Shortbread Cookies

Published November 28, 2020. Updated November 28, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

An easy Buttery Shortbread Cookies recipe! It’s everything you love about the elegant shortbread treat: light sweetness, textured crispiness on the outside, and perfectly tender inside. They’re made with only FIVE ingredients and optional (but highly recommended) chocolate! 

Looking to make those pretty swirly-shaped cookies? Try my butter cookies recipe.

Overhead image of shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate on a blue plate lined with parchment paper.

Shortbread – The Perfect Christmas Cookie

These are such simple, humble cookies with rich and tempting flavors. They are delicious classics on their own, but they are also very easy to customize (see variations ideas below).

All that butter does the trick in this Scottish-style shortbread. A lot of the best foods start out with a generous dose of butter, don’t they?

Not only does quality butter bring an abundance of rich flavor, but it also gives them their distinctive crumbly and flaky texture.

Sure, you have lots of options to buy store-bought shortbread this time of year… but homemade buttery shortbread cookies are a game changer. They are fresher, cheaper, have a better butter flavor and a more tender texture. You’ll definitely be able to taste the difference with homemade shortbread.

Plus, these travel and ship well so they are great for holiday gifting or Christmas cookie swaps. Tis the season for cookies, so let’s get baking!

Christmas Shortbread cookies with a icing tree decoration.

Buttery Shortbread Cookie Recipe Ingredients

  • Unsalted butter: Salted butter can be used too (cookies will just be lightly saltier), just omit the salt in the recipe.
  • Granulated sugar: If you want cookies a little sweeter you can increase sugar to 2/3 cup.
  • Salt: Just use standard fine table salt.
  • Vanilla extract: Use real vanilla for the best shortbread.
  • All-purpose flour: I like to use unbleached all purpose flour. I’ve really converted to baking mostly with that this year. It has a better flavor than bleached and I wonder about the chemical bleaching process of bleached flour. If bleached is all you have, it will work.

Image of ingredients needed to make shortbread. Includes flour, butter, sugar, vanilla, salt and optional chocolate for dipping.

How to Make Buttery Shortbread Cookies Dough

Stand Mixer

  • Mix cold diced butter, sugar and salt in an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until combined.
  • Blend in vanilla and mix well.
  • Add flour and mix until fully combined. It will seem dry at first but it will come together as you keep mixing.
  • Compress dough together.

Food Processor

  • In a large food processor pulse flour, sugar and salt.
  • Add butter and blitz a few times then dot over with vanilla.
  • Pulse until it comes together.

By Hand

  • Whisk together flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
  • Add butter, dot vanilla over and rub mixture with fingertips until there are small crumbles.
  • Knead mixture until evenly blended and dough comes together well.
  • Chill dough to make it easier to work with before slicing if needed.

Collage of six images showing how to make shortbread cookies. Shows cutting cold butter into cubes, then mixing with sugar in a stand mixer. Then flour is added and mixed until it comes together.

Shaping and Baking Buttery Shortbread Cookies

Roll dough and slice with knife: This method is what I’ve used here. You’ll roll the dough out into a 1/3-inch thick rectangle on a floured surface. Trim away uneven edges, then cut dough into rectangles (or squares). Transfer to baking sheets and chill until firm, then bake in 350 degree oven 13 – 16 minutes.

Roll dough and cut with cookie cutters: Roll dough as directed then instead of cutting into squares or rectangles cut into desired shapes (re-roll scraps), chill and bake as directed.

Shape dough into logs and slice: This option simplifies things a little because you don’t have to roll dough out. Rather you can roll dough into 2 log shapes (press firm so there aren’t holes inside). Slice 1/3-inch thick then refrigerate and bake as directed.

Pressing dough into a pan: This is the simplest method. Rather than shaping beforehand just press dough into a 9 by 9-inch baking pan. Bake 325 about 35 minutes then cut into squares while warm.

Collage of six images showing how to roll, shape and cut shortbread cookies. Then also shows shortbread cookies on baking sheet before and after baking.

How to Store Buttery Shortbread Cookies

  • Let cookies cool completely on wire rack.
  • Then store in an airtight container.
  • Cookies can be stacked.

