Lime Shortbread Cookies
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These Lime Shortbread Cookies are made with fresh lime juice and zest! They’re tangy, buttery and perfect for summer!
Not only are these Lime Shortbread Cookies flavored with fresh lime juice and zest but they’re also topped with a tangy lime glaze! They’re crisp yet still tender and crumbly and their bright citrus flavor makes them perfect for summer! If you love shortbread try my Matcha Shortbread Cookies, Strawberry Shortbread Cookies or Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies!
More Citrus Recipes You’ll Love
- Lemon Blueberry Cookies
- Orange Donuts
- Lemon Sweet Rolls
- Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
Ingredient Breakdown
All-purpose flour – this gives the cookies structure.
Butter – provides flavor and structure. I always recommend using unsalted butter but salted butter works if that’s all you have on hand, just be sure to omit the 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Do not use cold or melted butter.
Granulated sugar – sweetens cookies.
Lime zest – adds extra lime flavor by rubbing zest and sugar together until it looks like wet sand. This releases lime oil from the zest.
Vanilla extract and salt – enhances flavor. Always use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation for best flavor.
Lime juice – gives the cookies their lime flavor. Always use fresh lime juice!
How To Make Lime Shortbread Cookies
1. Make the Lime Shortbread: in a small bowl whisk all-purpose flour and salt. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl rub together granulated sugar and lime zest until it looks like wet sand. Add the softened butter then cream until light and fluffy. Add the lime juice and vanilla extract.
3. Add the dry ingredients all at once then mix on low speed until just combined.
4. Divide dough in half then shape into flat discs. Wrap each tightly with plastic wrap then refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
5. On a floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies and place on a baking sheet then freeze for at least 5 minutes.
6. Bake cookies at 325°F for 12 minutes or until the edges begin to lightly brown then allow to cool completely (my cookies were 2 inches but you may have to adjust the baking time if your cookies are smaller/larger). Repeat with the second disc of dough. You can reroll the dough scraps up to 2 more times.
7. Make the Lime Glaze: in a small bowl whisk the confectioners’ sugar and lime juice until smooth. Immediately decorate cooled cookies and top with lime zest. Store Lime Shortbread Cookies in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature.
Pro Tips For Lime Shortbread Cookies
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Don’t over mix the dough! Only mix until the dry ingredients are just combined. Over mixing = more gluten development which means tough cookies. We don’t want any tough cookies here!
- Bake one tray at a time on the middle oven rack. This ensures that there is even heat circulation.
- Keep the shortbread cookie dough cold! If you put warm cookies in the oven they will spread so I recommend freezing the cookies for a few minutes before baking them.
- Wait until the cookies are COMPLETELY COOLED before decorating with the lime glaze otherwise it will melt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Make Shortbread Cookie Dough In Advance?
Yes! Once you make this shortbread cookie dough you can either refrigerate it for up to 3 days wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or freeze it for up to 3 months wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in a zip-top bag.
Why do you have to chill shortbread cookie dough?
You need to chill shortbread cookie dough in order to make the dough easy to work with and to prevent your cookies from spreading too much. If you’re dough is warm then it will become sticky and difficult to handle. I recommend chilling your dough for at least 1 hours before rolling it out and chilling your cookies in the fridge or freezer right before baking them.
Why Is Shortbread called Shortbread?
Shortbread gets its name from its crumbly texture which is a result of the dough’s high fat content. The traditional ratio for shortbread is 1:2:3 (one part sugar to two parts butter to three parts flour).
What’s the difference between sugar cookies And Shortbread?
Unlike sugar cookies, shortbread is made without eggs or any leavening agents. Shortbread also has a more crumbly texture as a result of the dough’s high fat content. If you’re looking for sugar cookie recipes try my Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies or Sugar Cookies with Hershey Kisses.
My Favorite Cookie Tools
- Kitchen scale I love this scale, I’ve been using it for years!
- Stand Mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- French rolling pin gives you more control than rolling pins with handles.
- Dough measuring strips for these Lime Shortbread Cookies I used the blue strips which are 1/4 inch thick.
- Circle cookie cutter this is my all time favorite circle cookie cutter set! I used the 2-inch cutter for these shortbread cookies.
If you try this recipe then please leave a rating/comment below to let me know how you liked it and feel free to ask any recipe questions you may have! 🙂
Lime Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- 2-inch cookie cutter
Ingredients
Lime Shortbread
- 300 g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 226 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- zest of 1 lime
- 15 g (1 tbsp) lime juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Lime Glaze
- 60 g (1/2 cup) confectioners' sugar
- 15 g (1 tbsp) lime juice
Instructions
Lime Shortbread
- In a small bowl whisk all-purpose flour and salt. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl rub together granulated sugar and lime zest until it looks like wet sand. Add the softened butter then cream until light and fluffy. Add the lime juice and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients all at once then mix on low speed until just combined.
- Divide dough in half then shape into flat discs. Wrap each tightly with plastic wrap then refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- On a floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies and place on a baking sheet then freeze for at least 5 minutes.
- Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until the edges begin to lightly brown then allow to cool completely (my cookies were 2 inches but you may have to adjust the baking time if your cookies are smaller/larger). Repeat with the second disc of dough. You can reroll the dough scraps up to 2 more times.
Lime Glaze
- In a small bowl whisk the confectioners' sugar and lime juice until smooth. Immediately decorate cooled cookies and top with lime zest.
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter. You can use salted butter, just be sure to omit the 1/2 tsp salt.
- Store Lime Shortbread Cookies in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature.
- Lime shortbread dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in a zip-top bag can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling and baking.
