22 Shortbread Recipes Every Baker Has to Try (2024)

Table of Contents
Scottish Shortbread Lemon Shortbread Cookies Grandma’s Scottish Shortbread Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Millionaire Shortbread Bars Shortbread Butterscotch Shortbread Homemade Chocolate Shortbread Rosemary Shortbread Cookies Coffee Shortbread Cranberry Shortbread Stars Rosemary-Lemon Shortbread Sandwich Cookies Shortbread Sandwich Cookies Pistachio Shortbread Sandwiches Shortbread Hearts Buttery 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies Caramel Pecan Shortbread Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Whipped Shortbread Crisp Lemon Shortbread Pistachio Shortbread Sandwiches Lavender Shortbread FAQs References

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22 Shortbread Recipes Every Baker Has to Try (1)Lisa KaminskiUpdated: Apr. 06, 2023

    Everyone loves these melt-in-your-mouth cookies. Discover our favorite shortbread recipes that will please all palates.

    Scottish Shortbread

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    My mother, who is of Scottish heritage, passed this shortbread recipe, along with other favorite recipes, on to me. When I entered this treat at our local fair, it won a red ribbon. —Rose Mabee, Selkirk, Manitoba

    Discover the secret to the best shortbread (no extra tools or ingredients required!).

    Lemon Shortbread Cookies

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    Taste of Home

    I received this recipe from my cousin who tried to duplicate cookies she loved from a restaurant. It was in a cookbook she made for the family for Christmas! —Lorie Miner, Kamas, Utah

    Grandma’s Scottish Shortbread

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    My Scottish grandmother was renowned for her baking, and one of the highlights whenever we visited my grandparents was her bringing out the baking tin. Her shortbread cookies were my favorite, and now, whenever I make them, I remember her. This is not a thin, crispy dessert shortbread; it’s a deep bar that is best served with a cup of tea. —Jane Kelly, Wayland, Massachusetts

    Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread

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    Taste of Home

    We love hazelnut flavor and cookies that aren’t too sweet, so this recipe is perfect for us! If you like your cookies on the sweeter side, bake up these crisp beauties and slather some Nutella between two to create an extra-special sandwich cookie. —Karla Johnson, East Helena, Montana

    Millionaire Shortbread Bars

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    You have to try the million-dollar version of shortbread: millionaire bars. They’re topped with scratch-made caramel, chocolate ganache and flaky sea salt. And don’t forget to try more million-dollar recipes. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

    Shortbread

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    I live in Missouri, but many family recipes come from New Zealand where I was born. My parents moved there when I was a year old, so I have a “Down Under” heritage. This easy shortbread recipe brings back warm memories of my childhood, and I’m going to make sure they’re passed on to the next generation in my family…no matter where they live! —Allen Swenson, Camdenton, Missouri

    Butterscotch Shortbread

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    After sampling these tender cookies in a specialty store, I knew I had to duplicate them. My version has lots of toffee bits and butterscotch chips. I’ve given away dozens as home-baked gifts. —Sandra McKenzie, Braham, MN

    Homemade Chocolate Shortbread

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    This recipe has been in my files for a long time…probably from when I first learned to bake. Any chocolate lover will like these melt-in-your-mouth cookies. I make them year-round with variations. They’re even richer with a thin coat of icing or as a sandwich cookie with frosting in the middle. —Sarah Bueckert, Austin, Manitoba

    Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

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    With the perfect hint of rosemary and a classic buttery texture, these delicate cookies look and taste elegant. The fact that they’re very easy to prepare can be our little secret.

