The classic cookie that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face! These easy Shortbread Cookies show that the best cookies are sometimes the simplest, melt in your mouth and delicious!
Simple Twix Cookies also start with a shortbread cookie crust. So perfect and delicious. Be sure to try my pecan shortbread cookies and whipped shortbread cookies next!
The Best Shortbread Cookie Recipe
These cookies are crumbly, buttery, and melt in your mouth, making them great for trying out your creative ideas!
The recipe I’m sharing today is my absolute favorite version that I’ve been making for years!!
Whether you love traditional walkers shortbread cookies, or are looking for a Ted Lasso shortbread recipe. I’ve got you covered with this simple shortbread recipe.
- Use quality ingredients. With just a few ingredients, the quality matters in achieving the best flavor!
- Made with a much higher ratio of butter and sugar to flour than other types of butter cookies.
- The best part is it only takes FIVE ingredients.
- Add melted chocolate to make the richest chocolate shortbread cookies around!
Instead of granulated white sugar like other butter cookie recipes, this one uses powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar). That gives the crumb of these cookies the perfect texture–crisp bite that begins to melt in your mouth as you eat it.
Since I first shared this recipe years ago, I have returned to this traditional shortbread recipe many times. Move over Walkers shortbread cookies, we’ve got an even better version made at home. These cookies are Ted Lesso approved!
Dozens of variations on it have appeared on this site over the years and I adore them all!
From Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies to White Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread Sticks, I’ve never met a shortbread I didn’t like.
Holiday season alert: Make a batch of these shortbread bites with festive sprinkles to add to all your cookie plates!
Important Ingredient Notes
Here’s all you need to make the best shortbread cookies recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card to get the full ingredient list.
- Unsalted Butter– Don’t skip it and use margarine or Crisco here. You should soften the butter to room temperature. Use my guide on how to soften butter quickly. You can also use salted butter.
- Powdered Sugar- I prefer this to granulated sugar in shortbread cookies, keeps them melt in your mouth with no grains. Sometimes people refer to this as icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar.
- Vanilla Extract– almond extract is great substitution!
- All-Purpose Flour
- Kosher Salt
Classic shortbread cookies don’t need baking soda or baking powder to rise. They are meant to stay flat and dense, unlike other Christmas cookies.
You also don’t need any eggs meaning it’s a great naturally egg-free cookie choice for those with egg allergies.
Aimee’s Gluten Free Tip
To make gluten free shortbread cookies, swap out the all-purpose flour for King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour. Works like a charm and tastes great too.
How to Make Shortbread Cookies
- Make the cookie dough. Use room temperature butter for the best buttery shortbread. Use a stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer to combine the dough. The dough will have a crumbly texture at first.
- Shape the shortbread dough. Mix with your hands until you can form the dough into a ball. Wrap the dough in saran wrap and mold it into a log shape. No rolling pin or cookie cutters needed for this easy shortbread recipe.
- Chill. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes but preferably about 2 hours. I’ve even kept it in the fridge overnight and up to a week.
- Bake. Slice the dough thin, about ¼ inch (or less). Place cookies on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-13 minutes until just turning golden brown on edges. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.
Variations
There are so many different ways you can enjoy homemade shortbread cookies. For your next cookie exchange, make a variety of sweet treats.
- Dulce de Leche. Sandwich two cookies with a dulce de leche filling like I did with these Alfajores. Delish!
- Add lemon. Make a batch of my lemon shortbread cookies instead by adding lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Holiday. Make Christmas time a litty more delicious with these vanilla bean shortbread cookies.
- Coconut. For the best mouth texture, you’ve got to try this coconut shortbread recipe.
- Add chocolate chips. Take my classic shortbread recipe a step further by making these shortbread cookie sticks with chocolate!
Tips and Tricks
- Chilling the dough allows the butter to firm up with the rest of the ingredients to helps the shape of these cookies stay round.
- Store shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- People often ask, “can you freeze shortbread cookies?” And the answer is YES. You can freeze the cookie dough in a log, then slice and bake as desired from frozen.
- Or, bake cookies as directed then freeze in an airtight freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
- Try my favorite cut out sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies next for classic treats.
Easy Cookie Recipes
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Shortbread Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Cream butter and powdered sugar together in a large bowl.
- Add flour, salt and vanilla. It becomes very crumbly. Use your hands to finish mixing it until it becomes a ball.
- Wrap in saran wrap, roll into a log shape (about 12-inches in length and 1 1/2-inches diameter) and refrigerate for about 30 minutes (or longer). Slice about 1/4-inch thick.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-13 minutes until just turning brown on edges. Remove and cool. Decorate or eat just the way they are! Enjoy!
Notes
- Use soft butter. Cold butter will be hard to work into the dough and the cookie texture will be off. Did you forget to put your butter out at room temperature in advance? You can soften it with a few seconds in the microwave at 50% power!
- This recipe makes cookies that are lightly crispy and crumbly. That means you’re going to take them out of the oven before they’re browned. If you want a crunchier cookie, feel free to leave the cookies in the oven for another minute or two. Just keep a close eye on them! They can burn quickly.
- Don’t forget to chill! This dough needs ample time in the refrigerator to set. This is a requirement for achieving the crumbly texture and to keep the dough together. Set aside at least 30 minutes for this step, preferably an hour or two.
- Let them cool completely. Before you store the cookies in a container or ziploc bag, be sure they’ve cooled completely. Put them in while they’re still warm and the steam will soften the cookies quite a bit.
Video
Nutrition
Nibble on these cookies with a cup of coffee, give a box of them to a friend in need of cheering or hand them out to the kids as an after school treat. You’re going to love Shortbread Cookies!
I made the Classic Shortbread cookies. So easy to make and decorate. My husband loved them. I liked them as well, but prefer them to be a bit sweeter. Am I able to use more powdered sugar or granulated sugar?
Found my new go to recipe for shortbread cookies these are absolutely delicious!
Hi Aimee–(sigh) doc told me to cut out sugar and carbs till my labs tests look better. (double sigh) Do you have any low-carb/low-sugar recipes? i tried just substituting a sugar substitute for cane sugar–ugh. thanks,
Kelly
I am looking for your homemade jingle cookie recipe. I cannot find it on your website. Do you have it posted anywhere? Thank you
Here you go: https://www.shugarysweets.com/homemade-jingles-cookies
Too delicate & fragile. I guess I’m looking for a sturdier, crunchy cookie.
All of your variations sound extremely good. A combo of those cookies would make a delicious gift. Thanks for linking these up.
This is one of those “Why didn’t I think of that??” moments! Yum!
These look great. I LOVE anything with Nutella!
Thank you so much for adding to this week’s Recipe linky party on my blog!
I hope you will join us every week!
they look sooooo yummy!