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; don’t melt or soften it!
- Sugar: Sweetens the cookies and helps them color 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.
- 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.
- Use Leftover Lemon Curd: Spread on toast, use as a waffle or pancake topping, mix into yogurt, or serve with scones!
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
- Snickerdoodle Cookies readers’ favorite recipe!
- 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
Crisp edges, soft centers, and a burst of tangy lemon flavor—these Lemon Curd Cookies are a lemon lover’s dream!
Equipment
- Candy Thermometer for making the lemon curd
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Sheet pan
Ingredients
Cookies
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2-1/4 cups flour see note 1
- 1/2 cup prepared lemon curd see note 2
- 1/3 cup sugar for rolling the cookies in
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 drop almond extract optional
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Make lemon curd at least a day in advance. Chill for at least 8 hours (see note 2).
- Beat butter and 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until smooth and creamy. Mix in vanilla, cornstarch, and salt. Add flour and beat on low until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Avoid overmixing.
- Roll dough into 1-tablespoon-sized balls. Roll in 1/3 cup sugar, then press a small indent into the center of each ball. Arrange on a lined sheet pan, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour (or freeze for 30 minutes). Fill indents with chilled lemon curd (careful to not overfill at all), then refrigerate for 10 more minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies for 8–10 minutes, until edges are very lightly browned and tops are set.
- Cool cookies completely on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- Whisk together glaze ingredients in a bowl, adjusting cream/milk for desired thickness. Transfer to a plastic bag and cut off the tip. Drizzle over cookies and allow to set.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: For precise flour measurement, use a food scale (315 grams).
Note 2: Use store-bought lemon curd or make your own (homemade tastes better!). If making homemade, you’ll have leftovers—see blog for ideas on how to use them.
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Best enjoyed within 3–4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | 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.
Cookies taste lovely, but they cracked at the slightest pressure when making the indent for the filling.
Sounds like the dough was a little dry; most likely a little too much flour got packed in the measuring cup!
can you freeze these
I like freezing them before they’re baked best! Bake straight from the freezer!
These are melt in your mouth heaven! I had some curd to use up- glad I chose this recipe.
I am so thrilled to hear you loved these! Thanks Chris! 🙂
There are no eggs in the cookies? What binds them together?
Correct! These are buttery/shortbread style cookies 🙂
Could we use lemon pie filling instead of the curd?
I don’t see why that wouldn’t work! 🙂
Can I use almond milk in place of cream
No, it will be too thin!
Thank you! Great recipe, I added orange zest to the dough and used an orange curd – absolutely melt in your mouth deliciousness.
So thrilled you enjoyed these cookies! Thanks for the comment 🙂
I sent a comment my second batch spread and did not brown Now I know what happened two cookie sheets were stuck together other wise cookies were great I omitted the glaze as I thought they were sweet enough
Just made the lemon curd cookies 1st batch was great 2nd pan was runny and spread I think I should bake one batch at a time but they are delicious
Glad you were able to figure out what happened and enjoyed the 1st batch!
Absolutely delicious. Though the making of lemon curd was a little bit unclear, it turned out alright in the end!
Cookies were finished in a day!
Yay! SO thrilled you enjoyed these, thanks Wendy! And thanks for letting me know the lemon curd directions were unclear, do you mind sharing what was confusing so I can fix it for others? Thank you!!