Lemon Poppyseed Cookies Recipe
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Dreamy lemon poppyseed cookies beautifully speckled with tons of poppyseeds and just the right amount of lemon zest. Easy, buttery, simple and fabulous with the perfect amount of shortbread Snap! + Video tutorial below!
Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
Get fancy by adding a touch of fresh rosemary for some exquisite vegan lemon poppyseed shortbread cookies that are sure to become another Christmas cult classic. Buttery but dairy-free, simple, made with real zesty lemons and gorgeously speckled with tons of poppyseeds. Absolutely delicious!
Ingredient Notes
- About the Flour – These cookies can be made interchangeably with all purpose flour or whole what pastry flour, the whole wheat being the obvious healthier option. Use whichever you fancy!
- Salted Vegan Butter – This is the secret ingredient that lends these lemon shortbread cookies their classic crumbly texture and balanced flavor profile. The high butter content will yield melt in your mouth cookies with a perfect snap, use a great quality cultured plant based butter if available and remember to make sure it’s fully chilled before using.
- Lemon Zest – You’ll want to add tons of lemon zest to your dough, from 4 large lemons to be specific! It’s not too much, trust the process for the ultimate bright lemon flavor without any artificial extracts.
- The Sugar – I’m a firm believer in using powdered sugar vs granulated, the final texture and snap of the cookie is the proof! You can make your own powdered sugar at home by grinding granulated sugar in your spice or coffee grinder.
Rolling the Dough
The easiest no fuss method to work with shortbread dough is to roll it out in between sheets of parchment paper. If it gets too sticky or soft during the handling process simply pop it in the fridge or freezer to set for a few minutes before stamping out your cookies.
Chilling the Cookies
Because the dough can warm up and soften while working with it especially if the inside temperature is warm, It’s important to also chill the cookies for a few minutes before baking. This will ensure the butter hardens up again and properly melts during baking for the ultimate snap without any spread of the dough.
Useful Recipe Tips
- How many cookies does this recipe make? – Depending on the size of your cookie cutter you can get tons of little cookies or fewer larger cookies.
- Baking Time – This will depend on how thin you rolled the dough. The cookies should be lightly golden around the edges when done, mine were rolled out to 1/4 inch thickness and ready in 12 minutes @350″F. It’s best to keep an eye on them from the 10 minute mark but don’t take them out too soon, you want them golden and toasty.
- Stamping the cookies – For easiest release make sure to dip your cookie cutter in some flour before stamping out each cookie. The more complex the shape you are working with the more careful you need to be not to break off skinny tiny pieces of dough like in the antlers of a reindeer for example.
- To glaze or not to glaze? – You sure can whip up a nice smooth lemon glaze by whisking together 1 cup confectioner’s sugar + 3 Tbsp lemon juice. Personally I prefer these as is or sandwiched together with a a generous smear of vegan Nutella! Dreamy!
- Storage – After completely cooled, store your baked cookies at room temperature in an airtight sealed jar or container to keep fresh for days. Alternatively you can freeze them in freezer proof glass containers for up to 4 months.
- Make Ahead – Shortbread dough can be made ahead, rolled and frozen up to 5 months. You can even precut the cookies on the baking sheet, cover with parchment paper and freeze until ready to bake.
More Vegan Desserts
- Vegan Almond Christmas Cookies
- Nutty Cookies
- Vegan Ricotta Apple Pie
- Vegan Brownies
- Vegan Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake
- Chocolate Sweet Potato Bread
- Black Bean Brownies
- Date Nut Bread
- Vegan Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting
- Apple Pie Bars
- Vanilla Coffee Cupcakes
- Vegan Coffee Cake
- Lemon Loaf
- Vegan Thumbprint Cookies.
How to Make Lemon Poppyseed Cookies Video
Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
Fabulously vegan lemon poppyseed shortbread cookies speckled with tons of lemon zest and poppyseeds + a secret festive ingredients to make them exquisite (hint: it's rosemary and it's amazing).
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.75 cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp poppyseeds
- 4 large lemons - zested
- 1 sprig rosemary (leaves only - OPTIONAL)
- 12 Tbsp vegan butter (chilled, salted + cultured if available)
Instructions
- To the bowl of a food processor add the flour, sugar, zest from 4 lemons and poppyseeds (+ rosemary if using). Press the pulse button 3 or 4 times until combined.1.75 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 4 large lemons - zested, 2 Tbsp poppyseeds
- Cut the chilled butter into small cubes and add it to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Use the pulse button a few times until a dough forms.12 Tbsp vegan butter, 1 sprig rosemary
- Prepare a 16 inch piece of parchment paper. Transfer the cookie dough on top and using your hands press it into a flat surface. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and using a rolling pin roll the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Pop the dough in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes to set and firm up again.
- Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and using your favorite cookie cutter stamp out your cookies and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet an inch apart from each other. Collect any dough scraps and roll them out again making more cookies. You might need to use 2 trays or bake in batches depending on the size of your baking sheet. (Depending on the size of your cookie cutter you can get tons of little cookies or fewer larger cookies).
- Pop the tray with the cookies in the fridge or freezer for about 10 to 15 minutes for the butter in the dough to firm up and set beautifully in the precut shapes. (This will also prevent spreading of the dough during baking).
- Meanwhile preheat your oven to 350”F.
- Remove the cookies from the fridge and pop them in the oven. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges between 12 to 15 minutes depending on how thin you rolled out the dough to begin with, so keep a close eye on them. You want them golden around the edges and the bottoms are toasty.
- Transfer the tray to a cooling rack and allow to cool off completely.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight sealed jar or container to keep fresh for days.
Video
Notes
- Baking Time - This will depend on how thin you rolled the dough. The cookies should be lightly golden around the edges when done, mine were rolled out to 1/4 inch thickness and ready in 12 minutes @350"F. It's best to keep an eye on them from the 10 minute mark but don't take them out too soon, you want them golden and toasty.
- How many cookies does this recipe make? - Deepening on the size of your cookie cutter you can get tons of little cookies or fewer larger cookies.
- Stamping the cookies - For easiest release make sure to dip your cookie cutter in some flour before stamping out each cookie. The more complex the shape you are working with the more careful you need to be not to break off skinny tiny pieces of dough like in the antlers of a reindeer for example.
- To glaze or not to glaze? - You sure can whip up a nice smooth lemon glaze by whisking together 1 cup confectioner's sugar + 3 Tbsp lemon juice. Personally I prefer these as is or sandwiched together with a a generous smear of vegan Nutella! Dreamy!
- Storage - After completely cooled, store your cookies at room temperature in an airtight sealed jar or container to keep fresh for days. Alternatively you can freeze them in freezer proof glass containers for up to 4 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 321IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
Servings: 20 cookies
Calories: 106kcal
Perfect Christmas cookies, the combination of lemon poppyseeds and rosemary is magical 🍋