Whipped Shortbread Cookies
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These traditional shortbread cookies are the Christmas cookies my mom makes every holiday season. They’re whipped shortbread cookies that are so soft they literally melt in your mouth. You will LOVE them!
This has long been my favorite shortbread recipe. The cookies are so soft that they literally melt in your mouth. They are different from Scottish shortbread cookies, which are firmer. Eating this shortbread is like eating buttery, soft, crumbly clouds. This recipe is for you if you want soft, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread. (And really, who doesn’t want that?)
This is the shortbread cookie recipe my family has been making for decades. They were part of the Christmas cookie spread that always included Mom’s Nanaimo Bars, turtles, and butter tarts. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without them.
These shortbread cookies are crazy soft. When I say they melt in your mouth, I mean it. No chewing is required. They’re the most tender shortbread cookies you will ever eat. In the words of one of our taste testers, “I don’t know what just happened in my mouth, but I want more of it.”
This recipe has only five ingredients, is made in one bowl, and is the best shortbread recipe ever. Are you sold? You should be!
This easy recipe is made with only five ingredients!
- Butter – I prefer to use salted butter. If you only have unsalted butter, simply add salt to the recipe. Make sure the butter is at room temperature before making these cookies.
- Flour – Unbleached, all-purpose flour works best in this recipe.
- Icing sugar – Also known as powdered sugar.
- Cornstarch – This is added to make the shortbread cookies even softer.
- Vanilla – I add this for a subtle flavor.
Making whipped shortbread is incredibly easy. But it helps to look at the pictures above to see what the dough looks like at the four stages as you beat it.
- You’ll start by slowly mixing the salted butter, flour, icing sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla using electric beaters at their lowest setting. This is to prevent a cloud of flour dust from flying out of the bowl. After a minute, the dough will no longer be dusty but will have larger chunks of butter coated in flour.
- A few minutes later, when the dough begins to look like sand, increase the beaters to medium speed. You’ll likely think it will never come together at this point, but have patience and trust that it will.
- Keep beating the sandy dough for 3-4 minutes. Suddenly, you will feel your beaters start to strain, and the dough will come together.
- Turn your beaters up to high and beat the dough for another 1-2 minutes, or until it resembles thick whipped cream.
Now, all that’s left to do is drop mounds of the dough onto baking sheets and bake them for 15 minutes. It’s so easy!
Using a stand mixer to make shortbread cookies is a little trickier as you have to stop often to scrape the bowl AND it’s easy to overwhip them.
- Always use the whisk attachment. The paddle attachment is not able to whip the shortbread properly.
- Stop frequently to scrape the side of the bowl. Otherwise, some of the dough will be whipped and some won’t. You’ll see the difference the first time you stop to scrape the bowl.
- Keep a close eye on the dough at the end. As soon as it resembles thick whipped cream, stop beating it. Overbeating the dough can cause the cookies to flatten when they bake.
- The total time you’ll need to whip the cookie dough in a stand mixer is about 5 minutes.
Variations to try
- Top with red and green sprinkles for Christmas shortbread cookies. You can also try blending the sprinkles right into the batter.
- Add lemon or orange zest to the batter.
- Drizzle the tops with chocolate.
- Swap the vanilla for your favorite flavor extract.
- Make whipped shortbread cookies with Toblerone by stirring 1 cup of chopped Toblerone into the batter.
- Several readers have commented that they’ve had success using this dough with a cookie press.
Store and freeze
This shortbread cookie recipe is great to make ahead of time. Not only do they keep well for many days on your counter, but you can also store them in your freezer for months. So go ahead and make a big batch and have some on hand next time a cookie craving strikes!
Store: This is a great recipe to make ahead of time, as they keep well for many days on your counter. I usually keep some on a plate (for easy access) and put the rest in a bag. They will keep for a week on your counter or up to two weeks in the fridge.
Freeze: When I was a kid, my mom would make these a month or more before Christmas and store them in a container in the freezer. Once thawed, you’ll never know they were frozen. Tip ⇢ stack them between layers of parchment paper to protect them.
Best Shortbread Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups salted butter (at room temperature – see notes)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Colored candied cherries or dried cranberries (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Position your oven rack in the middle of your oven.
