Shortbread Cookies Recipe

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This buttery delicious Shortbread Cookie Recipe is an easy cookie with only five ingredients! These melt in your mouth cookies are a classic recipe and unbelievably easy! You can even make them ahead of time so your holiday is easier.

stack of shortbread cookies on wood cutting board

Homemade Shortbread are delicious cookies with a crumbly texture and rich butter flavor. They’re really simple cookies with just 5 ingredients, and the magic is in how you work the dough and butter.

When you’re making shortbread cookie dough, you don’t work it a lot, so the gluten is not developed. This results in a cookie that just melts in your mouth when you take a bite. The crumbly texture is why it’s called shortbread – 3 parts butter to 2 part sugar creates a crumbly texture, which is also called “short.” Hence the name!

I promise, these are the best shortbread cookie recipe you’ll ever make and eat! They’re sure to become one of your favorite Christmas cookies!

5 Ingredients Needed

Unsalted butter: room temperature softened unsalted butter
Powdered Sugar: I like to use confectioners’ sugar instead of granulated sugar because it gives the cookies a great texture.
Vanilla: Just a teaspoon of vanilla extract hint gives nice flavor.
Salt: Because every cookie needs a little to enhance the flavors.
All purpose flour: be sure to use the spoon and level method for measuring!

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

how to make shortbread 6 grid collage showing steps

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How to Make Shortbread Cookies

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.
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 and place on pan.
Press the cookies with the tines of a fork for decoration and then add to a baking sheet lined with silicone or parchment paper. Be sure to preheat your oven and bake until the cookies are light golden brown around the edges.

stack of shortbread cookies with one leaning against it and blue striped towel behind

Expert Tips

You can use salted butter, just omit the salt in the recipe.
If the dough is too sticky before you roll it out, chill it for a quick 20 minutes.
Don’t skip the long chilling step – it helps the gluten develop to make a nice crunchy cookie.
Decorate your finished shortbread by dipping in chocolate or frosting with buttercream frosting.
Cookie Sheets: Place them on prepared baking sheets – make sure your baking sheet is lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Shortbread cookies don’t spread much when they bake, so you can space them one to two inches apart.
Decoration: If you want to give them some detail, use the tines of a fork to prick the surface of each cookie.
Cookie Cutters or Slicing: You can cut the dough into a variety of different shapes using cookie cutters or just a knife. You don’t want to overwork the dough, so I prefer to cut them into squares and use a ruler and knife, so they are all the same size. I cut them into squares approximately 1-inch by 2-inches.

stack of 3 shortbread cookie rectangles with two halves on top

Storing Shortbread

Store cookies stacked in an airtight container. They’re not as delicate as sugar cookies but you do need to be careful with them. They don’t need to be refrigerated and they’ll last several days. Shortbread freezes great: Allow the cookies to cool and then store them in a freezer-safe container. They will keep in the freezer for up to three months.

Do you cut shortbread before or after baking?

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.

Why do you put shortbread in the fridge before baking?

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.

How do you know when shortbread is cooked?

The easiest way to tell when the shortbread cookies are done is to check the edges. They should be lightly golden around the edges.