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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
A good whipped shortbread is a perfect combination of butter, flour, and sugar. This recipe is tried and true, easy to follow, and absolutely delicious. Make a batch to devour immediately or freeze for another day.
How to make perfect whipped shortbread! This is my Grandma’s shortbread recipe that we have been using for decades now and this is the only shortbread that we ever make at Christmas! Why not try my Grandma’s Christmas Pudding too?
Reader Review
I have made this recipe for several years. It is always spectacular! Melt-in-your-mouth goodness! I have used a teaspoon to drop the cookies and a small scoop, both work well. This is not a recipe to roll out and cut with cookie cutters. This is a favourite of my family and make it especially for Christmas!
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This is a very easy recipe, especially if you have a stand mixer.
- Total Time: This recipe will take you approximately 45 minutes from start to finish, depending how many cookie sheets you can fit in your oven at once.
- Variations: Try adding a drop or two of vanilla, almond extract, coconut extract, or another flavoring to the cookie dough. Not too much though! If you don’t like candied cherries, why not try different candied fruit? You can also add a few drops of food coloring if you’d like to make these red and green, or sprinkle on some finishing sugar.
- Tools Needed: For this recipe, you’ll need a stand mixer or hand mixer and large bowl, a spatula, a cookie scoop or tablespoon, cookie sheets, and cooling racks. If you would like to make some fancier shapes, you’ll want a piping bag or a cookie press.
What You’ll Need For Ingredients
Butter: For this recipe, you’ll need salted butter rather than unsalted. This isn’t the type of recipe that works well with margarine as a substitute.
Flour: Just all-purpose flour for this. Nothing fancy or specialized required here.
Icing Sugar: Depending where in the world you live, this fine sugar may also be called powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar. It will add sweetness and structure to these delicious cookies.
Toppings: The classic topping for whipped shortbreads is candied cherries, but you can skip them if you aren’t a fan. Sprinkles of any shape or size are another fun way to decorate these cookies. You can even find a themed assortment of sprinkles in the baking section at the grocery store.
How To Make Perfect Whipped Shortbread
This is a brief overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Add flour slowly, beating constantly until fully mixed. Whip shortbread for 6 minutes on medium speed, scraping sides of the bowl with a spatula every two minutes.
- Use a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon for scoop dough onto cookie sheets. Top with cherries and sprinkles.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the bottoms are brown. Transfer to racks to cool.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for Making Whipped Shortbread
Take Your Time: Both the whipping and the baking parts of making whipped shortbread take time. Trust me, the results are worth the effort. You need that full 6 minutes, maybe even more, of whipping time to get the dough as fluffy and airy as possible. The low and slow cooking time is all about drying the cookies rather than cooking them, similar to the method you might use to make meringues.
Be Strategic: If your cookies are going to sit on your counter to get devoured immediately, you can get away with making them into fancy designs with a cookie press. But if you plan to gift these cookies (and you’d like them to survive travelling around in a container in your car) you may want to choose a simpler scooping method. A piping bag will allow you to do some basic swirls, or you can keep things simple and uniform with a cookie scoop or tablespoon. Another way to keep your cookies sturdy would be to freeze them until just before you plan to eat them.
Yes, you can use margarine
For those of you who’ve been around since I originally published this in 2013, you may recall that my recipe was slightly different at that time. If you prefer my old method, simply use 1/2 cup of margarine and 1/2 cup of butter instead.
Storage Instructions
You can keep whipped shortbread in a sealed container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or freeze them for 4-5 months.
More Delicious Holiday Cookie Recipes
Are you looking for some more fun cookies to add to the treat spread at your next holiday party?
Try making some Old Fashioned Gingerbread or a batch of Fudgy Gingerbread Brownies.
Itching for some rolled out cookies to decorate? Take a peek at The Best Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe.
There you go. A simple recipe for making perfect whipped shortbread cookies that will melt in your mouth. Try them for your next party and let me know how you like them.
Happy Baking!
Karlynn
How To Make Perfect Whipped Shortbread
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter
- ½ cup confectioners sugar, icing sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Toppings
- sprinkles, nonpariels,
- 12 candied cherries, cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275°F. ( you will need to bake the cookies in batches)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and icing sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Slowly add the flour, beating constantly, until all the flour is incorporated. Whip the shortbread mixture for 6 minutes on medium speed, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula every 2 minutes.
- Use a small cookie scoop or a Tablespoon to scoop the dough onto two ungreased baking sheets. Top with candied cherries or sprinkles if desired.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the bottoms are nicely browned. Remove from oven and carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Store for 2 to 3 days at room temperature in a closed container or freeze in a closed container for 4 to 5 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sophie Nakoneczny says
Have been making Whipped Shortbread for many years!
