Buttery Shortbread Cookies, 4 Ways
This is the BEST recipe for slice-and-bake buttery shortbread cookies, made even better with 4 delicious flavor variations!
Traditional shortbread is simple and delicious, with rich flavor and soft buttery texture. Plus, it’s super easy to make with only 5 ingredients you probably already have!
But here’s the fun part— I’m sharing 4 amazing flavor variations: dark chocolate espresso, cranberry orange, nutty cinnamon and white chocolate and toasted coconut. I especially love to bake shortbread cookies during the holiday season, but really they’re perfect any time of the year!
“This recipe turned out perfect! So easy and tasty. Will be making again soon!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” —from Allie
Ingredients you’ll need
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Mix-ins like nuts, coconut, spices, chocolate and dried cranberries— it’ll depend on what variation you make!
How to make shortbread cookies
- Prepare shortbread dough. Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Then add sugar and vanilla, followed by the flour and salt. It will be quite shaggy as it’s combined, but will hold together when pressed.
- Add mix-ins of choice. Try all 4, or whatever flavors you want!
- Form dough into a log. Work with your hands to press it together, then use plastic wrap to help make it firm while you wrap it up.
- Chill in the fridge. It needs to chill for at least 1 hour and up to 1 week. Shortbread dough can also be frozen for a month or more (add another layer of plastic wrap or put in a ziplock bag).
- Slice and bake. Use a sharp knife to slice shortbread dough into ¼-inch rounds. Bake cookies in a 350°F oven for 13-15 minutes just until the bottoms start to brown.
- Add optional toppings. Keep reading for suggestions!
- Enjoy or gift to others. Shortbread cookies are perfect for transporting and shipping, they hold together very well! Just be sure they’re in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
Optional toppings
If you’d like to add a little extra flair to these shortbread cookies, here are a few suggestions:
- Melted white or dark chocolate— drizzle over the top of cooled cookies, or dip a corner of the cookie. Place on parchment or wax paper to set up.
- Coarse sugar— sprinkle on cookies right when they come from the oven.
- Flaky salt— for a great sweet-and-salty vibe, sprinkle on cookies while they’re still hot.
Tips for this recipe
- Starting with butter at the right temperature is key! Butter should be soft enough that a pressed finger will leave an indent, but not soft enough that your finger can press all the way through. If it’s shiny or melty at all, the butter is too warm and your cookies may spread.
- Be sure to measure flour correctly! All of my recipes are tested using the spoon and level method (more info through that link). Too much flour and cookie dough won’t hold together.
- These pre-cut parchment sheets are perfect for cookie baking.
- Shortbread keeps really well! The dough can be stored in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for a month or more. Baked cookies can also be frozen— wrap individual cookies with plastic wrap or in a single layer in a ziplock bag.
- These cookies are also great for gifting and shipping, see my tips for how to package and ship cookies.
Butter Shortbread Cookies, 4 Ways
I've found the BEST buttery shortbread cookie recipe, and made it even better with 4 delicious flavor variations!
Ingredients
Shortbread Cookies:
- 1 ½ cup (340 grams) salted butter , at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cup (420 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Dark Chocolate Espresso Cookies:
- ¼ cup (43 grams) chopped bittersweet or dark chocolate
- ¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder
For Nutty Cinnamon Cookies:
- ¼ cup (28 grams) chopped nuts , like pecans, walnuts, etc.
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For White Chocolate and Toasted Coconut Cookies:
- ¼ cup (43 grams) chopped white chocolate
- ¼ cup (21 grams) toasted coconut
For Cranberry Orange Cookies:
- ¼ cup (28 grams) chopped dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons candied orange peel
Optional Toppings:
- Melted white or dark chocolate
- Coarse sugar
- Flaky salt
Instructions
To Make the Shortbread Cookie Dough:
- Beat butter until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla, and beat for an additional 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Stop and scrape down the bowl a few times as needed.1 ½ cup (340 grams) salted butter, 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add flour and salt and mix until dough comes together. It will be dry and shaggy but should hold together when pressed.3 ¼ cup (420 grams) all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt
To Make Flavor Variations:
- Divide shortbread dough into 4 bowls and add mix-ins to the bowls (see Notes).
- Use your hands to work the mix-ins into the dough and press it together into a log about 4 inches wide. Wrap each in plastic wrap, using the plastic wrap if needed to encourage the dough together.
