This is the traditional Scottish shortbread recipe I grew up making in Scotland. The secret to its signature melt-in-the-mouth texture is a traditional method that many modern recipes have replaced.
Quick Look: Scottish Shortbread Recipe
- 🧁 Serves: 15
- ⭐ Features: 3 Ingredients · Make Ahead · No Mixer Required ·
- ⌛️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍪 Bake Time: 25-35 minutes
- 🕑 Total Time: 45 minutes
- 👩🍳 Skill Level: Beginner
- 🏆 Why make THIS version? I'll show you the traditional way we make shortbread in Scotland, which gives the best crumbly texture.
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Growing up in Scotland, we were taught to make traditional shortbread at school as kids, using this exact method. Even after ten years of owning a bakery, I won't make it any other way.
Most recipes treat it like sugar cookie dough and cream the butter, but that's not how traditional Scottish shortbread is made. Instead, you use softened butter and gently bring the dough together, which keeps the texture dense, rich, and crumbly rather than light and airy.
Reader Review:
For the first time ever, I was able to make a perfect traditional shortbread thanks to your recipe and instructions. I had always creamed the butter and it never turned out.
Thank you! I can now remove the tartan bag of shame off my head and proudly present this shortbread.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Jan
This recipe makes thick, pan-baked Scottish shortbread fingers with the traditional crumbly texture. If you want shortbread you can roll and cut into shapes, use my cut-out shortbread cookie recipe that holds its shape instead.
Or for something a little more indulgent, try my classic Scottish Millionaire's shortbread with homemade caramel, or some buttery Scottish chocolate chip shortbread cookies.
Jump to:
Ingredients
A proper Scottish shortbread recipe only has three ingredients, but the ratios of those ingredients, and the way you combine them, can change the texture and flavor of your finished shortbread.
- Salted Butter - Butter is the star of the show, so use the best quality you can. European-style butter has a higher fat percentage, which works beautifully. I was taught to use salted butter, so that's what I use here. If you use unsalted butter instead, just add ½ teaspoon of fine salt to the flour.
- Sugar - We use caster sugar here in Scotland, but the closest equivalent in the US is what you would call Granulated sugar. (I have a post all about UK/US baking ingredient equivalents).
- Flour - All-purpose flour (Plain flour) gives shortbread just enough structure while still keeping it tender.
See the recipe card for the full recipe and measurements in both cups and grams (though I strongly recommend weighing your ingredients with a kitchen scale).
How to Make Scottish Shortbread
Traditional shortbread ingredients are typically in a 1-2-3 ratio (by weight). That's 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter, 3 parts flour.
I have experimented with those ratios a lot, trying to maximise the rich flavor and crumbly texture. After a few failed attempts, it became clear that you shouldn't stray too far from the traditional ratio, but I was able to find the perfect balance.
The final recipe I landed on has a little bit more butter than the straight 1-2-3 ratio, but I find it's just enough to get the best-tasting shortbread without compromising the structure.
Before You Begin...
- Let the butter come completely to room temperature: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before you need to use it. It should be soft enough that you can easily make an indent in it with your finger, but not so warm that it is greasy or melting.
- Preheat your oven to 320°F / 160°C (140° fan-assisted) and line a metal 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
Combine the Butter and Sugar
Put the softened butter into a large mixing bowl and use a wooden spoon or spatula to smooth it out.
Add the sugar and mix just until it's evenly combined. The mixture should look smooth and creamy, but not light or fluffy.
Gently Mix in the Flour
Sift in the flour and stir until the mixture looks crumbly with no obvious dry patches.
Ditch the spoon and use your hands to gently squeeze the mixture together into a smooth dough.
It may seem too dry at first, but keep gently pressing it together rather than kneading it. Stop as soon as there are no dry pockets of flour or visible lumps of butter.
Press into the Pan
Put the dough into the prepared cake pan and use your hands to press it into all the corners and make it as flat and level as possible to help it bake evenly. It's a very soft dough, so it should be easy to manipulate into the pan.
Dock (prick) the shortbread all over with a fork, pressing about halfway through the dough. This allows steam to escape as it bakes and helps the shortbread bake evenly.
Why do you prick holes in Scottish Shortbread?
