Buttery, crisp, and melt-in-your-mouth, these classic shortbread cookies are made with just five simple ingredients and will keep for weeks—making them perfect for holiday baking, cookie platters, and homemade gifts. Serve them along a cup of tea or coffee when you have guests at home, and they’ll always make an impression!
Ingredients list for the shortbread cookies
- 10 tablespoons (140g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, optional
Why you’ll love these shortbread cookies
Shortbread cookies originated in Scotland, where they evolved as a rich, buttery biscuit traditionally baked for holidays and special celebrations. You’ll find them fluffier than sugar cookies and somewhat similar to our butter-and-vanilla shortbread cookies originally from Britanny. These cookies are easy to make, making them a great activity with kids during the Holiday season.
How to make the shortbread cookies
This recipe is a bit like the”mother of all cookies” recipe. The ingredient list is reduced to a minimum, and the process is straighforward:
- Make the dough – Cream butter and vanilla, then mix in confectioners’ sugar, salt, and flour until a smooth dough forms. Shape into a loaf, wrap, and chill until firm.
- Slice & shape – Preheat your oven, slice dough into even rounds, arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and decorate with a skewer if desired.
- Bake & cool – Bake until just set and lightly golden around the edges, rotating the tray once. Cool before serving.
Pro tips for perfect shortbread cookies
- Use unsalted, high-quality butter—preferably European-style butter with a higher fat content—for the most decadent flavor and most tender shortbread.
- If making a log isn’t practical, roll out the pastry and use cookie cutters.
Storage tips
We recommend keeping the cookies in a tin box lined with parchment paper. They usually keep for several weeks, but we doubt they’ll last that long!
More shortbread cookies you might like
- 10 Shortbread Cookie Recipes
- Peppermint Christmas Shortbread Cookies
- Citrus Shortbread Cookies
- Parmesan Shortbread Cookies
- Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
Easy Shortbread Cookies
Buttery, crisp, and melt-in-your-mouth, these easy shortbread cookies come together with just five ingredients!
- 10 tablespoons (140g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and vanilla extract until creamed. You can use a stand mixer or a food processor, as we did.
- Add confectioners' sugar and salt; continue mixing until combined.
- Scrape down the bowl and add flour while beating on low. Scrape the bowl once more and mix until combined.
- Shape the dough into a rectangular loaf, wrap it in plastic, and chill until firm.
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Use a sharp knife and cut 1/2 inch thick slices. To avoid flattening the shape, try slicing through the dough instead of just pressing the blade down.
- Arrange the raw cookie dough slices onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Use the bottom of a skewer to make a lovely little pattern on the slices.
- Bake the shortbread cookies for about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @eatwell101
on Instagram and hashtag it #eatwell101.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure for more info.
