These one-bowl lavender lemon shortbread cookies are prepped in just 10 minutes without a mixer! Floral dried lavender + zingy lemon zest create super flavorful, chewy cookie bars.
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Lavender Lemon Shortbread = Summer in Cookie Form
I've been playing around with different versions of my classic German butter cookies for several years, but I recently realized that I had yet to share a shortbread recipe! This one is based on German shortbread cookies called Heidesand, and they're made with lots of butter, but no eggs or baking powder. And I'm not gonna lie, I had to test & tweak this lavender lemon cookie recipe five times before it was perfected & foolproof to share with all my baking besties! The final result is shortbread bars that are crispy on the outside & chewy on the inside. And their rectangular shape makes them perfect for dunking into a cozy mug of tea or coffee.
And I miiiiight just be obsessed with the combo of zingy lemon + floral lavender. It's such a beautiful, sophisticated flavor that I also enjoy in my glazed lemon lavender scones and lemon lavender coffee cake. P.S. - you can use that lemon glaze to decorate these lavender lemon shortbread bars too!
Growing up in Germany, I was introduced to the German version of shortbread, which is often made with brown butter for a richer flavor. I opted not to take that extra step in this recipe, because I wanted to make it as quick & easy as possible. However, feel free to brown your butter or even simmer it on the stove with your lavender buds to create floral-infused butter, like I do for my chocolate lavender layer cake.
Ingredients Needed: lavender, lemon zest, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, salt, flour, and cornstarch.
Welcome to My Kitchen! Let's Bake this Recipe
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Grind the lavender buds, lemon zest, and sugar.
2. Mix the sugar, lavender, lemon zest, and butter.
3. Mix in the vanilla extract and salt.
5. Press the dough into an 8x8 dish, refrigerate, then bake.
4. Gently mix the flour and cornstarch.
6. Slice into 12 rectangles, cool until it's firm, then enjoy!
Baking with Lavender
I usually pick lavender from my garden & dry it before baking with it. However, you can use fresh lavender - just double or triple the quantity since it's a little less potent.
And make sure you use culinary grade lavender or pick lavender that hasn't been sprayed with pesticides, so it's safe to eat!
Alternative Shortbread Method: Circle Cookies
1. Follow the same steps to make a crumbly dough that holds its shape when squeezed in your hand.
3. Slice the firm dough log into ½ inch rounds.
2. Press the dough into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least one hour.
4. Arrange on a baking sheet & bake for 10 minutes.
Baking Tips for Shortbread Perfection
- No Food Processor? If you don’t have a food processor or coffee grinder, you can rub the lavender and lemon zest with the sugar for one minute with your hands.
- No Mixer? I tested this cookie dough initially by beating the butter & sugar with a hand mixer, but it caused too much air to be whipped into the dough, which can results in spread-out, flat shortbread cookies. So leave the mixer alone and just grab a big spoon!
- Gently Mix: We want to create as little gluten as possible to achieve that drool-worthy, melt-in-your-mouth texture, so be careful not to overmix your dough.
- Chill Out: Take the hour to refrigerate your cookie dough so the butter gets cold and solid before it goes into the oven. Even though we're baking it in a dish, this chilling step prevents greasy, overly browned edges. And it allows the flour to hydrate so we get a super tender, crumbly texture.
Recipe Testing Notes
At first, I tried making ¼-inch rounds but they were too thin, so they spread out and got crispy around the edges. Then I sliced them into ½ inch rounds which worked better, but there was too much sugar & not enough flour in the dough. Then they were almost perfect after adjusting the ingredients, but they still had a tendency to splay out. Finally I switched to rectangular cookies baked in a baking dish, to ensure even edges!
Easy Lavender Lemon Shortbread Cookie Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon dried lavender buds (or 2-3 Tablespoons fresh lavender)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (from one whole medium lemon)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 16 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (2 sticks)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Grease an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, pulse the lavender buds, lemon zest, and sugar 10 times.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar, lavender, lemon zest, and softened butter with a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula until it’s light and creamy.Mix in the vanilla extract and salt until it’s well combined.
- Add the flour and cornstarch and gently mix just until it forms a really crumbly mixture. It should be able to hold its shape when you squeeze some in the palm of your hand.
- Dump the dough into your prepared baking dish. Press the dough firmly in an even layer with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a drinking glass. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.Bake the cookies for 22 to 28 minutes until the edges turn golden. Allow it to cool for 30 minutes, then slice it into 12 even rectangles while it’s still slightly warm. You can eat them right away, but I recommend waiting for the cookies to cool for another 30 minutes until they firm up a bit more.
Ahmed
I like lavender recipes so I tried this one too - it was very tasty
Carissa Erzen
Thanks! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.