Shortbread Cookies made with an authentic Scottish shortbread recipe for buttery shortbread with a crumbly texture that holds its shape perfectly.
TL;DR Recipe Snapshot
What it is: Buttery shortbread cookies made with an authentic Scottish shortbread recipe.
Why you'll love it: Only 3 ingredients, and the cut-out cookies hold their shape in the oven.
How to make it: Combine butter and sugar, mix in the flour, and bring it together into a dough. Then roll out and cut into shapes, or make a log for slice-and-bake cookies.
Reader Review:
Tried this recipe today and they turned out brilliant.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Evelyn
I take shortbread very seriously - but I kind of have to, I'm Scottish. Shortbread isn't just a cookie where I come from - it's practically a national treasure. It's what we serve at holidays, tuck into with a cup of tea, and proudly gift in tartan tins. So when I see recipes online calling themselves "shortbread" but sneaking in eggs or baking powder… well, let's just say my ancestors wouldn't be impressed.
As a professional recipe developer with shortbread in my blood, I've made it my mission to perfect the real deal - an authentic Scottish shortbread recipe that respects tradition and gives you flawless results every time. Plus, this recipe is really versatile: whether you want classic fingers, cut-out cookies that won't spread, or an easy slice-and-bake log, this recipe has you covered.
Jump to:
- TL;DR Recipe Snapshot
- What are Shortbread Cookies?
- Why Use THIS Shortbread Cookie Recipe
- Ingredients
- How to Make Shortbread Cookies
- Ways to Shape Shortbread
- Tips From A Scottish Baker
- The Science Of Shortbread
- Variations and Flavor Ideas
- How To Store Shortbread Cookies
- Shortbread Cookie FAQ
- More Scottish Recipes
- Watch How To Make Shortbread Cookies
- Recipe
What are Shortbread Cookies?
Shortbread is a classic Scottish treat that dates back to the 12th century. Real shortbread uses only three ingredients - butter, sugar, and flour. Unlike other kinds of cookies, shortbread doesn't use eggs or leavening agents, which gives it a dense, crumbly texture that melts in the mouth.
Traditional Shortbread is baked into thick rectangles called 'fingers', but you can shape it in many ways, including making classic shortbread cookies that can be shaped into thinner rounds or cut out into shapes.
Why Use THIS Shortbread Cookie Recipe
- An authentic Scottish shortbread recipe made by a true Scot!
- The dough can be shaped in various ways - from cutout cookies, to the slice and bake, or the traditional method.
- A super simple recipe with just 3 basic ingredients.
Ingredients
A real shortbread recipe only has three simple ingredients. Steer clear of any 'shortbread' recipes that have eggs or a leavening agent.
- Sugar - Use granulated sugar for this recipe to create a beautifully crumbly texture. Some recipes use powdered sugar (icing sugar) for a slightly softer shortbread cookie. See FAQs for more info on this.
- Butter - It's traditional to use salted butter for shortbread, and the higher the fat content, the better - I would recommend using a good quality, European butter if possible. You can use unsalted butter; just add a good pinch of salt to the flour. Be sure to make sure your butter is room temperature before using.
- Flour - All-purpose flour works best for shortbread.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Measuring Ingredients: I always recommend weighing your ingredients with a kitchen scale, rather than using measuring cups. It's very difficult to measure accurately with cups and this can mess up your bakes.
How to Make Shortbread Cookies
This easy shortbread cookie recipe uses the creaming method, which makes it extremely simple. It won't take you any more than 30 minutes, and will leave you with traditionally Scottish melt-in-the-mouth shortbread cookies.
It's best to do this by hand with a large bowl and a wooden spoon, to avoid overmixing. You can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment if you prefer, but keep it on low speed and be very careful not to overmix.
Cream Butter and Sugar
Place the softened butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat together, just until combined. Avoid beating to a light and fluffy texture (like you would for cake batter), the ingredients just need to be incorporated.
Add the Flour
Sift the flour into the bowl, and gently incorporate it into the butter mixture. It should become a clumpy, crumbly texture.
Switch to using your hands, and bring the mixture together to form a smooth dough.
Roll the Dough
Tip the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Cover a rolling pin in flour, and roll out the dough until it reaches between a ¼ inch and ½ inch thickness.
Cut Out Cookies
Use your cookie cutter of choice to cut out the shortbread cookies. If the dough is too sticky to work with, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes to let it firm up a little.
Alternatively, see the 'Shaping Shortbread Cookies' section below for other ways to shape your shortbread.
Gently place your cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (a cookie lifter makes this easier).
Sprinkle generously with sugar and chill them in the fridge for at least an hour. While the cookies are chilling, preheat the oven to 325°F / 160°C (140° fan-assisted).
Bake
Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes, depending on how thick they were rolled. Keep a close eye on them, and take them out of the oven once the edges just start turning golden brown.
