Shortbread Cookies are a soft, crumbly, and classic buttery Christmas cookie that melts in your mouth. These easy cookies are made using a cookie press to create perfect holiday bites.
When I bite into one of these delicious shortbread cookies, it just brings me back to my Grandma’s kitchen filled with butter cookies, sugar cookies, and these beauties.
What Are Shortbread Cookies?
Everyone has that one Christmas cookie that just tastes like the holidays… this is mine!
Shortbread cookies are actually very simple to make and require ingredients you likely already have on hand! They are a butter-based cookie that will literally melt in your mouth! I use a cookie press to make these cookies so they do look similar to a Spritz Cookie. The texture and flavor are different as spritz cookies generally contain an egg while shortbread does not.
One thing to remember is that all of the flavors in these cookies comes from butter and vanilla. This is a good place to splurge and buy a butter you know and love (rather than a store brand), it will definitely show in the flavor of your cookies. I use high-quality vanilla as well.
How to Make Shortbread Cookies
This shortbread cookie recipe is especially close to my heart. I didn’t eat a ton of cookies but I could never resist my Grandma’s shortbread cookies. This recipe has been tested over and over and recently updated to make it easier and for the best flavor!
- Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla.
- Mix the dry ingredients and blend in butter mixture until combined.
- Use a cookie press to press out the dough onto ungreased cookie tray. (Or, if you don’t have a press, follow the recipe suggestion)
To ensure the shortbread cookies don’t turn out too dense make sure to measure the flour properly.
How To Bake Shortbread Cookies
Make sure the oven is preheated to 350°F. I like to line the tray with parchment for perfect cookies every time. However, without parchment, your cookies will still turn out great, just bake them following the recipe instructions below!
I am lucky enough to have an old vintage cookie press that I’ve had for years (check your local thrift shops, they turn up from time to time). It creates the same beautiful cookies from my childhood! But if you don’t have a cookie press, use a fork or alternatively, a glass to press the cookies into a flattened shape about 1/4 inch thick on the tray.
Can You Freeze Shortbread Cookie Dough?
Shortbread dough can be frozen for up to three months. Once you thaw it and bake it, it shouldn’t be refrozen again, so alternatively, try baking the cookies before freezing in tins (there really is nothing quite like the taste of a frozen shortbread cookie!) You can freeze them with or without icing.
Shortbread cookies are a staple at Christmas. The holidays just wouldn’t be quite the same without them!
Delicious Holiday Cookies
- Candy Cane Cookies – perfectly peppermint flavored!
- Easy Chocolate Truffles – moist, rich, & delicious
- Thumbprint Cookies – classic christmas cookie!
- Eggnog Cookies – soft & chewy dessert
- Perfect Gingerbread Cookies – great for decorating!
- Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies – a fun twist on a classic
Note: While this recipe has been made many times as written, measurements have been slightly adjusted to create more consistent results.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened, see note
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Cream butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Mix in cornstarch and salt.
- Add flour a little bit at a time. Beat until just combined.
- Place dough into a cookie press and press onto an ungreased pan. Add sprinkles or colored sugar if desired.
- Bake 9-11 minutes or just until done. Immediately transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Cool and then transfer to an airtight container. Store at room temperature at least 24 hours before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Cookies, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
The Best Shortbread Cookie Icing
Of course you can use classic sugar cookie icing to decorate shortbread cookies.
- Or, try serving them up on a platter with chocolate buttercream frosting and a knife for spreading it!
- My kids love to drizzle or dip shortbread cookies in melted chocolate. Mix a cup of chocolate chips with half a teaspoon of oil, and microwave at 10 second intervals, stirring until the chips melt. You can use white chocolate chips for this, caramel, or peanut butter, too!
- Or, the heck with it, just grab a jar of Nutella or make your own and have at it!
I’d like to try these in place of my spritz cookies this year. Do you know if I could tint them with food coloring like I do the spritz?
Food coloring would work just fine!
Can you please tell me about the butter you talked about what kind and where to get it? I found the pure vanilla .
High quality butter would often say Grade AA. I suggest to use the best one you see at your grocery store.
They look great! Could you put the measurements in grams?
Thank you Yani! I’m sorry, I’m unable to provide grams. I would suggest searching for a conversion online.
