Lemon Bar Cookies with Lemon Curd

Enjoy Summer in a bite with these lemon bar cookies! These buttery cookies are pillowy soft and have a tart, creamy pool of lemon curd baked into the center. Dusted with powdered sugar, they taste like a lemon bar in cookie form!

Lemon lovers, these lemon bar cookies are for you! They're a hybrid of a classic shortbread cookie and a tangy lemon bar. The cookie dough is like a lemon bar's soft and buttery shortbread crust. They're filled with a tart lemon curd filling bursting with zesty citrus flavor.

These cookies only require 20 minutes of chill time and are super easy to make with basic baking equipment. They work with store-bought or homemade lemon curd, making them perfect for lazy baking days.

For more lemon desserts, try these lemon poppy seed cookies, lemon lavender cookies, lemon berry mascarpone cake, lemon mug cake, or lemon rosemary shortbread cookies!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Buttery cookie recipe- Like traditional lemon bars (or lemon squares), the base of this recipe is a buttery shortbread cookie, similar to these Danish butter cookies. They're crisp and melt in your mouth.
• Bright lemon flavor- Each cookie is filled with a dollop of lemon curd, which has tart, concentrated lemon taste. The creamy texture complements the crunch of the cookie perfectly.
• Versatile and easy to make- You can whip up these cookies for all sorts of occasions, like bridal showers or picnics. Or you can just make them for yourself to enjoy on a warm summer night.

Key Ingredients

• Unsalted butter- Butter binds the ingredients together, adds a rich flavor, and adds tenderness that shortbread is known for. Make sure it is unsalted for the most flavor control.
• Egg yolk- One egg yolk adds a little extra fat and holds the other ingredients together.
• Vanilla extract- This enhances the other ingredients and rounds out the flavor profile. Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for the best results.
• All purpose flour- This flour gives the cookies the best structure and hearty texture. Make sure to measure it in grams with a kitchen scale. Packing flour into measuring cups can make the cookies dry.
• Powdered sugar- Also known as icing sugar or confectioners sugar, this is used to roll the cookie dough in. Sprinkling the baked cookies with a little powdered sugar makes them really feel like classic lemon bars!
• Lemon curd- Lemon curd is a delicious combination of egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice. Homemade or store-bought lemon curd both work! For a homemade lemon curd recipe, make this eggless lemon curd.

Ingredient Additions and Variations

• Coconut- Sprinkle some shredded coconut on top of the lemon filling before baking to add a tropical twist.
• Lavender- Infuse the dough or lemon curd with dried lavender for a floral, fragrant twist. If you love lemon lavender, check out my lemon lavender cupcakes!
• Add lemon extract-  Add ¼ teaspoon of lemon extract to the cookie dough to add a bolder lemon flavor.
• Turmeric- Add a pinch of turmeric powder to the lemon curd while it is cooking to add a bright yellow color.
• Different citrus- You can swap the lemon curd for lime curd or blood orange curd!

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: First, add softened butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Step 2: Next, beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract on low until well combined. The yolk acts as an emulsifier, so make sure it's beaten in fully for strong structure. The mixture should be thin and fluffy.

Step 3: With the mixer on low, mix in the flour ½ cup at a time and then add the salt. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula to incorporate all the dry ingredients. The dough will be thick and sticky.

Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. This keeps the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.

While the cookie dough chills, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 4: Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Roll each scoop into balls and drop each one into a bowl of powdered sugar. Toss the ball in the powdered sugar until it's well coated. Place each ball on the lined baking tray about 2 inches apart so they have room to spread.

Step 5: With the back of a rounded teaspoon, press the bottom halfway into each cookie until it forms a round indent or well like a thumbprint cookie. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of lemon curd into the center of each cookie.

Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes until the edges appear set and golden. The lemon curd will look bubbly and pale but darken as it cools.

Step 6: Let the cookies cool on the hot tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Let them cool completely on the wire rack for 20-30 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Expert Baking Tips

1. Use room temperature butter. Make sure your butter is at room temperature and not melted. Melted butter will cause the dough to spread too much in the oven. Room temperature butter is cool to the touch, looks smooth and not greasy, and is easy to indent applying gentle pressure with your index finger.
2. Don't overbake. The cookies will still appear soft and the curd won't look completely set when you take them out of the oven. They'll continue to bake on the hot tray, cool, and firm up.
3. Bake time may vary. Depending on the size of your lemon thumbprint cookies and how hot or cold your oven runs, bake time may vary. Start checking them for doneness around the 10 minute mark.

Storage Instructions

Store baked and cooled lemon bar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freezing Instructions

Freeze the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container or wrapped with plastic wrap for up to 1 month. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then on the counter for 30 minutes before serving.

The cookie dough balls freeze really well too! After rolling, freeze on a baking tray for 2 hours or until they're frozen solid. Then transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

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