These Shortbread Cookies are made with only 3 ingredients. They’re incredibly mouthwatering, buttery and melt in your mouth delicious. A classic holiday cookie, made two ways!
The Perfect Christmas Cookies
Shortbread cookies are a Christmas favorite, I don’t know a single person who doesn’t love these cookies. Not only are they great at Christmas time, but I love them year round because they’re so simple to make, not to mention perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!
I don’t think there’s another cookie that’s more popular than this one around the holidays. They’re incredibly delicious with a wonderfully flaky and crumbly texture, shockingly easy to make and utterly buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Why Make This Shortbread Cookie Recipe
ONLY 3 INGREDIENTS – Yes, you read that right, these cookies require only 3 ingredients; flour, butter and icing sugar. Ingredients you likely already have in your pantry.
UNBELIEVABLY EASY TO MAKE – For such a delicious cookie, you’d think there’s a lot of work required to make them. I’m here to prove you wrong. I’ll show you 3 different ways you can make the dough and 2 different ways to shape them.
PERFECT GIFTS – It’s true that when November starts, I go into baking mode. I start baking all sort of cookies, these being a favorite among all and freeze them until Christmas. I then box them up nicely and gift them to my friends and family. Let’s just say that everyone loves them!
Here’s What You’ll Need
- BUTTER – You’ll need salted butter that’s at room temperature. It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour to bring the butter to room temperature, so make sure you give yourself enough time. If you don’t have salted butter, unsalted butter will also work, simply add about 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the cookie dough. The reason the salt is needed is because salt brings out the flavor in the cookies, without it, your cookies will taste bland.
- ICING SUGAR – Icing sugar is the same as powdered sugar or confectioners’ sugar. The reason powdered sugar is used is because you’ll get a softer texture in your cookie, a delicate melt-in-your-mouth cookie. For a different version using brown sugar, try my brown sugar Scottish shortbread cookies.
- FLOUR – You’ll need to use all-purpose flour in these cookies to absorb the moisture of the butter, drying the dough. Without flour we’d just have a buttercream frosting.
How To Make Shortbread Cookie Dough
As I mentioned, these cookies are incredibly easy to make. I also told you there are 3 ways you can make these cookies.
Use A Food Processor
First add the flour and icing sugar to your food processor and pulse a couple times until combined. Next you’ll need to cut up the butter in smaller pieces and add it to the food processor. All you have to do now is pulse it until the dough comes together. Same idea as making pie crust.
Use A Mixer
You can use a stand mixer or a hand held mixer. To do so, add the butter to a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and mix it until smooth with your mixer set at medium speed for about 30 seconds. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
Next, you’ll want to add the icing sugar and continue mixing until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and combine thoroughly.
Finally, add the flour and mix at low speed until well blended. The mixture will be crumbled and soft.
Use Your Hands
Our hands are our best tools. First, you’ll have to add the flour and icing sugar in a bowl and whisk it until combined using a whisk.
Next, add the butter cubes to the bowl. Since your butter is at room temperature, you can start by using a fork to mix in the butter with the flour and sugar. Once the butter is mostly mixed in, you can use your hands to continue kneading the mixture until it’s evenly blended and the dough comes together.
2 Ways To Shape Shortbread Cookies
Roll The Dough And Use Cookie Cutters
First, you’ll need a well floured work surface. Transfer the cookie dough the floured surface and knead it a couple times so that it comes together, but don’t overwork it. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it’s about 1/4 of an inch in thickness.
Next, you’ll need a cookie cutter. I have a really cute shortbread cookie cutter that I use, but you can use your favorite cookie cutter. Cut the cookies with the cookie cutter and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Pat The Dough Directly In A Baking Pan
This method is by far the easiest and doesn’t require any fancy cookie cutters or rolling pins. First, you’ll need to prep your baking pan by lining it with parchment paper, with the parchment paper hanging off the sides to make it easy to lift out the cookies.
Next, dump the cookie dough in to prepared baking pan and pat it down using your hands or a plastic spatula, until it’s even.
