These easy shortbread cookies are buttery, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. They're made with just three simple ingredients and can be enjoyed plain or topped with an irresistible chocolate fudge frosting.
If you're planning a holiday baking day, don't miss my 40 Christmas Cookie Recipes for more classic and festive cookies to add to your Christmas cookie trays.
Shortbread cookies are one of my favorite cookies to make because they're so simple. You only need butter, powdered sugar, and flour to make the cookies, and there's no need for eggs, baking powder, or baking soda.
The dough is easy to roll out and cut into shapes, so you can use this recipe for almost any occasion. I usually make these into small round cookies, but you can use your favorite cookie cutter or make them larger if you'd like.
They're delicious on their own, but if you want to take them up a notch, try adding my chocolate fudge frosting. The combination reminds me of a softer, homemade version of Keebler E.L. Fudge cookies.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Only 3 ingredients. Butter, powdered sugar, and flour are all you need to make these classic shortbread cookies.
- No eggs or leavening. You don't need eggs, baking powder, or baking soda for this recipe. That's part of what gives shortbread its dense, buttery texture.
- Easy to roll and cut. The dough rolls out beautifully, making it easy to cut into circles or your favorite cookie shapes.
- Buttery and tender. These cookies have a rich butter flavor and a delicate texture that practically melts in your mouth.
- Optional fudge frosting. The cookies are delicious plain, but the chocolate fudge frosting turns them into something extra special.
- Great for holidays and gifting. Use different cookie cutters to make these for Christmas, Valentine's Day, birthdays, or any other occasion.
What Others Are Saying
Nice recipe my husband loved !!---Marie
Used these for Christmas cookies this year with buttercream frosting. They were yummy thanks!---Carol on Pinterest
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Tips and Tricks
- Give the dough time to come together. The dough may look like coarse sand when you first mix it. Don't add extra liquid or flour. Turn off the mixer and use your hands to press the dough together. It will form a soft, workable dough.
- Use powdered sugar. Powdered sugar gives these cookies their delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Granulated sugar won't give you the same result.
- Roll the dough evenly. Aim for about ½-inch thickness so the cookies bake evenly. Thinner cookies will bake more quickly and will be crispier.
- Make the cookies any size you like. I like making these with a small, 2-inch cookie cutter, but you can use a larger cutter. Just keep an eye on the baking time because larger or smaller cookies may bake at different rates.
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting. The fudge frosting is soft when first made, so adding it to warm cookies can cause it to melt and slide.
- Let the fudge frosting set. Give the frosted cookies about 30-45 minutes to set up. The frosting develops a thicker, fudge-like consistency as it rests.
- Use the frosting for other desserts. The chocolate fudge frosting is delicious on these cookies, but you can also use it on cupcakes, brownies, or other baked treats.
Ingredients
- Butter: I exclusively bake with salted butter. If you'd like to control the salt content in the dough, use unsalted butter and add about ½ teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
- Powdered sugar: Using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar creates a softer, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Flour
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Classic Shortbread Cookies
Step 1: Combine ingredients in a large bowl using an electric mixer. The dough will resemble coarse sand. Turn the mixer off and form the dough into a ball with your hands. What first looked like coarse sand will end up forming a beautiful dough.
Step 2: Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Dough should be about ½" thick. Cut out into small circles using a cookie cutter (2" are my favorite size) and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Step 3: Bake at 325 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely.
Step 4: If adding frosting, spoon frosting into a pastry bag and pipe frosting onto cooled cookies (or spread with a butter knife). I like using a 1A frosting tip. It's large and takes about 2 seconds to frost each cookie.
Let frosting set up on cookies 30-45 minutes for a fudge consistency.
How to Store Shortbread Cookies
Store shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. If you've added the fudge frosting, allow the frosting to set before stacking the cookies.
For the best texture, place parchment paper between layers if you're stacking frosted cookies.
Can You Freeze Shortbread Cookies?
Yes! Shortbread cookies freeze very well. Allow the cookies to cool completely, then place them in an airtight freezer-safe container with parchment paper between the layers. You can freeze them plain and add the fudge frosting after thawing, or freeze the finished cookies once the frosting has completely set. Let frozen cookies thaw at room temperature before serving.
Shortbread Cookies FAQs
The density is the main difference between a sugar cookie and a shortbread cookie. Sugar cookies are lighter (made with baking powder), and shortbread cookies are denser and have a buttery taste. Hardly anything pulls me away from our bakery-style sugar cookies, but these easy shortbread cookies are buttery perfection.
If you'd like to control the salt content in shortbread cookie dough, use unsalted butter and add about ½ teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
Have a little patience with the dough. It will resemble coarse sand at first. Turn the mixer off and form the dough into a ball with your hands. What first looked like coarse sand will turn into a beautiful dough.
Absolutely. This dough works well with many different cookie cutter shapes. Just keep the thickness of the dough consistent and adjust the baking time as needed for significantly smaller or larger cookies.
Powdered sugar gives shortbread a finer, more delicate texture than granulated sugar. It's one of the reasons these cookies have that classic melt-in-your-mouth quality.
No! The cookies are delicious plain and have plenty of buttery flavor on their own. The fudge frosting is completely optional, but it makes a delicious chocolate-topped version.
The frosting should take about 30-45 minutes to set up. It will become thicker and develop a fudge-like consistency as it sits.
Yes! The chocolate frosting is delicious on cupcakes, brownies, and other baked treats. It's a great recipe to keep on hand whenever you want a quick chocolate frosting.
More Shortbread Recipes To Make
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Easy Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup butter softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups flour
Optional Fudge Frosting
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 Tbsp. milk
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Combine ingredients in a large bowl using an electric mixer.
- The dough will resemble coarse sand. Turn the mixer off and form the dough into a ball with your hands. What first looked like coarse sand will end up forming a beautiful dough.
- Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface. Dough should be about ½″ thick.
- Cut out into small circles (2″ are my favorite) and place on an uncreased baking sheet.
- Bake cookies for 13-15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely.
Frosting
- Mix melted butter and cocoa powder together. Add vanilla and powdered sugar.
- Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating frosting with an electric mixer, until desired consistency is achieved.
- Beat frosting an additional 2 minutes.
- Spoon frosting into a pastry bag and pipe frosting onto cooled cookies (or spread with a butter knife).
Marie says
Nice recipe my husband loved !!
Thanks for sharing
Brandy says
Hi Marie! I’m so glad! 🙂