These lemon bar cookies are made with a buttery cookie base, lemon curd, and sprinkled with powdered sugar. The ultimate lemon cookie loaded with lemon flavor!
You might also like our lemon hand pies, our banana cream pie cookies, or our strawberry lemon cookie bars. I also have an exact copycat recipe for Vera's Lemon Cookies from Maggiano's!
Watch our step by step video!
Lemon Curd Cookies
Lemon curd is the ultimate liquid gold. It's so delicious you can eat it with a spoon, but I prefer adding it to my favorite desserts---like cookies.
These lemon bar cookies start with the most delicious snickerdoodle cookie dough base (without the cinnamon and sugar). They are buttery, soft, and hold their shape perfectly. Not your typical lemon bar recipe, these cookies are a fun twist on the classic dessert.
Lemon Bar Cookie Ingredients
Scroll to the end of the post for a printable version.
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 10 oz. jar of lemon curd
- powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar) for dusting
How To Make Lemon Bar Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter, shortening, and sugar with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. Beat in eggs.
In a separate bowl whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together.
Combine dry ingredients with butter mixture.
Scoop cookies, using a medium cookie scoop, on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. I usually bake 6 cookies per sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool for 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Spread cooled cookies with a thin layer of lemon curd and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Lemon Curd Filling/Spread
You can make your own lemon curd using simple ingredients like egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and butter (and I have many times using this recipe) or pick up a jar at the grocery store. Right before serving, sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar.
This recipe makes 30 delicious cookies. Store cookies in the refrigerator in an airtight container or cover the cookie sheet with plastic wrap to keep cookies fresh.
Lemon Bar Cookie Recipe
Lemon Bar Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 ¾ cups flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 10 oz. jar of lemon curd
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream butter, shortening, and sugar using an electric mixer. Beat in eggs.
- In a separate bowl whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together.
- Combine dry ingredients with butter/eggs mixture.
- Scoop cookies, using a medium cookie scoop, on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. I usually bake 6 cookies per sheet.Bake for 10 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool for 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks.
- Spread cooled cookies with a thin layer of lemon curd and sprinkle with powdered sugar.Store cookies in an airtight container or cover in plastic in the refrigerator.
Laurie says
I just found your blog and have read at least half a dozen pages!
I’m signing on!
I am wondering if you use“salted” or “unsalted”butter in your recipes?
Peace.
Brandy says
Hi Laurie! I always use salted butter. I'm so glad you've joined us over here! 🙂 Happy New Year!
Maria says
Your cookies look so good!!!! Love the idea of using lemon curd for thumbprint cookies!!! They sound delicious! 🙂
Brandy says
Thank you Maria! It really gives them a fresh flavor! Have a wonderful weekend!!
Brandy says
Hi Courtney! Thanks for catching that! It should say bake for 8 minutes.
Courtney says
How long do you bake them for before adding the lemon curd? They look delicious!
Barbara Bakes says
So fun to see a thumbprint version. They look delicious. Thanks for the link love.
Karri Reiser says
I'm always on the lookout for recipes using lemons. My husband love them. Thanks for sharing.
ChiTown Girl says
Ooo, these sound so yummy!!
However, I'm afraid to whip up a batch of the lemon curd because I KNOW I'd just end up eating it all with a spoon. 🙁
Sue says
I first saw these on Barbara's blog and thought they looked wonderful! Thanks for the reminder:) Yours also look fabulous! I even have some homemade lemon curd in my fridge!