    Coffee Shortbread

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    You’ll be remembered for these cookies when you serve them for a morning coffee or at a gathering. Melted chips drizzled on top make them look fancy, but they’re so easy to make. —Dixie Terry, Goreville, Illinois

    Cranberry Shortbread Stars

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    My family loves shortbread and I love cranberries, so I decided to put the two together to make cranberry shortbread cookies. The star shape is a festive addition to my holiday cookie tray. —Sonya Labbe, West Hollywood, California

    Rosemary-Lemon Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

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    These beautiful shortbread sandwich cookies are always a welcome addition to our annual ladies holiday tea luncheon. The distinctive rosemary flavor, paired so well with the tangy lemon curd, has made them a favorite in our group for years! —Jamie Jones, Madison, Georgia

    Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

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    Taste of Home

    I layer a creamy, coffee-flavored filling between buttery shortbread, then dip the sandwiches in chocolate. Guests always love them.—Bertha Seyer, Oak Ridge, Missouri

    Pistachio Shortbread Sandwiches

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    We tasted these melt-in-your-mouth morsels at a Christmas party several years ago. We tweaked the recipe to include pistachios. The cookies disappear so quickly at parties, you just might have to watch the plate—and check the kids’ pockets! —Lorraine Caland, Shuniah, Ontario

    Shortbread Hearts

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    Taste of Home

    These flaky cookies melt in your mouth. Dipped in chocolate, they look festive.—Barbara Birk, St. George, Utah

    Buttery 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies

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    With only a few ingredients, these butter shortbread cookies are so simple to prepare. —Pattie Prescott, Manchester, New Hampshire

    Caramel Pecan Shortbread

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    My grandchildren look for Grandma’s “candy bar cookies” every Christmas. I recommend doubling the recipe for these sweet treats because they go so fast. —Dorothy Buiter, Worth, Illinois

    Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

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    Chocolate is a nice addition to shortbread, as this scrumptious recipe proves. The shortbread cookies are delicious served with a cold glass of milk.—Brenda Mumma, Airdrie, Alberta

    Whipped Shortbread

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    These whipped shortbread Christmas cookies melt in your mouth. Mostly I make them for the holidays, but I’ll also prepare them year-round for wedding showers and afternoon teas. —Jane Ficiur, Bow Island, Alberta

    Crisp Lemon Shortbread

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    Taste of Home

    Fresh juice and zest pair up to give my buttery cookies a lemony pop. Sprinkle sugar on top for extra sparkle. —Marcia Whitney, Gainesville, Florida

    Pistachio Shortbread Sandwiches

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    We tasted these melt-in-your-mouth morsels at a Christmas party several years ago, and I have since tweaked the recipe to include pistachios. The cookies disappear so quickly at parties, you just might have to watch the plate—and check the kids’ pockets! —Lorraine Caland, Shuniah, Ontario

    Lavender Shortbread

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    Lavender flowers can be used fresh or dried in cooking. The flowers have an intense flavor, so they are best used sparingly.—Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Greendale, Wisconsin

    Originally Published: March 16, 2021

    22 Shortbread Recipes Every Baker Has to Try (23)

    Lisa Kaminski

    Lisa is a formerTaste of Home editor and passionate baker. During her tenure, she poured her love of all things sweet (and sometimes savory) into Bakeable, Taste of Home's baking club. Lisa also dedicated her career here to finding and testing the best ingredients, kitchen gear and home products for our Test Kitchen-Preferred program. At home, you'll find her working on embroidery and other crafts.

    22 Shortbread Recipes Every Baker Has to Try (2024)

    FAQs

    What is the secret to good shortbread? ›

    Tips To Make the Best Shortbread Cookies
    • Choose High Quality Butter. No matter what brand of butter you buy, if it's real butter, you can rest assured that it's the best. ...
    • Keep Ingredients Simple. ...
    • Add Flavor. ...
    • Don't Overwork. ...
    • Shape Dough. ...
    • Chill Before Baking. ...
    • Bake Until Golden. ...
    • Add Finishing Touches.

    Get More Info Here ›
    What is the mistake in making shortbread? ›

    The most common mistakes when making shortbread are over-working the dough, and incorporating too much flour.

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    Why put egg in shortbread? ›

    This unexpected addition will make buttery confections like shortbreads and shortcakes even more tender and flaky. “Biscuits should be crumbly, buttery and sweet,” reads a headnote for a cinnamon sugar-spiced shortbread recipe in the Ritz London Cookbook.

    Get More Info Here ›
    Why do you put shortbread in the fridge before baking? ›

    Why do you put shortbread cut-out cookies in the fridge before baking? This is to resolidify the butter. The butter is at room temperature when making the dough resulting in a soft dough. If baked straight away, the butter would melt away immediately when hitting the hot oven and the shortbread would spread.

