Simply divine with a steaming mug of tea, these delicious Lavender Shortbread Cookies are light, crisp, and calming. Notes of sweet vanilla and savory butter perfectly complement the gentle floral flavor of lavender buds. Plus, with just five minutes of prep time, these buttery cookies are as fitting for special occasions as they are for a simple weeknight treat.
Table of Contents
- 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
- 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
- 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
- 🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
- Marye's Tip o' the day
- 💭 Insider tips: things to know
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose
- 📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
- 📖 Recipe
- ✍🏻 A note from Marye...
- 💬 Comments
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- Buttery shortbread cookies are effortless but taste "pinkies-up" fancy.
- This lavender cookie recipe is as welcome at bridal showers, baby showers, tea parties, and brunches as a string of heirloom pearls.
- You can usually swap salted and unsalted butter with no problem—however, in this recipe, use salted butter. It's the key!
These lavender sugar cookies have the best flavor and are great for gifting and shipping to far-away friends.
They're the kind of cookie that everyone will sneak back to grab more of—even your picky aunty who claims she doesn't eat sweets!
🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- Instead of icing sugar, roll the log of cookie dough in coarse sugar for extra crunch. Bonus points if you use a drop of purple food coloring to give the sugar a pretty lavender hue!
- Rich vanilla paste tastes best in these lavender shortbread cookies, but you can use the same amount of vanilla extract in a pinch.
- Make lemon lavender cookies by adding zest to the dough or drizzling on a lemon glaze after baking. Citrus complements the lavender flavor!
- Love the combo of lavender and chocolate? Finely chop some white, milk, or dark chocolate and stir it into the cookie dough.
- Dip the finished cookies in melted chocolate (white chocolate tinted purple would be pretty) for an extra sweet finishing touch.
🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Grind dried lavender and add to milk in a separate bowl. Set aside.
Beat softened butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, flour, and drained lavender.
Form cookie dough into a log. Wrap in wax or parchment paper and chill.
Roll the log in powdered sugar and slice. Bake until edges are golden brown.
🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up -
You can grind the lavender flowers as fine as you wish. The smaller you make 'em, the more dispersed the flavor will be. I like to keep the buds more coarse because the purple flecks look oh-so pretty in the cookies.
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
- Mortar and pestle (otherwise, use a meat mallet or cocktail muddler)
- Hand mixer
- Knife and cutting board
- Cookie sheet
- Cooling rack
🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
Lavender shortbread cookies are easy to snack on—the floral aroma's enticing, so they disappear fast!
However, if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They'll keep for 3-5 days.
You can also freeze shortbread cookies, both baked and unbaked. Better yet, you don't even have to thaw the sliced cookies before popping them in the oven!
Marye's Tip o' the day
Don't drain the milk down your sink! Save it to use in a latte or add it to your cup of tea for a flavorful, floral-infused pick-me-up.
💭 Insider tips: things to know
- Crush up the lavender and let it soak in the milk for best results. This simple step really brings out its delicate floral flavor.
- Once you add the flour, just mix until the dough comes together. Overworking flour activates the gluten, which makes a tougher cookie.
- I like to use a hand mixer so I don't accidentally overmix the dough. You can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment so long as you don't wander away and let it beat too long—speaking from experience here!
- Don't overbake these cookies. Shortbread is finished when the edges around the bottom start turning golden brown, but the center is pale.
- Store extra lavender in the freezer to keep it fresh. Food experts say it can last for years—it'll just lose a bit of flavor the longer it sits.
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
Feel free to use any type of culinary-grade lavender. The kind you can most often find is English lavender, but if you have another edible variety, go for it.
Nope. For the best cookies, I recommend sticking with dried lavender. Essential oil is not always food-safe, and it (along with lavender extract) is often way too potent and might taste soapy.
Sure. However, fresh lavender has a softer flavor, so you'll want to add about a scant teaspoon more than the recipe measurement for dried lavender.
Otherwise, you can dry your own lavender by hanging it upside down for up to two weeks. Once it's dried, store it in a jar. Just be sure what you're growing is culinary lavender or safe for eating.
Sticky dough usually means it's getting too warm. If it's too sticky to cut, pop it back into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes.
⏲️ Marye's time saving hacks -
I like to prep my cookie dough in advance, then slice and flash-freeze individual cookies. This way, I can just pop out as many as I need from the freezer to bake without making a whole batch.
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- Use up the rest of your lavender buds in this simple and delicious Lavender Lemonade Cocktail—great for brunch and garden parties!
- If you like Earl Grey and rum as much as I do, consider whipping up a batch of Lavender Earl Grey Mojitos for your next girl's night in.
🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose
Crumbly, buttery desserts—like shortbread and sablé cookies—are easy to re-use in plenty of ways:
- Pulse leftover cookies into crumbs in a food processor for pie crust—the lavender goes really well with lemon cream, curd, and meringue!
- Use shortbread cookies as the base for an icebox cake.
- Crumble up cookies as an ice cream or yogurt parfait topping.
- Add stiff buttercream frosting to make homemade sandwich cookies.
- Dip them into a tea or latte, biscotti-style.
