Shortbread Cookies: do not sleep on this classic! You might think shortbread sounds boring, but that’s because you haven’t watched Rebecca’s face as she eats it on Ted Lasso yet. I’m telling you guys, classic shortbread is to-die-for. It’s simple, it’s easy, there’s not much to it…but that’s not an apology. Sometimes the simplest things are the most divine. I will show you all my tips and tricks for making the BEST shortbread that is moist and flavorful, with the perfect crumb and melt-in-your-mouth texture!
Table of Contents
- Our 2024 Christmas card
- What is shortbread?
- What is the secret to good shortbread?
- Rules for the best Shortbread:
- But what sugar do I use?
- Shortbread cookie recipe ingredients
- How to make shortbread cookies
- How to store leftover shortbread cookies
- Can you freeze shortbread?
- Shortbread cookie frequently asked questions
- More delicious cookie recipes to try
- Christmas cookies
- Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Merry early January my friends! Is all the tinsel taken down at your house? We tried, but are still finding corners with holly and glitter occasionally. We are over here trying to stay awake for class and work, blearily signing up for all our spring extracurriculars, and most of all, avoiding going to the grocery store at all costs (see my brand new How to Stock Your Pantry post to learn how *you too* can reach laziness level ultimate 😂)
I run into this problem every year, where “December 1st Karen” makes her plan for the holidays and adorably thinks she will be able to get all the blog posts out that she wants, too. But she forgets how long wrapping presents takes, forgets she needs to bring treats to that one last friend, and gets busy watching Home Alone for the 14th time with the kids (no regrets.)
And predictably, the last post that was scheduled for the Christmas season doesn’t get done. This happened last year with a January 10th posting of The Best Homemade Hot Chocolate instead of the scheduled December 20th posting.
This year, it was Shortbread cookies that I missed posting on time. But I mean…it’s shortbread. Do we REALLY need to wait a whole year to talk about this?? Doesn’t Shortbread transcend the seasons?? Say yes, say yes!
Our 2024 Christmas card
But before we talk Shortbread, I want to share our Christmas card with all of you. I know it’s late, but I was too busy having fun to send this out in time! I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your family, baking and making memories! I’m so grateful for each of you, for supporting our food blog and sharing your kitchen with us. We love you and truly value your encouragement and loyalty!
Here is the message on the back:
“Dear Hevly Fodder, thank you for dis day, thank you for that we could go to Disneyland and Legoland. Nayma Jesus Christ amen.” 4-year-old Edison’s prayers have been the same for the last 5 months, since our trip to SoCal this summer. Praying must be having an impact on his moral code. He declared recently that he’s not a robber anymore; he did that when he was 3, but now he’s 4. The next day I found a bowl of stolen candy corn in his dresser drawer with a spoon in it. He was eating it like cereal. So much for being a reformed man.
Valentine is 8 now, and cartwheeling is her main mode of transportation. Across the house, to and from school, during her soccer game…we are working on that! Family from 3 states came to attend her recent baptism! She even sang a song with her two grandma’s during the program. She is bold, confident, and effervescently cheerful!
Truman (11) recently tried out a mountain biking class. His coach approached me after their ride one day. “Ma’am, are you Truman’s mo—” Truman runs up. “MOM! I fell off a BRIDGE!” Needless to say, he got some great new experiences. When he’s not risking life and limb, he usually has his nose stuck in a book. He just joined the school wrestling team, so get ready to throw down if you see him soon.
Charlotte (13) loves being at the top of the middle school food chain this year. She and her friends make Taylor Swift playlists, friendship bracelets, and cookies all day long. She is killing it serving as the president of her church youth group this year, she’s having so much fun. She’s super excited to get her braces off in the spring!
Eric told me as he fell asleep reading the other night, “If I could just live in a world where I could read a little bit of Master and Commander every day, I would be happy.” Someday Eric will realize his dream of becoming a 19th century British sailor, but until then, he’s having fun hanging out with me while we run The Food Charlatan together. He has also taken up classical guitar and is getting quite good. Not every woman gets serenaded to sleep every night, I’m absolutely spoiled.
Recently I’ve been obsessed with creating a gallery wall of art in our living room, so if you come over and hate it, don’t tell me, I might accidentally strangle you. Other obsessions lately: perfecting my caramel sauce to be exactly like the kind at Apple Hill, seeing Weezer in concert and reliving all my teenage dreams, and reading Anxious Generation, much to my children’s dismay. Their campaigns for electronics are drowned out by me spouting yet-another-statistic about the harms of social media. (If you want to get in touch, send a carrier pigeon.)
