Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Lemon poppy seed cookies are a super easy shortbread recipe! They bake into buttery, melt in your mouth cookies; with a lightly sweet and subtle lemon flavor and a poppy seed crunch. Perfect for entertaining, Mother's Day, Easter or an afternoon tea party.

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Spring is my second favorite season {behind summer}, but the weather in the PNW never quite cooperates with the sunshine and warmth that I think it should bring. Which for some reason always has me craving lemon desserts. From Mom's lemon bars to lemon cut out sugar cookies, lemon pistachio biscotti or lemon donuts, I eat all the lemon things to help me pretend that it's sunnier outside than it really is.

This delish, buttery shortbread cookie recipe fills the season perfectly. The lemon poppy seed cookies are not-too-sweet and have a nice little lemon punch to them. And the best part is they come together quickly and easily!

why you will love these shortbread lemon cookies

• Quick and easy ~ about 10 minutes of prep time.
• Short chill time ~ the dough rests in the refrigerator while the oven preheats.
• They are buttery, rich and crumbly with a touch of lemon and the crunch of poppy seeds.
• Lemon poppy seed cookies freeze well if you want to make them ahead of time.

ingredients needed

• Unsalted butter ~ the butter is a key ingredient so this is a great time to splurge on a quality butter such as Plugrá or Kerrygold. If you only have salted butter, leave out the kosher salt.
• Granulated sugar ~ brings some sweetness to the cookies.
• Confectioners' sugar ~ adds softness to the final baked cookies. If you don't have confectioners' sugar you can use granulated sugar in it's place.
• Lemon zest ~ an average lemon should yield about a tablespoon of zest. If you like lots of lemon flavor, feel free to increase the amount of zest. This is the Microplane zester I use and love.
• Lemon juice ~ an average lemon yields about 3 tablespoons of juice, so you will have more than enough from one lemon. Be sure to zest the lemon prior to juicing it! {This is the lemon juicer I use}
• Kosher salt ~ just a touch to balance the flavors.
• All-purpose flour ~ provides structure to the lemon cookies.
• Poppy seeds ~ for the poppy seed crunch! If you have access to buying poppy seeds in the bulk section of your grocery market it tends to be the least expensive way to buy them.

how to make quick and easy lemon cookies

Start by beating the butter, granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar and lemon zest until it all comes together.  Add the lemon juice and mix until combined. You can use a hand held mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.

Then scrape up and down the bowl and add the all-purpose flour and poppy seeds and mix on low just until the dough comes together.

Place the dough on a sheet of parchment paper {cut to fit your baking pan} and form a rough ball.  Very lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and roll out to ¼ inch thick.  Cut the dough into the desired size cookies and place in the refrigerator to chill while the oven preheats.  {I use a sharp knife to make the rectangular bars, but a cookie cutter will also work.}

tips for making the best shortbread cookies

• Use a high quality butter for the best flavor.
• Make sure the butter is room temperature, which is colder than you think! It should be cool to the touch and not greasy or melty. If you want to measure the temperature it should be about 65°F.
• Don't over cream the butter with the other ingredients; same goes for adding the flour and poppy seeds. Just mix until everything is incorporated for the best buttery and crumbly texture.
• Roll the dough once it's mixed, then chill it while the oven preheats.
• If you want the slightly fluted edges seen in the baked cookies; use a pastry wheel along two of the cut edges of the cookies after they have chilled.
• Bake until the edges are just lightly brown.

shortbread cookies vs sugar cookies

The two cookie types can often look the same, but shortbread cookies are made with no eggs or leavening agents and tend to be less sweet with a more buttery flavor. Sugar cookies typically have eggs, a leavening agent and more sugar; making them softer and sweeter.

other flavor ideas

You can use orange zest and orange juice to make orange poppy seed cookies; just replace the lemon with orange.

You can also omit the lemon or the poppy seeds to have traditional butter shortbread.

If you are feeling adventurous, take the baked lemon poppy seed cookies and dip one end in chocolate! I know it sounds strange, but lemon and chocolate {dark chocolate specifically} taste amazing together!

Remember to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram if you make these Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

more shortbread desserts to try

• Caramel and Brown Sugar Shortbread
• Coconut Jam Thumbprint Cookies
• Shortbread Peppermint Bark
• Dark Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating.  I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!