The fork holes in traditional shortbread aren't just decorative. This is called docking; it lets steam escape and prevents the shortbread from puffing, bubbling, or cracking.
Don't worry if the holes disappear in the oven - they've already done their job. For more defined marks, chill the docked dough for 30 minutes before baking to firm the butter. Learn more about why cookies spread in the oven.
Bake the Shortbread
Bake for 25-35 minutes - the baking time can vary hugely depending on a few different things, so it's best to learn the visual cues that the shortbread is baked, rather than looking at the clock.
The shortbread is ready when the edges are just beginning to turn golden, but the top is still pale.
Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes before taking it out of the pan.
How To Tell When Shortbread Is Done
Look out for these visual cues that your shortbread is done baking and ready to come out of the oven:
- Edges just starting to turn golden
- The middle is still pale but doesn't look shiny or wet.
It may look underbaked coming out of the oven, but it will continue to bake a little in the pan as it cools.
Don't wait until the whole surface looks fully baked, or your shortbread will end up overbaked and crispy.
Slice into Fingers
For clean slices, try to cut your shortbread while it is still slightly warm. Remove from the pan and use a long, sharp knife to cut straight down into the shortbread - make the pieces as big or small as you like!
The final (and arguably most important) step: Put the kettle on and enjoy your shortbread with a cup of tea. Any Scot will tell you that's the proper way to eat it. Mine is always Earl Grey.
Three Rules For Perfect Shortbread
If you only remember three things about making shortbread, let it be these:
- Don't cream the butter: Use softened butter and mix it with the sugar just until combined.
- Don't overmix: Once the flour is added, mix super gently, preferably with your hands, to just bring the dough together and no more.
- Use visual cues over bake time: Baking time varies so massively, so it's better to look for the visual signs that your shortbread is ready - pale with lightly golden edges.
Troubleshooting
Even though shortbread is a simple recipe, there are a few common issues that I get asked by readers making shortbread.
Doughy Middle
Why it happens:
Shortbread was underbaked.
Fix:
Use a metal pan and rely on visual cues that the shortbread is fully baked.
Looks Greasy
Why it happens:
Butter likely got too warm while shaping.
Fix:
Don't handle the dough too long, and chill before baking if it looks greasy.
Tough Shortbread
Why it happens:
Dough was overworked, or too much flour added.
Fix:
Mix gently, preferably by hand, just until everything is combined. Only knead until smooth and no more.
No Docking Holes
Why it happens:
This is not bad; it just happens when the dough spreads in the oven.
Fix:
For defined docking holes in your shortbread, chill the dough before baking.
Traditional vs Modern Scottish Shortbread
Shortbread dates back to medieval Scotland, so it's no surprise that the recipe has evolved over the centuries. Here are some of the ways that the modern variations compare with the traditional method.
Ingredients
Traditional shortbread has just 3 ingredients - butter, sugar, and flour. It has no eggs, no baking powder, and no added liquid.
You may have seen shortbread recipes before that make substitutions or add additional ingredients. These recipes aren't 'wrong'; they all still make delicious shortbread - but you came to me for a traditional recipe, so that's exactly what you'll get!
That said, it's helpful to understand what those other ingredients do and why you might want to use them to tweak the results. So here are some of the most common ones:
| Ingredient | What it does | Why I don't use it |
| Cornstarch/cornflour | Lighter, softer texture | The right method makes a tender crumb without it |
| Powdered sugar | Makes a smoother dough and softer texture as it contains cornstarch | Caster/granulated sugar gives a more traditional flavour and texture |
| Vanilla Extract | Adds extra flavour | Good butter should be the star of the show |
| Unsalted butter | Gives complete control over the salt level | I just grew up using salted butter, but either will work. |
| Eggs | More elastic dough, firmer, more cookie-like texture | Once you start adding eggs, it's more like a Danish butter cookie than shortbread. Can be good for a shortbread tart crust that holds its shape. |
Method
Many recipes will tell you to cream the butter and sugar together, just as you would for easy three-ingredient sugar cookies or cake batter - but creaming adds air to the dough, which makes it rise more and gives a fluffy, light texture.
Mixing until just combined stops extra air from being incorporated. Then, gently bringing the dough together by hand prevents overmixing, which develops the gluten in the flour and can make the shortbread tough or chewy.
