Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies are delightfully buttery lemon cookies with a hint of lavender. Simply make the cookie dough, roll, slice, and bake! They are delicate in flavor and texture and perfect for hosting and gifting.
These lemon lavender cookies are the perfect way to celebrate the warm spring and summer months with tea, coffee, or lemonade. The lemon is sweet and zesty while the lavender adds a fragrant aroma. They are the perfect cookie for a daytime celebration, like baby showers, bridal showers, tea parties, and more.
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About Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies
- Texture - These buttery shortbread cookies have a firm exterior and crumbly interior.
- Flavor - The cookies are rich, floral, and sweet.
- Time - It takes just 15 minutes to prepare the dough, 1 hour to chill it, and about 12 minutes to bake the cookies.
- Effort - These shortbread cookies are surprisingly simple. All you need to do is mix the ingredients, chill the dough, then bake the cookies.
Ingredients
Lemon Lavender Cookies
- Butter - Butter adds rich flavor to the cookies. We prefer European butter because it has a higher fat content resulting in a crisper, more buttery cookie.
- Sugar - Sugar provides sweetness.
- Lemon zest and juice - Lemon zest and juice add a bright lemon accent to the cookies.
- Dried lavender flowers - Dried lavender provides the signature floral accent.
- Vanilla extract - Vanilla extract adds complexity and sweetness to the cookie dough.
- All purpose flour - All purpose flour is the foundation for the cookies.
- Kosher salt - Kosher salt accentuates the rich flavor of the cookies.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions/Variations
- Pressed flowers - Add pressed flowers for extra floral flavor.
- Lemon glaze - Dip these cookies in lemon glaze for an extra rich cookie.
- Almond extract - Add a little almond extract for rich nuttiness.
- Nuts - Add chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts to the dough for a rich and hearty crunch.
- Chocolate dipped - Dip these cookies in chocolate for a chocolatey and rich cookie.
Instructions
- Cream butter - In a large mixing bowl, use a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer and cream together butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, lavender, and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Then, use a silicone baking spatula and scrape the sides of the mixing bowl walls to bring the butter mixture to the center of the bowl. (Photo 1 and 2)
- Combine ingredients - Reduce speed to low and add sifted flour and kosher salt and mix until the ingredients are just combined. Finally, do not over-mix the dough. (Photo 3 and 4)
- Roll the dough (cookie cutter method) - Transfer the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper. Place a second sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough and roll with a rolling pin to create a ¼-½-inch sheet of dough, then refrigerate for at least 1 an hour. Then, use a cookie cutter of choice and cut the dough. Then, Form the excess dough into a ball, roll it out into a sheet again, and cut with the cookie cutter. Continue until all the dough is used. Then place the cookies onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Roll the dough (roll and slice method) - Transfer the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper. Form the dough into a 1½ to 2-inch wide log, wrap tightly, and twist the ends. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Photo 5 and 6)
- Slice the dough - Then slice into ¼-½-inch cookies and place them onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. (Photo 7)
- Heat oven and bake - Once the cookie dough is cut and ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, bake for 10-14 minutes. The edges will be lightly browned. Then remove from the oven and let cool. (Photo 8)
Tip - This recipe makes 21 3-inch cookies or 40 1½-inch cookies. The number of cookies will vary depending on the size of the cookie cutter. The smaller the cookie, the shorter the bake time.
Storage
Store lavender shortbread cookies in an air-tight container and keep in a cool, dry place for up to 7 days. Be sure to cool down the cookies before you store them in a container to ensure the cookies maintain their texture while stored. If they aren't cooled completely, the steam will make the cookies soggy inside of the container.
Baking Tips
- Use an aluminum baking sheet for even heating and line the baking sheet with parchment paper to minimize sticking and cleanup time.
- Don't over-mix the dough to ensure the cookies spread evenly and have a light texture. Over mixing can make the cookies tough and dense.
- Bake on the middle rack for even baking. If baking more than one sheet of cookies, place the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Then rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking to ensure the cookies bake evenly.
- Use a lower oven temperature - Bake the shortbread at a lower temperature of 350°F to ensure the cookies bake evenly and don't burn.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can freeze the cookie dough for up to 2 months. When you are ready to bake it, just allow the dough to thaw slightly.
We have only made these cookies with dried lavender, but you should also be able to use fresh lavender. Since dried lavender is stronger than fresh lavender, you may just need to increase the amount of lavender in the recipe.
This can happen if you overmix the cookie dough. Be sure to use the lowest speed on your mixer when you incorporate the flour and stop when it is just combined.
First, use high-quality ingredients to ensure that the shortbread has a decadent and buttery flavor. Second, don't overwork the dough or it won't have the signature crumbly texture. Finally, you need to use the proper ratio of sugar, butter, and flour (1, 2, 3).
Shortbread should be the perfect balance of crunchy and soft. It should be tender and crumbly, but also crispy when you bite into it.
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Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
Lavender Lemon Cookies
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest or zest of 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoon dried lavender
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Cream butter - In a large mixing bowl, use a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer and cream together butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, lavender, and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Use a silicone baking spatula and scrape the sides of the mixing bowl walls to bring the butter mixture to the center of the bowl.1 cup butter, ½ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 4 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoon dried lavender, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Combine ingredients - Reduce speed to low and add sifted flour and kosher salt and mix until the ingredients are just combined. Do not over-mix the dough.3 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Roll the dough (cookie cutter) - Transfer the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper. Place a second sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough and roll with a rolling pin to create a ¼-½-inch sheet of dough, then refrigerate for at least 1 an hour. Use a cookie cutter of choice and cut the dough. Form the excess dough into a ball, roll it out into a sheet again, and cut with the cookie cutter. Continue until all the dough is used. Place the cookies onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Roll the dough (roll and slice) - Transfer the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper. Form the dough into a 1½ to 2-inch wide log, wrap tightly, and twist the ends. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Slice into ¼-½-inch cookies and place them onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Heat oven and bake - Once the cookie dough is cut and ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 10-14 minutes. The edges will be lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Video
Notes
- Store these cookies in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place for up to 7 days. Cool down the cookies before you store them in a container to ensure the cookies maintain their texture while stored.
- This recipe makes 21 3-inch cookies or 40 1½-inch cookies. The number of cookies will vary depending on the size of the cookie cutter. The smaller the cookie, the shorter the bake time.
- Use an aluminum baking sheet for even heating and line the baking sheet with parchment paper to minimize sticking and cleanup time.
- Don't over-mix the dough to ensure the cookies spread evenly and have a light texture. Over mixing can make the cookies tough and dense.
- Bake on the middle rack for even baking. If baking more than one sheet of cookies, place the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking to ensure the cookies bake evenly.
- Use a lower oven temperature - Bake the shortbread at a lower temperature of 350°F to ensure the cookies bake evenly and don't burn.
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