Whether you make the cookies this way, or use a cookie cutter, if you want them to be pretty, you’ll want to use a fork or a toothpick to score them or make your favorite pattern. This not only will it make your cookies look pretty, but it helps for even baking.
How To Bake Shortbread Cookies
Most of the work is done by now. All you have to do is bake them and eat them! You’ll want to first preheat your oven to 325°F. Transfer the cookie sheet to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until just done (slightly golden in color). Do not let them get brown. Remove the baking sheet or pan from the oven. If using a cookie sheet, lift out the cookies from the sheet using the parchment paper and cut into desired shapes immediately. Finish cooling the cookies on a wire rack.
These cookies are great if you want to ice them and decorate them festively or simply dip them half way in melted chocolate. They’re incredible!
How Do I Know When My Shortbread Cookies Are Done
You’ll know your cookies are done baking when they start to slightly turn brown at the bottom, then is the time to remove them from the oven. If you like your shortbread crunchier, go ahead and leave them in for a couple more minutes, but don’t forget that cookies continue to cook while on the baking sheet after you take them out of the oven.
Troubleshooting Shortbread Cookie Dough
If you run into any trouble with this shortbread dough, it’s probably going to be that the dough is too dry. This is especially true if you live in a dryer climate, as I do. If that’s the case, don’t throw out the dough, it’s really easy to remedy the problem.
All you have to do is crumble up the dough again in a bowl if you had rolled it out. Beat an egg and in a measuring cup or something you can easily pour from. Pour a little bit of the egg, start with a tablespoon at a time and mix it in to the dough until the dough comes together. Usually just that extra little bit of moisture will do the trick.
If you have the opposite problem, and the dough is too sticky, simply add a bit more flour, again start small and work your way from there.
Do I Have To Chill The Dough?
No, you don’t have to. If you wanted to slice these cookies by rolling them into a log first, then I would recommend forming the log, wrapping up in plastic wrap and chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the butter to solidify again, therefore setting the dough and making it easier to cut into slices.
You can also chill the dough if not making the cookies right away. You can refrigerate the dough overnight or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Can You Freeze Shortbread Cookies
Yes, absolutely! These cookies freeze incredibly well. To freeze, place shortbread cookies in an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips And Tricks
- If you don’t have salted butter, you’ll have to add about 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the cookie dough, otherwise your cookies will taste really bland.
- Bake your cookies on the middle rack of your oven and only one cookie sheet at a time, for even baking.
- Traditionally shortbread cookies are very pale in color, you don’t want them golden brown. In order to do this, we have to use a low oven temperature, which is why we bake these cookies at 325°F.
- Piercing the shortbread with a fork is not only for decoration, but it’s meant for more even baking. Poking holes in the shortbread allows the heat to penetrate the cookie, hence more even baking.
- Notice I’m using powdered sugar here. You’ll see lots of shortbread recipes using granulated sugar. Because I’m using powdered sugar, there’s no need to cream the butter and sugar for a long time, plus it gives us extra buttery, melt-in-your mouth cookies. If you only have granulated sugar, you can still use it, just make sure you mix it with the butter for as long as 10 minutes, until creamy and smooth.
Craving More Cookies? Try These:
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Pecan Pie Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
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Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups butter salted and softened at room temperature (3 sticks or 12 oz)
- 1 cup icing sugar same as confectioner sugar or powdered sugar (4.4 oz)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (13.2 oz)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Add the butter to a large bowl and blend it until smooth using an electric mixer set at medium speed for about 30 seconds.
- Add the icing sugar and continue mixing until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and combine thoroughly.
- Add flour and mix at low speed until well blended. The mixture will be crumbled and soft.
- Pat dough into an ungreased cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper, with the parchment paper hanging off the sides to make it easy to lift out the cookies. Alternatively you can roll out the dough so that it's about 1/4 of an inch in thickness, you can knead it a bit just so that the dough comes together, but don't overwork it, then cut into your desired shape. Pierce the shortbread with a fork.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until just done (slightly golden in color). Do not let them get brown. Remove from the oven. If using a cookie sheet, lift out the cookies from the sheet using the parchment paper and cut into desired shapes. Finish cooling the cookies on a cooling rack.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Because I’m using salted butter there’s no need to add salt to the recipe, if you only have unsalted butter, add about 1/4 tsp salt to the recipe.
