In this Lemon Curd Cookie recipe, a silky lemon curd is spooned into tender, buttery shortbread for an irresistible, melt-in-your-mouth cookie that lemon lovers will adore.
Why You’re Going To Love These Lemon Curd Cookies
- The tart, creamy lemon filling delivers bright flavor in every bite.
- The buttery shortbread cookie base is delicate and melts in your mouth, similar to classic almond meltaways.
- Simple and quick: you can make these in about 30 minutes.
Lemon Curd Cookie Ingredients
All-purpose flour: Regular all-purpose flour works well; sift if it’s lumpy.
Confectioners’ sugar: Powdered sugar keeps the cookies tender and fine-textured.
Salt: Balances the sweetness. Omit if you use salted butter.
Unsalted butter: Use softened butter cut into pieces; the high butter ratio creates the meltaway texture.
Vanilla extract: Adds depth and balances the lemon’s tartness.
Lemon curd: Homemade is best, but a quality store-bought curd works well if you’re short on time.
How To Make Lemon Curd Cookies
Follow these straightforward steps to bake the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- On low speed, combine the flour, ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer.
- Add the butter and beat on low until it breaks up. Add vanilla and increase to medium-low speed until the mixture is evenly moistened and resembles coarse crumbs. A small handful should hold together when squeezed.
- Turn the dough out of the mixer bowl and knead it into a cohesive ball. Scoop by heaping tablespoons and roll between your palms into smooth balls.
- Place the dough balls on parchment-lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart and bake for 10 minutes. Right after removing the cookies from the oven, press an indent into the center of each cookie using a tablespoon or similar measuring spoon.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Once completely cool, toss each cookie in the remaining confectioners’ sugar to coat. Just before serving, spoon about 1 teaspoon of lemon curd into each indent.
Make Ahead Instructions
The cookie base freezes well. Freeze a single layer, then stack cookies between sheets of parchment in an airtight container. Dust with confectioners’ sugar right before serving.
You can also make lemon curd ahead and refrigerate or freeze it; thaw and chill before using.
Storage Instructions
Store filled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Space them apart so they don’t press against each other; the cookies are delicate.
Variations
- Make sandwich cookies by pairing two cookies with lemon curd between them.
- Almond variation: fold 1 cup toasted, chopped sliced almonds into the dough after adding vanilla.
- For a tropical twist, sprinkle toasted coconut over the lemon curd filling.
- Substitute raspberry or passionfruit curd for a different fruit flavor.
- Sprinkle a few poppy seeds on top for a classic lemon-poppy combination.
FAQs
Yes. Quality store-bought lemon curd is widely available and works well if you don’t want to make it from scratch.
Yes — freeze the cookies before filling. Add the lemon curd just before serving so the filling doesn’t soften the shortbread base.
Pro Tips
- Weigh a heaping tablespoon of dough at about 25 grams if you want uniform cookie sizes.
- For extra lemon brightness, add 1 teaspoon lemon zest with the vanilla.
- Chill the dough for at least an hour to help the cookies hold their shape and prevent spreading.
- Use parchment paper on your baking sheets for easy removal and cleanup.
Other Cookie Recipes You Won’t Want to Miss
- Toblerone Cookies
- Classic Hermit Cookies
- Soft Baked Pumpkin Cookies
- Chocolate Snowball Cookies
- Loaded Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
- Kourabiedes (Greek Almond Meltaway Cookies)
Other Citrus Recipes You’ll Love
Try other citrus desserts like orange cake, lemon curd cake, and easy lemon tart for more bright, citrus-forward treats.
Lemon Curd Cookie Recipe
By: Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD
These Lemon Curd Cookies melt in your mouth and are filled with the creamiest lemon curd—pure bliss for anyone who loves bright, citrusy desserts.
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar (for dough)
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For coating & filling
- 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar (for coating)
- ½ cup lemon curd
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
- On low speed, stir together the flour, ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, and salt in an electric mixer.
- Add the butter and beat on low until it breaks up. Add vanilla and increase to medium-low; beat until the mixture is evenly moistened and resembles coarse crumbs.
- Turn the dough out and knead into a ball. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough and roll into smooth balls.
- Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets about 1” apart. Bake 10 minutes. Right after removing from the oven, press an indent into the center of each hot cookie.
- Cool on the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Toss cooled cookies in the remaining confectioners’ sugar. Spoon 1 tsp lemon curd into each cookie just before serving.
Notes
To make lemon curd from scratch, use a trusted lemon curd recipe. The dough may feel crumbly before baking—that’s normal. Because there’s no egg in the base, the cookies develop their signature melt-in-your-mouth texture as they bake. Don’t press indents before baking; they can disappear as the cookies puff.
Nutrition (per cookie, approximate)
Calories: 110 kcal | Carbohydrates: 22 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 8 g | Saturated Fat: 5 g