About the Recipe
Let’s bake something fun today—Lemon Raspberry Shortbread Cookies! They’re buttery, a little crumbly, and have just the right mix of tangy lemon and sweet raspberry. If you’re into that balance of tart and sweet, you’re gonna love these.
And if you want to take them up a notch, you can add royal icing on top. It’s smooth, sweet, and makes the flavors pop even more. Plus, it gives the cookies a little extra crunch once it sets. If you’ve never worked with royal icing before, don’t worry—it’s just powdered sugar, a bit of water, and meringue powder (or egg whites). It hardens up nicely, which is why it’s great for decorating.
These cookies are super easy to make, fun to decorate, and honestly, they just taste amazing. So, let’s get baking!
Tangy & Sweet Flavor – The mix of bright lemon zest and sweet raspberry gives these cookies a fresh, fruity flavor without being overpowering.
Buttery, Crumbly Texture – Classic shortbread vibes! They’re rich, melt-in-your-mouth, and have just the right amount of crispness on the edges.
Decorate or Keep Them Simple – These cookies are delicious on their own, but if you want to dress them up, royal icing adds a fun touch and a little crunch.
Make-Ahead Friendly – The dough can be made in advance, and the cookies store well, so you can bake ahead and decorate later.
Customizable – You can switch up the flavors, use different cookie cutters, or add food coloring to the icing for a fun twist.
What You'll Love
1. Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes! Wrap it up and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling it out.
2. Can I freeze the cookies? Definitely! Baked (but undecorated) cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just let them thaw at room temp before adding icing.
3. Can I skip the royal icing? Absolutely! The cookies are delicious on their own, but if you want a little extra sweetness and decoration, the icing is a great addition.
4. What if I don’t have meringue powder for the royal icing? You can swap it for 2 pasteurized egg whites. Just whip them with the powdered sugar and water until stiff peaks form.
5. Why do my cookies spread in the oven? Make sure your dough is cold before baking! Chilling the cut-out shapes for 15 minutes before baking helps them keep their shape.
6. How do I know when the cookies are done? They should be lightly golden on the edges but still pale on top. Shortbread firms up as it cools, so don’t overbake!
7. Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh? Fresh lemon zest is what really brings out the flavor, so I’d stick with fresh if possible.
8. How long does the royal icing take to dry? It depends on the humidity, but give it 6-8 hours to fully set. If you’re in a hurry, a fan can help speed things up.
9. Can I use raspberry extract instead of raspberry juice? Yes, but go easy! Raspberry extract is super concentrated, so just a drop or two will do the trick.
10. Can I make these gluten-free? Yes! Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour and add a teaspoon of xanthan gum if your mix doesn’t already have it. The texture might be slightly different, but they’ll still taste great.
Frequently asked Questions
Ingredients
Cookies:
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar + 1 tablespoon
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Rind of 1 Lemon
1 cup Raspberries (fresh or frozen)
Royal Icing:
2 1/2 cups Icing Sugar
3 tablespoons Meringue Powder
1/3 cup Warm Water
Food Coloring
Preparation
I love these cookies. With or without icing, they are simple and delicious.
In a large bowl, start by sifting together your flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, with the help of a hand mixer, mix together your softened butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Blend until smooth. Add in eggs one at a time and vanilla. Mix until you have a light creamy texture (1-2 minutes).
With the help of a rubber spatula, fold in the lemon rind. When you have your dough mixture, in a small saucepan, heat up your raspberries and 1 tablespoon of sugar on medium heat. Heat and stir until the raspberries soften. With the help of the back of a spoon press the raspberries down to extract the juice and turn the raspberries into pulp.
Remove the raspberry mixture from the heat and let cool for approximately 5 minutes. Next, over a small bowl, use a wire sieve to extract the juice from the pulp and seeds. Pour 3-4 tablespoons of raspberry syrup over the prepared dough.
Use your hands to kneed the juice into the dough. I like to only incorporate it lightly, leaving streaks throughout. You can also incorporate it entirely if you wish, which will leave you with a dough that is lightly tinted.
Wrap your dough in cling wrap and place it in the fridge for a minimum of 45 minutes. You can also leave it overnight if you are making this dough ahead of time. You want the dough to be cooled and to have a more solid form before rolling it out to make your cookies.
When the dough has cooled and is ready to be worked with. Roll it out with a rolling pin on a well floured work surface. Keep the dough 4-5mm thick and stamp out your desired shapes with cookie cutters. Any leftover dough can be kneeded together and rolled out again. Just keep in mind that the more you roll and kneed, the more the raspberry will blend and get incorporated into the rest of the dough. Continue until you have no more dough left.
Preheat your oven to 325F.
Place your cut out cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
Let cool on a wire baking rack. These cookies can now be enjoyed as is or you can decorate them with royal icing if you so desire.
Make sure that the cookies are completely cool before doing so, or the icing will melt and run.
To make the royal icing, whisk together the icing sugar, meringue powder and water until you have a thick runny consistency. You want it thick enough that it will hold it's shape but runny enough to push through a piping bag without too much effort. Once you have the proper consistency, you can add food coloring. Mix until you have a smooth glossy icing.
To make the hearts, I first outlined a thin line of the icing around the perimeter of the cookie (like a frame that will hold the rest of the icing). Then I filled the heart in. Use a toothpick or needle to blend in any bubbles or bumps that might appear. To make the smaller heart pattern, I made little polka dots in a contrasting color and used a toothpick to pull the icing through the center of the circle which makes it into a whispy heart shape.
Have fun with decorating. There are loads of tutorials online if you want to get inspired.
Once decorated, let the icing dry for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight.
Hope you enjoy making these cookies as much as I do!
