This is truly the Best Shortbread Cookies Recipe! It yields tender, crisp, buttery, and perfect cookies every time. A simple straightforward recipe with under 30 minutes of prep time. Includes a how-to video!
I feel like shortbread cookies are underrated.
They’re simple, admittedly a little plain looking, and not nearly as flashy as a stack of Monster Cookies or even Chocolate Chip Cookies. They’re probably not the first cookie you’d reach for on a cookie tray, at least I know they never were my first choice.
But maybe they should be. Yes, they’re simple (only 5 ingredients), no, they’re not very flashy (though dressing them up with a chocolate drizzle helps), but the taste is sheer, simple, perfection. Buttery and tender, shortbread cookies have a delicate crispness to them, a light airiness that’s detectable as the crumb crumbles with that first bite. It’s their simplicity that actually makes them so good.
And for such a simple recipe, there are so many variations out there! Months ago I began testing recipes and tried a lot of variations before I settled on this one. I tested with powdered sugar, granulated, a mix of the two, and cornstarch. I creamed the butter, melted the butter, and cut it in with a food processor, a pastry cutter, and even a grater (it worked well with my biscuits, thought it was worth a try here). This recipe not only came out on top in terms of taste and texture, it was also one of the easiest variations that I tried.
Ingredients
A sister to my super popular butter cookies, these also require only a few basic ingredients. I’d bet you probably already have these in your pantry:
- Butter. I like to use unsalted and add salt (it allows us to control the flavor!), but here’s a post I wrote on how to substitute salted butter for unsalted, if needed.
- Sugar. I was so sure I’d be using powdered sugar here like I did in my shortbread-esque crust for my fruit tart, but after dozens and dozens of taste tests, granulated sugar actually came out on top.
- Vanilla extract. This is not a traditional ingredient for shortbread cookies and you can leave it out if you’d like. I, however, have trouble saying no to the flavor of vanilla and love the way it deepens the flavor of shortbread.
- Salt. For flavor, of course. See my note above with the butter.
- Flour. Use all-purpose (also often known as “plain”) flour. Self-rising flour will not work here.
There is no baking powder or baking soda needed in this recipe, their omission is not accidental! This is just a brief overview of the ingredients I use and why, for full amounts and the entire recipe, please scroll down to the recipe box below.
What’s the Difference Between a Sugar Cookie and Shortbread Cookies?
The main difference between these two cookies is the ingredients and the ratios of the ingredients. Sugar cookies typically contain eggs, while shortbread cookie recipes do not. Shortbread also has a higher ratio of butter to flour, and the resulting cookies are usually more crumbly and tender.
Here is a great sugar cookie recipe if you happen to be on the hunt for one!
Do You Have to Refrigerate Shortbread Dough?
For my shortbread cookies refrigerating the dough is required. A minimum of 15 minutes is needed to ensure that the dough is manageable and that it’s not going to spread in the oven.
You need to refrigerate this recipe for at least 15-30 minutes, but it can stay wrapped up in the refrigerator for up to five days. Keep in mind that if the dough is chilled for longer than an hour, it will become really firm and difficult to roll. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes and it should be softened enough to roll and cut out.
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Enjoy!
Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (226g)
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar (150g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional¹
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (280g)
- 1 cup dark chocolate melting wafers or semisweet chocolate chips for drizzling/dipping optional (170g)
Instructions
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer (or using a stand mixer) beat butter until creamy.
- Add sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and beat until completely combined.
- Gradually add flour until completely combined into butter mixture. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed so all flour is incorporated. Stir until combined, but try not to over-work the batter as this can warm it up and make it sticky/difficult to manage and make your resulting cookies tough.
- Use a spoon or spatula to work dough together into a ball and then transfer to a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper. Work into a disk then transfer to refrigerator to chill for at least 15-30 minutes.
- Once dough has nearly finished chilling, preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Once dough has finished chilling, transfer to a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll out to just over 1/4" thickness. Use round, 2 1/2" cookie cutter to cut into shapes. Use a spatula to transfer to prepared baking sheet. Space cookies at least 1" apart.
- Bake in 350F (175C) oven for 15 minutes or until edges are just beginning to turn a light golden brown. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet before enjoying or dipping in chocolate.
