I’m a firm believer that shortbread cookies should be sinfully buttery and delectably tender, and this shortbread recipe is exactly that. It’s simply perfect – and it looks as good as it tastes.
With the signature delicate crumbly texture and beautiful buttery flavour, shortbread is one of those biscuits that is both nostalgic and elegant. It’s right at home with a casual coffee catch up with friends, or an elegant tea party to impress!
Shortbread Cookies
We have the Scotts to thank for burly men in pleated tartan skirts, haggis and shortbread.
I’ll hold on the haggis, am undecided on men in skirts, but can never get enough shortbread!!!
Shortbread is one of the best classic cookies in the world, and it’s also one of the easiest. All you need is:
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butter
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flour
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icing sugar (powdered sugar)
Did you know that? Off you run to the kitchen! 🙂
Homemade shortbread cookies are WAY more tender and delicate than store bought – with a far better real butter flavour.
Why is it called shortbread?
These cookies are called Shortbread because the term “short” is used to describe cookies and pastries with a tender, crumbly melt-in-your-mouth texture. The same terminology is used for shortcrust pastries used in things like Quiche and Pecan Pie.
It’s considered an art to achieve this buttery delicate texture – but it’s actually REALLY EASY!
How to make Shortbread Cookies
The trick with shortbread cookies to ensure they are melt-in-your-mouth as they should be is to ensure the dough is nice and crumbly! Here’s how to make shortbread cookies:
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creamy butter, then gradually beat in icing sugar and flour
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it will be crumbly (photo #3 below), use your hands to press together to form a smooth-dish ball, don’t knead
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now press the dough into a prepared shallow pan then using something to flatten the surface
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partially bake, then remove
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prick holes and slice, then bake again – this is the best way to achieve clean cuts and ensure the holes stay.
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cool for 1 hour in oven – this will finish cooking them whilst keeping the cookies pale golden as they should be (rather than browning on edges).
Rice flour or normal flour?
You may have read that shortbread cookies should be made with a combination of rice flour and normal flour, and sometimes you see recipes with cornflour (cornstarch).
Rice flour makes the shortbread a little more tender, but having made shortbread many times over the years both with and without using this shortbread recipe, I can honestly say that the difference is barely noticeable. A shortbread recipe with a tougher dough or calling for more kneading may NEED rice flour in order to achieve the right delicate texture. This recipe does not need rice flour.
Comparison of different methods
There’s a few different ways to make shortbread cookies:
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food processor – the fastest method. Blitz butter, flour and sugar, pat into pan and bake. This yields a shortbread with signature crumby texture, but the surface is quite rough, as pictured below. People who like very crumbly shortbread and do not mind about the rough surface use this technique;
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rubber COLD butter in with fingers – this yields almost the same result as using a food processor ie very crumbly shortbread, rough surface
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creamed SOFTENED butter using a beater or wooden spoon – this is the method I use. Still a beautifully delicate, crumbly shortbread, but the surface is smoother so it looks like the shortbread cookies that we all know and love!
I use the creamed butter method rather than rubbing in cold butter in this Shortbread Cookie recipe. Smoother surface, with the perfect delicate crumbly texture.
Homemade shortbread cookies trumps Walkers!!
I purchased a packet of Walker’s shortbread cookies so I could compare them directly to this homemade Shortbread Cookie recipe.
Homemade are way more tender – no matter which method you use, with or without rice flour. The crumble is softer when you bite into it, they are more buttery.
I truly believe that Shortbread Cookies are one of the iconic cookies in this world. To think that all you need is butter, flour and sugar to make such a delectable treat is just amazing, isn’t it?
The weekend is here. I just know you’ve been good all week. You deserve a treat. Go on! 🙂 – Nagi xx
For Cookie Monsters 🙋🏻♀️
And more 3 Ingredient Desserts!
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1 ingredient Dulce de Leche – Slow Cooker Caramel
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Classic Scones – and faster Lemonade Scones – both 3 ingredients!
Watch how to make it
Shortbread Cookie recipe video! Note the part at the end re: the cookie being crumbled. This is how it should be! And PS clearly these are not my hands in this video. I had assistance!