We are so grateful for our friendship with you, and the joy you bring to our lives! We also feel so much love for our Savior Jesus Christ, whose light shines so bright this time of year. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
…Now let’s talk SHORTBREAD!
What is shortbread?
Ted Lasso’s specialty, of course, what else is there to talk about? Okay okay, just kidding, here’s the actual: shortbread (or shortbread cookies) are a very basic type of cookie that has a very high butter content and is known for its crumbly texture. They are INCREDIBLE.
Shortbread is allll about the texture, and that’s where the name “short” bread comes from. Shortbread has tons of butter and not as much flour as a normal cookie, and NO eggs. The cookie ends up having a short (as opposed to long or stretchy) crumb — meaning it breaks easily and isn’t chewy. It’s delicate, light as a feather, and melts in your mouth. And often, I hate to say it, bad shortbread is DRY. But not today, my friends!! I will tell you everything you need to know to get super moist shortbread that will blow your mind.
What is the secret to good shortbread?
Ratio, ratio, ratio. It’s all about getting the right amount of butter-to-sugar-to-flour. Traditional shortbread is extremely simple: 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter, and 3 parts flour, by weight. After lots of testing, I’ve landed on the perfect amount for my dream shortbread. It’s pretty close to the golden ratio, plus a few extra ingredients to enhance flavor and make the shortbread even softer and more melt in your mouth (thank u, cornstarch 🥹)
Shortbread is dense, and when you take a bite, it should shatter, then dissolve and melt in your mouth quickly. Good quality ingredients are important – ESPECIALLY butter. Chilling the dough at the right times so the butter doesn’t melt too fast in the oven also makes for the best texture. You’ll also want to make sure to not overwork the dough and risk a tough cookie. And you have to roll the cookies out THICC, like this:
So, let’s sum up:
Rules for the best Shortbread:
- Use high quality ingredients
- Use a combination of powdered sugar and brown sugar for the best flavor and texture (more on this below)
- Add a little cornstarch in place of some of the flour, to make sure your cookies are perfectly soft.
- Do NOT roll out the dough too thin! This will make dry shortbread that is not moist enough. Roll it out to 3/8 an inch, or even up to 1/2 inch.
- Chill the dough before it goes in the oven. I cannot overemphasize this! Clear out some space in your fridge or freezer. It’s worth it, I promise!
- Do NOT over bake!! Again, it doesn’t matter if you follow every other rule, if you bake them too long, they will turn out dry every time.
But what sugar do I use?
There are so few ingredients in this recipe that all of them matter. But you can really change up what kind of shortbread you end up with by switching out the sugar you use. There’s two things going on here. There is the TEXTURE of the sugar you use, and the FLAVOR of the sugar you use.
- Powdered sugar. Use powdered sugar for a very smooth, less granular, dissolve in your mouth texture. Some people swear by this. 100% powdered sugar is not my favorite. I like more depth and chew.
- Granulated sugar. Regular white sugar is of course the most common sugar used in shortbread! No added flavor beyond “sweetness.”
- Brown sugar. Not traditional. Of course it’s my favorite 😆 I just love that molasses flavor guys! Brown sugar brings a little more moisture, a little more flavor, and a little more chewiness than powdered or granulated sugar.
So the recipe today, what are we using? A combination of powdered sugar and brown sugar. Powdered sugar for that ultra smooth texture. Brown sugar for flavor and a little more grit and chewiness. It’s the best of both worlds!!
Shortbread cookie recipe ingredients
The list is VERY short! Because there are so few ingredients, quality matters You will taste the difference, trust me. For full recipe instructions and measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- butter
- dark brown sugar (can sub with powdered sugar)
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- cornstarch
- salt
How to make shortbread cookies
First things first! Make sure your butter is soft, but not TOO soft.
Cream the butter until it is smooth, then add in both sugars: powdered sugar and brown sugar. Then add in the vanilla:
After that’s all mixed in, carefully measure the flour using the spoon and level method. Don’t scoop the flour! You will get overly-floury cookies, and they won’t be the right texture. Add in the cornstarch and don’t skip the kosher salt!
Mix it together until it is ONLY JUST combined! Don’t over mix or your flour will start to produce gluten and that’s the long stuff! We want these cookies SHORT! 😆 (Over mixing makes the cookies tough.)
Dump the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and bring it together with your hands.