- If you'd like to dip/drizzle in chocolate, prepare melting wafers according to instructions on packet (or melt chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl in 15 second increments, stirring well between, until completely melted). Dip cooled cookies in chocolate or drizzle chocolate over cookies. Allow chocolate to harden completely before enjoying.
Notes
Nutrition
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Susan Simmons says
Do you have to use unsalted butter? All I have is salted.
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Susan! You can use salted butter. I would just omit the additional salt that is listed. 🙂
Susan says
Love all your recipes!! QUICK question about these shortbread cookies.
Will these cookies hold up images or imprints when they are baked? I wanted a shortbread and not a sugar cookies that would hold up to imprints and would bake up without getting lost. THank you!
Sam says
Hi Susan! I honestly haven’t tried it but I think it should hold up pretty well. Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Caty says
Hi!
I have tried these a couple of times and they are AMAZING! they are my mom’s favorite cookies. I like to stack them like a sandwich with dark chocolate inside. 😋. My mom always asks me to make them for her.
I have a question: how long can you keep this dough in the fridge or freezer? Could I keep the dough in the fridge/freezer for about 5 hrs?
Sam says
Hi Caty! It should be ok in the refrigerator for 5 hours. Make sure to wrap it tightly so it doesn’t dry out. It may be a little tougher to roll out when you take it out of the refrigerator so just let it warm up for a few minutes before trying to roll the dough. 🙂
Paramesh says
Hi, the shortbreads are awesome, it’s crisp and lovely with orange zest 👌👌 the day I baked , it was little chewy however the next day it became very crisp, do you know why is it so? I was planning to use brown sugar the next time I bake it, do I substitute the same amount?
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies so much! They may have been exposed to a little too much air if they became too crisp and chewy overnight. If you use all brown sugar the cookies may spread a little more when baking but they should still be pretty tasty. 🙂
Deb says
Can these be frozen in a
Log and cut in 1/4 inch rounds instead of rolled?
Sam says
Hi Deb! I think that would work just fine here. 🙂
Sash says
Can I make these as shortbread fingers ?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Sash! Yes, that should be fine. 🙂
Caty says
Hello! I want to try these tomorrow, but I have a quick question. Can I pipe this with a star tip instead of rolling and cutting the dough so it has some nice detailing?
And for all those people that have tried this recipient it would be very useful and appreciated if you would comment how it turned out.
Sam says
Hi Caty! I think you may be able to pipe it. It is a pretty stiff dough so it may require a little bit of muscle. Enjoy! 🙂
Christina Smith says
I made these cookies last night. They are awesome! They hold up to a dunk in my tea or husband’s coffee. They are buttery and chewy. I will be making these again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you both enjoyed the cookies, Christina and they paired perfectly with your tea and coffee. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Phyllis says
Can this cookie dough be frozen? If so, how long?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Phyllis! Yes, it can. You will want to store it in a freezer-safe, sealable bag or an airtight container. It will last up to 3 months. 🙂
Phyllis says
Ok, Thanks!
Pat says
I was planning on adding pecans as well!! I have some candied pecans that I’m going to chop up…hope my cookies are a slam dunk too!
Sugar Spun Run says
Chopped pecans added to the cookie batter sounds perfect, Pat. I hope that the cookies are a slam dunk too. Keep me posted on how they turn out. 🙂
June says
My husband loves pecan sandies. I found a recipe, tried it 3 times, flavor was fine, but appearance not so great. I found this recipe, added 1 c chopped pecans and they are a total homerun! Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that this recipe was a home run for you, June, and that your husband enjoyed them. I have a recipe for pecan sandies as well if you’d also like to try that. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Gail brown says
Can you use lemon instead of vanilla
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Gail! The 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract is an optional ingredient that you are welcome to omit it or substitute with a lemon extract. Let me know how the cookies turn out. 🙂
susan says
Did you make any other adjustments? I love Pecan Sandies and would like to try your suggestion.
Kathie says
These turned out amazing! Very simple recipe to follow. Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you enjoyed the shortbread cookies, Kathie! Thank you for trying my recipe. 🙂
Liz says
Amazing shortbread recipe! I used this recipe over Christmas and got stellar reviews. My dad did not believe they were homemade. I used organic cultured butter and they turned out beautifully. I did find that they spread quite a bit so I had to recut them after baking.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Liz! I am glad that you enjoyed the shortbread cookies. 🙂