This shortbread recipe is all about the buttery, crumbly, and tender texture that we love in shortbread cookies. It’s a super easy recipe that results in a classic sweet and rich shortbread.
Table of Contents
Many shortbread cookies are made with quite a few ingredients. This recipe goes back to the basics of a traditional shortbread made only with three ingredients, butter, sugar, and flour. It’s a simple, old-fashioned recipe that delivers the best shortbread cookies.
If you like these shortbread cookies, you’ll also love my snickerdoodle cookies, my sour cream cookie recipe, and my overnight meringue cookies. They’re all classic recipes with that quintessential flavor!
This recipe is another treasure submitted by a Home Ec teacher to a cookbook written in the 1960s. What drew me to this recipe was the simplicity of the recipe and the few ingredients. I love a good buttery soft shortbread and this recipe delivered.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Classic Flavors: This shortbread recipe sticks to the classic combination of butter and brown sugar, resulting in a time-tested, unbeatable flavor.
- Buttery: Shortbreads are supposed to be buttery, and the butter flavor truly shines through in this shortbread recipe!
- 3 Ingredients: This shortbread recipe only uses 3 ingredients! That’s how shortbread has been made traditionally, and this is as classic as it gets.
- Perfect Texture: The shortbread turns out wonderfully crumbly, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s simply irresistible.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Key Ingredients
- Salted Butter: This is the star of the show, giving our shortbread its rich, buttery flavor. Make sure it’s softened so it mixes easily.
- Brown Sugar: It adds a hint of caramel flavor and a slightly chewy texture to the shortbread.
- All-Purpose Flour: This is the structure of our shortbread, giving it the perfect crumbly texture. Be sure to measure it accurately for the best results.
Equipment
- Cookie Sheet – You’ll need this to bake the shortbread. Make sure it’s ungreased so the dough doesn’t spread too much.
- Stand Mixer – This is essential for combining the butter, sugar, and flour. It makes the process much easier and ensures a smooth, well-mixed dough.
How to Make Shortbread
Preparation
To start, gather all three ingredients to make sure you have them all at hand when making the dough.
Step 1 – Cream the Butter and Sugar
Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk them together until they are light and fluffy. This will take about 2 minutes. You’ll notice that the mixture will become lighter in color.
Step 2 – Add the Flour
Next, add the flour to the butter and sugar mixture. Stir it in slowly until it is well incorporated. The dough will be a bit crumbly, but you can pack it together by hand.
Step 3 – Chill the Dough
Now, press the dough into a rectangle that is about 1 inch high. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 3 hours.
Step 4 – Preheat the Oven
Once the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 300˚F.
Step 5 – Shape the Shortbread
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Slice it into 24 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your hands to form 1 inch shortbread dough balls. Press these dough balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Step 6 – Add the Shortbread Design
Next, dip a fork into flour and use it to press a criss-cross pattern onto the shortbread.
Step 7 – Bake the Shortbread
Pop the cookie sheet into the preheated oven and bake the shortbread at 300˚F for 20-25 minutes.
Expert Tip
When working with the chilled dough, it might be quite hard to roll into balls. If you find it too difficult, let the dough sit for a few minutes to warm up a bit. Once you have your first batch of cookies in the oven, continue to roll the dough into balls and place back into the refrigerator until ready to bake.
Recipe Variations
- Cut into Squares: You can also cut them into squares and avoid rolling dough. To do this, you will want to make sure your dough is a perfect rectangle before chilling. You can slice the dough once chilled into the shape you prefer.
- Add Chocolate: For a chocolate version, dip the baked and cooled shortbread in melted chocolate. You can either cover the entire cookie or just drizzle the chocolate over the top for a decorative touch.
- Change the Flavor: Feel free to add a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract to the dough for a different flavor combo. You can also mix in some chopped nuts or citrus zest to customize the flavor.
What to Serve With
- For a classic and comforting treat, serve these homemade shortbread cookies with a cold glass of milk. The creamy, cool milk is the perfect accompaniment to the buttery, crumbly cookies.
- Looking for a simple yet delicious dessert? Crumble these shortbread cookies over a bowl of vanilla ice cream. The rich, creamy ice cream and the buttery cookies are a match made in dessert heaven.
- These homemade shortbread cookies also make a wonderful edible gift. Package them in a cute tin or a mason jar, and give them to your friends and family. They’ll appreciate the thought and the delicious treat!
Make Ahead Instructions
You can make the dough as instructed in the recipe and keep it chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remove from refrigerator and follow instructions once you’re ready to bake them.
Recipe FAQs
Shortbread is crumbly because of its high fat content, which comes from the butter. When the dough is baked, the butter melts and leaves behind small pockets in the dough, resulting in a crumbly texture.
Yes, it’s important to chill the shortbread dough before baking. This helps the butter in the dough to solidify, which is crucial for the texture of the shortbread. Chilling the dough also makes it easier to handle and shape. I recommend chilling the dough for at least 3 hours but overnight is even better.
Yes, you can use unsalted butter in this shortbread recipe. Just make sure to add a pinch of salt to the dough when you’re mixing the butter and sugar. This will help bring out the flavors in the shortbread.
Storing and Reheating
- Storing: You can store the leftover shortbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
- Freezing: If you want to keep your shortbread for a longer period, it freezes well. Simply place the cut shortbread in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper in between the layers to prevent them from sticking. They can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
- Thaw: When you’re ready to enjoy your frozen shortbread, let it thaw at room temperature for a few hours.
More Simple Cookie Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Serving Size
- What to Expect: This shortbread recipe yields about 30 buttery and sweet shortbread cookies.
- How to Scale: If you want to make more than 30 cookies, you can easily double the recipe. Just make sure to use a larger mixing bowl to cream the butter and sugar, and then follow the rest of the instructions as directed. You may also need to work in batches when rolling out the dough, depending on the size of your work surface.
Shortbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup salted butter softened
- ½ Cup brown sugar packed
- 2 ½ Cups all purpose flour
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Whisk together on medium speed for at least 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. The color should be lighter in color.
- Stir in the flour slowly until well incorporated. The dough will need to be packed together by hand.
- Press the dough into a rectangle that is approximately 1 inch high and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill overnight or for at least 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 300˚. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Slice the dough into 24 equal sizes. Roll the dough between your hands to make 1 inch shortbread dough balls.
- Press the dough balls into the ungreased cookie sheet. Dip a fork into flour and press a criss cross patter onto the shortbread.
- Bake at 300˚ F for 20-25 minutes.
The perfect simple shortbread recipe for my family. I love the simplicity of the ingredients and that they come together in a bite-size classic buttery treat.