- Add the flour, butter, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla to a deep mixing bowl.3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups salted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, ½ cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Begin mixing the ingredients using electric beaters at their lowest speed. Once the dry ingredients begin mixing with the butter and are not dusty anymore, increase the speed to medium.
- A few minutes later, the dough will start to look like sand. Keep beating the dough for another 3-4 minutes and it will start to come together.
- Once the dough comes together and your beaters start straining, increase the speed to high and beat the dough for another 1-2 minutes, or until it resembles thick whipped cream.
- Drop the dough into small mounds (about 2-3 tablespoons) on a baking sheet. If using, gently press a dried cranberry into the tops of the cookies. Note: Make sure the cookie dough is cold before you put it in the oven. If your house is quite warm, chill the cookies in the fridge before you bake them. Bake for 15 minutes. It is best to bake one sheet of cookies at a time. Use a new sheet pan for the next batch. The cookie dough must be added to a cool baking sheet.Colored candied cherries or dried cranberries
- Let the cookies cool for at least 10 minutes then use an offset spatula or slotted fish spatula to remove the cookies from the sheet pan and transfer them to a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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For more inspiration, check out all of my cookie recipes!
What an easy and delicious cookie! I love a cookie with simple flavors and the texture is perfect!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Mom’s always seem to have the best cookie recipes, don’t they?! 🙂
Can the dough be frozen and thawed later for baking? Aloha
I haven’t tried freezing the dough, but I suspect it would be ok. I’d probably scoop the dough onto cookie sheets (like you were planning on baking them) then freezing them like that.
If you try it I’d love to hear if it works!
Thank you great tip scooping onto sheets before freezing! I will let you know how it comes out. Happy Holidays
Did they turn out well after freezing?
Merry Christmas
You can definitely freeze these! My mom used to make them about a month before Christmas and keep them in freezer bags until she wanted to serve them. 🙂
I love short bread cookies, but I’ve never made them. This recipe sounds delicious. I was wondering
1). if the cookies are sturdy enough to dip in chocolate
2). Can the dough be chilled and rolled out for cut out cookies.
Thank you?
Hi Lisa,
These cookies are very delicate, but I think you could definitely dip them in chocolate. I don’t think they would work for rolled and cut cookies, though.
I hope you enjoy them. They really are my favourite shortbread cookies!
Thank you for your rapid reply. I’m baking them today for a dinner. I will let you know how they turn out. Maybe, I’ll opt for a chocolate drizzle instead of dipping. ?
A drizzle would be lovely! I made them last night and, after reading your comment about dipping them in chocolate, almost did a drizzle myself. Let me know how you like them! 🙂
The chocolate drizzle was delicious I did half with the drizzle & half plain & everyone loved both, including me! I definitely recommend the chocolate drizzle.
I’m so doing that next year!!
Hi I have just discovered your receipe. Is the butter salted or unsalted.
Thanks Glynnis
I always use salted butter, but my mom always uses unsalted. Both will work. 🙂
BTW I’m planning on making a batch of these myself today. Can’t wait!
I followed your recipe exactly the same.
My cookies turned out GREAT!!
Thank you!!!
I’m so happy to hear that! These cookies are one of my must-have Christmas cookies. I’m so happy it’s almost the season for them again. 🙂
After making these and throwing away the first to trays, I had to do something to use the rest of the dough, as it has 2 pounds of butter in it, so I added 1 and 1/2 cups more of flour to the rest of the dough, another teaspoon of vanilla and the zest from a large lemon. Now they turned out and taste great. But I would never fellow this recipe again, the way it was written.
Hi Daisy,
I’m sorry to hear they didn’t turn out for you but it sounds like you doubled up on the butter. The recipe calls for 2 cups, not 2 lb. I’m happy to hear you found a way to salvage them. The lemon sounds great.
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Thanks so much and have a great day!!
Hi Heidi,
I would love to send you mail!
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Have a great weekend!
I’m new to baking…what is icing sugar? Is it like powered sugar?
Thanks!!
Hi Theresa,
It is! It’s just what we call powdered sugar here in Canada.
Happy baking 🙂
Self rising flour or plain flour?
Just plain all-purpose flour 🙂
If you add one tablespoon of water, and an additional tablespoon of flour, be certain to refrigerate until the butter is set up. Let the butter soften naturally, something happens to it if you try to force warm it in the microwave. I always roll mine into balls after I allow the batter to become firm. Then, gently pressing your finger into the middle, place a slight dollop of jelly in the center and you will have a delightful jelly belly. Sprinkle additional powdered sugar on them for a pretty winter cookie.