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    What not to do when making shortbread? ›

    The key with shortbread is not to overhandle it. Make the dough exactly as instructed, but don't mess around making shapes or over rolling the dough - you will end up with delicious but tough biscuits. Stretching and pulling the dough activates the gluten in the flour, making chewy cookies and not crisp ones.

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    What is the difference between Scottish shortbread and regular shortbread? ›

    Traditional Scottish shortbread is a simple recipe made with sugar, butter, flour, and salt. Other shortbread styles will include leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda, which makes them crisp instead of crumbly like traditional Scottish shortbread.

    Keep Reading ›
    What happens if you don't poke holes in shortbread? ›

    Creating little holes in the top of the shortbread helps any moisture escape from the dough so it cooks more evenly, this also helps create the very 'short' texture of the biscuits. In baking terms, 'short' means crumbly with a melt-in-the-mouth texture.

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    Why is shortbread unhealthy? ›

    However, lipids, which are a component to food such as shortbread cookies are considered unhealthy because they are the most energetic nutrients in food and are a source of saturated fatty acids (SFA) (usually 40%) and sometimes also trans fatty isomers (TFA) [4,5,6].

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    Should butter be cold or room temperature for shortbread? ›

    If it's too warm, the butter and sugar cannot properly cream and the cookies will taste dense. Many shortbread recipes call for cold butter worked into the dry ingredients and that gives you a wonderfully flaky cookie but if not mixed properly, the results can be inconsistent.

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    Why does shortbread have holes in the top? ›

    The word "bread" comes from "biscuit bread" which was made from leftover bread dough that was sweetened and dried out in the oven to make biscuits. Why do you poke holes in shortbread? The holes allow the moisture to escape during baking and more even heat distribution. This helps dry out and crisp up the cookies.

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    Why do you pierce shortbread? ›

    In order to do this, we have to use a low oven temperature, which is why we bake these cookies at 325°F. Piercing the shortbread with a fork is not only for decoration, but it's meant for more even baking. Poking holes in the shortbread allows the heat to penetrate the cookie, hence more even baking.

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    Why do you put cornstarch in shortbread cookies? ›

    Making shortbread cookies with cornstarch is necessary for a tender and delicate cookie. Next time you make chocolate chip cookies, I suggest you try adding 1 Tbsp of cornstarch to the batch to help keep them extra soft and tender.

    Continue Reading ›
    Why is my shortbread raw in the middle? ›

    If the edges burn and the center is undone, it means the heat didn't have enough time to reach the relatively cool center before the edge was too hot. The temperature gradient depends on the amount of heat from your oven and the size of your cookie - and to some degree on the thermal properties of your cookie sheet.

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    What happens if you don't chill shortbread dough? ›

    After shaping the cookies, don't rush to the oven! Instead, chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so (overnight is OK, too). A short stay in the fridge will firm up the cookies and solidify the butter. This will help keep them from spreading too much.

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    Why use unsalted butter in shortbread? ›

    Unsalted butter for best results

    Use unsalted butter for balanced flavour. Unsalted butter was traditionally used in baking because it was a superior product to salted - salt is used as a preservative so unsalted butter was thought to be fresher.

    Discover More ›
    Should butter be cold for shortbread? ›

    Should butter be cold or room temperature for making shortbread? Always start with cold butter straight from the refrigerator. This will keep the dough from warming up, making it greasy and difficult to roll out.

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    Should shortbread be crunchy or soft? ›

    Shortbread should always have a tender, melting texture, but be slightly crisp when you bite into it. It should not generally be damp or wet underneath. A classic shortbread recipe will also only have flour, butter and sugar as the ingredients (in a 3:2:1 ratio) and not egg, which could lead to excess moisture.

    Keep Reading ›
    How to make shortbread more crumbly? ›

    This technique, Potlicker Kitchen shares, comes from Hungarian culinary tradition. Instead of pressing the dough into a pan, Hungarian shortbread instead is formed by layering the shreds of frozen dough and spreading jam in between. The result is a shortbread with a more crumbly texture.

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