Great recipe! We just made these cookies tonight. Delicious!
I just made these. Mine tasted like flour. Perhaps I will try again and be extra careful with measurements as I had doubled the recipe. I was so disappointed after reading all the comments about how good they taste and biting into a crumbly flour cookie. Hope they taste better tomorrow. Will try another day as I had planned to take these to a seniors tea tomorrow. I used my 2 yr old press and the dough comes out but not consistently. These new cookie presses do not work as consistently as the ones from a couple decades ago. Boy do I ever sound like my mother saying that!! LOL!!
Lucy, I’m sorry they didn’t work out. Did you measure the flour by scooping it out perhaps? I measure by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off. Hope that helps.
This isn’t the recipe I am looking for. I know our recipe used granulated sugar. The recipe came with Mom’s cookie press from the 50’s. We lost it when my brother did some cleanup after she passed.
Most cookie presses include the recipe called Spritz Cookies. I think that’s probably what you are looking for. They are very similar but use granulated sugar and no corn starch. It’s the recipe I grew up with and they are delicious but not too sweet. You should be able to find the recipe on-line. Good luck, hope this helps you!
The powdered sugar makes a lighter cookie/texture.
I made this recipe during christmas but the cornstarch was 1/3 cup?
Some readers were having trouble with this recipe so it was retested and updated to provide better results.
I made these for Xmas day and I’ve never had so many guests rave to me about how much they loved these cookies. Many of them asked if they could take some home!
I love how well this recipe squeezes through my cookie press. Had a nice texture ( instead of the melt and fall apart in your mouth whipped shortbread which I’m more used to). These ones are light with a nice crispness.
I will make this my go-to recipe from now on for shortbread!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This is THE BEST shortbread recipe out there. They’re so delicious! With the perfect consistency that melts in your mouth. I used a cookie press. They kept their shape, and was not too thick like other reviewers stated. My guess is those who came out with too thick of dough, did not soften the butter quite enough. Not sure since mine was perfect!
Just tried this recipe and found that it was not sweet enough. Not that shortbread cookies are sweet,i just like a bit more sweetness to them. I would try adding more icing sugar and a little less cornstarch like I have done with my mom’s recipe.
These are nice and airy though. I also found it hard to use the cookie press, dough was quite firm so I just gave the press a few good pushes.
can I use anise??
I made these using my smallest cookie scoop and rolled them into a ball. I then dipped the top in large granulated sugar and pressed with a fork like you suggested. Oh my gosh, these are absolutely the best shortbread cookies I have ever eaten! They are light and fluffy, melt in your mouth deliciousness !
I made these spritz cookies. Excellent. Better than my old recipe.
Would recommend making this.
How can I make these gluten free?
I have not tried making these GF so I can’t say for sure.
You can use 1 to 1 ratio of gluten free flourWITH xanthem gum. Look on ingredients.. Will work perfectly. I use this all the time when baking.
Thank you for sharing Deborah!
Can you put this dough in a form pan to bake.
I haven’t tried this in a form pan so I can’t say for sure. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
My husband waits every year for the after Christmas sale of Danish shortbread cookies then buys enough to last a year. I decided to make this recipe in my holiday baking. He loves them! The batch I just made won’t last more than a few days. I am sure this is going to be a recipe I cook often! But that is okay because it is easy and fun! I wrapped the dough in plastic wrap, shaped into a log, refrigerated it, sliced it and sprinkled a little raw sugar on it before baking. I give this 5+ stars!
Those Danish shortbread cookies are good! I am so glad that your family has enjoyed this recipe. I hope that it helps to keep your husband in cookies all year long!
I’ll probably give this recipe a try. It sounds wonderful…. and relatively easy.
However, I’m looking to incorporate some dried fruits into the cookie. My first thought was a shortbread. I’ll give it some more thought, before I bake these. I believe my wife has at least one cookie press, here, in the house. . . But if I add chunks of dried fruits, I’m not sure how well the press would work (and it saves me some time, by not searching for the press(es) wherever).
You can roll it into balls and press it flat if needed.
Dough too soft. Add more flour
Gail
I have been making Spritz for years but, love shortbread.
Easy preparation and comes out nice with the press.
Delicious! Just a hint of sweet and a melt in your mouth character