Lemon Curd Cookies

Brighten your day with these exquisitely tender and zesty Lemon Curd Cookies! They’re a quick, flavorful, and elegant treat featuring a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie filled with a burst of sweet and tangy lemon curd. This is the perfect, sunshiny cookie that looks impressive but is surprisingly simple to make.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

I created these cookies to capture the bright, cheerful flavor of lemon in a delicate, beautiful package. They quickly became my favorite cookie to bring to spring gatherings and afternoon teas, where their elegant appearance and vibrant flavor always steal the show. It’s the recipe that feels both fancy and comforting, reminding me of sunny days and happy moments.

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

For Filling and Dusting:

• ⅓ – ½ cup lemon curd (homemade or store-bought)
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Step-by-step instructions for making the recipe

1. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the room-temperature butter and 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar together on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest to the butter mixture. Beat for about 1 minute until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt.
4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined and a soft dough forms.
5. Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes, or up to 3 days.
6. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of the chilled dough and roll them into balls. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
8. Use your thumb or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon to make a deep indentation in the center of each dough ball.
9. Fill each indentation with about ½ to 1 teaspoon of lemon curd.
10. Place the filled cookie trays in the freezer for 10-15 minutes while the oven finishes preheating.
11. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just barely starting to turn golden. The centers will still be soft.
12. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
13. Once completely cool, dust the cookies lightly with the remaining confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Lemon Curd Cookies

Brighten your day with these exquisitely tender and zesty Lemon Curd Cookies! They’re a quick, flavorful, and elegant treat featuring a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie filled with a burst of sweet and tangy lemon curd.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Chilling Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 18 cookies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 96

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Cookie Dough:

• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

For Filling and Dusting:

• ⅓ – ½ cup lemon curd homemade or store-bought
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Equipment

• Hand or Stand Mixer
• Baking Sheets
• Parchment Paper

Method

 

1. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the room-temperature butter and 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar together on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
   1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest to the butter mixture. Beat for about 1 minute until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
   1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt.
   ½ teaspoon cornstarch, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined and a soft dough forms.
5. Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes, or up to 3 days.
6. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of the chilled dough and roll them into balls. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
8. Use your thumb or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon to make a deep indentation in the center of each dough ball.
9. Fill each indentation with about ½ to 1 teaspoon of lemon curd.
   ⅓ – ½ cup lemon curd
10. Place the filled cookie trays in the freezer for 10-15 minutes while the oven finishes preheating.
11. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just barely starting to turn golden. The centers will still be soft.
12. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
13. Once completely cool, dust the cookies lightly with the remaining confectioners’ sugar before serving.
    2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Notes

Success Tips: Do not skip the chilling steps! Chilling the dough prevents the cookies from spreading and helps them hold the lemon curd filling. For the best flavor, use high-quality lemon curd or make your own. The unbaked dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 2 months, making it a great make-ahead option. These cookies are also delicious filled with other jams or fruit curds.

FAQ