Lemon & Raspberry Vegan Shortbread Cookies

Lemon & Raspberry Vegan Shortbread Cookies

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This four step vegan shortbread cookies recipe is super easy to follow and is great for those with a sweet tooth. Combining juicy raspberries with a hint of zesty lemon, these are the perfect little biscuit treats that you can enjoy yourself or even gift to a friend.

What is shortbread? 

Shortbread, nicknamed ‘shortie,’ is a biscuit made from flour, sugar and butter (in this case, dairy-free).

Shortbread doesn’t use any rising agents like baking soda, which is what creates its signature buttery, crumbly texture. The fat in the butter is what creates the brittleness in these cookies, which is important for that melt-in-your-mouth quality.

If you’re no Mary Berry, don’t be alarmed! Shortbread is much more dense than your standard cookie and has a simple list of ingredients, so it makes for a suitable beginner recipe.

How can butter be ‘dairy-free’?

It’s important that you use vegan butter for this recipe – don’t be fooled by dairy-free margarine as this won’t mimic the firmness of standard dairy butter and you won’t achieve the crumbly goodness you’re looking for.

Like dairy butter, plant-based butter has a more solid texture because it has more saturated fat. Margarines contain unsaturated fats, which gives them a more spreadable texture. This might be great for spreading on toast, but for a shortbread recipe you’ll benefit more from the thickness of dairy-free butter.

Dairy-free butters usually use a plant-based oil such as coconut, avocado or olive oil, which is then combined with water.

Although they still contain saturated fats like dairy butter, they generally do have less fat content so are more beneficial for your health.

Some shortbread tips and tricks

There are a few tricks to getting the perfect shortbread.

You might find that you’re left with a too-crumbly dough. Although that crumbly texture is desired for this recipe, you don’t want it to fall apart!

If your mixture feels dry, add a teaspoon of water until it holds together better and is easier to use. This tip also saves you from wasting butter.

Make sure you sift your flour as you add it to the mixture. If you don’t have a sifter, you can simply use a sieve.

It’s important that you sift the flour so that there are no clumps which can ruin the consistency of your cookies. This method is also great for aerating the flour, meaning that your measurements are more accurate, which creates a better dough.