Rosemary lemon shortbread cookies are rich and buttery, with citrus notes from lemon and herby-ness from aromatic rosemary. Soft and tender with a slightly crisp exterior, they are perfect for the holidays, or an anytime snack with afternoon tea. You can even make them ahead of time and chill or freeze for baking later.
Shortbread is the perfect foil for almost any flavor due the buttery richness of the cookie [see: cardamom shortbread cookies]. Herbs in particular can cut through that richness while adding beautiful aromatics to baked goods.
Rosemary is a fantastic pairing for lemon shortbread biscuits: fresh citrus brightens up the cookies while rosemary gives them an earthy, herb-forward flavor that rounds out the overall flavor.
Aromatic rosemary lemon shortbread cookies make a great holiday gift or anytime treat to pair with your afternoon coffee or tea. And your kitchen will smell incredible when they are baking in the oven.
For more rosemary recipes, try chocolate pecan bark with rosemary and sourdough discard focaccia with rosemary).
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⭐️ Why These Cookies Are The Best
- Bright citrus and herbal rosemary are a perfect shortbread pairing
- Soft and tender rosemary shortbread cookies with a slightly crisp exterior
- 7 simple ingredients
- Enjoy with afternoon tea or coffee, or as an addition to your holiday cookie platter, along with chewy old fashioned ginger snap cookies, old fashioned peanut butter balls, and chocolate chip coconut macaroons.
- With "Make ahead and bake later" instructions
- Use cookie cutters to make fun holiday shapes
- Freezer-friendly recipe
🍋 Ingredient Notes
- Lemon zest - The oils in the zest are what gives these cookies that bright lemon flavor. Try it in my blueberry lemon ricotta pound cake!
- Fresh rosemary - I recommend using fresh rosemary. However, you can use 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary if you don't have fresh on hand.
- Egg white - Brushing your cookies with egg white will give them a beautiful sheen and helps the sugar adhere.
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Herbs. Use your favorite herb in place of rosemary. Basil, thyme, and cardamom would all be delicious.
- Holiday cookie cutters. Use your favorite cookie cutters to make fun holiday shapes. Simply roll out chilled dough to a little less than ½-inch thickness, and use your cookie cutters to cut desired shapes.
- Citrus. Substitute lemon zest with fresh orange zest.
- Healthier. Make slightly healthier cookies by substituting up to ¼ cup of whole-wheat flour.
🔪 How To Make Rosemary Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Combine first 5 ingredients in food processor. Add butter; pulse until moist clumps form.
Transfer dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and form into a log. Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut ¼"-sized discs from log and place on baking sheet. Using a pastry brush or back of a spoon, lightly brush each cookie with a slightly beaten egg white.
Sprinkle lightly with sugar.
Bake cookies until barely golden, about 10-12 minutes. Cool pan on rack for 5 minutes. Carefully remove cookies onto rack with a spatula. Cool completely.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Make sure your butter is cold. Room temperature butter will cause your rosemary lemon cookies to spread and flatten out when baking.
- When zesting your lemons, be sure to avoid the white pith. You only want the yellow zest. The pith tastes bitter and will add bitterness to your cookies.
- Make ahead: After rolling your dough into a log, you can place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or in the freezer for up to one month. When ready to bake, thaw dough in the refrigerator and slice and bake according to recipe instructions below.
- Don't overbake. Your cookies should not brown in the oven, but stay lighter in color.
- Chill that dough. Chilling your dough helps to firm up the butter and retain some structure, and it will prevent your cookies from spreading too thin when baking.
- How to store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- How to freeze: Store your completely cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
While both are delicious, shortbread is much denser and richer due to the amount of butter. Sugar cookies are lighter and firmer, and they contain leavener to help the cookies rise.
Whereas English shortbread traditionally uses butter, Scottish shortbread may use vegetable shortening, or a combination of butter and vegetable shortening, giving the cookies a crispier texture.
Yes, make sure your butter is cold when making shortbread. Room temperature butter will cause your cookies to spread and flatten out when baking.
Although they can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week, I recommend refrigerating shortbread cookies due to their high butter content.
🍪 Related Recipes
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Rosemary Lemon Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 Tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Combine first 5 ingredients in food processor. Add butter; pulse until moist clumps form.
- Transfer dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and form into a log. Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut ¼"-sized discs from log and place on baking sheet. Using a pastry brush or back of a spoon, lightly brush each cookie with a slightly beaten egg white. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.
- Bake cookies until light golden, about 10-12 minutes. Cool pan on rack for 5 minutes. Carefully remove cookies onto rack with a spatula. Cool completely.
Notes
- Make sure your butter is cold. Room temperature butter will cause your rosemary lemon cookies to spread and flatten out when baking.
- When zesting your lemons, be sure to avoid the white pith. You only want the yellow zest. The pith tastes bitter and will add bitterness to your cookies.
- Make ahead: After rolling your dough into a log, you can place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or in the freezer for up to one month. When ready to bake, thaw dough in the refrigerator and slice and bake according to recipe instructions below.
- Don't overbake. Your cookies should not brown in the oven, but stay lighter in color.
- Chill that dough. Chilling your dough helps to firm up the butter and retain some structure, and it will prevent your cookies from spreading too thin when baking.
- How to store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- How to freeze: Store your completely cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Sarah Baumeister
The rosemary adds a little "something" to the lemon flavor. Loved it.
Gastronotherapy
So glad you loved them, Sarah!
Jill
These were delicious. The rosemary really added a nice touch!
Andrea
Wow, rosemary and lemon are a perfect combination of flavors for shortbread cookies. Yummy!
Gastronotherapy
I agree, Andrea! They both complement the buttery richness of shortbread!
Biana
Wow! I love rosemary and lemon combination, but never used them in cookies. Your cookies sound amazing.
Cookilicious
We loved this recipe! The cookies turned out perfect! Thank you.
Gastronotherapy
hooray! you are welcome!
Theresa
These cookies are dangerous! So rich and buttery and I wasn't sure if I would like the amount of rosemary, but it was absolutely perfect with the lemon. Can't wait to make them again for the holidays!
MaryAnne
Haha, thanks Theresa! I also love the amount of rosemary with the lemon. So happy they were a hit with you!