Leftover lavender? Add lavender buds to a couple of cups of sugar, cover, and store for a few days. You'll end up with a delicious lavender sugar that you can sprinkle on top of these cookies before baking or stir into your tea.
📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
If you aren't familiar with culinary lavender you're missing out. It's one of the main ingredients in Herbes de Provence, it is amazing with lamb or chicken, and it's fabulous in all kinds of side dishes and desserts.
When we had the tea room my daughter and I used lavender in baking and beverages as much as possible.
Not only is it kind of unique but it gives foods and drinks a wonderful tang that is almost lemony.
In fact, it's wonderful with lemon zest in almost anything. It goes with white chocolate, too, like in this lemon and lavender white chocolate truffle recipe.
Lavender shortbread cookies just taste like spring to me. They are light and feminine ... definitely tea-room worthy!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons lavender buds
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup Confectioner’s sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, (or vanilla paste for more vanilla flavor)
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 cups flour
- Confectioner’s sugar for rolling.
Instructions
- Smash the lavender with a mortar and pestle or put between sheets of parchment and break up with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
- Add the smooshed lavender buds and milk to a small measuring cup and set aside for 5 minutes. Drain.
- Beat the butter and Confectioner’s sugar until fluffy.
- Add the vanilla paste and salt; beat well.
- Mix the flour and the lavender and beat into the butter mixture.
- Form into a long roll and wrap in waxed paper.
- Chill until firm. You can freeze at this point for up to 3 months. Thaw before continuing.
- Preheat the oven to 300F.
- Roll the log of cookie dough in Confectioner’s sugar to coat the outside.
- Slice ¼-inch thick slices and place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until done.
- Don't let them brown too much, just a light golden brown around the edges.
- Cool completely on a wire rack – the texture is best when cool.
Notes
- The key to cooking with lavender is to use it sparingly or else your food will taste like soap. A wonderful, hand-milled French soap but soap none-the-less.
- The recipe is one of the few I've developed that NEEDS salted butter. It just balances the sweet shortbread.
- Soaking the lavender buds in whole milk for 5 minutes or so before using them helps the flavor to really develop.
- You can grind the lavender if you wish. I just like how the purple flecks look in the cookies.
- Store your lavender in the freezer to keep it fresh.
- Add lavender buds to a couple of cups of sugar, cover, and store for a few days. You'll have a delicious lavender sugar that you can sprinkle on top of these cookies before baking, or stir into your tea.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published January 5, 2015. Last updated September 16, 2024 for better images and readability.
✍🏻 A note from Marye...
I know y'all don't always like the stories bloggers tell so when I have one I try to put it at the very bottom so you can read or skip as you like.
How these Lavender Cookies ALMOST Killed the Photographer
I made these crumbly butter cookies as part of my Christmas cookie collection a few years ago. They were a hit.
Well, except when my daughter tried to kill the photographer with one.
Family Pictures Aren't Easy
You see, all of my kids were home for Christmas in 2015. This is no easy task because I had, at the time, eight kids, two kid-in-laws, and three grands. It's even more complicated because three of my kids are in the military.
We had not all been together at the same time in years and we hadn't been together for Christmas in at least a decade. Since everyone was together, (and I am pretty sure that took a special dispensation from God Himself) I wanted to get pictures done. Well, that posed two problems.
- We never hire anyone to do pictures because both Erin and Matthew are talented photographers.
- Since Chris and his wife flew in on the 23 and out on the 26 the only day we could do it was Christmas Eve.
Luckily Erin has a friend that is also a very talented photographer and she agreed to come out to our house to do the shoot. But that still doesn't tell you how Erin tried to kill her with a cookie.
How Our Picture Shoot Was Almost a Crime Scene
When the photographer got here Erin handed her a cookie and said, "My mom made these and they're amazing. Try one."
And the photographer dutifully took a bite, not asking what they were.
Apparently you can be allergic to lavender.
A little Benadryl and we got the pictures done. They were amazing. Sara absolutely works well under the influence of Benedryl.
mecala says
My goodness! I'm so glad I found you, Marye 🙂 Not only will I definitely be making these cookies soon (and purchasing from Amazon through your links), but I also intend to try many other recipes as well. I love your site and have enjoyed perusing and reading about you as well as seeing the pictures of you and your gorgeous family! I am a lover of many things, especially great tea. Can't wait to try these cookies while relaxing with a lovely cup and a great novel. Sorry to hear you don't have your tea room anymore. I bet it was wonderful!
Marye Audet says
Welcome Mecala! I love these with a cup of Earl Grey Creme. SO good. Thank you so much!
Marye Audet says
Thanks Kelly! I love this recipe. 🙂
Erin says
I have never cooked with lavender! But now I want to. This recipe sounds excellent. One of my sitters just asked if I made shortbread. I think this is a sign that I need to make some shortbread cookies.
Debra C. says
You hooked me in the first paragraph, I had to read the rest! Glad the photographer was ok - very excited about these cookies too! I love lavender and can't wait to give them a try.
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says
Just lovely Marye!! Lavender works so well with the richness of the butter cookie. HNY!!