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Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 250g / 8 oz salted butter, softened (2 x US sticks, 1 cup) (or unsalted + ¼ tsp salt)
- 3/4 cup (90g) icing sugar (powdered sugar) (Note 2)
- 2 cups (300g) plain / all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160C/325F (standard) or 150C/300F (fan forced / convection).
- Butter and line a 31.5 x 23.5 cm / 9 x 13" pan with baking paper with overhang.
- Beat butter until smooth (or use very soft butter and a wooden spoon). Add icing sugar and beat until combined.
- Add half the flour and beat until mostly combined – it will resemble wet sand. Then beat in the remainder. Use your hands to bring it together into a smooth ball of dough – knead lightly if required.
- Roughly press down into a rectangle shape, then transfer into the pan. Press into the pan. Optional: Roll over the top using a small rolling pin or glass (that’s what I used) for a smooth surface. Don’t press down too hard – it makes the cookies firmer
- Bake for 20 minutes until edges are very light golden and most of the surface is still pale gold.
- Remove from the oven. Working quickly, cut into desired shape (I do 8 x 3 bars, like Walker’s shortbread biscuits) and prick all over with a fork (optional).
- Return to the oven for 8 minutes or until the surface is light golden – not browned. Turn the oven off, crack it open ajar, then leave to cool for at least 1 hour in the oven.
- Remove from the oven, use paper overhang to remove the biscuits from the pan. Cool fully on rack. Serve with tea!!
Recipe Notes:
* Food processor: place all the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor. Pulse 20 times, then whizz on high for 25 seconds until it forms breadcrumbs. Turn out onto work surface and proceed with recipe;
* Rubbing with fingers: Place all the flour and sugar in a bowl, then add butter. Use fingertips to rub butter into flour until it forms breadcrumbs (see video for how it should look). Turn out onto work surface and proceed with recipe. 4. HOT WEATHER WARNING! If it is super hot where you are and/or you have very hot hands with the butter rubbing method, press the dough into the pan then refrigerate for 20 minutes or until chilled. 5. PRECUTTING: To cut out into shapes before baking, it is best to add 2 tbsp flour to make a dough that won’t spread as much when baking. Then roll out into 1 cm / 2/5” thickness and cut into desired shape, place on a baking paper lined tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 150C/300F (fan forced) or 170C/340F (standard) then bake for 15 minutes until the edges are just starting to the brown but the surface is still a pale gold. 6. METHOD NOTES:
- Partial cook before cutting and pricking (if you do when fully raw, the cuts/pricks disappear when baked);
- Cutting cooked biscuit has tendency to crack surface a bit - not as neat;
- Leave the shortbread in the oven to cool. This is a tip I picked up from Cooks’ Illustrated – it allows the biscuit to finish cooking without the surface browning (shortbread cookies should be very pale).
Nutrition Information:
Originally published August 2017, updated March 2019 with steps photos and some housekeeping matters. No change to recipe – perfect as is!
Life of Dozer
We had a beautiful sunrise earlier this week. I didn’t get a single photo of it. But I got plenty of Dozer checking it out!!!
Wonderful recipe, made a few batches of this to go with some other goodies for Christmas gifts and they all went down a treat. I love that you tested the creaming butter vs using a food processor.
I baked this recipe for Christmas gifts and everyone loved them. Since I’m not a great baker and so many recipes in the U.S. don’t have measurements in weight, I always come to your blog!!
Last minute decision to bake some shortbread on Xmas Eve. What a fabulous recipe and game changer on how to get clean edges. Came out looking like I am a Scot and have been doing it for years! ! Fabulous and so easy.
Hi Nagi, this a lovely recipe but I personally love adding a small amount ofground rice or Mckenzie’s rice flour which is a completely different texture to Asian rice flour! Both versions of shortbread are delicious! Have a Merry Christmas 2023!
This is very delicate and delicious, however as this is the first time cooking I didn’t get the same result in colour. I had to make mine in two batches because I use a small bench-top oven and I wanted round. Next time I will follow the video. Really easy recipe and the flavour is just like shop bought…. Ok it is better than shop bought…. Thank you, Next on my list is Vindaloo.
Easy and perfect! I subbed out regular flour for gluten-free flour and they turned out terrific. Thank you for another excellent recipe!
