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Small Batch Glazed Lemon Shortbread Cookies

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4.8 from 10 reviews

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There’s no shortage of citrus in these lemon shortbread cookies! A whole lemon’s worth of zest and a generous splash of juice flavor the tender, buttery, and easy small batch of cookies. And the best part? With just 15 minutes of prep and a quick chill in the fridge, the cookies are ready in under an hour. The finishing touch – choose between a pretty dusting of powdered sugar or bright lemon glaze.

Soo delicious and easy breezy to make. I’m done baking dozens of cookies. Your recipe was just what I needed. Will definitely make them again.” ★★★★★ Barbara

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These cookies are among the first recipes I ever posted on the blog. And I go back to them over and over when I have a sweet craving. Yes, the humble shortbread cookie has so much to offer.

Something awesome happens when you use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar in cookies. It lightens them. Makes them so soft, your chew muscles don’t need to work so hard. Kind of like my lemon snowball cookies made with almond flour – both bring new meaning to melt-in-your mouth cookies.

Hand holding a stack of lemon shortbread cookies cut in half.

Then there is the ease of the cookies. No eggs, no baking powder, no fuss. All of the ingredients meet in one mixing bowl for a simple mix, then it’s off to the refrigerator for a brief chill. How about this – I replicated the simplicity of these cookies into a gluten free version with the almond flour lemon drop cookies recipe.

But let’s not forget why we’re here. The lemon. And I will always advocate for fresh lemon to deliver the best flavor. Like, having zest and juice in the cookies wasn’t enough, we go and slather a lemon glaze on top. The bright cookies beg to be placed on a pretty saucer next to a hot cup of tea.

So there you have it – my love for these delicate cookies runs deep. Good thing there are only 12 of them.

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There are only 5 Active Steps To Make the Cookies

I mean it when I say easy.

Zest and juice the lemon: And in that order. Trying to zest an already juiced lemon is hard. Trust me. I know.😉

Make the dough: Cream the lemon-infused powdered sugar with the butter. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the top, along with the lemon juice, and mix well.

Roll and chill: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and roll into a log. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Slice and bake: Slice the dough into cookie discs and bake until just golden.

Choose your cookie topping: Powdered sugar, glaze, a mix of both?

Lemon shortbread cookies on a wire rack and finished with icing and sugar.

Tell me – do you have lemon-frenzy like me?🍋 Drop me a note in the comments if you baked (and loved!) the cookies. A star rating would be pretty cool too.

Stack of lemon shortbread cookies dusted with powdered sugar.

Lemon Shortbread Cookies (With Lemon Glaze)

4.8 from 10 reviews
There's no shortage of citrus in these lemon shortbread cookies! A whole lemon's worth of zest and a generous splash of juice flavor the tender, buttery, and easy small batch of cookies. The finishing touch – choose between a pretty dusting of powdered sugar or bright lemon glaze.
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Yield12 Cookies
Prep15 minutes
Chill30 minutes
Cook11 minutes

Ingredients

Shortbread

  • ¼ cup powdered sugar (plus more for dusting)
  • zest of a small lemon
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoons corn starch
  • teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze

Instructions
 

Shortbread

  • Use a stand mixer with a small mixing bowl (linked above) or a medium mixing bowl with a hand mixer.
  • Zest the entire lemon, then juice it. I use a regular medium lemon.
  • Add the powdered sugar and lemon zest to the mixing bowl. Massage the zest into the sugar to infuse it with the oils and flavor of the lemon. Add the butter. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Tip – Perfuming the sugar with the zest is optional, but recommended for strong flavor.
    1/4 cup powdered sugar, zest of a small lemon, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • Sift the flour, cornstarch, and salt over the top of the wet ingredients. Add the lemon juice and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until the dough is well combined and smooth.
    3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoons corn starch, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pour the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a rough log. Wrap it up loosely in the plastic. With your hands, roll and shape the dough into a 4 to 4.5-inch log. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap closed and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight. Tip – To keep the roll shape, place the dough log in a glass so it stands upright.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Slice the chilled dough into 12, 1/4-inch cookies. I don't recommend slicing thinner than 1/4-inch. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. Since these are shortbread cookies, they will not spread much.
  • If the cookies aren't perfectly round, you can gently shape them between your hands (like you're turning a wheel). If the dough has gotten too warm while slicing, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to chill the dough.
  • Bake the cookies for 11 minutes. The bottom edges will look slightly golden. Transfer the baked cookies immediately to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar, or glaze with the recipe below.

Glaze

  • Add the powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon juice to a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add more lemon juice – a splash at a time – to reach your desired consistency. Use a spoon to swirl the glaze on top of the cookies. Note – The glaze is pretty zingy with the lemon juice. You can swap in water or milk.
    1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • Store the cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
I’d love to hear from you!If you try the recipe, please let me know! Leaving a comment + star encourages others to try it, and the support helps me continue to provide FREE recipes. Thank you!

Notes

  • Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe that is easily doubled. As written, the recipe yields 12 cookies. This can increase or decrease depending on how large you roll and slice the dough.
  • Lemon – I like a lot of zest. If the whole lemon seems like a lot, use as much or little as you like.
  • Freezing – Baked glazed and/or sugar-dusted cookies can be placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
  • You can roll out the dough – Instead of slice and bake, shape the dough into a disc to chill, then roll a 1/4-inch thick. Cut out with cookie or biscuit cutters.
  • Use different citrus – Swap the fresh lemon with fresh orange or lime. 

Nutrition Estimates

Calories: 75kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 10mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Nutrition information is calculated by a third-party and should only be considered an estimate and not a guarantee.

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4.80 from 10 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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8 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Soo delicious and easy breezy to make. I’m done baking dozens of cookies. Your recipe was just what I needed. Will definitely make them again.

  2. 5 stars
    I made these for a baby shower and I used a GF measure for measure flour otherwise following recipe exactly. They were tangy and tender—perfect for our High Tea theme. I chose to do a drizzle of lemon glaze as opposed to powdered sugar. So good!

    1. Thank you Lucy! So glad you enjoyed the cookies. Thank you for visiting the blog!

  3. 5 stars
    My go-to shortbread recipe, I always double the amount because I eat them so quickly, and I love adding dried lavender to them. These cookies just melt in your mouth, so delicious and simple 😊😊

  4. My cookies didn’t spread to 2”. They pretty much stayed at the 1” size. Any idea why? Is it a good idea to flatten the dough a little before baking?
    Thank you.

    Kathy

    1. Hi Kathy – My apologies – I had an error in the instructions. The log should only be about 3-4 inches long for (approx.) 2 inch round cookies. Since these are shortbread, they shouldn’t spread too much when baked. So it sounds like yours baked correctly – they were just smaller than what is in the photos. Sorry about that! Thank you for trying the recipe though!