This beautifully rich Lemon Lavender Shortbread is full of zesty lemon flavour with delicious subtle bursts of floral lavender in every bite. It literally melts in your mouth and has perfect shortbread "snappability"!
I was given the challenge of making shortbread as good as 'real butter' shortbread after I joked with someone that anything they could cook, I could cook better and vegan. Having never attempted vegan shortbread before I was slightly worried that I might not be able to keep my word but after the success of my Chocolate & Coconut Cream Cookies and my Vegan Digestive Biscuits I knew I had a pretty good chance.
I started with my Chocolate & Coconut Cream Cookie recipe and adapted it until I got the perfect shortbread texture. I try my best to use whole-food ingredients in almost all of my recipes but occasionally all purpose flour and refined sugar is what is necessary to get the best results. I figure that as long as I eat whole foods most of the time, the odd indiscretion won't hurt too much. I did try using unrefined sugar in this recipe, but after experimenting with powdered sugar realized that the results were much better.
Be aware when buying sugar, especially refined varieties, that it often is not vegan. You might be horrified to hear that charred animals bones are often used to bleach and filter it. I buy Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Powdered Confectioner's Sugar as it is certified vegan but I am sure there are other varieties available too.
Using the powdered sugar gives these Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies their characteristic melt in the mouth shortbread texture. If you struggle to get hold of vegan powdered sugar it is possible to make your own by putting regular sugar in a food processor or blender until it becomes a fine powder. Don't try substituting granulated sugar for the powdered sugar in this recipe because you won't get the same results.
If you have never tried cooking with lavender you might be a little wary of using it here. Please don't be. The combination of the lemon and lavender is just beautiful. They are two flavours that work extremely well together especially in shortbread.
As far as I know all varieties of lavender are edible but some taste better than others due to lower camphor levels. Lavandula Angustifolia, otherwise known as English Lavender is the best variety to use for cooking and is also a very common plant. However, you really don't want your shortbread to end up tasting like cough medicine so unless you are very sure of what variety your lavender is, I would be safe and use culinary lavender. It can usually be found with the herbs and spices in grocery stores. It is also available from Amazon here (this is an affiliate link - see bottom of post for more details).
It took quite a few attempts to get this recipe just right but it was so worth the effort. These Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies are unbelievably delicious and their texture is just perfect. They 'snap', they 'crumble' and most importably they taste amazing with their zesty lemon flavour and delicious subtle bursts of floral lavender. You can make them and eat them all yourself, but bear in mind that they also make a wonderful gift. Buy a pretty little box or bag from a craft store and they would be perfect to gift to a special teacher at the end of this school year.
I personally think that this recipe beats regular 'butter' shortbread hands down. It has the same 'short' texture and the flavour is a real winner. Let me know if you agree by leaving your feedback below.
Just another quick note - I often use cups for measurement but in this recipe weight measurements are best. Cup sizes vary depending on where you are in the world and how you scoop it/pour it in makes a huge difference to how much the cup holds. In a lot of recipes you can get away with slight variations but with this one, being accurate is key to good results.
Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Author:
Ingredients
- 40g / ⅓ cup natural powdered sugar
- 100g / ½ cup coconut oil , hard (refined or unrefined if you don't mind a slight hint of coconut - if your kitchen is on the warmer side and your coconut oil is soft put it in the fridge to firm up before you start)
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt (see recipe note)
- 1/2 teaspoon lavender flowers
- 2 lemons , zested (you only need the zest for this recipe)
- 165g / 1⅓ cup all purpose flour (plain flour in the UK)
- 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk , try not to use the milk. Only add it if you really cannot get it to come together without as it affects the texture of the shortbread.
- light granulated sugar for sprinkling
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F and get a cookie sheet ready. If your sheet has a tendency to stick then line it with parchment paper or a silicone mat .
- Combine the powdered sugar, salt and the coconut oil in a bowl. Use a fork to mash together very, very well until you can no longer see any powdered sugar and it's light and fluffy. You can use a food processor to do this part too if you prefer.
- Add the lavender flowers, zest of the lemons and stir well.
- Sieve in the flour and mix by hand until everything is combined. I start by mashing in the flour with a fork then stir together with a spoon at the end a bit. Do not over mix or use electric beaters here.Too much mixing will affect the texture of the finished shortbread.
- Add the milk only if you need to to bring the dough together. It should be slightly crumbly but hold together if you squeeze it together in your hand. The drier you can get away with keeping the dough, the better the texture of your shortbread, I did not need to use any milk at all but if you do, add it very, very gradually.
- Lightly dust a surface with flour and shape your dough into a ball. Roll out to about 3 - 4 mm thick then use a cookie cutter or mason jar lid to cut into shapes.
- Place gently on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Sprinkle with a little granulated sugar and press into the tops of the cookies very gently with your fingers. Refrigerate for 15 minutes until firm.
- Remove from the fridge and bake for 10 - 12 minutes.They will start turning a little golden around the edges when done.
- Keep an eye on them in the last few minutes as they can turn from ok to overdone very quickly. They will still feel slightly soft in the middle when done but will firm up as they cool.
- Place them on a cooling rack to cool.
- Unlike some cookies these are best eaten when completely cooled so be patient!
NOTES
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
Nicole says
Love this recipe! I found it easier to work with in small batches. Breaking the dough into smaller sections and making a few cookies at a time. I don't add the lemon zest either. So good!
