If you love melt in your mouth shortbread cookies, these Lemon Coconut Shortbread Cookies are a new flavor to add to the mix. They are light, crisp, and topped with a sweet glaze – packed with fresh lemon flavor, and a hint of shredded coconut for a nice tropical touch. You’ll love them with a cup of tea, as an afternoon treat, or just because.
I love combining lemon and coconut into one delicious cookie, and this shortbread cookie does that! It’s a twist on our Coconut Shortbread Biscuits, by adding some lemon zest, and lemon juice, and a delicious easy lemon icing on top! That makes these cookies so irresistible!
Why make this Recipe
- Fresh Flavor: The addition of lemon zest, and shredded coconut give these cookies such a fresh, sweet, tropical flavor that really compliments their buttery base.
- Melt in your Mouth Texture: These cookies are so buttery, and crumbly they practically melt in your mouth with every bite!
- Easy to Make: Just a few ingredients, and no difficult steps – the hardest part will be waiting for the dough to chill, and the cookies to bake.
- Great for Gifting – These make such a wonderful edible homemade gift. Package them up in a decorative tin, or box, or add them to your cookie trays.
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Lemon Coconut Shortbread Cookie Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- unsalted butter – or use salted butter and remove the added salt
- powdered sugar – also can be called confectioners’ sugar
- all purpose flour –the base of the cookies
- cornstarch – makes the cookie dough extra tender
- salt – balances out the sweetness
- vanilla extract – adds a nice flavor, try adding almond extract for a nice complimentary flavor, or coconut extract for an even stronger coconut flavor
- lemon zest – freshly zested this will add a bright, and fresh flavor to the cookies
- sweetened coconut flakes – You can toast the coconut before adding it to the dough for a nice slightly nutty flavor
- Powered Sugar – To make the glaze
- Milk – To make the glaze
- Lemon Juice – fresh squeezed for the best flavor
How to make Coconut Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar. Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl (the bowl of a stand mixer works great) and beat for a couple minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract and mix it into the mixture.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, cornstarch, salt, and lemon zest to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Add the coconut to the dough and carefully fold it into the mixture until evenly mixed.
Step 3: Shape into logs. Divide dough into two equal sections and form them each into a log about 8 inches long. The log shape can be square or a round shape on the edges. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill for at least two hours.
Step 4: Slice the Cookies. Cut each log into cookies about 1/2 inch thick with a sharp knife and place them on a lined baking sheet, with at least 2 inches between each cookie.
Step 5: Bake the cookies.Bake until the tops are set and the edges and bottom of the cookies are slightly golden brown. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the cookie tray, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Step 6: Glaze the Cookies. Mix together Powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk and whisk them together. Drizzle the glaze, or spoon it on top of each cookie. Sprinkle with lemon zest, or additional coconut if desired. Let the cookies sit until the glaze is set.
Tips and Tricks:
- Don’t Overmix – If you overmix the dough your cookies may be tough. After you add the dry ingredients, only mix until combined.
- Chill the Dough! – The dough needs to be chilled before baking to hold the shape of the cookies, and to enhance their texture and flavor.
- Try Lime – Instead of lemon zest and juice, try using fresh lime zest. It’ll give them an even more tropical flavor, and will be a fun slightly different flavor!
- Dip in white chocolate – For an extra decadent touch, dip half of each cookie in melted white chocolate, or drizzle it over the top.
Storage Instructions
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature once cooled for up to 1 week. You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. Thaw them at room temperature, then enjoy!
You can also freeze the cookie dough, by wrapping the log in plastic wrap and then in a ziplock bag. You can then thaw the dough in the fridge overnight, and slice it up and bake as directed.
These Lemon Coconut Shortbread Cookies are such a tasty combination of flavors. You’ll love them for a fresh holiday cookie, tea time treat, or because you need a little sunshine in the form of a cookie!
More Cookie Recipes
Lemon Coconut Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 TBS fresh lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
For the Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 TBS fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 TBS milk
- shredded coconut (optional garnish)
- lemon zest (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and beat them together for 2 to 3 minutes until creamy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl down as needed. 1 cup unsalted butter, 2/3 cup powdered sugar1 cup unsalted butter, 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- Add the lemon zest, and vanilla extract and mix it into the dough until combined. 1 TBS fresh lemon zest, 1 tsp vanilla extract1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt to the dough and mix it together just until combined. Mix with your hands if needed to mix in the last bits of the flour. 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch , 1/2 tsp salt1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- Pulse the cornstarch in a food processor to make the pieces smaller. Add the coconut and fold it into the dough until evenly mixed. 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- Separate the dough into 2 equal portions.
- Shape each section into a log, about 8inches long. The edges of the log can be round, or squared off.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, and place the logs into the fridge for 2 hours, up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove one log at a time and cut the dough into slices about 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick.
- Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned, and the tops are no longer shiny.
- Remove the cookies from the oven, and let them cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Lemon Glaze:
- Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk together in a small bowl. 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 TBS fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 TBS milk
- Drizzle the icing on top, or spoon it on top of the cookies.
- Garnish the cookies with shredded coconut, or lemon zest if desired. shredded coconut, lemon zest
- Let the cookies set until the icing is set, about 2 hours.
Notes
- Don’t Overmix – If you overmix the dough your cookies may be tough. After you add the dry ingredients, only mix until combined.
- Chill the Dough! – The dough needs to be chilled before baking to hold the shape of the cookies, and to enhance their texture and flavor.
- Try Lime – Instead of lemon zest and juice, try using fresh lime zest. It’ll give them an even more tropical flavor, and will be a fun slightly different flavor!
- Dip in white chocolate – For an extra decadent touch, dip half of each cookie in melted white chocolate, or drizzle it over the top.
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