These lemon curd crumble cookies have a buttery shortbread base, a tangy lemon curd filling, and a golden crumble topping. They come together with just one simple dough and bake up in muffin liners for the most satisfying little cookies.

stacked crumble cookies with lemon curd.

These lemon curd crumble cookies are a shortbread-style cookie baked in muffin liners, filled with bright lemon curd, and finished with a crumbly topping made from the same dough as the base. One batch of dough does all the work, which keeps things simple without losing any of the texture.

The base is pressed firm so it holds its shape when you bite in. The lemon curd filling stays soft and jammy in the center and the crumble topping bakes up golden and slightly crisp.

You can use store-bought lemon curd if you’re short on time, but my homemade microwave lemon curd is so quick and easy that it’s worth making from scratch if you can. The flavor is soo much better than anything from a jar.

Key ingredients and why

Unsalted butter, cold. Cold butter is important here. Because this is a shortbread-style dough, you want the butter to stay in small pieces as it gets cut into the flour rather than fully blending in. This gives the finished cookie a slightly crumbly, tender texture rather than a dense, cakey one. I use cold butter straight from the fridge.
Powdered sugar. Shortbread almost always uses powdered sugar rather than granulated, and there’s a good reason for it. Powdered sugar dissolves more easily into the dough and produces a finer, more delicate crumb. Granulated sugar would give you a crunchier, grittier texture that doesn’t suit these cookies.
All-purpose flour. Standard all-purpose flour works perfectly here. You don’t want a high-protein flour because that would develop too much gluten and make the cookies tough. A lower-protein flour keeps everything tender.
Lemon curd. The filling for these cookies. A good lemon curd should be thick enough to hold in place on the base before you top it and bake it. If your curd is very runny, chill it well before using so it doesn’t spread too much. My homemade lemon curd firms up nicely in the fridge and is exactly the right consistency.

Method

Add the butter, flour, powdered sugar, and salt to a food processor.

Blend the butter into the flour until it forms fine crumbs, then keep blending it until it begins to clump together around the sides of the bowl.

When you press it in your hands, it should form a dough.

Press one tablespoon of dough firmly into the base of each liner using the back of a spoon.

crumble topped cookie dough in muffin liners.

Add a teaspoon of lemon curd to the center of each base, keeping it away from the edges. Crumble about 3/4 tablespoon of dough over the top of each filled cookie.

Bake for around 20 minutes until lightly golden at the edges. Leave the cookies to cool completely in their liners before removing.

Tips

Keep the curd in the center. Spoon the lemon curd into the middle of the base and don’t spread it to the edges. As it bakes, it softens and spreads naturally. If it starts too close to the edge it can seep out the sides.
Cool the pan between batches. This recipe makes 14-16 cookies so you’ll need two batches in a 12-hole muffin pan. Make sure the pan has cooled before you add the second batch, otherwise the dough starts to melt before it goes in the oven and the base won’t hold its shape properly.
Variations. Strawberry jam, raspberry jam, strawberry compote, or raspberry compote all work beautifully in place of lemon curd.

Storing

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They also keep well in the fridge for up to a week. I prefer them at room temperature where the shortbread has a better texture, but a brief minute out of the fridge is all they need if they’ve been chilled.

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