This recipe is part of my annual holiday cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. Every year since 2013, I work on a handful of new cookie recipes and publish the 10 best ones for readers to enjoy. It’s the biggest, tastiest event of the year on my website! I always love some fresh flavor on my holiday cookie trays, so let’s add lemon & coconut!
What are Lemon Coconut Drop Shortbread Cookies?
Today’s cookies are like wedge shortbread cookies without the cake pan, like snowball cookies without the powdered sugar coating, like pistachio cookies without the nuts, peppermint snowball cookies and cranberry spice cookies but with lemon and coconut, and like butter cookies without the piping tip. They’re also like the coconut lime shortbread recipe in my cookbook but without the cookie cutters. SO MANY THINGS! “Lemon coconut drop shortbread cookies” sounded better than “shortbread snowless nut-free lemon coconut butter drop cookies” so that’s what we’re going with!
Why You’ll Love These Lemon Coconut Shortbread Cookies
So easy! 1 bowl, 8 ingredient dough Short dough chilling time—just 30 minutes Another egg-free baking recipe, just like brown sugar shortbread cookies Not overly sweet Exceptionally flavorful & buttery Can garnish the glaze with coconut, sprinkles, and/or lemon zest Crumbly, yet tender texture
Plus, the glaze eventually sets which means your little lemon cookies are convenient to gift, stack, store, and transport. This recipe also joins 30+ others in my collection of Quick Dessert Recipes—ready in 1 hour or less!
Key Ingredients in These Easy Cookies
A few more ingredients: You also need all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, salt, plus a little milk for the lemon glaze.
3 Success Tips for Lemon Coconut Shortbread Cookies
Can I Skip The Glaze? Absolutely. Feel free to leave plain or coat in confectioners’ sugar like snowball cookies. See recipe note below. Here are the rainbow sprinkles I used on the pictured cookies. Aren’t they pretty? They don’t have a strange flavor/aroma like some naturally colored sprinkles do. I’m a fan! By the way, if you’re looking for a flatter non-shortbread cookie with these flavors, try these coconut lime cookies and replace the lime juice + zest with lemon. Or if you are looking for a pure lemon cookie with no coconut or competing flavors, try my lemon crinkle cookies or lemon thumbprint cookies.