I have baked this recipe using both methods; neither was bad, but they did produce quite different results:
- The creamed batch rose more and had a lighter, more aerated crumb.
- The gently mixed batch was soft and buttery, but kept the signature crumbly texture.
On a personal note, making shortbread this way makes me feel connected to my roots. Before stand mixers and food processors, generations of Scottish bakers mixed shortbread by hand, feeling the dough come together as they worked. Every time I make it this way, I like to think I'm continuing that tradition.
Shape
Traditionally, Scottish shortbread is baked into 'fingers' (long, thick rectangles), wedges, or sometimes in a shortbread mold.
You can still make cut-out shortbread cookies that hold their shape with a Scottish base; there are just a few extra steps to make sure they don't spread.
The slice-and-bake method also works with this recipe; you can see that in my slice-and-bake pistachio shortbread cookies.
Storage
One of the best things about traditional shortbread is that it keeps beautifully. In fact, it actually tastes even better after a day or two, once the buttery flavour has had time to develop.
Store the cooled shortbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 weeks. (Though the texture is best when eaten within about 10 days).
To freeze: Wrap the baked shortbread tightly or store it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours before serving. Learn more about how to freeze shortbread dough and bake it later.
Make Ahead: Shortbread is a great make-ahead bake because it stays fresh for so long. You can wrap up the unbaked shortbread dough in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Because it keeps so well, shortbread also makes the perfect edible gift idea, or a homemade Christmas cookie box!
Scottish Shortbread FAQs
Traditional Scottish shortbread just contains 3 ingredients - butter, sugar, and flour. Modern adaptations of shortbread often contain other ingredients like leavening agents.
The 3-2-1 rule refers to the ratios of the ingredients used to make shortbread. The classic ratio is 3 parts flour, 2 parts butter, 1 part sugar.
The key things to keep in mind to make the best shortbread are:
- Using high-quality, room temperature butter.
- Mixing just until combined (preferably by hand).
- Baking at a low temperature.
More Scottish Desserts
Want more of a taste of Scotland? Try my no-bake Scottish chocolate tiffin, nostalgic Scottish coconut truffles, or a batch of traditional buttermilk scones.
Show Me Your Bakes!
If you tried this recipe, I'd love to know how it turned out in the comments!
Want to share a photo? You can send me a pic or tag @bonni_bakery on Instagram - I love seeing all your creations.
Traditional Scottish Shortbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 227 g (2 sticks) Salted Butter room temperature
- 100 g (½ cup) Granulated Sugar (Caster Sugar)
- 300 g (2½ cups) All-purpose Flour (Plain Flour)
Equipment
- Metal 8-inch Square Pan
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 320°F / 160°C (140° fan-assisted) and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make sure the butter is completely at room temperature, then put it in a bowl and use a wooden spoon or spatula to soften it a little. Don't try to cream it, it's just to make it more pliable. You can use a stand mixer if you prefer, but be careful not to overmix.227 g (2 sticks) Salted Butter
- Add the sugar and mix it into the butter, just until well combined. It should be smooth and creamy, not pale and fluffy.100 g (½ cup) Granulated Sugar
- Sift in the flour and mix it together until the mixture starts to look crumbly. Then ditch the spoon and use your hands to squeeze it together into a smooth dough with no lumps of butter. Again, be careful not to overwork it, just go until it is incorporated.300 g (2½ cups) All-purpose Flour
- Put the dough into the prepared cake pan and use your hands to smoosh it into all the corners and make it as flat and level as possible.
- Use a fork to prick holes all over the dough in straight lines. Don't push the fork all the way through the dough, you just want to go about half way.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes until the shortbread is just starting to turn golden brown at the edges, it will still be very pale on top. Baking time will vary depending on a multitude of factors, so it's best to keep an eye out for the golden brown edges rather than relying on a set bake time.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before taking it out of the pan.
- For clean slices, try to cut your shortbread while it is still slightly warm. Remove from the pan and use a long, sharp knife to cut straight down into the shortbread - make the pieces as big or small as you like!
Nutrition
Notes
- Use a metal pan if possible. Glass and ceramic pans will heat more slowly and can easily add 20 minutes to the baking time. Use the colour and texture cues rather than the clock to judge when they are done.
