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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Forget the famous tinned and boxed shortbread’s, these shortbread cookies are ten times better! This recipe comes together quickly and makes a big batch of cookies—perfect for an afternoon snack or a sweet treat anytime!
Traditional Scottish shortbread is not something I have really tackled before since my family has always eaten my Grandma’s Whipped Shortbread, but that changed with this recipe! This Classic Scottish Shortbread is only four ingredients and bakes up into fantastic crispy, buttery shortbread cookies that are absolutely perfect with a cup of tea or coffee!
If you’re looking for something different, try my recipe for Parmesan shortbread; it’d go great on a charcuterie platter for sure!
Reader Review
Just put my third batch of these in the oven. Excellent recipe! My husband loves them so much he helps me bake❤️
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: These cookies are so easy to make you’ll be hard pressed not to have a batch on hand all the time!
- Total Time: You can have a beautiful, buttery batch of these shortbread cookies ready in just 35 minutes!
- Variations: Looking for a different flavor? Feel free to zest in some citrus—lemon and orange peel both work amazingly! For a fruitcake vibe, you can add chopped candied nuts and dried fruits like cherries and a little bit of rum or almond extract. I’ve even heard that freeze dried strawberry powder adds a lovely sweetness and fresh berry flavor!
- Tools For This Recipe: You will need large baking sheets, a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, mixing bowls, and a rolling pin to make this recipe! You can always cut your shortbread cookies out with a knife, but cookie cutters with serrated edges are classic for a reason—the little points get crispier than the rest of the cookie.
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Icing Sugar: Some shortbreads use cornstarch to get that crisp and crumbly texture, but I use icing sugar!
Brown Sugar: While it’s not technically traditional to use brown sugar in a shortbread dough, I love it because it plays so well with the richness of the butter and elevates the final flavor from ‘jumped up sugar cookie’ to something nuanced and special!
How to Make Classic Scottish Shortbread
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer and a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until smooth, then add the icing sugar and beat again until well mixed and smooth.
- Add in the flour slowly with the mixer on low—this isn’t a recipe for whipped shortbread—until the dough is completely mixed.
- Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out of the mixing bowl. Using a rolling pin, flatten your dough into a 1/4 inch thick sheet.
- Cut the dough into shapes as desired, then place each cookie on the prepared baking sheets. Prick the top of each cookie with a fork two or three times, the bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are lightly browned. Remove and cool on the baking sheets for several minutes, then allow to cool fully on baking racks.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Classic Scottish Shortbread
Keep It Smooth: Make sure that there are no lumps in your brown sugar when you’re adding it to your butter, as any large lumps won’t melt when you go to bake your cookies. Storing your brown sugar in a tightly sealed container with a small piece of unglazed terra-cotta (like a Sugar Saver) can help to keep it soft and lump free!
What’s Up Dock: Don’t forget to grab a fork and press little holes onto the tops of your cookies before baking them! This is a process called ‘docking’, and it helps release steam while the cookies bake, keeping them from ballooning up or getting soggy because of trapped steam!
Storage Instructions
Shortbread cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Refrigerator: Since these cookies are full of butter, you might feel better about storing them in the fridge—just make sure they’re fully cooled, then put them in an airtight container. They’ll keep for up to 10 days in the fridge!
Freezer: You can freeze these cookies both before you bake them and after! To freeze unbaked cookies, roll out the dough and cut it into the desired shapes, then freeze flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet before moving your cookies to a freezer-safe, airtight container. When you’re ready to bake, allow the cookies to sit out while the oven preheats, then bake as the recipe indicates—you might need to add a minute or two. To freeze them after baking, allow the cookies to cool down completely and place them in an airtight, freezer safe container. When you’re ready to serve them, just let them come back to room temperature. Both baked and unbaked shortbread will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
- Looking for something a little more traditional? Why not give my Grandma’s Whipped Shortbread recipe a try?
- Looking for something festive, delicious, and gluten free? Give my Peppermint Chocolate Coconut Macaroon Cookies a try!
- Hoping to be more health conscious in the new year? Why not try sneaking a little something healthy into your family’s diet post-holiday with my recipe for Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!
The first time I made these shortbread cookies, they disappeared so fast! The best—or maybe most dangerous?—thing about them is they’re super easy to make!
Give these shortbread cookies a try and let me know your favorite way to jazz them up in the comments below!
Happy Baking!
Karlynn
Classic Scottish Shortbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup icing sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth.
- Add in the icing sugar and combine until smooth.
- Add in the flour slowly, with the mixer on low – this is not whipped shortbread after all- until the dough is completely mixed.
- Lightly flour your work surface and turn out the dough. Roll the dough until it’s a ¼ inch thick.
- Cut the dough into shapes as desired. Place on the prepared baking sheets.
- Pierce the top of each cookie with a fork two or three times.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are lightly browned.
- Remove and cool on the baking sheets for several minutes, then remove and cool completely on baking racks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Linda says
What is Icing Sugar? Is this the same as what Americans call Powdered Sugar?
Georgina says
Very nice recipe. I am a traditional baker who rubs the butter through the flour so this was a departure for me. A welcome surprise! I added some freeze dried strawberry powder which added another dimension. Makes a tender shortbread not suitable for large molds as they are fragile. Not so sadly I had to eat a number of broken biscuits!
Georgina says
Very nice recipe. I added some freeze dried strawberry powder which added another dimension. Makes a tender shortbread not suitable for large dimension molds.
Pat says
This is my favourite shortbread recipe. I made traditional rounds and sprinkled them with coarse sanding sugar before baking. I have added chopped dried sweetened cranberries as well, also delicious.
Grace says
Favorite shortbread cookie recipe we’ve tried. Don’t try to shortcut the beating process and you’ll have crisp, airy, melt-in-your mouth cookies. I’ve been topping them with coarse salt and dipping them in chocolate to wrap up as gifts, but the basic recipe is still my favorite.
Martha says
Just put my third batch of these in the oven. Excellent recipe! My husband loves them so much he helps me bake❤️
Carol says
I want to make Scottie dog shaped shortbread do I have to puncture with a fork if I do any suggestions. Thank you
Nicole says
This is the absolute best recipe!
Courtney says
Hello! Should the cup of butter be cold or room temperature???
Thank You!!!
Jackie says
help! what did I do wrong? I have a melted mess on my cookie sheet! I’m in Southern Alberta (altitude should be ok) but I used a silicone baking mat instead of parchment paper…
Jennifer says
Hi! Would these work in a cookie press?
Sara says
What type of brown sugar?
Diane Platz says
I’ve been looking for something else (whipped shortbreader too!). Going to give these a try. Thanks for posting!
Deb McKay says
Thanks for posting this. I too only make whipped shortbread because, well really there is nothing better 😉 But I like your reasoning/ description of flavors for this and may just add it to my list this year.
The Kitchen Magpie says
We were all surprised that we liked it so much! Nothing will ever match whipped shortbread but it was so much fun cutting shapes with the kids and it tastes MUCH better than sugar cookies!