- ⅓ cup (75g) unsalted vegan butter , at room temperature
- 2 tbsp (15g) icing sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¾ tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp poppy seeds
- ½ cup + 3 tbsp (85g) all-purpose flour
- Pinch of sea salt

Lemon Poppy Seed Shortbread Cookies
Delicate, thin, lemony, and rich, these shortbread cookies are a treat anytime of the year, especially during Christmas cookie season!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (75g) unsalted vegan butter , at room temperature
- 2 tbsp (15g) icing sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¾ tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp poppy seeds
- ½ cup + 3 tbsp (85g) all-purpose flour
- Pinch of sea salt
Recipe
- Step 1
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy using a hand mixer.
- Step 2
Add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppy seeds. Incorporate with the mixer.
- Step 3
Sift the flour directly into the bowl. Add the salt and fold into the butter mixture until no dry white flour streaks remain.
- Step 4
Spoon the mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Cover and form into a ball. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Step 5
Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 6
Generously flour a clean work surface and divide the dough into 2 pieces.
- Step 7
Flour your rolling pin and roll out one of the pieces of dough into a circle 2-3mm thick. Cut out cookies using your favorite cookie cutter and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Step 8
If you notice that the dough is sticking to your surface or your rolling pin, don't hesitate to add flour to your work surface and/or flour your rolling pin.
- Step 9
Gather all the dough scraps together, form a ball, roll out once again, and cut out as many cookies as possible. Repeat until you have very little scaps left. Set aside.
- Step 10
Repeat the rolling process with the untouched half of dough and finally with all the scraps together.
- Step 11
Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes or until starting to turn golden. Remove from the oven. Leave on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer onto a cooling rack until completely cool.
- Step 12
Transfer to an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to a week.
Common Questions & Swaps
- Can I use granulated sugar instead of the icing sugar? I would not suggest it. The icing sugar makes these cookies nice and light.
- Is there a replacement for the vegan butter? Yes, you can use refined (to avoid the coconutty flavor) coconut oil.
- Because these shortbreads are very lightly sweetened, I would suggest against using salted butter as it would really overpower the subtle sweetness of these cookies.
- Can I replace the all-purpose flour with another kind of flour? I have not tested any other flour so I would stick with AP.
- Feel free to omit the poppy seeds if you don't like them.





