This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.
This Classic Shortbread Cookie Recipe is the only one you’ll ever need for perfectly buttery, melt-in-your-mouth results. Made with just 5 simple ingredients, these cookies have that traditional crumbly texture that makes shortbread a worldwide favorite. Whether you’re using festive cookie cutters or the traditional rectangular pan method, this versatile dough holds its shape and delivers a rich, professional-bakery flavor every time.
I have loved shortbread cookies for years and since I finally realized how to make easy authentic shortbread at home I haven’t stopped. I tested different methods and ratios to get the best buttery shortbread and you’re going to love it.
The secret to the best shortbread cookies is all in the ratio and the temperature of your butter. By using powdered sugar instead of granulated, we ensure a fine, delicate crumb that literally dissolves on your tongue. This recipe is specifically designed to be non-spreading, meaning your beautiful cookie cutter shapes will stay sharp and defined after baking. You can also make them in a pan for thick shortbread fingers!
How do you make the best shortbread cookies? Cream 1.5 cups of softened unsalted butter with 1 cup of powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in 1 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp salt, and 3 cups of all-purpose flour. Roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness and chill for at least 2 hours to allow the gluten to rest for a perfect, crunchy-yet-crumbly texture. Bake at 350°F until edges are lightly golden.
5 Essential Ingredients for Shortbread
- Use room temperature softened unsalted butter. We use unsalted butter to control the added salt levels. If needed you can reduce added salt and use salted butter instead.
- I like to use confectioners’ sugar instead of granulated sugar. The cornstarch in powdered sugar helps to give these a crumbly yet soft crumb with crisp edges.
- We add our own salt (table salt) since we’re using unsalted butter.
- Be sure to use the spoon and level method for measuring your all-purpose flour to avoid using too much. Better yet, use a scale and weigh the flour in grams.
- Just a teaspoon of vanilla extract hint gives nice flavor.
- Baking Science: the absence of eggs and leavening creates the “short” crumb that makes a traditional shortbread recipe.
Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions. See below the recipe card for even more information: process shots, variations, FAQ and more.
Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (339g) unsalted butter softened (3 sticks)
- 1 cup (113g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (372g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl with a hand or a stand mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
- Add vanilla and salt, then mix until smooth.
- Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing between each addition until completely mixed.
- If dough is too sticky to roll at this point, chill for 20 minutes.
To Make Cutouts:
- Divide dough in half. Roll each half out to ¼-inch thick between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper.
- Chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Chilling the dough lets it rest and adds to the overall flavor of the shortbread.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- You can cut your shortbread as desired, using cookie cutters for shapes or circles.
- These don’t spread, so you don’t need to space them more than an inch or two on the cookie sheets. Bake for about 14-18 minutes (depending on size of cookie and thickness) until they start to get golden around the edges.
To make Shortbread Fingers:
- Line a rectangular or square pan with parchment paper. Press dough into the pan. Size of pan(s) will determine the thickness.
- Use a sharp knife to score the shortbread in approximate 1×2-inch rectangles. Use a fork to dock the shortbread.
- Bake for 18-25 minutes (depending on thickness) or until light golden around the edges and no longer opaque in the center. Cool slightly then cut all the way through the scoring. Once cool, separate cookies.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month.
Recipe Nutrition
SAVE THIS RECIPE
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
How to Make Shortbread Dough
- Cream the butter and powdered sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or large bowl with a hand mixer.
- Add the vanilla, salt, and mix until smooth. Slowly add the flour, one cup at a time.
- As you add the flour cup by cup, wait until it’s absorbed into the dough before adding the next cup. The cookie dough comes together easily with a mixer.
Using Cookie Cutters for Perfect Shapes
- How to Roll Out Short bread Dough: Divide the dough in half and place each piece between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll each piece out until it’s ¼” thick. Cover the cookie sheets with plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least two hours or overnight. Don’t skip this step because it allows the dough to rest, and chilling it will also allow the flavors to develop fully.
- Cut the cookies into rectangles or using cookie cutters and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- If the dough softens, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes before lifting the shapes onto your baking sheet.
- Since these cookies do not spread, you only need about 1-inch of space between them on the cookie sheet.
How to make Traditional Shortbread Fingers
For a more traditional “shortbread finger” look, you can bake the dough in a rectangular pan. This method is excellent for achieving that thick, classic English shortbread texture.
- Press the shortbread dough firmly into a parchment-lined rectangular pan. Use a 9×13-inch pan for the full amount of dough to make thick shortbread or use three 8×8-inch square pans. Size can depend on desired thickness.
- Before baking, use a ruler and a sharp knife or pizza cutter to lightly score the dough into rectangles (typically 1-inch by 2-inches). Do not cut all the way through; just create a deep indentation.
- Use the tines of a for to prick a pattern into each scored rectangle. This docking allows steam to escape, keeping the surface flat and traditional.
- Once the shortbread is baked and golden. While still warm use a knife to cut through the scoring to separate the shortbread fingers.
Shortbread Cookie Recipe FAQ
It depends on the recipe! Some recipes have you score the dough first before you bake it and then slice the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Others, like the one I’m sharing, have you cut the dough before baking. I think it’s easier to do before you bake the cookies.
You need to chill the shortbread dough so the butter can firm up before you bake the cookies. If you skip chilling the dough, the cookies will spread too much when they bake. Chilling also helps develop the flavors, so the cookies taste amazing.
Look for the edges to be just barely golden brown; the center should still look pale.
This usually happens if the dough wasn’t chilled long enough or if the butter was too oily/melted before mixing.
Yes, just omit the extra salt called for in the recipe.
They stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Has anyone tried adding chopped nuts and or dried fruit into these?
Can you just make a roll of it verses cutting into a shape and chill about a few hours or over night and just slice them like a roll cookie? (pinwheel) ?
Yes this dough is very versatile!
Featured In
Rate This Recipe
Recipe Ratings without Comment