- Chill in the fridge for 1 at least hour, and up to 1 week.
To Bake Cookies:
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F.
- Use a sharp knife to slice cookie dough log into ¼-inch rounds. Place rounds on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake cookies until they appear dry and set, about 12-15 minutes. The bottoms should be lightly browned underneath (lift a test cookie with a spatula to check). For crisper cookies, bake until bottom edges appear lightly browned.
- If adding coarse sugar or flaky salt, sprinkle over cookies when they are hot from the oven. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If adding melted white or dark chocolate, drizzle over the top of cooled cookies, or dip a corner of the cookie. Place on parchment or wax paper to set up.
Video
Notes
- The basic shortbread recipe is delicious if you don’t want to try the variations.
- Feel free to try all 4 flavor variations or just a few. The mix-in quantities above are intended to be combined with ¼ of the shortbread cookie dough. If you’re not making all 4 variations, adjust quantities accordingly (double, quadruple, etc.).
Calories: 118kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 67mg, Potassium: 24mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 177IU, Calcium: 8mg, Iron: 1mg
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.
Disclosure: This recipe was created originally in partnership with Challenge Dairy, Inc in 2020. Thank you for supporting partnerships with brands I love and believe in, which make Completely Delicious possible. All opinions are always 100% my own.
These cookies turned out great! I followed the weight measurements even having read some comments that advised against it and my cookies turned out perfect 😊 I did have to mix the dough for longer than I thought, at first it was VERY dry and crumbly. It didn’t take too long however before it started to come together very nicely. It wasn’t even dry and shaggy as described in the recipe. It was the perfect texture! I did three of my own variations with cinnamon and cocoa powder, pistachios and dried cherries, and peppermint candies! The peppermint candies melted in the oven but were still very tasty. To those who are having issues when using the weight measurements, I would recommend a little patience, mixing until it really starts to come together, as well as leaving the dough in the fridge for at least an hour as stated in the recipe and not getting it out until you’re absolutely ready to put them straight into the oven. I made sure the oven was fully preheated and my baking sheet prepped with Parchment paper before I brought the dough out to slice and place on the baking sheet. I bet you could even preslice it and put it back in the fridge! Read the recipe thoroughly and follow the tips in it. Baking can be such a nuanced thing! Anyway, completely delicious cookies! Thank you for the recipe!
Do NOT follow the grams in this recipe. Total disaster, like others also say. The grams are not correct and the cookies will turn into a melted mess. Ca the author please either delete the grams or correct them
These were easy to make and delicious! I made them last year and going to make them again for Christmas. Thank you!
This recipe turned out perfect! So easy and tasty. Will be making again soon!
So happy to hear that Allie! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and review.
I am just about to make these and I checked the comments. Happy I did. It seems like 390grams of flour is actually about 3.12 cups of flour. So about 3 1/8 cups, not 3 1/4. That could be why some batches have not turned out well when using cups instead of grams. Hoping that’s the case and this batch is good! 🙂
Tried these for my first time making shortbread cookies and am encountering the same problem so eine else had: spread.
For the first batch I thought the mistake was that I had the oven at too low temperature (150C instead of 180C) but after correcting that is was worse, if anything. Same thing following the exact measurements by weight. Not sure what went wrong 🙁
Something is off with the recipe. I don’t think 350F is the correct temperature. I made two batches measuring all ingredients by weight. The cookies were cooled (refrigeration for over an hour) and set to oven cold, and they spread so much. The only thing I could think of is the temperature that melts the butter quicker than anything else. Anyways, a flop of a recipe.
I’m sorry you have had issues with this recipe! I tested this recipe thoroughly and make it all the time, so I know for a fact that these cookies should not spread in the oven. Feel free to reach out to me anytime at completelydelicious@gmail.com if you’d like to troubleshoot what went wrong. I’d love to help!!
Forgot a “small detail”. AMOUNTS!!!! Are you pulling our leg?
The complete recipe is in the recipe card at the end of the article. You can use the easy “jump to recipe” at the top of the article if you like.
These were a hit! Thanks
Great recipe. I love shortbread. I added homemade minced candied orange peel, dark chocolate and pecans. I also carefully rolled/formed flat and cut with a fluted round cutter.
Can you double the recipe ?
Sure!
1 c of sugar does not equal 100 grams what is the correction please?
WELP add this to the list of things I’m baking this weekend! 😀 Looks so good and easy!