Karlynn Johnston says
It’s the best!
Darcie_R says
Re: the whipping time, I was thinking the same so I will give that a go, as well as adding a touch more flour. Thank you!
Darcie_R says
The taste of the shortbread is amazing however, for me they come out so fragile. You can barely get them to your mouth before they crumble everywhere. I am not a novice baker at all but I am sure it’s something I’m doing.
Also despite following the directions to a “t”, mine still spread :s
Any suggestions?
thekitchenmagpie says
Darcie_R Hmmm. Cut your whipping time in half ( adds less air) and try adding in another 1/4 cup flour. Your butter could have a higher water content, or you know, the cookie gods were mad that day ;). More flour will stabilize them in case it is your other ingredients and less whipping means less air. It’s VERY forgiving if you want to add in some dry ingredients!
KimberleeMatwie says
I love these !!
Lesley says
You have 2 posts of this recipe, one using 250 degrees, and one using 275. Which would be best please?
Also, would the timings alter?
I’m assuming this is degrees Celsius?
They sound lovely and cannot wait to try making, but could you also provide imperial or metric measures rather than U.S cup system please?
Many thanks
thekitchenmagpie says
@Lesley Hi Lesley,
There are converters online for Imperial measurements, my cookbook is also in the US cup system, so it’s what we use here. You can do either temp – you are in essence drying it out. If you use 275, it’s faster timing than 250. My Grandma would use 250, but I am a modern impatient gal and use 275 and cut out about 7-8 minutes of bake time!
Trudy says
Wow! Wow! Wow! …best whipped shortbread cookies ever. In past years, I’ve always made this recipe using only butter. But thought I’d follow your recipe exactly as written (i.e. using margarine, chilling batter before scooping and using the lower oven temperature).
They kept their nice cookie shape (they didn’t flatten like the pure butter ones do).
Thanks to your tip of using 1/2 butter and 1/2 margarine, I have started doing this with other cookie recipes and find that all of my cookies now keep their shape.
We also found the tip for chilling the dough made it much easier to come out of the scoop.
And your lower cooking temperature ensured a light, airy, melt in your mouth cookie.
…like my husband said—this recipe is a keeper!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe and explaining your methods. You have raised the bar on this one.
Happy New Year!
Colleen Walsh Earle says
I used all butter
The Kitchen Magpie says
There is absolutely something wrong with your butter or margarine! That’s from a watery product.
Colleen Walsh Earle says
After being in the fridge.
Missy Briannamari Andrenova says
Made these yesterday! Delicious
Chantel Mcevoy says
My fave.. I make these often. Tomorrow I am making them with a touch of peppermint extract and candy cane kisses
Jolene Lange says
I made these this year. Yummy and easy peasy!
Bridget Abby Normal says
Chrissy Sellars make these for me 😉
SerenaS says
These spread whether I chill them or not 🙁
Wendy Craig says
I made a batch of these cookies yesterday. I followed your advice and used 1/2 margarine and 1/2 butter, even though I normally only use butter. They are the best shortbread cookies that I have ever had. I am going to make a double batch this afternoon.
Thank you so much for the recipe!
thiesslisa says
Celsius or Fahrenheit
Andrea says
I’m excited to try this recipe! Would it work it i added some jam on the top? Not sure how fragile these babies are. TIA!
MichelleMiller4 says
Do you used cold butter/marg or room temperature?
The Kitchen Magpie says
Awesome! I’m glad to hear it!
Kimberly J. Stonehouse says
Thank you for posting this is the best recipe works out perfectly.
Shelley Smiley says
Thank you very much! 🙂 I certainly will!
Jennifer Print says
So making these!!! Does it make a difference if you use a darker cookie sheet?
The Kitchen Magpie says
I’ve been sharing a lot on here, scroll down for my roll cookies and my walnut raspberry thumbprint ones!
Shelley Smiley says
I’m going to use this awesome recipe to make thumbprint cookies with the jam in the top (likely strawberry). 🙂 I’m making 3 dozen for a cookie exchange. Any other recipes you can recommend to me as I need 2 more cookie recipes for the exchange so I have 9 dozen all together. 🙂
Margaret Hudson says
I will try this year. Something new for my Christmas baking! \U0001f600 thanks for posting
Melissa Kathryn says
Made these last Christmas and lost the recipe! Thank you for posting it again!
Jacque Tanner Levine says
Made these last Christmas , they are soooo good! Yum
Raeleen Tascona says
This is my go to recipe! Shhhh… Don’t tell grandma!
Elsie Ruholl says
Could never make them perfect.
The Kitchen Magpie says
Aww that’s wonderful to hear!