- You can use a stand mixer if you really want to, but this shortbread recipe is easy to do by hand and often turns out better that way as there is less chance of overworking the dough.
DQN says
Pretty much the same as my Great Grandma McIntyre's recipe, but add a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter. As for what should go with it, ditch the tea! A great Scotch whiskey is the perfect accompaniment.
Viola F Taylor says
This recipe is perfect. The flour to butter ratio is spot on. I weighed the flour and chilled the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. It's absolutely delicious.
Jules Grasekamp says
Thank you so much Viola! I'm so happy to hear you loved the shortbread 🙂
Thanks for trying my recipe and taking the time to let me know!
Jules
chris andersen says
With tea, or dipped in whisky. Try it!
Jules Grasekamp says
Yum! Can't beat dipping a delicious piece of shortbread!
Janice says
I have two questions I would like answered before I attempt this recipe.
It has been drilled into me, from another baking website, that room temperature butter is cool to the touch, about 65 degrees, if you touch it your finger should leave a dent, and it shouldn't look greasy. It should be out of the refrigerator, depending on the temperature of the kitchen, for one to two hours, and definitely not more than two. Is this what you mean by room temperature butter or should it be softer than that?
Second, in the US, we have "granulated sugar", which is commonly called just "sugar", and then we also have "caster sugar", which is finer than granulated sugar. You say "granulated sugar" is called "caster sugar" in Scotland. I would like clarification of which American sugar should be used. Thank you.
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Janice,
Happy to answer your questions!
Yes that is exactly what I mean by room temperature butter, couldn't have described it better myself 🙂
The reason for this is that it needs to be soft enough to mix with the sugar and butter without needing to beat or cream it, as we don't want to incorporate any air into the dough or have to overmix it once the flour is added. Equally, you don't want it to be so soft that it is melting. One to two hours out of the fridge should be perfect.
You can actually use granulated or caster sugar for this recipe, but the intended sugar in the recipe card is regular sugar.
For context, in the UK we have granulated sugar and caster sugar, and American granulated sugar actually falls somewhere in the middle of the two in terms of coarseness. However, my recipes are written for a US audience, so you can always assume I am writing with US ingredients in mind 🙂
I am sorry for the confusion though, I have actually just gone ahead and updated the recipe to clarify this, so thank you for the notes!
If you have any other questions I am happy to answer them and I hope your shortbread turns out beautifully!
Jules
Joan Jaworuski says
Recipe: It's so very good. However, think I did something wrong as when I started to cut in lines it was hard to cut & starting breaking into parts.
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Joan,
I'm glad you liked the shortbread! If it is breaking two easily it could be one of two things:
1) The dough could have been overworked. It is important to mix shortbread dough juuust enough to bring it together and no more as overworking it can mess with the texture.
2) Alternatively, the ratio of ingredients could be off so there is not enough moisture in the dough. Did you measure your ingredients with cups or a kitchen scale? I always recommend using a scale as cups are typically not accurate for measuring dry ingredients and its easy to add too much flour, which would mean the dough is too dry.
I hope this helps and that your shortbread was delicious anyway!
Jules
Elizabeth Oliver says
I've found the best way to handle this is to precut the dough in the pan prior to baking. Works every time. And if you are having trouble scoring the dough out it in the oven for a couple of minutes to let it soften just a bit and you'll find scoring much easier.
Allan Keir says
Why, for an apparently Scottish Recipe, are all the measurements used American? I.E. cups and sticks.
What happened to pounds and ounces or even kilos and grams.
Every time I see a recipe like this I pass it by.
Jules Grasekamp says
Hy Allan,
I'm glad you asked! You'll see from the recipe card that all my recipes have the ingredients in both cups and grams.
Being Scottish, I always bake in grams and weigh with a kitchen scale, and I put a recommendation in every single recipe post that says it's far more accurate to measure by weight than with cups.
However, a large portion of my audience are based in the US and don't feel comfortable with a kitchen scale, so I include both measurements to remain inclusive to everyone and make sure the recipe is approachable.
I would hate for somebody to be put off of trying a good recipe just because they aren't sure about the scale.
