Lemongrass Cookies
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Feb 24, 2025 The marriage of two glorious addictions, Lemongrass + Cookies. Today we’re sharing one of our favorite recipes using lemongrass, Shortbread Cookies with Lemongrass Glaze!
Recipes Using Lemongrass
With a bright lemon essence and a grassy back-note, lemongrass is rightly named. Its intoxicating fragrance is mystically calming and healing. No wonder it’s used in numerous teas, candles, soap, even lotions. Secretly, I cannot resist buying lemongrass products; they add a little spark of joy to my day.
This year, instead of spending a fortune on lemongrass loot, I invested in a lemongrass plant. Its long green blades and rusty shoots have flourished in the summer sun. The only problem is… I FORGOT ALL ABOUT IT!
I had lofty aspirations of tea, herby cocktails, tom yum soup, thai turkey meatballs, sorbet, and other lemongrass recipes. Yet amid vacations, chasing kids, and endless hours at the pool, it’s grown untouched all season. Now that the kids are back in school and my regular routine is emerging, I’m ready to get my hands on that plant.
Lemongrass Cookies
To pay homage to this most beloved herb, I’m incorporating it into the only other food that affects me with uncontrollable passion… Shortbread.
There are a handful of shortbread recipes here on ASP. The crisp buttery layers and velvety crumb make shortbread the perfect cookie, in my opinion. Combined with poppy lemongrass, tender shortbread cookies are EVEN MORE irresistible.
Lemongrass Shortbread Cookies bring two alluring components together for a zippy luxurious treat. I can die a happy girl.
Lemongrass Cookies Ingredients
- Unsalted butter softened
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Lemongrass – fresh stalks minced extra fine
- Water
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Milk
- Powdered sugar
- Food coloring
Pro Tip: Shortbread cookies are a traditional butter cookies that does not include egg, baking soda, or baking powder for lifting.
What If I Can’t Find Fresh Lemongrass?
If you don’t own a lemongrass plant and can’t find it as the market, you can swap fresh lime leaves chopped very fine or fresh lemon zest instead.
Possible Add-Ins
- White chocolate chips
- Chopped nuts (cashews, macadamia nuts, almonds)
- Shredded coconut
- Dried pineapple
Lemongrass Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/2 tablespoon lemongrass minced extra fine, divided
- 1 tablespoon water
- 3 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using your electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla together until it is combined.
- Place the lemongrass and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute to loosen the flavors. Divide into two equal portions.
- Turn the mixer on low, then add half the lemongrass, salt and flour a little at a time, until the dough comes together.
- Dump the dough onto a floured work surface. Roll the dough out until it is 1/3 of an inch thick. Using a floured 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Try to cut out as many as possible from the first sheet of dough. Each time you gather and re-roll the dough the cookies will get a little tougher.
- Bake for 20 minutes—until barely golden. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
- Pour 3 tablespoons of milk in a medium bowl. Add the remaining lemongrass and microwave for another minutes to allow the lemongrass to infuse into the milk. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. Add a drop of yellow and a tiny drop of green food coloring if desired.
- Dip the tops of each cookie in the glaze. Use a spoon to scrape the excess off the sides, then place back on the parchment paper to dry.
Absolutely beautiful! I’ve never used lemongrass but you are inspiring me! The catnip comment cracked me up – so funny. Yep shortbread is perfect in any form. Yum. I love the light green color in your glaze and will look for a lemongrass plant next spring :) Have a great week of uninterrupted kitchen fun.
Check out that glaze girl!! Love these cookies…..the fresh lemongrass is such an elegant twist!
Shortbread is great and lemongrass is amazing–but together? To die for! What a great idea. :)
Those are so cute I could snuggle them!
These look incredible and are so cute! What a great recipe!! :)
Sommer these cookies look awesome! I have got to try them when I’m back from vacation. Thank you.
What a wonderful, fresh idea. Just gorgeous.
I’ve not been able to find fresh lemongrass around here at all. I never even thought about growing my own though. Thanks for the idea. I’ll be sure to do it next season! I also adore shortbread, especially very, very good shortbread. I definitely need to give these cookies a try….I can get lemongrass in a tube so maybe I’ll have to make do.
Love the recipe! I like mixing herbs with shortbread. It is genius. I make Lavender Shortbreads cookies that are wonderful. The lemongrass is such a creative use for this herb that is not widely used I have not used fresh lemongrass very much in cooking, but now I am inspired.
Great layout for the photos!
Laurie from Laurie Bakke’s Cookbook
Your lime green mixer is so cool, it goes perfectly with the lemongrass Shortbread!
And as always your photos a fabulous.
Wow, just beautiful flavorful cookies. I love that you used homegrown lemongrass.
I love lemongrass too, so these sound fantastic!