- I used this shortbread cookie cutter.
- For the video I divided the dough in half and used one half in an 8×8 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper, and rolled the rest to use with the cookie cutter.
- This recipe will yield about 36 cookies.
- Bake your cookies on the middle rack of your oven and only one cookie sheet at a time, for even baking.
- Traditionally shortbread cookies are very pale in color, you don’t want them golden brown. In order to do this, we have to use a low oven temperature, which is why we bake these cookies at 325°F.
- Piercing the shortbread with a fork is not only for decoration, but it’s meant for more even baking. Poking holes in the shortbread allows the heat to penetrate the cookie, hence more even baking.
- Notice I’m using powdered sugar here. You’ll see lots of shortbread recipes using granulated sugar. Because I’m using powdered sugar, there’s no need to cream the butter and sugar for a long time, plus it gives us extra buttery, melt-in-your mouth cookies. If you only have granulated sugar, you can still use it, just make sure you mix it with the butter for as long as 10 minutes, until creamy and smooth.
- To freeze, place shortbread cookies in an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I really loved this recipe, nice and easy, but also fun to make. (Also I found out for me pancake powder seems to have the same affect, as all purpose flour. But the all purpose flour, is a better choice in my opinion.)
This recipe is perfect! I made the main dough then split the dough into 3 balls
1 I left plain ,1 I added lemon extract and the 3rd I added almond . All turned out fantastic! This is an amazing keeper recipe. Will add it to my favourites book ! Thank you
Delicious shortbread cookies!
Simple and so so delicious! I used 2 sticks of salted and 1 stick of unsalted…. PERFECT!
Decided to deviate from my recipe for shortbread, of 15 years, to try one without vanilla. These did not disappoint. My new go to for shortbread!
Can this recipe be piped? As through a cookie press, to make the ruffle like little round ones?
I don’t think it will work piped, it’s too crumbly. You can roll it out and then use cookie cutters, but I don’t think piping will work.
This is an excellent recipe. I’ve tired different ones over the years but this is the perfect combination. I think partly the salted butter makes the difference. I made sure to really whip the butter as well – I think that makes a difference too. I rolled out the whole batch and made stars with a little silver ball in the middle.
I make this recipe every year (and sometimes in the summer) it’s amazing I grew up with my gmas shortbread and this tastes just like it its sooooo good gonna bring some around my work this year thank u been using your recipes for years now also love love love ur coke a cola ham recipe
I used this recipe as the base to make cardamom pistachio shortbread cookies and it came out great! The texture was wonderful- it was slightly salty and not too sweet… it hit the spot! Thank you!
So glad you liked it!
can you post your cardamom pistachio recipe? Sounds wonderful.
I would like to make these without having to buy another cookie sheet. I notice the pan she is using has pretty high sides. Any ideas?
You can use any cookie sheet, I just wanted a thicker shortbread cookie 🙂
This recipe is great. I make it often and I try not to eat it all. Very dangerous! lol I love using icing sugar when making shortbread because it seems to have a better texture than when just using while fine sugar! I like sprinkling fine sugar all over the top of the fingers before baking…like I did in pastry school. I baked these in a 9x 13 for about 12 minutes and they are perfect. Thanks for a keeper 💗
This is my go to short bread recipe. Easy and delicious. Let the cookies cool to firm up if you don’t they will fall apart. I added some lavender to this last batch and they are delicious!
Revising a previous comment. Actually, if I could find my original comment, I would revise it directly. The very fragile shortbread firmed up when I left it in a cool place for a few hours. So no problems, it’s fine now
Loved these shortbread cookies! I added some lemon zest and a drizzle of lemon icing. They were the perfect cookie for an afternoon tea with a friend.
Perfect. It’s got crunch, amazing sandy texture, perfect amount of sweetness, easy to make, and waaaay too easy to eat! Your website is appealing, informative, and easy to navigate.