Shortbread cookies are supposed to be quite pale in color, so don't let them bake any longer than this, or they will become too crispy.
Leave the baked cookies to firm up on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them onto a wire rack to cool fully.
Ways to Shape Shortbread
One of the reasons this is the best shortbread cookie recipe is all of the different ways you can shape your shortbread cookies! Whether you'd like love-hearts on Valentine's Day, snowmen at Christmas time, or classic shortbread fingers, there's a method for everyone.
Cutout Cookies
The recipe above shows you how to make the perfect cutout shortbread cookies. The key step here is chilling the cookies before baking them - this keeps the butter nice and firm and helps the cookies to hold their shape without spreading in the oven. With the cutout method, you can create any different shapes you like, for Christmas, Valentine's Day, or themed parties!
Slice-and-Bake Shortbread Cookies
This is the best method for those lazy days when you don't want to wash too many dishes! Once your shortbread cookie dough has come together, gently roll it out to a log shape with your hands (about two inches thick).
Wrap up the dough in a large piece of plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge to firm it up for 1 hour. Then, remove the plastic wrap and slice ½-inch-thick rounds using a sharp knife. Place the cookies spread out on a baking tray and bake as usual! I love to use this method for my Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies.
Scottish Shortbread Fingers
To make traditional Scottish shortbread fingers, press the dough out into the bottom of a square pan, and use a fork to prick little holes over the dough in straight lines. Once baked, use a sharp knife to cut your shortbread fingers!
See my Traditional Scottish Shortbread recipe for more details. You could use a similar method to press the shortbread dough into round cake pans, then cut into shortbread wedges.
Shortbread Mold
A classic way to present shortbread is as one beautifully crafted shape with intricate designs on top. Instead of painstakingly drawing these details onto the shortbread by hand, you can use pre-designed molds to create a gorgeous shortbread design! Traditional Scottish molds often stamp visuals of a Highland cow or Scotland's national flower, the thistle - but you can choose whatever design you like. It's an easy way to make an elegant showstopper cookie!
Creaming Method vs Cutting-In Method
With shortbread, there are two main ways of incorporating the butter. Many recipes use a 'cutting-in' method, which adds cold butter to the dry ingredients and cuts it in, like you would for a flaky pie crust. Personally, I prefer to use the creaming method, which beats room temperature butter and sugar together before adding the flour.
Both methods are great, but the creaming method produces a much softer shortbread cookie with a more melty texture. I also think it's a lot easier to do, it doesn't require any equipment, and I like to think that's how my ancestors were doing it all those generations ago when they didn't have fridges or food processors!
Tips From A Scottish Baker
A few things to keep in mind to ensure your shortbread cookies turn out perfectly:
- Butter Temperature - This shortbread recipe uses the softened butter method, so your butter should be room temperature before beginning.
- Don't Overmix - This is crucial - mix the dough until just combined to keep the crumbly texture.
- Chill Time - Don't skip the chill time, the butter needs to firm up before going into the oven or the shortbread cookies will spread.
- Bake Time - Shortbread is still very pale when it is fully baked - don't overbake it or it will be too crisp.
The Science Of Shortbread
Being a true Scot and a professional baker, I hope you can trust me when it comes to shortbread! Although it's such a simple recipe, there are a lot of 'ins and outs' of shortbread that make it so delicious, which are definitely worth knowing.
Traditional Shortbread Recipe Ratios
A classic shortbread recipe has a formula with a 1:2:3 ratio - that's 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter, and 3 parts flour (by weight). My recipe is very close to this, but has a slightly higher butter content, just for extra buttery flavor and that melt-in-the-mouth texture - yum!
Low and Slow Oven Temperature - Shortbread should be baked at a low temperature, which allows the shortbread cookies to slowly bake without browning, keeping them nice and pale with a soft, crumbly texture.
No Eggs - If you see a recipe that claims to be for shortbread cookies, but it contains eggs, you should avoid it! Eggs are not an ingredient in shortbread - their role in baking is to add structure and moisture, which makes cookies cakey and chewy. This is perfect for chocolate chip cookies, but we want our shortbread to be sandy and crumbly.
Short Dough - The 'short' in shortbread refers to the kind of dough, rather than the size of the cookies. A short dough is a non-elastic dough that will make a tender, crumbly cookie. This is all down to the high fat content, which shortens the gluten strands - just like in shortcrust pastry.
Docking the Dough - The little holes that are pricked into shortbread are not just there to look pretty! Traditional Scottish shortbread is quite a bit thicker than a classic cookie, so the holes are added to help steam escape, allowing the shortbread to bake evenly. This is called 'docking' - it's not really necessary for thinner shortbread cookies, but you can still do it for the aesthetic.
Variations and Flavor Ideas
You really can make these all-butter shortbread cookies your own with the freedom to add any little extras you like! Here are a few ideas to spruce up your basic shortbread cookie.
