This recipe Sugar Free Lemon Shortbread Cookies is full of buttery lemon goodness!
Made with lemon juice and no added sugar, these cookies are buttery, tender, and crisp, making them perfect for enjoying with a glass of sugar free lemonade or for sharing with others.
What you will read about in this recipe.
What makes Lemon Shortbread Cookies so good?
Lemon Shortbread Cookies are good because they have the perfect combination of buttery crisp cookies with a bright and citrusy accent for that mouthwatering tendery and crumbly goodness expected from a good shortbread cookie.
I like that these no added sugar cookies have a nice balance of sweet and tangy flavors in a classic popular cookie.
Have you tried my recipe for Sugar Free Lemon Sandwich Cookies?
Made with two buttery lemon cookies with a creamy lemon-flavored filling between them, those cookies have a nice balance of flavors and texture in every bite. Both these shortbread cookies and those sandwich cookies are great tasting no added sugar cookies that have a hint of lemon in them.
To make your cookies with the ribbed edges like mine you will need a fluted cookie cutter. You can find fluted cookie cutters here.
What you need to make Iced Lemon Shortbread Cookies.
Shortbread Cookies.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter that has been softened to room temperature.
- Sugar Alternative Select a granular sugar alternative that measures like sugar and that can be baked with.
- Vanilla Extract. Gives the cookies a nice flavor that helps enhance the lemony flavor.
- Lemon Juice. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Salt. Just a small amount for a bit of balance. If you are using salted butter you can skip this.
- Egg Yolk. At room temperature. Egg yolk adds a richer flavor to the cookies.
- Flour. Regular all purpose flour.
Icing.
- Sugar Free Powdered Sugar (sifted)
- Lemon Juice. Adjusted as needed for consistency.
- Lemon Zest. For more lemony flavor.
How to make Sugar Free Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Prep Time: 40 minutes .
- Bake Time: 10 minutes .
- Servings: 30 small shortbread cookies .
- How to Serve:. As is with coffee, tea, milk, or lemonade.
- Notes: You will need a mixing bowl for the cookies and for the icing, rubber spatula or similar item, baking sheet, rolling pin, and cookie cutter. Also, it is best to allow for chill time for the dough to prevent spreading while baking .
- Butter. Start by beating your butter until very creamy (this can take a couple of minutes). Then add the sugar alternative and lemon zest and mix until combined.
- Wet Ingredients. Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl and then add your vanilla, lemon juice, and salt, mixing until combined. Lastly, mix in your egg yolk.
- Flour. Scrape down the sides of your bowl and then set your mixer speed on low. Gradually add your flour and mix until just combined. Note that you may need to scrape down the sides and the bottom of your mixing bowl as the dough mixture will be fairly dry with the crumbs settling at the bottom of your mixing bowl. This step can also be done by hand using your rubber spatula.
- Chill. Place a large piece of plastic wrap on a flat work surface. Then transfer your dough to the center of the plastic wrap. Shape the cookie dough into a disc that is about an inch tall, cover it with the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350 and prep your baking sheet(s) for nonstick.
- Dough. Lightly dust a clean workspace with flour and then transfer your chilled cookie to to the workspace. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about a half inch thick. Use your cookie cutter to cut out the cookies and then place the cookies on to your prepare baking sheet, about an inch apart.
- Bake. Bake your cookies until set and are starting to turn golden brown on the bottom (about 8-10 minutes). Then let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a minute before transferring them to a cooling rack to fully cool.
- Icing. To make the icing, simply combine together the ingredients listed (powdered sugar alternative, lemon juice, and zest). You can make adjustments as needed for texture by adding additional lemon juice (or milk) or powdered sugar alternative. Then, use a spoon to top your cookies with the icing.
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Tips for making the best lemon shortbread cookies.
Using a cookie cutter to cut out your cookies ensures that the cookies will be the same size. This is important as the cookies need to meet up when making the sandwiches.
More helpful tips for you.
- When you roll out and cut out the the cookie dough, the dough may get sticky on the rolling pin and cookie cutter. Lightly dusting the rolling pin and cookie cutter with flour can help prevent the stickiness
- The cookie dough can be stored for up to a day refrigerated before making the cookies. If you refrigerate it overnight, let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes to help it loosen up enough to roll out.
- It is important that your cookies have fully cooled before adding the icing. Also, allow the icing to fully set before serving or storing.
How to store shortbread cookies with lemon.
Once the icing has fully set, shortbread cookies can be stored in an airtight container. When properly stored, shortbread cookies should keep for about three days at room temperature, up to a week when refrigerated, or up to a few months when frozen.
Serve this recipe with one of these tasty cookies ideas.
Print the recipe for Sugar Free Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Sugar Free Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
Shortbread Cookies.
- ½ cup Butter. --Softened
- ⅓ cup Sugar Alternative --Granular sugar alternative that measures like sugar and that can be baked with.
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice. --Freshly squeezed
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1¼ cup Flour.
Icing
- 1 cup Sugar Free Powdered Sugar --Sifted
- 2 ½ tbsp Lemon Juice. --Adjusted as needed for consistency
- ½ tsp Lemon Zest.
Instructions
- Butter. Start by beating your butter until very creamy (this can take a couple of minutes). Then add the sugar alternative and lemon zest and mix until combined.
- Wet Ingredients. Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl and then add your vanilla, lemon juice, and salt, mixing until combined. Lastly, mix in your egg yolk.
- Flour. Scrape down the sides of your bowl and then set your mixer speed on low. Gradually add your flour and mix until just combined. Note that you may need to scrape down the sides and the bottom of your mixing bowl as the dough mixture will be fairly dry with the crumbs settling at the bottom of your mixing bowl. This step can also be done by hand using your rubber spatula.
- Chill. Place a large piece of plastic wrap on a flat work surface. Then transfer your dough to the center of the plastic wrap. Shape the cookie dough into a disc that is about an inch tall, cover it with the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350 and prep your baking sheet(s) for nonstick.
- Dough. Lightly dust a clean workspace with flour and then transfer your chilled cookie to to the workspace. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about a half inch thick. Use your cookie cutter to cut out the cookies and then place the cookies on to your prepare baking sheet, about an inch apart.
- Bake. Bake your cookies until set and are starting to turn golden brown on the bottom (about 8-10 minutes). Then let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a minute before transferring them to a cooling rack to fully cool.
- Icing. To make the icing, simply combine together the ingredients listed (powdered sugar alternative, lemon juice, and zest). You can make adjustments as needed for texture by adding additional lemon juice (or milk) or powdered sugar alternative. Then, use a spoon to top your cookies with the icing.
Recipe Notes
Also, please see the actual recipe post for further details on this recipe. Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that are used. See thesugarfreediva.com for details on this recipe.
posted:
October 21, 2025*About Sugar Alternatives
Specific sugar alternatives are not given in the recipes presented on this site. Only suggestions are given as to the 'kind' of alternative to use. It is up to you to select the alternative to use that suits your needs best. If the recipe is heated or cooked, it is best to use an alternative that can be heated or cooked with for best results. This site does not endorse any specific ingredients,
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Nutrition
Please note: Nutritional data has been calculated using a tool that comes with this recipe card and not by me. This means that Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that you use. The accuracy of this tool may differ from other tools as expected. Also note that there is no instructional value to the video that may be attached to this recipe. It is only there for visual pleasure. For more information about the images in this recipe, please refer the the recipe instructions. Thank you!
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Sugar Free Lemon Shortbread Cookies, a delicious no added sugar recipe made for crisp buttery cookies topped with lemon icing.
Please see recipe post for further details on this recipe.
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