely cool cookies. Store them in a freezer bags or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freeze baked cookies: for up to 3 months. Some people crisp them up in a 300F/149C oven for 4 minutes – if you do, add the glaze after you re-bake/crisp them, not before.
- Freeze unbaked cookies: Roll dough into balls and flatten with tines of a fork as per recipe. Place on cookie sheet and flash freeze them for 30-60 minutes. Then pile them into a ziploc bag. Bake as usual from frozen – maybe add a minute or two.
I made these today. I can’t believe how easy they were. Using a food processor was genius. These are sturdy cookie. I made the glaze and was glad I did. Simple and great. Next time I will try with limes.
I’m so glad you liked them! I agree they are so easy in the food processor. I’ve made them with lime several times and they are delicious. I think you’ll enjoy that version too. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