Shelf Life

  • Shortbread should keep up to 3 weeks at room temperature.
  • Or freeze up to 3 months.

Close up image of shortbread cookies with chocolate.

Variations

  • Try with other extracts such as almond, coconut, maple, coffee, rum extract etc.
  • Add citrus zest. Lemon or orange is delicious.
  • Mix in finely chopped nuts.
  • Add mini chocolate chips.
  • Season with spices such as cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
  • Blend in sprinkles, like I did here.
  • Sprinkle with coarse sugar before baking.
  • Decorate with royal icing (like the Christmas tree design above).
  • Prick the cookies with a fork for a classic shortbread appearance.
  • Dip in white chocolate or milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet. Finish with festive sprinkles.

Helpful Tips

  • Using cold butter in the recipe skips the need to chill dough 1 – 2 hours beforehand. I highly recommend this to save time, also using butter makes dough easier to work with and cookies spread less.
  • Mix long enough to fully incorporate ingredients.
  • Work to roll dough an even thickness for even baking.
  • Bake on ungreased cookie sheets so cookies spread less (don’t worry with all the butter in them they don’t stick).
  • Bake one sheet at a time for even cooking, keep other sheet chilled (again so cookies spread less).

Chocolate dipped Shortbread Cookies

More Classic Cookie Favorites to Try

16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

Rectangular shortbread cookies shown on a plate at a side angle.
4.93 from 26 votes

Shortbread Cookies Recipe

A classic cookie recipe! They're deliciously buttery and rich, lightly sweet, nicely crisp and perfectly tender. They're made with only FIVE ingredients and optional (but highly recommended) chocolate! 
Servings: 30
Prep30 minutes
Cook15 minutes
Ready in: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add butter and sugar to bowl of electric stand mixer. Sprinkle salt around into bowl. Set mixer on medium-low speed and blend until combined.
  • Add vanilla and blend mixture until well combined (butter should be evenly blended in), scrape down bowl as needed.
  • Pour in flour and mix until combined.
  • On a floured surface, roll dough out 1/3-inch thick. Cut into squares or rectangles (using a cookie cutter or knife. I did about 3 by 1-inch rectangles here).
  • Transfer to ungreased baking sheets spacing 1-inch apart. You can dust of excess flour from scrapes, compress together and re-roll.
  • Transfer baking sheets to refrigerator and chill 30 minutes. Halfway through preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Bake one sheet at a time in center of oven until cookies are just set about 13 - 16 minutes. Tip: around 9 minutes if your cookies are spreading uneven on edges you can remove from oven and use a butter knife to scoot spread portion back in and even out their edges.
  • Let cool on baking sheet 15 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with second baking sheet.
  • If opting to use optional chocolate finish: Place chocolate in microwave safe dish. Melt in 20 second increments on 50% power, stirring between intervals until melted and smooth (or melt in a double boiler on the stovetop).
  • Dip cooled cookies about halfway into chocolate, lift cookie then run bottom side of cookie along inside bowl edge to remove excess chocolate. Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets then refrigerate to set.

Notes

  • *If you want them a little sweeter you can use 2/3 cup sugar.
  • **If you are at high altitude or if your cookies are normally prone to spreading then add and extra 2 - 3 Tbsp flour.
VARIATIONS
  • Try with other extracts such as almond (you'll only need about 1/2 tsp), coconut, maple, coffee, rum extract etc.
  • Add citrus zest. Lemon or orange is delicious.
  • Mix in finely chopped nuts.
  • Add mini chocolate chips.
  • Season with spices such as cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
  • Blend in sprinkles, like I did here.
  • Sprinkle with coarse sugar before baking.
  • Decorate with royal icing (like the Christmas tree design above).
  • Prick the cookies with a fork for a classic shortbread appearance.
  • Dip in white chocolate or milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet. Finish with festive sprinkles.
Nutrition Facts
Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 141 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 17mg6%
Sodium 21mg1%
Potassium 54mg2%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 192IU4%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

Leave a Comment

Rate this recipe




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

126 Comments

  • Cindy

    Very yummy and easy to make! I rolled the dough between 2 pieces of wax paper, eliminating the need to roll out on a floured surface. Just peel away the paper to transfer them to the cookie sheet. 😊

  • Nikki

    Tastes great… doesn’t look like the pictures. Mine spread a tad and followed the directions to a T. I bake and always read comments, so I was a bit leery about the spread, so I made sure to chill my cookies for a while before baking. They also have a texture that is not smooth looking, like the picture–almost air bubble like. I won’t be giving these to anyone now, but at least they taste good.

