This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.
These delicious Lemon Blueberry Shortbread Cookies are buttery, sweet and loaded with blueberry flavor, with no rolling, cutting out or patting.
Know what one of my favorite things about blogging is? You might think it's coming up with delicious recipes like these Lemon Blueberry Shortbread Cookies, and I do enjoy that. But really, that's not the best part. Nope, the thing I love the most is YOU!
Yes, this blog would be nothing without faithful, encouraging readers like you. I love that, through this blogging adventure, I've had the opportunity to make new friends - all over the world! It's so fun to open my computer and find a letter from someone I've never met before. Some are just one-time letters of query or comment, but lots of them are ongoing conversations. Over time, these conversations have developed into delightful relationships.
Early last spring I received a fun email from a Café follower from Canada. She introduced herself, shared how she'd discovered The Café and wrote some kind words of encouragement. Then she asked me for a favor:
This is an excerpt of what she wrote:
Why I am writing you today is that I need your help. I visited a friend a few months a following shoulder surgery. We stopped off at the Cinnamon Bear Café in Coleman, Alberta on the Crow’s Nest Pass on the way and there I picked up the most delicious Lemon Blueberry Cookies that I have ever tasted!!! My friend and I tried to recreate the recipe but couldn’t. When she was bringing me back to the airport, we stopped off there again and I picked up more of those cookies to try to figure out the recipe. I did ask the woman owner for it and the lovely woman stated that they were made with margarine and lemon peel and were primarily a shortbread cookie. So at home I made several more attempts to replicate the taste and amazing consistency, to no avail. So I am wondering if I asked you nicely, if you could ask her nicely and somehow obtain the recipe. I know it is wishful thinking on my part, but I have always been a bit of a dreamer and I thought I would ask.
I love dreamers. I also enjoy challenges like this. I couldn't ask the owner of the Café for the recipe, as she didn't have a website or email that I could find. I did however, within a few days, come up with a recipe for Lemon Blueberry Shortbread based on my New York Times Rosemary Shortbread. I used lemon peel (zest) like the Cinnamon Bear Café, but not margarine (never been a fan).
The cookies were delicious and I took them to our church small group with lots of rave reviews. I decided then and there that buttery, sweet shortbread, blueberries and lemon were a wonderful combination. But had no idea if my recipe was anything like my Canadian friend's beloved cookies and it seemed like I had no way of finding out.
Was I ever wrong! A couple of months later Scott came in from getting the mail with a little package postmarked, Canada. It was a lemon blueberry cookie for me to try - from The Cinnamon Bear Café! How fun! The cookie had traveled well and was accompanied by a sweet note. I immediately noticed it was a drop cookie rather than a classic shortbread which is rolled and cut into circles, squares, etc. or patted into a pan.
I poured a glass of cold milk and took a bite. The flavor was wonderful - lemony with bursts of blueberry and the texture was quite sturdy (it had traveled halfway across a continent!), yet light. Hmmm....
I tried several recipes without success before coming up with one (adapted from Allrecipes) that seems to be fairly close. At first, I had a bit of trouble making them look attractive (important for a food blog), but I found using the tiny wild dried blueberries (or chopping regular size dried blueberries) and scooping the dough with a cookie scoop helped a lot.
So I hope my Canadian friend doesn't have to travel all the way to The Cinnamon Bear Café when the craving for these delicious cookies comes over her. You too can whip up a batch of these Lemon Blueberry Shortbread Cookies any time you want. Hey, you could even open your own little Café and sell them. Who knows? There might be someone from half a continent away begging you for the recipe...
LOTS OF PEOPLE ASK WHAT KIND OF COOKWARE, SMALL APPLIANCES, CUTLERY, ETC. I USE IN THE KITCHEN. HERE’S WHAT I USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE.
- ⅔ cup dried blueberries*
- 1 tablespoon apple juice or water
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- finely grated zest from 2 small lemons
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup white sugar plus additional for sprinkling
-
Combine dried blueberries and apple juice or water in a microwave-safe cup or bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high or 45 seconds. Set aside to cool. Blueberries will absorb the juice (or water) and plump up a bit.
-
Preheat oven to 325˚F (150˚C). Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
-
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir well, then add cooled blueberries and lemon zest. Stir again, then set aside.
-
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together, until light and fluffy.
-
Slowly add the dry ingredients, mix until completely combined.
-
With a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop dough onto prepared sheet pans, 1 ½ inches apart. I use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop (size and number of cookies will depend on the size of your scoop). Sprinkle each cookie lightly with sugar and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
* I like to use the tiny dried wild blueberries for these cookies. If you can’t find them or want to use regular dried blueberries, coarsely chop them before adding to the flour mixture.
I use a 2 tablespoon size cookie scoop and get about 2 dozen cookies - size and number of cookies will depend on the size of your scoop.
Catherine Edis says
I just love your site. All of your recipes are wonderful. Thank you for what you do.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thank you for the kind and encouraging comment, Catherine!
