Vegan Lemon Shortbread Cookies

These dairy-free lemon shortbread cookies are a melt-in-your-mouth classic treat with a sweet and tangy lemon glaze. They are tasty and addictive!

Course Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American, British

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 25

Total Time 1

Servings cookies

Calories 176

1 ½ cups (175 g) unbleached all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting (spooned and leveled)
4 tablespoons (60 g) granulated cane sugar or caster sugar
½ cup (60 g) cornstarch or white rice flour
½ cup (113 g) vegan butter or margarine (not unsalted) I used Country Crock Plant Butter Stick
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest packed teaspoon, finely grated

Set the oven racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325°F / 160°C.
Sift the flour, sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl.
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, ½ cup cornstarch, 4 tablespoons granulated cane sugar
Rub in the butter using a pastry blender or your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
½ cup vegan butter or margarine (not unsalted)
Mix in the zest with a fork, then stir in the lemon juice.
1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Gently knead the dough with your hands and form a firm ball. If it’s too crumbly to hold together, add up to 2 teaspoons more lemon juice. The dough should not be wet or sticky. Flatten into a disk.
Lightly flour a clean work surface or two sheets of parchment paper to roll out the dough.
Roll out the dough to about ¼ inch (5mm) thick. If you’re using a work surface, be sure to lightly dust the rolling pin and the dough with flour before rolling.
Lightly flour a 7cm ( 2 ¾-inch) round cookie cutter. Mark then cut out 12 circles in the dough. You can re-roll the dough once more to get enough.
Arrange the circles on a tray lined with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are pale in colour.

Mix the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add a few teaspoons more liquid if needed for a thinner consistency. Stir in the zest.
½ cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
Brush the cookies with the glaze as soon as they are removed from the oven.
Allow them to cool completely on the tray. The glaze will become transparent.

Lemon can be substituted with orange juice and zest.
Re-rolling the dough too many times may result in tough cookies. Try not to re-roll it more than once.
The cookies can be cut into any desired shape! Use any cookie cutters you wish, and be sure to adjust cooking time if your cookie cutter has a more slender design.
You can also roll the dough into a log then cut off round slices. Chill the dough for easier slicing if needed.
Try my Vegan Lemon Frosting for a thicker icing option. Apply it to the cookies after they are fully cooled.