  • Mary Zoppa

    Disappointing…cookies spread all over the cookie sheet. Followed the recipe exactly

  • Kris Marie

    Epic fail! Followed directions just to get all cookies baked into each other, real thin wafer like cookies. What did I do wrong? I want to get this right. Good flavor ….

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Sorry to hear you had issues with spreading! If you try again I would recommend being sure not to over-beat the butter sugar mixture, adding a few extra tablespoons of flour, and chilling dough shapes a little longer.

    • Cindy

      I did as suggested–take them out after 9 minutes to shape them up a bit, then bake the additional time. It really worked well and took only a minute or two.

  • Eileen

    Unfortunately they did spread. This was easily remedied though by trimming when slightly still warm with a small serrated knife!
    Looked quite professional in the end and tasted delicious!
    Thanks for the recipe ♥️

  • Diane

    Ah, but they did spread! Resulting in a really hilarious failure. The dipping didn’t go as expected either. Apparently Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate chips are thicker than the ones you used? The melted chocolate was much too thick to dip without coming out with a tablespoon of chocolate on the cookie. Luckily I have a good sense of humor. They tasted great. I gave them as a gift anyway, and got a good laugh out of it.

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Sorry to hear you had issues with spreading! If you try again I would recommend being sure not to over-beat the butter sugar mixture, adding a few extra tablespoons of flour, and chilling dough shapes a little longer. As far as the chocolate goes I don’t recommend using chocolate chips but rather whole chocolate bars because they do melt to a thinner consistency.

      • JMDesign

        I was planning on making these today with the rice flour recommendation from a previous comment. But, I don’t seem to see it. Do you have a recommendation?

        • Jaclyn

          Jaclyn Bell

          I’ve seen a portion of all purpose flour substituted with rice flour it’s usually about 1/2 cup. If you’re looking for a gluten free rice flour version I’d try something like this.

    • Lacy

      I haven’t actually tried them yet. BUT I am reading the comments and the 4⭐️ comments that say they spread too much or a chocolate that wasn’t recommended by the recipe writer just bothered me as a fellow blogger. So I am just wanting to bring awareness that ratings are important and wanted to encourage you! I will write another comment after trying them tomorrow morning for Christmas BUT I can read through the comments and see where others haven’t followed directions completely so that tells me to follow all your instructions to a T (like checking at 9mins for spreading and chilling in the fridge). I can’t wait to try them & everyone says the taste is great, so my toddlers won’t care what they look like even if I do mess ‘em up😍😍 Merry Christmas & thank you for the recipe ❤️

      • Jaclyn

        Jaclyn Bell

        Thanks so much for your kindness and support Lacy! I hope your family loves these and had a Merry Christmas!

  • LP

    I love your recipes and use them often! I made your sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies last week and these today (we’ve also been enjoying your spinach/mandarin oranges salad this week – so good). They turned out great! Not as pretty as yours, but it was my first time making shortbread and they still had great flavor. Thankfully we have a big family which means I get to try making them again soon! 😁

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      I love to hear you’ve been enjoying my recipes! Thanks for letting me know, I appreciate it! And yes I hope with another attempt they appear as you’d like them next time :).

  • Mae

    I love baking, My cookies turned out perfect. I even decorated them with the Christmas trees. Love the recipe!!!

        • Jaclyn

          Jaclyn Bell

          Just a bit of practice will help :) or marking the dough using a ruler for rows. Another option is to use a rectangle or square cookie cutter. So glad you liked the flavor!

    • Kris Marie

      Mae, can you tell me how you got the perfect cookie? Mine all spread, even after being in the freezer for over an hour …thank you.