Sarah says
Hi, could you tell me roughly how long these will stay edible for? I’m planning on making them as part of some Christmas presents and would prefer to make in advance but obviously still want them to be tasty and edible :)
Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
If you keep them in an airtight container a week easily. Possibly more. They never last long enough for me to test any longer here!
C. says
These turned out really well..
I replaced the lavender with 1 teabag of chamomile flowers.
The dough was difficult to roll out without falling apart; if treated gently and with patience the results are worth the effort.
Definitely compares well to conventional shortbread.
Thank you for the recipe.
EsmeSalon says
Hello,
I hunted for vegan shortbread and found your site and I would love to try this but i.s.o. lavender use sun-dried sorrel. Do you think it will work???
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm not sure how the flavour of sorrel will work in the shortbread. I have only ever eaten it once and to be honest can't really remember exactly how it tastes. Rosemary is a great alternative to the lavender, as is thyme.
Ashlee B says
Easy to follow recipe. Stellar flavor. Elegant appearance. Highly recommended. Thank you!
Judy Doan says
We Have a Winner!!! Thank you so much for this recipe. Since going vegan I have missed my (former) lavender shortbread cookies. With a doubtful mind, I tried your recipe....I couldn't resist and tried one while still warm: Mmmmmmmm delicious. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome Judy. I'm so pleased you enjoyed them!
Michelle says
are they supposed to start looking like they are melting in the oven? I put a batch in the oven 5 minutes ago and one cookie is literally a puddle. Did I do something wrong? I used refined coconut oil that was not melted.
A Virtual Vegan says
No they aren't supposed to do that. Some reasons this might have happened are:
The cookie dough got too warm. Was your kitchen really warm or did you mix it too much, or handle it too much while cutting the cookies?
The oven was too hot.
You rested the cookie sheet on the stove top while the oven was preheating then put the cut cookies on it before baking
Not enough flour was used. When baking I always recommend weighing the ingredients for accuracy as little differences can have huge consequences.
What color was your baking tray? Dark trays absorb more heat and can cause melting issues.
A few ideas for you. I'm sorry this happened. Hopefully you might be able to work out the reason from this and have better luck next time.
Roni R says
Hi I was wondering if these will freeze well. I am planning on making these for my daughters wedding but would like to make them in advance. Thank you.
A Virtual Vegan says
I have never frozen baked cookies so am not sure how they would fare. According to google though shortbread freezes well. Maybe make a small batch and freeze a couple of them to see how they go now so you can plan. The unbaked dough would freeze really well I'm sure. You could make the dough and shape into log shapes, wrap well and freeze, then allow to soften enough to slice into rounds before baking as directed. They would just need a couple minutes extra to account for the dough being colder.
I hope that helps and how lovely that you are making them for your daughter's wedding. I hope you all have a perfect day!
Helaine says
I made these today and they are delicious!!!! I was skeptical about the coconut oil but the pictures were so beautiful and the description so enticing I decided to give them a try. I am so happy I did. I made them for a dinner tomorrow night and I’m not sure how many are going to make it until then. I have to spend all day tomorrow with them beckoning me in the kitchen. I’m seriously considering eating all of them and picking something up at the storeroom serve. Thank you for sharing the recipe!!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great Helaine. I'm glad you decided to give them a chance. Next time you will need to make a double batch. Good luck tomorrow...I'm not sure I'd last all day with those in the house!
Prashanti says
Thank-you, I and my family loved these! So much so that my mother asked why I'd made such a small batch. Here's my question to you then - can I double the recipe exactly?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes I have doubled the recipe many times. So glad you are all enjoying them!
Abby Salling says
I've made these for two different events where fellow vegans/vegetarians were in the minority, and they've been a hit with both the meat-eating and veg crowd! I love these cookies, and love that I'm able to bake without animal products!
@AbbyEatsLA on Instagram
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome. Thank you Abby! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed them!
Adi says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I love it so much and can't wait to make it again.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Adi. I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!
Mei-Belle Sun says
Hi! Is there any way to make this without the lavender or lemon? I just need a good vegan shortbread recipe that does not use vegan butter and this one seems perfect!
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes just omit it and it will be fine!
Carson says
So many yummy recipes that I have had to skip over because my husband and I both hate anything coconut. Do you have any suggestions on how to make this (or any other of your recipes) using something besides coconut oil?
A Virtual Vegan says
Most of my baked goods are actually completely oil-free. Some older recipes use oil/vegan butter, and there are some like this one that can't be made without using either coconut oil or vegan butter. I haven't tested this recipe with anything other than coconut oil but vegan butter would work instead. The quantity might just need changing slightly. As for my other recipes, vegan butter can almost always be used as a sub for coconut oil but like this recipe, the amount needed always differs slightly. Refined coconut oil has no coconut taste or smell by the way. If it's just the flavour you both don't like then that might be a solution.
AM says
I love lemon and shortbread cookies are my favorite so i wanted to try these out. I brought these to a cookie exchange where I have a vegan friend. These cookies amazed everyone there. Just saying “lemon lavender” makes these sound extraordinary, the smell is beyond amazing, and the cookie was perfectly crunchy, slightly salty (love hem that way), and delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe. I couldn’t get the dough to stick well without the liquid but instead of adding the vegan milk, I personally added about two tablespoons or so lemon juice, one squeeze at a time, and this might have given them an extra lemony flavor. Thank you again! These will be my go to cookie recipe for tea time, Christmas, and beyond! Love!
A Virtual Vegan says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them. Thank you!