KRISTEN I JUST MADE YOUR COOKIES THEY ARE WONDERFUL HAD NO PROBLEMS. I HAVE NEVER MADE SHORTBREAD COOKIES BEFORE. I AM NOW A FAN AND WILL ADD THIS RECIPE TO MY FAVORITES. I ENCOURAGE ALL WHO HAD NOT A GOOD TURN OUT TO TRY AGAIN.
Hi, Thank you for the recipe. I made this and followed the instructions to the letter. Mine didn’t fall flat, but I couldn’t pick them up, the crumbled the instant I tried to pick them up. They were yummy, the parts I managed to taste. Any idea why this might have happened? Will try them again and refrigerate them first, see if that helps with the crumbliness.
Hi Manal,
I have to admit I am really really confused by why these cookies are falling flat for a lot of people. I’ve made the recipe so many times and never had that problem. Will you let me know how they work after you refrigerate them? I wonder if it’s always so wintery cold when I make them that maybe that’s why I haven’t had that problem 🙂
Hi, I just stumbled on this looking for troubleshooting actually. Sounds like I’ve got it!! I’ve had this same recipe for YEARS and never had a problem and everyone raved about my cookies too. Last year and now this year I have issues… Not sure why? They are too dense and not so melty, , and now today both my batches flat and almost greasy. I’ve used my kitchen aide every year, never refrigerated, and used soft, almost melted butter. Last year was a cold winter, this year not so much. Maybe I’m beating to much anymore and letting the dough get too warm? Anyway, I’m going to figure this out because, yes, these cookies are THE BEST (and I don’t even eat shortbread. Lol) I just love baking.
You don’t eat shortbread? Well feel free to send any extras my way. I’ll take care of them for you lol. 🙂
And maybe try putting the cookie dough into the fridge for a bit if you think it’s too warm. That can help.
Followed the recipe exactly and mine also fell flat I even refrigerated them before hand also! Strange!!
I’m so sorry to hear that happened to you too. I really don’t know what to suggest since that has never happened to me before with these cookies, and I’ve made them many many times. I hope they were at least tasty even though they were flat 🙂
I used this recipe to make rolled shortbread cookies and they turned out great! Mine didn’t go flat, but I’ve always been in the habit of refrigerating my shortbread cookies for about half an hour before I bake them so they don’t spread. For those that are having problems, try that out to see if it helps keep the shape 🙂
Hi Andrea,
Thank you so much for the feedback!
I’ve never had the problem that a few of the others have had but it is really great to know what went wrong 🙂
How many grams is 2 X cups butter please. Thank you
2 cups of butter is 1 lb/ 16 oz/ 454 grams. Hope that helps!
I’m going to try this recipe tomorrow.
I’m wondering if different results come from types of cookie sheets.
So many .. aluminum, stoneware, airbase, lined
That could definitely be! The type of pan used does affect how cookies turn out. I use aluminum pans.
Good detective work! I hadn’t thought of that. 🙂
Great recipe – the reason why the cookies would flatten out is the butter is too warm – throw the cookies in the fridge for 5 minutes before cooking and they will keep their shape!
Hi Linda,
Thank you so much for letting me know what was going on with some of the other’s cookies when they baked them. I didn’t know! I really appreciate it 🙂
Hi i beated the mixture till it had a texture like that of whipped cream but when i baked it the cookes spread out and turned flat, nothing like the one in the picture.. Any ideas what went wrong?
Hey Claudia,
Did you follow the recipe was there something you changed? I’ve never had this happen to me and I’ve made these may times so I am a little stumped about what went wrong. Did you use butter or margarine? I only ever use butter and maybe if you switched it that might be the problem. If you didn’t make any changes I’m not really sure what happened. I really would try them again though. I hope you’re second batch turns out!!
Hi Claudia. Did you put the batter into the fridge till the butter set? Id say half hour at least, before you bake them.
same to me but i did reduce the butter to 1 3/4 cups but according to looking up butter from cups to grams it says 2 lbs so that is the problem I would suggest modifieing the recipe to read 2 cups (1 lb) then ther is no confusion