Transport yourself to Provence with these elegant Lavender Shortbread Cookies – buttery, tender treats infused with aromatic culinary lavender for a sophisticated twist on traditional shortbread. Elevate tea time with these melt-in-your-mouth treats!
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
👩🍳 With just seven basic ingredients (most of which you likely have on hand), these lavender shortbread cookies offer gourmet results without requiring a pantry overhaul or complicated techniques.
My 2 Best Tips For Making Lavender Shortbread Cookies
#1 – Best Lavender For Cooking: For best results, use culinary lavender specifically sold for cooking purposes, as ornamental lavender varieties may be too potent or bitter. English or North American varieties work best for this recipe, while French lavender tends to have a stronger, sometimes pine-like flavor that can overwhelm the delicate shortbread.
#2 – Shortbread Needs Cold: Don’t skip the chilling time before baking! It’s essential for maintaining the cookie’s shape and creating that perfect sandy texture. In warm weather, cool your work surface by placing a large ice pack on it for a few minutes before rolling out your dough.
I always feel super fancy, and like a Parisian pastry chef, when I make these elegant cookies! They go perfectly with afternoon tea, packed as a thoughtful homemade gift, or served at a bridal shower.
For a more indulgent treat, serve them alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet. They also complement fresh berries or stone fruits in summer dessert plates.
The dough can be prepared in advance and either refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to 6 months, making these cookies perfect for planned gatherings or unexpected visitors.
🩷 Melissa
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we will send it straight to your inbox. Plus you will get great new recipes from us every week!
Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons culinary lavender buds
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour plus a little extra for rolling
- sanding sugar for topping optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and icing sugar until smooth.
- Add the lavender buds, salt and vanilla. You can roughly chop the lavender if you would like a more fragrant cookie. Continue beating until the lavender is fully combined.
- Slowly add a little bit of the flour and corn starch, alternating between the two, and beat until it starts to stick together, about 3 minutes.
- Roll the dough on a floured surface until it is approximately a quarter of an inch thick.
- Using a cookie cutter, cut out your desired shape and place on a pre-lined cooking sheet. Be sure to leave about an inch of space between them.
- Sprinkle the sanding sugar over the tops of the cookies.
- Place the cookie sheet with the raw cookies in the fridge to cool a little while your oven is preheating. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the edges just start to brown. Cool on the baking sheet for 5-8 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- I recommend using English or North American lavender for this recipe. French lavender is a little too acidic and pine-flavored for this recipe.
- If using lavender from your garden, be sure it hasn’t been treated with any chemicals and is clean from animal or bug stuff!
- Chopping the lavender buds releases the oil extract making for a more fragrant cookie.
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week.
- You can freeze these cookies in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Recipe FAQs
You can find both lavender extract and dried lavender in the specialty foods section of the grocery store. I have also had success finding lavender on Amazon.
These cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week. You can also freeze these cookies in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Spreading typically happens when the butter in your dough gets too warm before baking. Be sure to chill the cut cookies in the refrigerator before baking. If you’re baking in a particularly warm kitchen, you might even want to chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling and cutting, and then chill again briefly before baking. Also check that your oven temperature is accurate, as an oven that runs hot can cause the butter to melt too quickly.
More Fabulous Cookie Recipes to Try
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram.
Log_bolu
The perfect light, crisp shortbread and the fragrance and flavor were truly delightful! Loved the addition of the cornstarch to the recipe as it gave the lightness to the shortbread. I refrigerated my cookie trays 15 minutes before baking and they barely spread. Enjoyed making them. Thanks!
Nessa
Best served with a lemon butter cream in between two cookies.
Bernice
Made this cookie for my daughter’s bridal shower & got so many compliments. Cookies were a huge hit with the perfect amount of lavender. Many of the guests requested the recipe.
*Note: I refrigerated the dough overnight in an airtight bowl & did not have any of the problems that others who reviewed the recipe did.
Simone Salas
Lovely update to classic shortbread recipe. Instead of rolling out the dough I baked it on a shortbread mold. It was appreciated by everyone!
April
Delicious cookies! However, I only gave 4 stars because the dough was too soft to roll out and cut as described. I ended up shaping into 2 logs, wrapping in plastic, and refrigerating for an hour before slicing. I sprinkled with sparkling sugar and baked 15 minutes.
Chris
Thank you for your article on LAVENDER SHORTBREAD COOKIES