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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! It makes great gifts and is perfect for your holiday dessert table.
Perfecting Whipped Shortbread
Over the years I have finally perfected my Whipped Shortbread Recipe to the point where I won’t fiddle around with it anymore. Usually when someone asks me about my treasured Christmas recipe, it’s all about my Grandma’s Christmas Pudding. While that is one hundred percent a family favorite, whipped shortbread has always and I do mean always been something that my family bakes at Christmas.
It seems to be something that a lot of Canadian Prairie folk make at Christmas as well. It’s never any other shortbread than whipped. Ever. This is all that graces our dessert tables at Christmas for shortbread.
That might change with my perfecting my Scottish Shortbread recipe however, as those are crispy, buttery perfection! Give those a try if you are looking for a harder shortbread.
Can I use margarine for this recipe?
Over the years, we’ve had to change from a 50/50 split of butter and margarine to all butter. Margarine lately has been declining in quality and lots of brands, specifically Imperial, just do not work with this recipe. It’s better with all butter anyway but if you are curious if you can use margarine, I do not recommend it any longer.
How to Make Whipped Shortbread
To make this whipped shortbread, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- candied cherries
- sprinkles
Directions
- Whip the butter and icing sugar together well. Once it looks all deliciously creamy, resist from eating it by the spoonful, and get your flour ready.
- Start the mixer and slowly add in the flour, until it has all been added in. Then you can proceed to let your mixer do all the work for you and whip it for 6 minutes. You are wanting lighter than air shortbread here.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough out onto an ungreased baking sheet or alternatively, use a piping bag and pipe it out. You can also use a cookie press to make shapes.
- Top with sprinkles or a piece of Christmas cherry.
- Bake them in a 275 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes; you want to dry out the shortbread in essence, not bake it, thus the low temperature. (If you have a warm kitchen or live in a warm climate, cool the cookies in the fridge then bake. They won’t flatten out).
How to Store Whipped Shortbread
Whipped Shortbread freezes very easily but also breaks easily so my recommendation is to store in an airtight container in layers between sheets of wax or parchment paper. You can store it in the freezer for a few months easily so if you make them a couple of months prior to Christmas, you can easily thaw them out in time for the holidays and they will taste amazing as always!
Whipped Shortbread Tips and Tricks
- Whipped shortbread is notoriously fragile and while using cookie presses are so much fun, when I gifted the shortbread I wanted it to stay together a bit more. After experimenting, I found that the best way to make it for gifting is using a cookie scoop or piping bag. The rounded dome and thickness helps these airy bites of buttery delight stay together much better than being dropped by the teaspoonful or shapes from a cookie press.
- You can use a cookie press like I did, but they are more fragile and finicky
- Whipping it for at least 6 minutes is also mandatory; most people don’t whip it long enough and then it’s just not as airy as it should be. These cookies should literally melt in your mouth.
- We never have used cornstarch and never will. I find it gives a weird mouth feel to it that I don’t like.
- Baking it a low temperature is the way my family has always made it. We dry it out, like a meringue, and don’t bake it so much. Most recipes are 350 degrees but we have always baked it at 250. However over the years I have found that 275 works the best. This also helps the shortbread melt in your mouth instead of baking up a little bit harder which is what baking it at 350 is going to do.
Without further adieu, here is my whipped shortbread recipe!
Happy Baking everyone!
Love,
Karlynn
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How To Make Perfect Whipped Shortbread
- Prep Time
- 7 minutes
- Cook Time
- 35 minutes
- Total Time
- 42 minutes
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- Canadian
- Servings
- 24
- Calories
- 106
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- sprinkles for topping if desired
- candied cherries for topping if desired
Instructions
- Whip the butter and icing sugar together well. Once it looks all deliciously creamy, resist from eating it by the spoonful, and get your flour ready.
- Start the mixer and slowly add in the flour, until it has all been added in. Then you can proceed to let your mixer do all the work for you and whip it for 6 minutes. You are wanting lighter than air shortbread here.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough out onto an ungreased baking sheet. You can also use a cookie press and make shaped cookies!
- Top with sprinkles or a piece of Christmas cherry.
- Bake them in a 275 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes; you want to dry out the shortbread in essence, not bake it, thus the low temperature. (If you have a warm kitchen or live in a warm climate, cool the cookies in the fridge then bake. They won’t flatten out).
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Suzanne Hicks says
Question! I use margarine (I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light), which you recommend not using. What do you consider to be a “hard” margarine . . . Becel in the tub? Thanks in advance!
Cynthia says
While the cookies are very tender and buttery, they are a little insubstantial for my taste. I prefer a little more “heft” to my shortbread.