Made these today and they turned out absolutely fabulous, so crumbly and just the right amount of sweetness. Only thing is, I baked them according to the recipe but after 28 mins my cookies were still raw and doughy.
Only after I turned up the temperature to 180-190 and let them bake for another 10 mins did they cook fully and because of the increased temperature they turned out dark brown instead of light golden. Any idea what I may have done wrong??
When I want a recipe that won’t go wrong this is where I come. Nagi, you’ve helped me overcome my fear of baking bread (I was scared of working with yeast) and now I’m never ever buying shortbread again. I know it’s a relatively simple thing to make, shortbread, but when you really love something and want it to turn out well as failure would be pretty devastating as is my love for shortbread – I’m very serious about my shortbread ok, then it becomes a very daunting task.
As always Nagi, another winner of a recipe and your notes are superb.0
I have been recommending your site and book to anyone asking for recipes or cooking inspiration- and I always tell them, read the notes. If you’ve thought about it, Nagi has tested it or one of your followers has and has commented about it so I tell them they are always in safe hands. So far, it’s been a 100% success rate for them as well!
Next, the oatmeal raisin cookies and soon… the carrot cake with cream cheese filling that’s been calling my name. Thanks again Nagi!
These turned out great and so yummy! However, a bit of butter pooled at the bottom, is this normal or am I doing something wrong?
In my experience, greasy butter usually means your butter was too warm. Keep your butter no warmer than room temperature. If it looks shiny before you mix it then it is too warm. Also try chilling in the fridge before baking as the recipe suggests. If you kept your butter cool and it still pooled, then it probably just needs a bit more flour.
I’ve made these as written, but ALSO in the style of Walker’s Stem Ginger Shortbread (but rectangular). I substituted 1 tbsp flour with ground ginger (could use more) and added 100 g of Buderim Ginger Baking Bits at the end of step 4. Ginger-licious 😁
Loved these, even though I screwed up the end; after cutting and docking the parbaked shortbread, I put it back in the oven for nearly 30 minutes before checking the directions and turning off the oven. But since I baked them in a 6″ x 8″ pan instead of 9″ x 13″, they were nice and thick, and obviously the extra baking time didn’t hurt. I used Kerrygold butter; it’s definitely worth using good, quality butter. I also sprinkled some turbinado (raw) sugar on top. These are dangerous! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Followed the instructions but the mixture was very very soft. Looked nothing like the video. Any idea what I may have done wrong
Lilian I found the same thing so I always add half a cup of extra flour to the recipe and it’s perfect!
Made these today and they are exactly what I was hoping for. Finishing the cooking in the turned off oven was perfect.
Shared with family and a nice whiskey. Perfect match!
Bravo! I have been looking for the perfect pan shortbread recipe and after following recipe to a T, results were perfect. Solved problem of cracking cookies when cutting after baking, not too thick, perfect color after baking and texture and taste wonderful. Thank you for all the instructions. I used a dark non-stick pan and reduced temp. by 25 degrees. A nice change from whipped shortbread. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Hi Nagi! I’d like to bake this with my kids, but will it work if I use cookie cutters to make them into Christmas shapes? I imagine I’d need to shorten the cooking time? Thank you!! 🎄
Help! My dough came out crumbly. Add more butter?
My first ever attempt at shortbread, and oh boy, how easy are they to make and so yummy. Thank you Nagi
Oh my gosh, these were so easy and so absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe and method exactly, and it worked out perfectly. Thanks for such a great recipe!!!
Another great recipe form the team!!! What makes it so wonderful is that it is truly failproof 😂😂😂 baked up a batch and am utterly impressed!! Won’t be buying any shortbread from now on now that I’m armed with this recipe!!!
I reduced the sugar to 75g because I wanted to be “healthy” but I should have stuck to your guns and left it at 90g Hahaha! Still a delectable treat
I used a 1/2 cup of sugar as i had no icing sugar. I used the cold butter rub in method, and baked it as two 7 inch circles each cut into 12 wedges. I baked it at 170 degrees in a fan assisted oven. Then amount of sugar used was spot on. The shortbread was perfect. Between my elderly mother and my teenager the shortbread didn’t last a day.