Maria says
OK, I think this is going to be a hot mess. LOl!
I had freeze dried blueberries, I'm guesssing that is the same as just dried berries???
I chopped them up because I couldn't find the mini ones. Added lemon juice and put in the mircrowave. It came out a mushy mess.
when I added to the cookie dough , the dough came out purple. OMGSH. They are in in the oven now, will see how they taste. LOL
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Maria, sadly, freeze-dried blueberries are not like dried blueberries and will give you a lot more liquid when hydrated.
Mary says
I liked the cookie BUT I really didn’t think there was enough lemon flavor. Maybe if you measured your dry ingredients and grated the lemon peel and let it sit in the flour longer. I will do that first, them make the rest of the dough. I tried this cookie in a department store that had a coffee shop in it. The cookies were large and they heated them. Delicious and this recipe is very close to that cookie
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Mary, thanks for your review. You could also add a little lemon extract or extra lemon zest if you prefer more lemon flavor.
Pamela says
I have read this trick elsewhere: vigorously rub the sugar and grated lemon peel together with your finger tips. This will infuse the sugar with the lemon oil and bring out the lemon flavor.
By the way, this cookie recipe is lovely and I am going to try it.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Pamela!
Chris says
This is one of the best cookie recipes I've tried in a long time. The cookies are light and lemony. You can use blueberries or without. Especially love these are drop shortbread like cookies. Huge hit at my house!!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Chris!
Shamma says
Hallo 🙂
So want to try this recipe for giving out Christmas cookies.
My question is how long would they stay fresh in air tight containers?
Thank you 💗
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Shamma, they stay good in an airtight container for 3-5 days but they also freeze well.
Kathleen says
Lovely recipe! I made a couple small changes but they turned out great. I subbed Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks instead of Butter because my son has a dairy allergy, I also used fresh squeezed lemon juice instead of water/apple juice for the blueberries, and I added an additional 1/4 cup sugar because I noticed you used sweetened dried blueberries and I bought unsweetened ones. They turned out fabulous and I think I am going to add these to my list of Christmas cookies this year. Thank you so much 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Kathleen! So happy you enjoyed them!
Priscilla says
Just wondering why dried berries instead of fresh since you're rehydrating them? Sorry if I missed the answer in your blog; thanks in advance
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Priscilla, even though the dried berries are somewhat rehydrated, they don't have anywhere near the juice of a fresh berry so they don't make the cookies soggy like fresh berries would. The rehydration just makes them a little more moist.
Gayle Humann says
Chris,
It is raining here today in Washington so getting your email was perfect day. I have made all of your shortbread cookies with the exception of the Lemon Blueberry. I immediately got out the ingredients and got to work. Amazing flavor and just melt in your mouth! Thank You! I would love to sit in your kitchen as you try out and tweak all the amazing recipes you send out! They make me and everyone around me very thankful and happy.
Gayle
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you for the kind words, Gayle! This is a great rainy day project!
Janet says
In the mood to bake, and in Covid lockdown. Could I use frozen blueberries instead?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Janet, you can almost always sub frozen berries for fresh berries but neither frozen or fresh will work in these cookies as the moisture will make them too soggy.
Denise says
Diabetes runs in my family along with other issues so I'm always trying recipes with alternate ingredients. I used 1/2 unsalted butter, sugar blend, and 1/2 wheat flour. I also used lemon juice for the blueberries to add more lemon flavor. They turned out great!
Chris Scheuer says
So good to know, Denise! Thanks so much for sharing your review and adaptations. I know this will be so helpful to other readers with dietary considerations.
PK Trashkey says
The flavor of these shortbread cookies are truly delish! However, mine flattened out like crepes. The batter seemed thick enough, but could it be that since I used fresh instead of the dried berry/juice combo, there was too much moisture?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi PK, that is definitely why they flattened. You can't use fresh blueberries in cookies. They just won't get crisp due to the moisture. I wanted to use fresh blueberries but had to resort to the dried to make things work.
Shay says
I made these and some of them flattened out. I followed the recipe exactly and they were still flat. Maybe theres not enough baking powder. Or perhaps I didn’t mix them well enough.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Shay, I'm not sure what went wrong with some of your cookies. The baking powder amount is correct. It's hard to say but I will go back and re-test this recipe when I have a minute.
Luckey Girl says
Great recipe! The cookie were light, flavorful and perfect for our summer picnic. Thank you for sharing 😊
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome! I'm so happy you enjoyed them and appreciate you taking the time to share your results!
Elsa says
Hi, I tried this recipe and the cookies are delicious, however, they spread a little too much. I am wondering about the butter. Does it need to be room temperature or cold? Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Elsa, I'm not sure exactly why your cookies spread. The butter should be at room temperature so it will blend with the other ingredients. Certain brands of butter have a higher water content than others which can make cookies spread. You could refrigerate the scooped up cookies for a bit before baking to prevent spreading.