Thanks for the recipe!
Leyla K says
Hi Karlynn,
I’m in the UK & have no idea what a cookie scoop is?
Also it would be fantastic to know the equivalent weight instead of cups cos I would love to give this recipe a go 🙂
Mr. Kitchen Magpie says
A small scoop is about 2 teaspoons of dough, a medium about 1 1/2 tablespoons and a large is about 3 tablespoons. I hope that helps!
Chris says
Sorry – not going to be putting margarine into anything I eat. You want to eat plastic you’re welcome to it. To stand on the principal that a flavored ‘near plastic’ makes your cookies better is just plain dumb. Moving on to real food recipies…
Mr. Kitchen Magpie says
Your loss. These are epic and well worth using a little margarine. We use butter in almost everything but in some instances, you just need margarine.
Janine says
Delicious and super easy!!! First time making whipped shortbread and these turned out melt in your mouth delicious. I hand mixer whipped for 6 minutes and baked them at 275… fantastic! I will definetly make these again next year.
Jan says
I followed the recipe and just took from oven they are like a pancake what went wrong?
Ellen says
Absolutely the best whipped shortbread I’ve ever made. They didn’t crumble at all and melted in your mouth.
Donna DeJardine says
I have been making my Mum’s shortbread cookies since I was a small child, I’m now 64! This year I decided to try a new recipe and came across yours. I must say I was a little doubtful when you said no cornstarch, I’ve never made them without cornstarch. Then I came across the margarine part and thought no this recipe is not for me. It’s not that I’m a shortbread purist at all, it’s just the plain fact that I hate margarine and always have. For me it makes nothing taste better at all, so I almost dismissed your recipe, then I read where you said you could use all butter and I figured I’d give them a try. I must say they are quite simply the best shortbread cookies I have ever had in my 64 yrs, and that says a lot cause everyone has always loved my Mum’s recipe. That said I know that if my Mum were here today she would love your cookies too! I followed your recipe exactly and they turned out just as you said. I had a little difficulty getting them to come out of the small cookie scoop, so I chilled them for a few minutes first which worked a treat. With the first batch gone almost before they could cool, I doubled the recipe the second time! With shortbreads being my all time favourite cookie, I have a hard time only making them on the holidays but I always manage somehow, lol. I don’t like cherries or any other topping on mine, just plain and simple, that’s me! I do love how these have the beautiful dome on them and they just simply melt away in your mouth! Oh and by the way my cat ate a few crumbs that had dropped on my desk, then promptly tried to take the one in my hand away from me, lol, he’s never done that before!
I will definitely be trying more of your recipes, thanks for sharing, keep up the great work!
Hope Thompson says
Yes! This was the texture and taste my husband was looking for.
I did do all butter, added real vanilla extract, and didn’t beat the full six minutes. They still came out the way I hoped they would. First attempt at shortbread was successful! Thank you.
Bonnie James says
Thank you so much for this recipe! My grandma was from Water Valley, Alberta and she made these every year for Christmas. The cookies turned out perfect, exactly like my grandma’s. I can’t thank you enough as baking these cookies is a wonderful way to remember my grandma at Christmas.
Ps – I don’t bake, at all, ever, so I’m super amazed at how well these turned out!
Martha says
Sooo good! The only change I made was to add a little vanilla, and next time I might add a tad more icing sugar, but they amazing! Not only do they totally melt in your mouth, but I found them to want to melt in my hand when handling them after baking! 😉 This recipe is a keeper and a pass-along-er!?
sherry gibb says
Hi I’m wondering what is “the dome effect?” I can make that shap with my scoop before cooked but after cooked??
Marianne says
What brand margarine did you use? TIA
KellyC says
Just made these with all butter (no margarine on hand, didn’t want to go out!). They are delicious. I will definitely make them again. So easy and foolproof.
Vicki says
I have been making whipped shortbread for years. I just made a batch of these and they were the best ever. I don’t remember mixing mine for so long in the past and I think it made the difference. I also used 100% butter, as that is all I had and they came out beautifully with the nice dome. My oven runs a little hot and they were done in about 18-20 minutes (I used the small cookie scoop). They all had the lovely dome shape. Thank you.
Kate Elliott says
The cookies taste lovely, but I found them to be too fragile. I used Becel margarine sticks: I’m hoping this is “hard margarine”.
Laura says
Becel has a high water content, that might be the issue.
Lisa says
My batter is dry…y?? I followed the recipe to the Tee
Chris says
Any time you mix any ingredients (dry or moist) you have to take into consideration room temperature, water temperature, counter surface temperature, relative humidity in the room, etc… any and all of these can give you a very different experience no matter how much you follow a recipe.