Chill the dough for 30-60 minutes until it is firm. Then roll it out on a lightly floured surface but DON’T roll it too thin! I can’t emphasize this enough! It needs to be THICK shortbread to get the right texture. Anywhere between 3/8 inch and 1/2 inch is perfect.
Then, if you are making shortbread fingers (my fav), use a chef’s knife to cut the edges of the dough off, and cut into 1×3 inch rectangles. Dip each cookie in some sugar, if you like (you like):
Then line them up on a pan, and stick a fork in them. There is no need for this really, other than that it’s traditional and really cute :) I mean just look at these fat little guys.
Then FREEZE. This step is super important! You need this dough hitting the oven when it’s very very cold. If you can’t find space in the freezer, chill them in the fridge for 30-40 minutes. I promise, it’s worth it! Then pop them in the screaming hot oven.
About 2 minutes before they are done baking, take them out of the oven for a hot minute and tap the edges. Shortbread tends to melt on the edges, even with all the freezing precautions. Tapping the edges will get you cleaner lines. If you don’t care, you can skip this! They will still taste great!
Here is the other method of cutting the dough, with round cookie cutters:
Use a larger cookie cutter to shape the cookie about 2 minutes before it’s done baking:
Here is the bottom of a final baked cookie. This is the level I like to bake my cookies to. Not browned on the edges, and you can see just how moist they are still. PERFECTION!! I could eat 5 of these in a row 🤩
How to store leftover shortbread cookies
Add cooled cookies to an airtight container, and you’re done! They’ll be good on the counter for about 7-10 days like that. Don’t put them in the fridge, even covered; they will just dry out faster. If you are a lightweight and know you won’t eat them all in a day or two, I recommend freezing the baked cookies until you want them. More on that here! ↓
Can you freeze shortbread?
Oh, can you! Freezing is such a great option for shortbread, and you can do it at a couple different times in the cookie making process.
Freezing baked shortbread cookies: If you have already-baked cookies that you know you won’t eat in the next couple days, flash freeze them on a cookie sheet for about 30 minutes, then transfer all the cookies to a ziplock freezer bag. Squeeze all the air out and seal. Baked cookies that are frozen tend to get more stale and dry the longer they freeze, so use them within a month or so.
To thaw, put the cookies on a paper towel lined cookie sheet and don’t cover them – we don’t want any condensation to get the cookies soggy. You can also put the cookies straight onto a cookie sheet (no paper towel) and heat them up in the oven for just a few minutes.
Freezing the dough: The dough for these cookies also freezes beautifully, which makes it a great option to make ahead and then bake the day you need them. After making the dough, cut out/shape all your cookies and flash freeze the unbaked, shaped cookies on a sheet pan for about 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer ziplock bag. Unbaked dough will be good for 1-3 months. Bake them straight from frozen and simply add a few extra minutes baking time from the original recipe instructions.
Shortbread cookie frequently asked questions
It’s all about how the cookie crumbles! No for real. These cookies actually are named after the type of crumbs they make when you take a bite. The cookies, and their crumbs, are very delicate and shatter due to the high fat content (butter, baby.) These crumbs are called “short” (using an older definition of the word) to describe the lack of long protein strands like in bread and other cookies.
One very common mistake is to not use quality ingredients. Buy the best you can, you’ll taste the difference! Another common mistake is overworking the dough, which can lead to tough rather than tender cookies. Chilling the dough at all the right stages is also very important so the cookies bake properly. One last big mistake is over baking! The cookies should be barely golden brown when you pull them out to avoid dry cookies that will break your teeth faster than you can say shortbread.
Nothing! What we know as just shortbread, or shortbread cookies, is actually Scottish shortbread. Shortbread originated in Scotland, where it quickly became known for its delicious, crumbly texture and buttery sweet flavor.
Surprisingly, the main difference is that shortbread cookies actually have more butter in them ratio-wise than butter cookies! Butter cookies are originally from Denmark, and have more sugar and less butter than shortbread cookies. This makes for a much softer dough that is piped right onto a baking sheet, like these Spritz Cookies. Shortbread cookies are more dense with the higher ratio of butter to sugar, and are rolled and cut before baking.
I tested these shortbread cookies on the same day I was working on my beloved Caramel Sauce…OMG, you guys. SO GOOD. This is actually a Soft Candy Caramel gently smashed between two cookies. Both caramel types pair incredibly well with this shortbread. We are halfway to a Twix…
More delicious cookie recipes to try
With 80+ recipes in my cookie recipe collection, you could say I maybe have a slight obsession?? I can NEVER get enough cookies! Here are some of my absolute favorites! And here’s my whole Cookie Recipes collection so you don’t miss your favs.
- Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe >> zero to chewy chocolate chip cookies in about 30 minutes, with normal ingredients.
- Texas Cowboy Cookies >> crispy edges, chewy centers, and about a hundred delicious mix-ins
- The BEST Snickerdoodle Recipe (Perfectly Soft and Chewy) >> say no to dry snickerdoodles and make this recipe for the best
- The BEST Cinnamon Roll Cookies >> truly a cinnamon lover’s dream come true!!
- The Best Peanut Butter Cookies >> the best and the softest you will ever make
- The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Molasses >> don’t even try knocking oatmeal raisin cookies until you try these!
- Thick & SOFT Sugar Cookie Recipe (That Holds Its Shape) >> these are the softest, best tasting sugar cookies you’ll ever have. Promise!
- Buried Cherry Cookies >> if you love maraschino cherries, these are 100% the cookies for you
- Date Cookies from Feel Good Foodie
Christmas cookies
There are cookies, and then there are CHRISTMAS COOKIES!! There is something so meaningful to me about making certain cookies to enjoy with family or share with neighbors and teachers during the holidays. Any cookie can be a Christmas cookie, but I have special ones we make every year in December. These are the ones I can’t live without. What are your top ones??
- Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies >> I could prob eat one of these every day for the rest of my life
- Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies with Buttercream Frosting >> the recipe above, but smash them together with a ridiculous amount of vanilla buttercream frosting!!
- Gingersnap Cookie Recipe >> straight from Eric’s Swedish great-grandmother and SO good
- Unbelievably Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies (No Spread!) >> is it even Christmas if you haven’t decorated gingerbread cookies?! (be sure to check out plain sugar cookies if gingerbread isn’t your thing but you still want to decorate)
- Grandma Prudy’s Spritz Cookie Recipe >> sweet, buttery, and impossible to eat just one
- Butter Pecan Cookie Recipe >> The first cookie we make every season. I can’t get over the buttery, brown sugar flavor in these
- Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies >> basically when sugar cookies and candy canes have a baby, you’re welcome
- Swedish Sour Cream Twists (Layered Yeast Cookies) >> we make these every year and dip them in hot cocoa! The yeast makes these cookies almost pastry-like
- Thumbprint Almond Raspberry Cookies >> my secret cookie favorite (don’t tell the others!)
- Mexican Wedding Cookie Recipe (Russian Tea Cakes) >> the cookie so good that almost every country has their own version
- Lebkuchen – German Christmas Cookies from Brown Eyed Baker
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Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter*, slightly softened but still firm
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, you can use powdered sugar instead, see note
- 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 and 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- granulated sugar, for rolling the dough
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer, add 1 cup slightly softened butter. Beat well until it is creamy and smooth.
- Add 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, 6 tablespoons powdered sugar, and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Beat well for about 2 minutes, scraping the edges and bottom of the bowl to make sure it all gets incorporated. After 2 minutes, the butter and sugar should be light and fluffy.
- Add the flour. This step is super important, so look alive. Use a spoon to add the flour to a measuring cup, then level off the top with a knife. Add 1 and 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour to the bowl with the butter. Do not scoop the flour, or it will pack in, and you will have crumbly, sad, overly-floury dough.
- Before you stir in the flour, add in 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (see note). Use the mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon to beat the flour, cornstarch, and salt into the butter mixture. Do NOT overmix. You want to stir until the dough is barely coming together. There should not be any flour streaks. Over mixing the dough will make your shortbread tough and not tender.
- Chill. Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap that you have laid out on the counter. Press the dough together into a flat square using the plastic, then wrap it up tightly and chill in the refrigerator for about 30-45 minutes.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
- Roll the dough. When the dough is slightly firmer from being chilled, take it out of the fridge. Lightly dust a work surface with flour (or use a pastry cloth. Use a rolling pin to slightly flatten the dough. Don't go too crazy! Shortbread is supposed to be rolled out THICK. Aim for dough that is about 3/8 inch thick, and yes, I ALWAYS bust out my ruler for this. You can make your shortbread up to 1/2 inch thick if you like (it will take longer to bake!)