You will find the measurements in grams on every recipe. Cups are to the left of each ingredient and grams are to the right.
Hope this helps 🙂
Best wishes from Scotland!
Jules
Carolyn says
Jules, I'd like to thank you for using US measurements. A great deal of us here in the states don't do metric. When I see a recipe I'm interested in and it just has grams or liters or whatnot, I pass it by. So ty for making my baking experience so much more enjoyable ☺️.
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Carolyn,
Thank you for your comment, I'm so glad you like the recipe!
I always share my recipes in both cups and grams so that nobody is discouraged from making them.
I will say though that I do encourage bakers to try using a kitchen scale as it is more accurate and tends to give more consistent results.
But I'm so glad you are here and want to try my shortbread!
Thank you!
Jules
Janet L McDaniel says
My great grandmother brought her Scottish Shortbread recipe to America many, many years ago from County Boness, Scotland. My grandmother, mother and I have used the recipe for years. Her recipe called for lard, not butter. When did it change to butter? I am willing to try the butter recipe (just don't tell great grandma, grandma or Mom!) because I love butter, but I feel like I am blaspheming the original recipe. Please help me feel less guilty!
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Janet,
Thank you for your comment and for checking out my recipe. I'm so happy to hear you have a deep family connection with Scotland and shortbread!
Traditional Scottish shortbread was originally made with butter, but just like so many old recipes, lots of different families and parts of the world had their own ways of doing things and their own take on recipes. I have never tried shortbread made with lard but if it's the way your great grandma made it I'm sure it is absolutely delicious! Neither way of doing it is 'right' or 'wrong' it's just a different take. I say the only way forward is to make both versions and then eat a lot of shortbread to test them both out (for science, of course!).
I'd love to know your thoughts if you do try my recipe 🙂
Best wishes from Scotland,
Jules
Jenn says
My second batch is in the oven. I'll be taking them to a dinner tonight. These are so easy, and so so delicious - traditional is the very best, and I thank you. from Nova Scotia
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Jenn,
I'm so happy to hear you love the shortbread recipe! Thank you for trying my recipe and for letting me know you enjoyed it!
Jules
Tom Vincent Warner says
This is the 4th batch and they remind me of my Grandma when I was a kid. Thank you from Toronto
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Tom,
I'm so glad you love the shortbread recipe! It's amazing how flavors and smells can bring back memories isn't it? Thank you for trying my recipe and for taking the time to let me know you loved it!
Jules
Marie says
Absolutely fantastic shortbread and so light and crumbly. Thank you so much, I love baking your shortbread with my grandchildren.
Jules Grasekamp says
Thank you so much Marie, I'm delighted that you and your grandchildren love it!
Jules
Heather R. says
Could you double this recipe for a 9x13 pan?
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Heather,
Yes you absolutely can, it shouldn't make any difference to the bake time.
Thanks
Jules
Jenn says
I wanted my first shortbread to be traditional, using the simple, real ingredients. This is it, and I just made my first batch. So delicious!
I have some special old tins, with designs in the bottom. My next batch will be in those, for the holidays. I'm thinking the parchment wont' be suitable, but the tinware should be good with a light greasing of butter. Thanks so much, from Nova Scotia. 🙂
Shary Smith says
This is the classic shortbread recipe. I make it all the time in the food processor. Process the sugar first so it is superfine (if what you have on hand is not). Then add the flour and process to combine. Add the cubed softened butter last and process until it starts clumping together. Dump into a lightly buttered, appropriately-sized pan and press it down and into the corners. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the edges start to look pale golden. Also, I never bother with docking. I've never found that it makes much difference if I use the food processor method. I frequently add chopped nuts and process them with the sugar and flour until very finely chopped. Fast, easy, and super delicious!
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Shary,
I like to use the food processor often too as I sometimes get sore hands doing things manually all the time! I agree you can get some great results with the food processor. Glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Jules
Renee says
I'm looking forward to making this but I noticed you have calories listed at 57kcal. What is that? By my calculations 15 servings would equate to 194 cal. What is 57 kcal?
Chris Radwanski says
Most shortbread that I have eaten has been overly dry and crumbly. This one was a perfect combination of just the right amount of crumble and it held together so nicely. Big fan of shortbread now.