This Best Shortbread Cookie Recipe yields tender, crisp, buttery, and perfect shortbread cookies every time. A simple straightforward recipe with under 30 minutes of prep time.
Shortbread Cookies
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 shortbread cookie recipe 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, and a mix of the two. 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. Let’s get to it.
Shortbread Cookie Ingredients
There are only a few basic ingredients in my shortbread cookie recipe! I’d bet you probably already have these in your pantry:
- Butter
- Sugar (granulated, not powdered)
- Vanilla extract.
- Salt
- Flour
The vanilla extract is not a traditional shortbread ingredient. You can leave this out if you’d like, but I have trouble saying no to the flavor of vanilla.
What’s the Difference Between a Sugar Cookie and a Shortbread Cookie?
The main difference between a sugar cookie and a shortbread cookie is the ingredients and the ratios of the ingredients. Sugar cookies typically contain eggs, while shortbread cookies do not. Shortbread cookies also have 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 recipe, 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. Jeep 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.
Enjoy!
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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.
Veronica says
Hi Sam. Could you tell me what flour you use thankyou Veronica.
Sam says
Hi Veronica, I use all-purpose (plain) flour
Janet Marie says
Made this cookie several weeks ago to eat with fresh fruit. They are great! And so easy to make! Froze at least a dozen of them so I wouldn’t eat the rest of them so fast. They freeze beautifully. They are all gone now so I am ready to make more.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Janet! I am glad that you enjoyed the shortbread cookies and happy that they froze well. Happy Baking! 🙂
Susan says
I made them and everyone loved them. This will be my go-to recipe from now on. Thank you so much for the tips and thorough instructions. It was all very helpful.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Susan! I am glad that you enjoyed the shortbread cookies. 🙂
Elaine Slate says
After following the recipe exactly, the dough came out crumbly and will not hold together. Almost seems like it needs a bit of liquid added.
Mike R says
Hi, just had a first go at the cookies and they spread a lot in the oven becoming wide and thin in the process. In the video, it said this could happen if I used too little flower but I measured it and everything looked like the video except the end product. Any ideas please? Thx Mike
Sam says
Hi Mike! Usually the problem is that there isn’t enough flour used. If you don’t think that was the case there are a few other things that could cause this:
Were the cookies put on a warm baking sheet?
Was the butter very soft/nearly melted when it was used?
Was the oven completely preheated (this can take 15 minutes or so) before the dough was added?
These would be my best guesses as to why your shortbread cookies spread, I hope it helps!
Tina says
I have a shortbread cookie mold…maybe 8 x 8. If I use this recipe and fill my mold do you know about how long it should bake?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Tina! Unfortunately, I do not. I would just keep an eye on it. Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Vivian says
I’m going to use this as a base and add strawberry pieces and bits of mascarpone – it’s going to be delicious thanks for posting? Have you ever tried clarifying the butter? I’m thinking about doing that to intensify the buttery flavour
Sam says
Hi Vivian! I have not tried it with clarified butter. If you try it out let me know how it goes. 🙂
Audrey says
Your recipe calls for 1 cup 2 sticks of butter. Is that 1 cup plus 2 sticks or 1 cup = 2 sticks. I fell in love with shortbread when I was in Scotland and want to make them. Thanks.
Sam says
Hi Audrey! Sorry about the confusion, that is 1 cup of butter (as in, 1 cup = 2 sticks, I was trying to be clear and just ended up making things more confusing). I made a small adjustment in the recipe to help clarify that. I hope you love the shortbread cookies!
Molly says
Can I bake these like thumb print cookies?
Sam says
Hi Molly! I’d actually recommend my thumbprint cookie recipe instead. It’s similar but makes for a better thumbprint cookie. I hope that helps 🙂
Audrey Chavez says
I’m going to try making these,
Recipe sounds pretty easy, and delicious .
Sam says
I hope you love it, Audrey! 🙂
Dee says
My usual shortbread uses powdered sugar, what is the benefit of granulated sugar?
Sam says
Hi Dee! In this recipe granulated sugar works best. I have tested many variations and this one was the winner. 🙂
Sally Halle says
Does the flour have to be sifted?
Sam says
Hi Sally! It does not need to be sifted in this recipe. 🙂
Susan says
Hi! Can these be frozen then thawed out a few weeks later to enjoy? Would I wait to drizzle the chocolate once thawed out? Thanks for your help!
Sam says
Hi Susan! They would be ok to freeze for a couple of weeks. The chocolate will be best if added after thawing. 🙂
Monika says
Hi Sam,
Can you decorate these using royal icing?
Thank you
Sam says
Absolutely! Enjoy! 🙂
Monika says
Thank you! I can’t wait to try these. Loved the Chocolate sugar cookie. #yumminess
Sam says
I know you are going to love them! 🙂
Steph says
Thank you, can’t wait to try these!
Sam says
I hope you love them, Steph! 🙂
Meredith says
What do you think about using almond extract?
Sam says
Hi Meredith! That sounds great! I would start with a little less at first, because the flavor of almond extract can be pretty potent. 🙂
BMB says
These look yummy! Do you think these cookies could be made with Earth Balance (vegan) butter (and still be yummy)? –Thanks!
Sam says
I’m sorry I am not familiar with using vegan butter. 🙁
dana says
No cornstarch?
Sam says
Nope, not in this one 🙂