- Pistachio Shortbread Cookies - My Pistachio Shortbread Cookie recipe is one of the most popular treats on the Bonni Bakery Website, and rightfully so! Add some chopped pistachios into the dough, and dip in melted dark chocolate for a decadent finish. I love to add a little sprinkle of sea salt to bring out the flavors.
- Traditional Scottish Shortbread - If it ain't broke...! You can't beat a round of classic shortbread fingers with a cuppa. See my Traditional Scottish Shortbread recipe for the full details.
- Chocolate Chip Shortbread - I'll never say no to adding chocolate to my bakes, and this is no exception. Mix some chocolate chips into the dough to create the most moreish Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies.
- Millionaire's Shortbread - Buttery shortbread, topped with silky caramel, finished with a velvety layer of chocolate - sound inviting? Check out my Millionaire's Shortbread recipe to make your own tasty treats.
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies - These are the perfect snack for a summer picnic or garden get-together - just add in the zest of a lemon to your creamed butter for a citrus twist.
- Chocolate Dipped - Dipping these buttery cookies in melted chocolate will take them to the next level! It works even better with tempered chocolate to get a shiny finish and a nice snap - check out my post on how to temper chocolate for a foolproof method.
How To Store Shortbread Cookies
Store your shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay good for up to 2 weeks!
Top Tip: Shortbread cookies make for the best edible gifts or Christmas cookies as they are so easy to make in large batches, and stay delicious for weeks!
Shortbread Cookie FAQ
These are some of the most common questions I get asked about this buttery shortbread cookie recipe. If you have a question that isn't answered here, feel free to leave it in the comments and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Shortbread cookies and sugar cookies can look really similar, but are rather different in taste and texture. Shortbread cookies are buttery and crumbly due to the higher butterfat content to flour ratio, whereas sugar cookies tend to have a lighter and chewier texture, and are often decorated with icing and sprinkles. I do have a 3-ingredient sugar cookie recipe that is based on shortbread if you want the best of both worlds!
Yes! Shortbread cookies are great to make in big batches and freeze for a rainy day! Once your cookies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers to prevent any sticking - freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply place the frozen cookies on a wire rack at room temperature for about an hour.
Traditionally, shortbread cookie ingredients are measured by the ratio 1:2:3 - 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter, and 3 parts flour (by weight). In this recipe, I almost follow this rule, but I use a bit more butter to make the cookies extra soft and melty.
Traditionally, shortbread recipes use granulated sugar, as the coarse sugar crystals create a tender crumb with a bit of structure and gentle crunch.
Some shortbread recipes use powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar or icing sugar), which will make a slightly softer, more delicate shortbread cookie. Powdered sugar dissolves into the butter faster, and usually contains a little bit of cornstarch, making a smoother dough and a slightly meltier cookie.
Both sugar options are good, but for a more authentic shortbread, stick with granulated sugar. You can substitute the granulated sugar for powdered sugar at a 1:1 ratio (by weight).
More Scottish Recipes
Put your shortbread baking skills into action with these tasty recipes:
Watch How To Make Shortbread Cookies
In this video, I make an adaptation of my classic shortbread cookie recipe, using the slice-and-bake method mentioned above to make Pistachio Shortbread Cookies.
Recipe
Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups All-purpose Flour 300g
- 2 sticks Salted Butter 227g (room temperature)
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar 100g (plus extra for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Make sure the butter is completely at room temperature. Add it to a large bowl and beat it a little with a wooden spoon just to soften it up further. You can make shortbread dough in a stand mixer if you want, but use it on the lowest speed and be very careful not to overmix it.2 sticks (227 g) Salted Butter
- Add the sugar and mix it just until incorporated - don't cream it until light and fluffy like you would with a cake. Just combine until smooth.½ cup (100 g) Granulated Sugar
- Add the flour and mix until it starts forming a shaggy dough. Do not overmix, just until it comes together. Ditch the spoon and use your hands to bring it together into a smooth dough.2 ½ cups (300 g) All-purpose Flour
- Sprinkle the shortbread cookies generously with sugar and put them in the fridge to chill for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 325°F / 160°C (140° fan-assisted).
- Divide the shortbread dough in half and shape into two logs, about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and roll them gently on the counter to smooth out the edges. Chill the dough logs in the fridge for an hour to firm up, then preheat the oven to 325°F / 160°C (140° fan-assisted).
- Once the dough is firm, unwrap from the plastic wrap and use a sharp knife to cut ¼ inch to ½ inch rounds. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with a little room to spread, and sprinkle generously with sugar.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the very edges of the cookies are starting to turn golden brown. They should still look very pale when baked.
- Remove from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Evelyn
Tried this recipe today and they turned out brilliant.
Jules Grasekamp
Yay I'm so glad your shortbread cookies turned out well Evelyn! Thank you for letting me know 🙂