- Cut the dough. You can choose to cut the dough using a round cookie cutter (I like 2 inch rounds) or you can roll the dough into a square, slice off the uneven edges, and use a chef's knife to cut the dough into long rectangular cookies, lovingly called "fingers." See photos. Fingers are usually about about 1 inch across and 3 inches long.
- Roll the dough in sugar. This step is optional. I like the additional sweetness and sparkle that comes from a little sugar dusting. Add granulated sugar to a bowl. Take each cut cookie, place it in the bowl, and toss the sugar around so it gets coated. Place the sugared cookie dough rounds or fingers on the baking sheet with at least 1 inch in between each cookie. These cookies do not rise much at all, but they still need a little room to bake properly on the edges.
- Fork it. Once all the cookies are lined up on the pan, use a fork to make cute indentations in the cookie, if you like. This is traditional for finger-shaped cookies, and not so much for the rounds, but you do you.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Freeze the dough. Please, please do not skip this step. I know it's annoying, but clear out some space in your freezer. Freeze the entire pan of cookies for about 15 minutes, until they are frozen solid. Cold, cold butter going into a hot, hot oven is the secret for flaky, perfectly crumbly shortbread. Without freezing, you will miss out on the perfect texture. Chilling in the fridge works fine too, if that's where you have space. Chill for about 40-50 minutes.
- Bake. Bake the chilled or frozen cookies at 350 degrees for about 11 minutes. They will still be soft and not at all golden.
- Shape the cookies. Remove the pan from the oven and shut the oven door quickly. Use a butter knife to tap the edges of the cookies in toward the center. You can skip this step if you don't mind shortbread that is slightly misshapen. If you cut the dough into rounds, you can use a wide mouth drinking glass (or a large round cookie cutter) to place around the cookie and tap the edges to help them stay upright.
- When are they done? Return the cookies to the oven and bake for another 2-3 minutes, watching carefully so they don't get too brown. I love shortbread that is still moist in the center, and not over baking is the best way to get this. Remove the cookies from the oven before the edges turn golden. The edges should not feel wet or mushy when you tap them with your finger. The cookies should be totally matte on top (not shiny). The total cooking time for 2 inch rounds or 3 inch long fingers is about 13-14 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Eat one of these shortbread directly out of the oven, if you know what's good for you. Warm, soft shortbread crumbling in your mouth, alongside a fresh glass of milk, is one of life's greatest treasures.
- Storage: Add cooled cookies to an airtight container, and keep on the counter! They'll be good on the counter for about 7-10 days, but don't be like that. If you are a lightweight and know you won't eat them all in a day or two, I recommend freezing the baked cookies until you want them. Read on:
- Freezing — two options here:Freezing baked shortbread cookies: If you have already-baked cookies that you know you won't eat in the next couple days, flash freeze them on a cookie sheet for about 30 minutes, then transfer all the cookies to a ziplock freezer bag. Squeeze all the air out and seal. Baked cookies that are frozen tend to get more stale and dry the longer they freeze, so use them within a month or so.To thaw, put the cookies on a paper towel lined cookie sheet and don't cover them – we don't want any condensation to get the cookies soggy. You can also put the cookies straight onto a cookie sheet (no paper towel) and heat them up in the oven for just a few minutes.Freezing the dough: The dough for these cookies also freezes beautifully, which makes it a great option to make ahead and then bake the day you need them. After making the dough, cut out/shape all your cookies and flash freeze the unbaked, shaped cookies on a sheet pan for about 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer ziplock bag. Unbaked dough will be good for 1-3 months. Bake them straight from frozen and add one extra minute of baking time from the original recipe instructions.
Though the flavor is good, the recipe is very labor intensive. The biscuits are too light and crumble as soon as you bite into them. I won’t use this recipe again, sorry.
I’m so sorry this recipe wasn’t for you Pam! I’m wondering if you over baked them. Even baked correctly, they should indeed crumble as soon as you bite into them, that’s the texture we’re going for with shortbread. If you want to try a classic chewy cookie, might I suggest these Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Good short bread
So happy you loved this recipe Jennifer! Thank you so much for commenting, super helpful!
You said the key is to get the ratios right. Do you have the measurements in grams so I can be precise?
Hi Michele! I’m sorry, I measure flour the old fashioned way :) Some googling will give you the approximates you need I’m sure, for how many grams are in a spooned-and-leveled cup of flour. Precise measurements are important, but I don’t feel like they need to be correct down to the gram. Spooning and leveling the flour is the most important one, and if you are gentle with your flour, you will have great results! Let me know how this recipe turns out for you! I’m excited for you to try it 💕