These Meyer Lemon Greek Butter Cookies are tender and buttery, cloaked in powdered sugar and bursting with fresh Meyer lemon flavor! They’re great for holiday baking as they keep for up to 2 weeks, and they’re so easy to make!

Meyer lemon Greek butter cookies on a plate with lemon slices.

These Meyer Lemon Greek Butter Cookies are a must for my holiday baking. They’re so easy to make and they keep for weeks, which makes them ideal for gift giving.

They’re a part of my Christmas cookie box every year, and I love making them for Easter as well.

This kourabiedes recipe is very near and dear to my heart because my Greek uncle would send us a tin of these buttery cookies every Christmas. They were cloaked in powdered sugar and literally melted in my mouth.

The texture of these cookies is amazingly light and the almond flavor is the perfect compliment to the lemon.

Be prepared to get powdered sugar on your face and your fingers. Trust me, it’s worth it. 🙂

Greek butter cookies with Meyer lemon on a plate.
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Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Greek butter cookies are a lemony version of classic kourabiedes. They’re soft and buttery, and cloaked in the powdered sugar for the ultimate treat.
  • They’re very easy to make and are perfect for holiday baking.
  • They keep for weeks in an air tight container, which makes them great for holiday gift giving.

Recipe ingredients

There are just a few pantry staples in this recipe, along with meyer lemon juice. The lemon flavor truly sets these apart!

Greek butter cookie recipe ingredients.
  • Flour. I used all purpose flour in this recipe and have not tried it with whole wheat or gluten-free flours.
  • Almond flour. It’s traditional to add ground almonds to these cookies, so I chose to use almond flour as a short cut.
  • Butter. Use unsalted butter to control the sodium in this recipe.
  • Powdered sugar. Powdered sugar is used to coat the cookies, and is also in the cookie dough. It contains cornstarch, which results in incredibly soft cookies.
  • Meyer lemon. Traditional kourabiedes do not include lemon juice or zest — this is simply my twist on a classic recipe. It may be omitted, or substituted with your favorite citrus. If you love key lime, try my key lime cookies!
  • Egg yolk. The egg yolk is used as a binder for the cookie dough.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.

How to make this kourabiedes recipe

The nice thing about this kourabiedes recipe is that it’s incredibly easy to make.  There’s a decent amount of butter in this recipe, and it’s creamed with powdered sugar and lemon zest for a few minutes until light and fluffy.

There’s no chilling required for the cookie dough, so simply scoop the dough and bake!

Pro tip: It’s important to sweeten the cookies with powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar. The powdered sugar contains cornstarch, which results in incredibly soft cookies.

See the recipe card below for full instructions.

How to make kourabiedes.
  1. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
  2. Beat the butter, powdered sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the egg yolk and lemon juice and beat until combined.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on low just until the dough comes together.
  5. From there, knead the dough together with your hands.
  6. Roll the dough into 1″ balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1″ apart and bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden.
  7. Cool for 5-10 minutes, then roll the cookies in powdered sugar and allow to cool completely.
Greek butter cookies on a baking sheet.

Recipe FAQs

What are kourabiedes?

Kourabiedes are traditional Greek shortbread cookies, and are either shaped in balls or crescents.

They are typically baked with a whole clove inside and are enjoyed for Christmas, Greek Easter and even baptisms.

What are kourabiedes made of?

Greek butter cookies include flour, ground almonds, butter and powdered sugar. This recipe includes almond flour instead of ground almonds to make the recipe easier, and also includes meyer lemon zest and juice for a citrusy twist.

The cookies can also be flavored with almonds, brandy or vanilla.

What is the tradition behind kourabiedes?

These cookies are served during celebratory occasions such as weddings, baptisms, Christmas and Easter as they symbolize joy, abundance and good fortune.

A clove is often inserted into the cookies as a symbol of prosperity, protection and blessings. The clove is thought to bring good luck as well.

Can I make Greek butter cookies without nuts?

Simply substitute the almond flour with the same amount of all purpose flour to make these cookies nut free.

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip:  Powdered sugar is used in the cookie dough as it includes cornstarch.  The cornstarch gives the cookies a soft, melt in your mouth texture.
  • Greek butter cookies keep for up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container making them great to give as gifts for the holidays!
  • Traditional kourabiedes do not include lemon…this is simply my twist on a classic recipe.  You may omit it, or substitute it with your favorite citrus.  If you love key lime, be sure to try my key lime cookies!
Kourabiedes piled on a plate with slices of lemon.

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Meyer lemon Greek butter cookies on a plate with lemon slices.

Meyer Lemon Greek Butter Cookies (Kourabiedes)

Servings: 36 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Additional Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Meyer Lemon Greek Butter Cookies are easy, classic Greek kourabiedes with a refreshing citrus twist.  They're perfect for your holiday baking!
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Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar divided (use 2 more cups for rolling)
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ¼ cup fresh meyer lemon juice or sub with your favorite citrus
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.
    2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup almond flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter with 1 cup of the powdered sugar and lemon zest at medium low speed with a hand mixer until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium high and cream until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolk and lemon juice and beat until incorporated.
    2 sticks unsalted butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 large egg yolk, ¼ cup fresh meyer lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat on low just until the dough starts to come together — it will still be in clumps. Knead the dough together with your hands in the bowl, and form the dough into 1″ balls.
  • Place on the prepared baking sheets 1″ apart and bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating halfway between baking, until the bottoms are golden brown. Remove from heat and cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes.
  • Place the remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Roll the cookies a few at a time in the powdered sugar and place on the wire rack to cool completely.
  • Once cooled, cookies may be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Pro tip:  Powdered sugar is used in the cookie dough as it includes cornstarch.  The cornstarch gives the cookies a soft, melt in your mouth texture.
  • Greek butter cookies keep for up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container making them great to give as gifts for the holidays!
  • Traditional kourabiedes do not include lemon…this is simply my twist on a classic recipe.  You may omit it, or substitute it with your favorite citrus.  If you love key lime, be sure to try my key lime cookies!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 129kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 23mg, Potassium: 11mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 164IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Cookies
Cuisine: Greek
Author: Marcie
All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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