Lemon Curd Cookies are made with a buttery shortbread base, tangy lemon curd filling, and a smooth vanilla-almond glaze—perfect for lemon lovers!
Try these other lemon desserts next: Lemon Blueberry Bread, Lemon Icebox Cake, or Lemon Bars.
The Best Lemon Curd Cookies
Every year, these Lemon Curd Cookies cause a frenzy on social media with hundreds of thousands of reshares—and for good reason. They’re irresistibly delicious, just like this viral edible cookie dough!
Lemon curd and shortbread are truly a match made in heaven, the tang of the curd and the sweetness of the cookies are so good and top them with the simple 4-ingredient glaze and it’s just a dessert no one can resist!
Ingredients
- Butter: Use room-temp butter for smooth, creamy mixing; avoid melting it.
- Sugar: Sweetens the cookies and helps them brown slightly.
- Vanilla: Use vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.
- Cornstarch: Keeps the cookies soft and tender.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors.
- Flour: 315 grams of flour is perfect for these cookies!
- Lemon Curd: Make the lemon curd yourself or grab a jar at the store.
- Glaze: Adjust the cream or milk to achieve your desired consistency.
How To Make Lemon Curd Cookies
- Make Dough: Mix butter and sugar, then stir in vanilla, cornstarch, salt, and flour.
- Shape & Chill: Roll dough into balls, coat in sugar, and press a small dent in the center. Chill in the fridge.
- Fill & Bake: Add lemon curd to the centers and bake.
- Make Glaze: Whisk together the glaze ingredients.
- Enjoy: Drizzle cooled cookies with glaze and let it harden before enjoying.
Tips For Lemon Curd Cookies
- Shaping the Dough: Shape the cookies while the dough is soft to make it easier to work with and avoid cracks.
- Chill Dough: Chill twice—first after shaping, then again after adding the lemon curd. This keeps the cookies in shape and makes the texture better.
- Mix Butter & Sugar: Beating these adds air for a lighter texture. Make sure they’re fully mixed.
- Lemon Curd: Make the curd at least a day early so it thickens properly. You can make it 3-4 days ahead. Use any extra on these crepes.
- Don’t Overfill: Adding too much lemon curd can spill during baking. Fill the cookies carefully.
Storage
Leftovers
Freeze Dough: Make thumbprints, freeze on a tray, then move to a sealed container. Keeps for 3-6 months. Works for Thumbprint Cookies.
Bake from Frozen: Add lemon curd to frozen dough and bake, adding a few extra minutes.
Store Cookies: Keep baked lemon curd cookies fresh for 3-4 days in a sealed container. Learn more.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
- Snickerdoodle Cookies readers favorite
- Toffee Cookies soft and chewy with crisp edges
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies coated in powder sugar
- Pop-Tart Cookies brown sugar inspired
- Pistachio Cookies white chocolate and honey flavored
Lemon Curd Cookies
These viral Lemon Curd Cookies, featuring a rich shortbread base filled with tangy lemon curd and topped with a delightful vanilla-almond glaze, boast crisp edges and a soft center– a lemon lover's dream treat!
Equipment
- Candy Thermometer for making the lemon curd
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2-1/4 cups white all-purpose flour (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup prepared lemon curd (homemade or store-bought) (Note 2)
- 1/3 cup white granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies in
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (or 2 tablespoons whole milk)
- 1 drop almond extract optional
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- LEMON CURD: If making homemade lemon curd, prepare at least one day in advance. See Note 2.
- COOKIES: In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the room-temperature (NOT melted or softened at all) butter and sugar. Beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides as needed. Add the vanilla extract, cornstarch, and salt and mix until combined. Add flour to the bowl. Beat together at low speed, scraping bowl as needed, until all ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix the dough.
- CHILL COOKIES: Shape the cookies into small balls — the size of 1 tablespoon (use a tablespoon measuring spoon to form and measure balls) and then roll the cookie dough balls in the 1/3 cup granulated sugar until generously coated. Next, gently indent the center of each cookie dough ball with your finger. Place these cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat or parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (or freeze for 30 minutes). Remove from the fridge and add completely chilled and thickened lemon curd to fill (but not overfill) the centers of all the cookies. Return the cookies to the fridge for 10 more minutes.
- BAKE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until very lightly browned under-neath and the tops are no longer glossy. Slightly underbake for soft and delicious shortbread cookies.
- COOL COOKIES: Remove cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. (Add heavy whipping cream or milk until you've reached your desired consistency; I like the glaze on the thicker side, but you may want to add a bit more cream or milk.)
- GLAZE: Drizzle the glaze over the cookies (either drizzle with a spoon or transfer the glaze to a plastic bag and cut off the tip to pipe). Allow the glaze to set. Cookies are best enjoyed within 3-4 days; store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Flour: This is the measurement that differs most person to person–if you have a food scale I highly recommend using it for this measurement. 315 grams of flour is perfect for these cookies!
Note 2: Lemon curd: Grab store-bought lemon curd or make your own (nothing beats homemade — this is the BEST Lemon Curd ever!) If making homemade, it needs to chill at least 8 hours before using in these cookies. If you do opt to make the homemade lemon curd, you’ll have quite a bit leftover as we only use about 1/2 cup in these cookies. Read the post on the lemon curd recipe for lots of ideas how to use up leftovers!
Nutrition
Serving: 37cookies | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.6g | Protein: 1.5g | Fat: 8.1g | Cholesterol: 40.1mg | Sodium: 9.1mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 13.9g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
You are so right! I must have used too much flour difficult to shape the cookies they rent more crumbly. I’m gonna really watch my measuring next time when I make these cookies lotta people love them, though they were scrumptious.
So excited for you to try again! They’re absolutely delicious! Thanks Annette! 🙂