Egg Cookies

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Adorable egg cookies are perfect for Easter! My version uses a buttery shortbread cookie base and bright homemade lemon curd filling for a tasty and oh so cute sandwich cookie treat.

Overhead view of egg cookies made with lemon curd on a cooling rack.

Egg Cookies for Easter

I know the concept of these egg cookies might seem a bit silly, but have you seen cuter cookies?! They are tasty too–similar to lemon bars in taste and texture, with a crisp, buttery shortbread cookie base, tart lemon filling, and a dusting of powdered sugar on top. They would be so fun for Easter!

These cookies were my sister’s suggestion… She actually saw them on Instagram and wanted them remade for Easter. We made them, then hunted through her feed for the original source and found it: Bonne maman. Their recipe seemed to go for more of a Linzer cookie approach, using almond flour. I opted for a shortbread base instead and used my homemade lemon curd instead, though you could certainly use their their curd.

Why You’ll Love Them

Flavorful and fun! Buttery shortbread pairs so well with lemon. These aren’t just cute–they are delicious too!
Simple and surprisingly easy to make with just seven ingredients.
A great way to serve “eggs” at Easter without having to boil or dye anything. And honestly, with how expensive eggs are in the US right now, these are a wonderful alternative to the real thing! 😅
Great for making in advance, since the dough needs to chill for at least an hour. I provide instructions for you to prep the dough up to five days in advance (gives you a chance to get a head start on your other Easter desserts!).

What You Need

Just seven ingredients today! This cookie recipe is super simple.

Overhead view of ingredients including butter, lemon curd, powdered sugar, and more.

Flour and cornstarch. Using a mix of flour and cornstarch has two benefits: helping the cookies hold their shape in the oven and creating a super tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Powdered sugar. This goes in the dough (just like in the shortbread crust I use for my lemon tart!) and then is sprinkled on top once our cookies cool.
Butter. Pick a good quality butter if you can, as this will largely flavor our shortbread. European butter (like Kerrygold or Plugra) would be an especially good choice here!
Flavoring. Including vanilla extract and salt. I personally like using my homemade vanilla extract in my baked goods–it’s easy to make and has such a good flavor! It also makes a great homemade gift, if you need something for mom for mother’s day 😉
Lemon curd. I prefer homemade, but you can of course use store-bought. Keep in mind fresh homemade lemon curd tends to be a bit brighter in color than the store-bought versions that have been preserved to be shelf stable.

SAM’S TIP: If you only have salted butter, you can use that and skip the additional salt in the recipe.

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Egg Cookies

Make & cut the dough

Overhead view of a rolled out cookie dough that's been cut with an egg shaped cookie cutter.

Prepare the dough, then wrap in plastic and let chill before rolling. You can customize the thickness/final texture of your cookies; the thicker you roll them, the softer and chewier they’ll be (but they also may spread a bit more). Thinner cookies will be crisper (and you’ll get more cookies from your dough). I like to roll mine just under ¼″ thick.

Cut the egg centers out of just half of your egg cookies (these will be the tops of each sandwich!), placing the cutter in the lower half of the cookie.

Bake, separating the cookies with the cutouts on their own cookie sheet, that way they all bake evenly. Don’t let your cookies get too dark in the oven or they’ll be dry and crumbly–pull them out when the edges just start to turn a very, very light golden color.

Assemble & decorate

Overhead view of egg cookies being assembled with a lemon curd center and powdered sugar exterior.

Once they have cooled completely, dust all of the top cookies (the cookies with cutouts) with powdered sugar.

Take the remaining bottom cookies and flip them over so that the side that was on the parchment paper is now facing up. Add lemon curd, then top with the sugared cookies before gently pressing the two halves together.

SAM’S TIP: Add the powdered sugar before assembling the egg cookies, otherwise you’ll cover up your “yolk” filling!

Overhead view of cookies made to look like eggs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different filling?

You could, but the bright yellow lemon curd is what really makes these egg cookies look like eggs! Apricot jam/preserves, pineapple curd, or mango curd would be my recommended alternatives if you don’t like lemon but still want an eggy look.

Do they need to be refrigerated?

Yes! The cookies can sit at room temperature for a few hours, but after that they should go in the fridge, due to the lemon curd. Make sure you store them in an airtight container. Personally I think they’re still excellent when served cold, but if you prefer you could let them come back to room temperature before enjoying.

My powdered sugar disappeared! What happened?

Sometimes (but not always) the powdered sugar will dissolve after a day or two, especially after the cookies have been in the fridge. This tends to happen due to the sugar being exposed to moisture (a humid day can also cause this, or if you added the sugar while the cookie was still warm). If this happens, you can try and dust the tops with powdered sugar again, but you might lose the yellow yolk look if you do. I have two of these cookies sitting in my fridge (in an airtight container, of course) that were made 4 days ago and the powdered sugar is completely intact, so it doesn’t always dissolve, either.