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.
This look awesome; such a pretty color! I love shortbread cookies, but haven’t tried lemongrass too often…I’ll have to check this recipe out.
Now we have something new to do with the lemongrass in our garden. Thanks!
I love cookies, but green cookies … erhhmm…not sure although your photos there look really nice, but the green color somehow hold me back to want to taste it.
Your food always looks so amazing! I’ve never heard of anyone using lemongrass in shortbread before. That’s cool that you grew your own. And that you could ignore it all summer and it still worked out perfectly. Good to know! I like gardening without having to really focus on the details too much. Then there’s more time to eat!
These sound so lovely with the delicate flavor of lemongrass, nice!
I am a huge fan of using unexpected herbs and savory flavors in something sweet, and this must be incredible. Really such a clever combo here.
What a beautiful cookie. I love lemon grass anything too.
Lemon grass in cookies! Must have been very flavorful and yum, Sommer…and love those diamond shapes and thin crust cookies.
oh wow, these sound so good! And they’re so unique – love the look of that glaze!
Oh Sommer, Cant tell you how happy you have made me with these cookies..I have stalks of lemongrass waiting to be used in the fridge for almost a week now. I know what I m making. Thanks so much.These will be made for sure.Look so refreshing & yum!
Wow! I love the idea of cooking with lemongrass. I’ve never cooked with it. Your cookies are beautiful!
Wow! I love the idea of using lemongrass. I’ve never cooked with it. Your cookies are beautiful!