The short answer: This shortbread cookie recipe needs only butter, sugar and flour, plus a pinch of salt. Beat 1 cup of softened butter with ½ cup of sugar, mix in 2 cups of flour and ¼ teaspoon of salt, press the dough into a pan or roll and cut it, then bake at 325°F until the edges are barely golden. That's 12 to 15 minutes for cut-outs and 25 to 35 minutes for a pan.
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The result is rich, tender and crisp at the edges. Below you'll find both methods, flavor swaps, fixes and how to keep it fresh for gifts.
Shortbread is one of my favorite cookies to give, because it travels well and keeps for weeks.
Shortbread ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Butter, softened | 1 cup (2 sticks, 227 g) | Real butter only; it's the whole flavor |
| Sugar | ½ cup (powdered 60 g or granulated 100 g) | Powdered is softer, granulated is crisper |
| All-purpose flour | 2 cups (250 g) | Spoon and level |
| Salt | ¼ teaspoon | Skip it with salted butter |
| Vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon, optional | Traditional Scottish shortbread leaves it out |
The classic ratio is 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter and 3 parts flour by weight. Once you know it, you can scale the batch up or down without a recipe card.
How to make shortbread, step by step
- Heat the oven. Set it to 325°F. Low heat keeps shortbread pale and tender.
- Cream. Beat the butter and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth and light.
- Add the flour. Mix in the flour and salt on low until the dough looks like damp sand. Press it together with your hands.
- Shape it one of two ways. For pan shortbread, press it evenly into an ungreased 8- or 9-inch round or square pan. For cut-outs, roll it ¼ inch thick between parchment sheets and cut shapes.
- Chill. Chill the cut-outs for 20 to 30 minutes so they hold sharp edges.
- Dock and score. Prick the pan dough all over with a fork and score it into wedges or bars.
- Bake. Bake cut-outs for 12 to 15 minutes and a pan for 25 to 35 minutes, until the edges are pale golden.
- Cut warm. Recut pan shortbread along the score lines while it's still warm, then let it cool in the pan.
Pan shortbread vs. cut-out shortbread
| Pan (wedges or fingers) | Cut-out cookies | |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | About ½ inch | About ¼ inch |
| Bake time at 325°F | 25 to 35 minutes | 12 to 15 minutes |
| Texture | Thick, tender center | Crisp all the way through |
| Best for | Tea trays, slicing into fingers | Decorating, cookie boxes, shapes |
| Chill needed | No | Yes, 20 to 30 minutes |
Shortbread flavor variations
- Brown sugar shortbread: use packed brown sugar for a caramel note.
- Chocolate-dipped: dip cooled fingers halfway in melted dark chocolate.
- Lemon or orange: add 1 tablespoon of zest with the butter.
- Lavender or rosemary: add 1 teaspoon of finely chopped culinary lavender or fresh rosemary.
- Pecan shortbread: fold in ½ cup of finely chopped toasted pecans.
- Christmas sprinkles: knead in ⅓ cup of nonpareils or roll the edges of slice-and-bake logs in sprinkles.
Fixes for common shortbread problems
- Too crumbly to roll: knead it a little longer with warm hands, or add a teaspoon of milk.
- Tough cookies: the dough was overmixed after the flour went in. Mix only until it comes together.
- Greasy or spreading: the butter was too warm. Chill the dough and bake on a cool sheet.
- Brown bottoms: the oven is too hot or the pan is dark metal. Drop to 300°F or use a light pan.
- Pan shortbread breaks when cutting: cut it while warm, not after it cools.
Storing, freezing and gifting shortbread
| Where | How long | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Airtight tin, room temperature | About 2 weeks | Keep it away from softer cookies, which add moisture |
| Freezer, baked | Up to 3 months | Wrap well and thaw in the container |
| Freezer, dough log | Up to 3 months | Slice and bake from frozen; add 1 to 2 minutes |
Shortbread is sturdy, so it's a smart choice for mailing. FoodSafety.gov's holiday food gift tips suggest mailing packages at the beginning of the week so they don't sit in a mail facility over the weekend. Add an ingredient tag too, since the FDA's food allergy overview lists wheat and milk among the major allergens.
Mix shortbread with snickerdoodles and sugar cookies in a Christmas cookie box, or browse our full Christmas cookies list.
Save the recipe and plan your cookie gifts
- Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Printable pages to save this shortbread cookie recipe, the ratio and the flavor swaps you love.
- Christmas Budget & Gift Planner, $4.99. List everyone on your cookie list and keep each batch on budget.
- Holiday Season Bundle, $15.99 (regularly $25.94 for the six items bought separately). The gift planner plus the Meal Planner & Grocery List and more for the season.
Find more in our Printables and the Holiday shop. The free Holiday Budget Starter Kit is 3 US Letter pages, emailed to you after you join the list.
For a powdered-sugar addition to the assortment, bake snowball cookies and label the nuts for anyone with an allergy.
Frequently asked questions
What is the classic shortbread cookie recipe ratio? The classic shortbread cookie recipe ratio is 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter and 3 parts flour by weight. In cups, that's ½ cup sugar, 1 cup butter and 2 cups flour, plus a pinch of salt.
Should I use powdered sugar or granulated sugar in shortbread? Use powdered sugar for a softer, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread and granulated sugar for a crisper, sandier bite. Both work with the same amounts, ½ cup per cup of butter.
Why is my shortbread crumbly? Shortbread turns too crumbly when there's too much flour or the butter was too cold to blend in. Spoon and level the flour, and knead the dough briefly with your hands until it holds together.
Why did my shortbread spread? Shortbread spreads when the butter is too warm or the dough wasn't chilled. Chill cut-out cookies for 20 to 30 minutes before baking, and bake on a cool baking sheet.
What temperature do you bake shortbread at? Bake shortbread at 325°F. Cut-out cookies take 12 to 15 minutes, and a pan of shortbread takes 25 to 35 minutes, until the edges are pale golden.
How long does shortbread last? Shortbread lasts about 2 weeks in an airtight tin at room temperature, which makes it one of the best cookies for gifting and mailing. Wrapped well, it freezes for up to 3 months.
Can I make shortbread with salted butter? Yes, salted butter works in shortbread; just leave out the extra salt. Many bakers prefer it for the richer flavor.
How do I save my shortbread cookie recipe and plan holiday baking? You can save your shortbread cookie recipe in the Family Recipe Binder from HomeBase Paper Co. ($6.99), which gives you printable recipe pages for the recipe and its flavor swaps. The Christmas Budget & Gift Planner ($4.99) tracks the cost of every cookie tin you give.
Sources
- FoodSafety.gov: Holiday tips for food gifts foodsafety.gov
- FDA: Food allergies, what you need to know fda.gov