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.
Love this, what a unique way to enjoy shortbread. I would never have thought to use lemongrass in a baked good recipe.
I fell in madly in love with lemongrass this year too after a friend suggested I plant some. I find myself making up ways to use it. These look delicious…
Those look fabulous!!! I wonder if lemongrass would grow here in Utah…hmmm.
These cookies look so tasty! I love the green color on the glaze! I don’t think that I have ever had lemongrass on a cookie before!
I’ve seen these in a cookie before and have wanted to make them ever since. What a great pairing of flavors! They look delicious!
Looks delicious!!
Oh wow, these are great! I love the lemongrass and the shortbread together! Shortbread is one of my favorite kind of cookie!
That is such a cool combo. I would never think of using lemongrass.
That looks and sounds delish. Which I could smell it from here!!
Just saw the shortbread episode on America’s Test Kitchen. Your version looks way simpler. They required cutting a hole out of the middle, because the middle never bakes completely, then baking three different times at three different temps, the last time with a wooden spoon holding the door open. Crazy!
These look and sound incredible!! Yes…I thumbed them up, favorite them, bookmarked them and all other kinds of things to make sure I make these babies. Mmmmm……..
These cookies and photos are absolutely gorgeous!
These look so lovely. What a great combination. Totally going on my list of things to bake in the very near future. Thanks.