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!
Other favorite lemon treats: Lemon Blueberry Bread, Lemon Icebox Cake, or our favorite Lemon Bars.
The Best Lemon Curd Cookies
Every year, when the recipe for these Lemon Curd Cookies is shared on social media, it creates a frenzy with hundreds of thousands of reshares, and for good reason – they are simply that irresistible just like our viral edible cookie dough. Our lemon curd filling is arguably the best, setting these cookies apart as a must-try treat.
If you love shortbread and lemon, these cookies could be your new favorite!
Ingredients In Lemon Curd Cookies
Cookie Base
- Unsalted Butter: Provides the base for the cookies, making them rich and tender.
- White Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cookies and, when rolled in it, gives them a nice texture.
- Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract: Adds flavor and enhances the other ingredients.
- Cornstarch: Helps create a tender texture in the cookies.
- White All-Purpose Flour: The main structure for the cookies, giving them form and texture.
- Lemon Curd: Adds a tangy, lemony center to each cookie.
Glaze
- Powdered Sugar: Provides sweetness and forms the base of the glaze.
- Milk: Thins the glaze to the right consistency.
- Salt: Like in the cookie dough, it balances the sweetness of the glaze.
How To Make Lemon Curd Cookies
- Prepare Lemon Curd: If homemade, do this at least a day in advance.
- Mix Dough: Beat room-temperature butter and sugar until creamy. Add vanilla, cornstarch, and salt; mix. Gradually add flour and combine without overmixing.
- Shape and Chill Cookies: Form dough into 1-tablespoon balls, roll in granulated sugar, and make an indent in the center. Chill on a lined baking sheet for 1 hour in the fridge or 30 minutes in the freezer.
- Fill with Lemon Curd: Add chilled lemon curd to the indents and chill the cookies for another 10 minutes.
- Bake: At 350°F for 8-10 minutes until slightly golden.
- Cool and Glaze: Let cookies cool. Mix glaze ingredients and drizzle over cookies.
Storage
- Freeze Dough Balls: Form the dough with thumbprints and freeze on a sheet pan, then transfer to an airtight container or bag. They’ll last 3-6 months in the freezer. We do the same in these Thumbprint Cookies.
- Baking from Frozen: Place frozen dough directly from freezer onto a baking sheet, add lemon curd, and bake with a few extra minutes added to the usual time.
- Post-Baking Freshness: Baked cookies are best enjoyed within 3-4 days, stored properly in an airtight container.
Tips For Success
- Chill the Dough: Chill before baking to enhance flavors, like marinating meat. Shape the cookies while the dough is soft for easier handling and less cracking.
- Chill Again After Filling: Once filled with lemon curd, chill for another 5-10 minutes for firm cookies.
- Beat Butter and Sugar Well: This step adds air, creating a light texture. Ensure they’re thoroughly combined.
- Prepare Lemon Curd Early: Make the curd at least a day ahead for proper thickening. It can be prepared 3-4 days in advance. Use extra lemon curd in these crepes.
- Avoid Overfilling: Too much lemon curd can cause spilling and mess during baking. Fill just right.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Toffee Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Edible Cookie Dough
- Pistachio Cookies
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.
Looks like a great recipe, and am excited to make them! But cookie instructions call for 3/4 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup white sugar. Is this a mistake?
No, sorry for the confusion; 3/4 goes in the cookies and the 1/2 cup is what you roll the cookie dough in after it’s made! Enjoy!
So I am attempting a different spin on this recipe, I wanted to try a raspberry curd instead, would I still put the curd into the cookie prior to baking or can I do it after? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with your lemon curd, I just wanted to try something new!!
I think that would work beautifully! I’d add it before baking
I’ve made them twice.
They taste great but the cookie dough spreads out (almost melts away from the lemon curd. The cookies look like sunny side up eggs.
My cookies look exactly like your photos until they’re baked.
Hi Chelsea, the first time I made these cookies they were perfect! The second time round however they fell apart, what could I have done wrong?
Delicious recipe by the way, they were a huge hit with the family!
After filling and baking, can these be frozen?
Yes, I wouldn’t freeze them with the glaze though! Enjoy!
Thankyou for the recipe.
You’re welcome! 🙂
Great buttery cookie with a hint of lemon. Will make again adding lemon zest and/or lemon juice to dough as I would prefer an even more lemon flavor.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these Lemon Curd Cookies! Thanks so much for your comment Nichole! 🙂
Love this recipe! Thank you
So happy you loved these Lemon Curd Cookies! Thanks for your comment Tammy! 🙂
Hi Chelsea,
I just made your recipe for your Lemon Curd Cookies today. I have never been a lemon cookie fan, but I am now. They absolutely melt in your mouth. I was short on time, so I bought the lemon curd. I plan on making these again, so I will try the homemade curd next time. Thanks so much for sharing.
Yay!! So thrilled to hear that; thank you Patti! Glad you enjoyed!
Can purchased lemon curd be used instead of homemade?
Sure! 🙂