These lemon lavender shortbread cookies look (and taste) fancy, but they’re super easy to make! They’re buttery and melt-in-your-mouth just like great shortbread cookies should be, with citrus and floral notes to balance out all that richness. Perfect for a summer picnic, or any time you want to feel fancy!
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Why You’ll Love Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies
- Bakery-quality floral shortbread without any tricky techniques
- Rich & buttery flavour that’s perfectly balanced with lemony brightness
- Easy decoration with lemon glaze and lavender buds make them look fancy
- A freezer-friendly dough makes them easy to make ahead
Pro Tip
Blending the lemon zest and lavender buds into the sugar unlocks tons of flavour, don’t skip it!
Key Ingredients You’ll Need & Why
- Butter is the star, giving these cookies their rich, buttery flavour and tender shortbread texture.
- Salt enhances flavour.
- Vanilla extract adds warmth and depth to contrast with the lemon and lavender
- Lemon zest adds brightness to the dough. Together with the lemon juice in the glaze, it amps up the citrus flavour.
- Lavender buds add delicate floral flavour. Make sure to use culinary-grade lavender.
- Granulated sugar adds sweetness, helps with browning, and provides a crisp texture.
- All-purpose flour gives the cookies structure.
- Corn starch softens the gluten in the flour to make these cookies melt in your mouth.
- Powdered sugar is used in the glaze to give it a smooth satin-finish that sets firm.
How To Make Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies
1. Infuse the Sugar
Blend the sugar, lemon zest, and lavender together in a food processor until the lavender is finely-chopped and the sugar is speckled and very fragrant. This step helps get the maximum flavour out of the lemon and lavender.
No food processor? Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips, and chop the lavender as finely as you can.
2. Cream the Butter & Sugar
Beat the infused sugar with the soft butter until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Add vanilla extract and beat until completely combined.
3. Add Dry Ingredients
Sift in the flour, corn starch, and sea salt. Mix on low speed until just combined. The dough will be a little crumbly.
4. Chill
Pat the dough together into a rough square or rectangle about ½” (1.3 cm) thick and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to firm up and to allow the flour to fully hydrate.
5. Roll, Cut & Chill Again
Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about ¼″ (0.6 cm) thick. Chill again for 10-15 minutes to firm the dough up, then cut out using your favourite cookie cutter. Chilling helps the cut cookies keep their shape! Gather the scraps together to re-roll and cut as many cookies as you can.
6. Bake
Arrange the cookies on a lined baking sheet with space between. Bake at 350˚F (175˚C) 17-20 minutes or just until the edges start to turn golden. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Glaze & Decorate
Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice together until thick but pourable. Once they’ve cooled completely, drizzle or spread some glaze and sprinkle a few lavender buds. Let the glaze set completely before storing or stacking.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
Store unglazed cookies at room temperature in an airtight container (up to 5 days).
Never refrigerate glazed cookies. Glaze can “weep” in the fridge, making the cookies soggy.
To freeze dough, wrap squares of dough tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight before rolling and cutting.
To freeze baked cookies, make sure they’ve cooled completely, then layer with parchment in an airtight freezer bag. When you’re ready to glaze and serve, thaw the cookies uncovered at room temperature for 15–20 min and glaze.
Serving Ideas
- You can leave the cookies unglazed for simpler cookies that stand up better to shipping.
- Serve these at an afternoon tea, picnic, or garden party. They pair perfectly with with Earl Grey tea or lemonade!
- Lemon Lavender cookies are perfect for gifting! Stack 6-8 cookies and tie them with baker’s twine, or pile them in a cellophane bag tied with a ribbon.
- Use heart-shaped cookie cutters for a unique handmade Valentine’s Day gift.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can find it at specialty grocery stores, tea shops, or online.
Absolutely! The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough out in the fridge overnight before rolling it out and baking.
Yes! Use a stick-style vegan butter, and make sure the sugar you use is also vegan.
Yes! Sub the all-purpose flour out with a gluten-free baking blend such as Cup4Cup.
The cookies can be stored uncovered at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Tried This Recipe?
If you give these cookies a try, I’d love to hear how they turned out! Leave a comment and a star rating below, it helps other bakers find the recipe. And if you share a pic on Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @LowbrowFancy so I can see your lovely bakes!
Buttery Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Blend 75 g granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons culinary grade lavender, and zest of 1 lemon in a food processor until the lavender is finely chopped and the sugar is very fragrant. If you don't have a food processor, you can rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips and finely-chop the lavender.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a medium mixing bowl, cream 135 g unsalted butter with the infused sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Sift in 150 g all-purpose flour, 25 g corn starch, and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt. Mix on low speed just until combined.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper, to about ¼" (0.6 cm) thick. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to firm up, and use a cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as you can. Gather the scraps together to roll and cut out more cookies.
- Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a perforated baking mat, leaving at least ½" (1.3 cm) of space between. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until the cookies are just starting to turn golden around the edges.
- Leave to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, make the glaze. Whisk together 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice and 60 g powdered sugar until completely smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more lemon juice or powdered sugar, until the glaze is pourable but thick.
- When the cookies have cooled completely, spoon a little glaze on the top of each cookie and use the back of a spoon to spread it just shy of the edge. Sprinkle on some lavender buds.
- Leave the cookies uncovered until the glaze sets, and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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