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With just 5 simple ingredients, this simple shortbread cookie recipe is everything good shortbread should be. A little bit salty, a little bit sweet, and oh so buttery and tender! Perfect dipped in Christmas tea, homemade hot chocolate, or added to a Christmas Cookie tray.
Kristen's Keys for Perfect Shortbread Cookies
This shortbread cookie recipe is from my Nana, who claimed it was from her ancestors in Scotland. While I can't prove that claim, I can promise with her recipe and a few tips, you can enjoy buttery, tender shortbread with ease!
- Opt for powdered sugar. Using powdered sugar over granulated sugar produces a lighter, flakier shortbread cookie.
- Thoroughly chill the dough. The colder the dough, the colder the butter in the dough. And cold butter translates into air pockets, which results in light and flaky shortbread cookies.
- Pierce with a fork. Piercing the cookies with a fork a few times before baking will allow steam to escape, preventing the shortbread from puffing as it bakes.
How to Make Shortbread Cookies
Think of this section as me (or my Nana) standing beside you in the kitchen to help guide you to achieving perfect shortbread.
Step One: Prepare Shortbread Dough
Shortbread cookie dough is one of the easiest doughs to prepare. Everything is mixed together in one bowl using a handheld mixer.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy.
- Add flour and salt and mix on low until just combined. The dough may look crumbly at this point and that is okay. Much like homemade buttermilk biscuits and all-butter pie crust dough, it will come together when shaped.
Step Two: Shape and Chill
On a lightly floured surface, bring the dough together and then shape into a square-like shape that is about ½-inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and then pop in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Step Three: Cut and Pierce
Once chilled, cut the shortbread dough into 16 small squares and then pierce each individual square with a fork several times.
👉🏻Add Sugar if Desired! For a sweet, crunchy finish, sprinkle the shortbread cookies with sparkling or granulated sugar before baking.
Step Four: Bake
Place the shortbread cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until just set.
👉🏻Don't Let the Shortbread Cookies Brown. We aren't looking for the cookie to brown, just to set up. Browned shortbread is overcooked and will lose it's delicate, buttery crumb shortbread is known for.
Shortbread Variations
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies: Omit the vanilla extract and add in 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the cookie dough along with butter and sugar.
- Chocolate Dipped Shortbread: Once your shortbread cookies have been baked and cooled, dip half of the cookie into melted chocolate. Let harden on parchment paper at room temperature and enjoy.
- Add Sprinkles: Quickly mix ½ cup of sprinkles into your cookie dough after mixing in the flour. Shape, chill, slice, and bake as directed.
- Make it Festive: Instead of topping your shortbread with granulated sugar, use colored sparkling sugar to the cookies before baking.
- Add Almond Extract: To enhance the nutty flavor of the butter, add ¼ teaspoon of almond extract to the shortbread cookies along with the vanilla extract.
Storage & Make Ahead Instructions
- Baked Shortbread Cookies: Once the shortbread cookies have fully cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and store them for up to 7 days at room temperature. Alternatively, you can freeze shortbread in a sturdy freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and enjoy.
- Shortbread Cookie Dough: Prepare the dough as directed and store the dough, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, in the fridge for up to 5 days. Roll, cut, and bake the cookies as directed. Alternatively, place the wrapped dough in a freezer-safe storage bag and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then roll, cut, and bake the cookies as directed.
More Homemade Cookie Recipes
Love the buttery flavor in shortbread? You will also enjoy my recipes for candy cane cookies and snowball cookies. But don't miss out on the following cookie recipes to satisfy any craving.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
The Best Shortbread Cookie Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar, see note on measurement
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, see note on measurement
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or sparkling sugar , optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat together 1 cup unsalted butter with ¾ cup powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add 2¼ cups all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon table salt to the mixing bowl and mix on low until the dough is just combined. It will look a bit crumbly.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and bring the dough together to form a cohesive dough. Pat or roll the dough into roughly an 8x8 square, about ½-inch thick. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Once ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 325°F (165℃) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and cut the dough into 2" squares.
- Piece each shortbread cookie with a fork or skewer, several times.
- Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar or sparkling sugar if desired.
- Bake until lightly golden and set, 18 to 20 minutes. Do not let cookies brown. They should be pale, yet just set.
- Let cool to room temperature on the baking sheet and then remove to a baking rack or container. Store the cooled shortbread cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days at room temperature or in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally shared in 2020 but updated in 2025 with new tips.
I followed the recipe (Shortbread Cookies) to the letter, the dough tasted great....couldn't get the dough to hang together, but after some maneuvering, I got it into a ball...thought maybe the secret was in refrigeration...but I couldnt even roll out dough w/o it breaking up! Was there a liquid that was left out of the recipe? I'm SO disappointed! Now what do I do with this dough or how to fix it?
Hi Julie! I am so sorry you are disappointed with this recipe. There is not an ingredient left out and I am not sure why you are having this issue. Did you use a full 2 sticks of butter or just 1? Was your butter fully soft? How did you measure your flour? Was it spooned into your measuring cup or scooped out? These answers will help me to troubleshoot fully for you. In the meantime, you can refrigerate the dough again until fully chilled. Instead of rolling it out, press the dough into an 8x8 baking dish lined with parchment paper. Prick the holes as directed and then then bake as directed, increasing the time by 2-3 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes and then remove the parchment paper and gently cut into squares and then let cool fully.
I did use 2 sticks (fully softened) of unsalted butter. I did scoop out flour but did not pack it. As I stated (because I cheated & tasted to test flavor) the flavor of dough was great. I will try your suggestion pressing dough into baking dish. I just hated the thought of tossing out the dough, so thank you for your suggestion...hoping for the best!🙏
My family loved these so much and I loved making them! So pretty and so delicious!
I love a good shortbread cookie! Lorna Doone & GS Trefoils are some of my absolute favorites! But, sadly, I'm alone in this house in regards to my love of a shortbread! Love that this is a small batch recipe. Even though I could easily eat a whole huge batch of cookies, I certainly don't need to! And since I'm on my own, a smaller batch is perfect. They'll still be gone way too quickly, though... they're just so stinkin' delicious!
My favorite cookies!! I could eat soo many of these!!
These are the best! Such a simple recipe but the result is shortbread perfection!
YAY! I love hearing you enjoyed so much Gina!
the BEST recipe for cookies at this time of year! Rich, crispy and just PERFECT! These were the best!
So glad you enjoyed this Shortbread Cookie recipe so much Lisalia--thanks for leaving a review.
These cookies are amazing! Perfect for the holidays and so delicious!