Vegan Lemon Curd Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Delight in these tender Vegan Lemon Curd Shortbread Cookies, featuring a creamy, tangy lemon curd layered between buttery, gluten-free shortbread cookies. Perfectly balanced with a hint of vanilla and a touch of natural sweetness, these cookies are baked until golden and dusted with powdered sugar for a delightful finish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 52 minutes
- Yield: 12 sandwich cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan, Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
Lemon Curd
- ⅓ cup canned coconut milk (reduced fat or full fat)
- ⅓ cup organic cane sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- Pinch turmeric for color (optional)
Shortbread Cookies
- 1 cup vegan butter (softened)
- ⅔ cup organic powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups gluten free all-purpose baking flour, plus more for dusting (measure for measure)
- ¼ tsp finely ground salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Lemon Curd: Place all lemon curd ingredients into a pot over medium-high heat. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens, about 4-5 minutes, taking care not to let it boil. Adjust heat to medium-low if it gets too hot. Remove from heat and allow to cool while preparing the cookies.
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the Shortbread Dough: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened vegan butter with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and blend until smooth and creamy, then incorporate the vanilla extract. Gradually mix in the gluten-free flour and salt until a dough forms. This can also be done by hand.
- Roll and Cut the Dough: On a clean surface dusted with gluten-free flour, roll the dough to about ⅛ inch thickness. Using a 2-inch flower-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 24 cookies. For half of these, use a ½ inch piping tip or small round cookie cutter to remove the centers, creating a window.
- Bake the Cookies: Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely on wire racks.
- Finish the Cookies: Dust the cooled cookies with powdered sugar. Fill a piping or plastic zip bag with the cooled lemon curd and pipe about 1 heaping tablespoon into the center of the cookies without the cutouts. Top each filled cookie with a cookie that has the center cutout to create sandwich cookies.
- Serve and Enjoy: Arrange the cookies on a platter and serve immediately or store in an airtight container for later enjoyment.
Notes
- You can use either reduced fat or full fat coconut milk for the lemon curd; full fat will result in a richer curd.
- A pinch of turmeric is optional and used purely for enhancing the lemon curd color.
- If you don’t have gluten-free flour, you can use regular all-purpose flour if gluten is not a concern.
- Make sure not to overheat the lemon curd mixture to avoid curdling or burning.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
- Re-roll cookie scraps carefully to avoid tough cookies.
Keywords: vegan lemon curd cookies, gluten free shortbread, lemon curd sandwich cookies, dairy free cookies, vegan desserts, gluten free baking, lemon cookies