Mandy says
Can you freeze these whipped shortbread?
Brenda Walker says
I always use your recipe, and I only use butter and have not had a problem obtaining the dome effect.I also add a little pure almond extract, about 1/2 a teaspoon.Love this recipe.
TG says
This recipe turned out very well. I wasn’t sure about the half butter/half margarine but it worked! I did add a teaspoon of vanilla and I think the next time I make these I’ll add a bit more (1/4 cup) of powdered sugar.
Rachel Macdonald says
Just made these! I used one cup of cant believe it’s not butter, because it’s all I had on hand. I added 1/4C more icing sugar as well.
Put a very small dot of raspberry jam in the middle. They are great! They didn’t flatten slightly but not bad at all.
Rachel Macdonald says
They did flatten slightly ^** lol
Jen Checki says
These are so good! Thank you for the recipe.
(Without further ado. ?)
Jenna says
Just made these! Never made shortbread before and decided that I’d try to make some and heard that whipped ones are better than normal.
And these are amazing! I added three caps of natural Vanilla extract and a drop of lemon essence to the recipe and only used butter and omg it’s so good!
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Lesia says
I ❤️ Whipped shortbread! I’ve made these cookies a bunch of times with variable success. After trouble shooting and dissecting my process many times, I’ve discovered the true success to this sometimes finicky cookie is butter quality. Here in Sk, Canada, Beatrice butter doesn’t work (found at Costco). The cookie does not hold its shape (even if you chill it) and it spreads and does not hold together, at all. The same with Co-Op centcibles butter. Dairyland works. It’s the only butter I use for these now. The quality is in the price at around $8/pound, but it’ll save you garbaging a bunch or failed batches. Apparently poor quality butter has a high water content which makes it awesome for table butter and spreading, but terrible for a lot of baking. Hope this may help some ppl who are having issues with their whoipped shortbread.
Erica D says
Wow, these are delicious!!! My family loves them… even my husband who is stuck on Granny’s shortbread! He said these were just as good if not better. Once out of the oven I added 3 chocolate chips to the center for decoration since I didn’t have cherry’s or sprinkles and mmmmm….. yummy! Suggestion: my cookies tasted better when they were not covered or put in a container and even better the next day. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Happy Holidays to all.
Carole says
I just made these tonight, and while they taste divine, they’re quite powdery. But they do melt in your mouth and taste absolutely delicious. The only thing I did differently, and just out of habit, was I measured the flour (AP) and then sifted it.
Ang says
Thank you for the recipe. I use pure butter, half salted and half unsalted.
I always go back to your recipe and instructions. They make the best shortbread ever!
Germaine Dubois says
I’ve been making whipped shortbread for many years… cam across your your version so I opted to try it out this year… so far simple as my recipe but I have used cornstarch in mine – giving yours a chance.. I love whipped shortbread along with the twenty plus family members that will be here Christmas Day… I will drop by after Christmas and let you know the out come….
Jennifer Holly says
So delicious!!! Thanks for sharing! 😀
Terri Smith says
Some of the best shortbread ive had! Lots of compliments, super yummy
Gail says
Do NOT whip this dough for 6 minutes as suggested. The dough completely separated into butter and sludge and I had to throw out a whole batch. 4 minutes is plenty
Germaine Dubois says
Mine came out perfectly great and their baking right now will know in about 20 minutes..?
Erica D says
That’s strange I whipped mine for the 6 minutes as suggested and they didn’t separate and baked up perfectly fine, I used a hand mixer – maybe you used something stronger and better? I hope they still turned out for you.
Colleen says
I just made these today, but they all flattened out to thin pancake like disks. I refrigerated the dough, like you said, but it didn’t make a difference. What am I doing wrong?
Karlynn says
It could be that your butter has a higher water content, or you used sifted flour?
Colleen says
I used all purpose flour. I think it is pre sifted. Should I add more flour then?
Karlynn Johnston says
Yes, add more flour for sure if it’s pre-sifted. Try adding another 1/4 cup to start and see how that works.
Bette says
OMG!!! This is THE BEST shortbread recipe ever!!! I increased baking temp a bit to compensate for high altitude baking. I also added 1/4 cup crushed espresso beans and topped each cookie with 2 coffee beans, i ve never baked ANYTHING so devine, will deffinitly share with the girls. Thank you!
Karlynn Johnston says
Glad that you loved it!
Karen says
This recipe was really delicious. I think the cooking temp really has a lot to do with it. I usually bake mine at 325 but will definitely bake at 275 from now on because the cookie was just so tender and flaky. Absolutely delicious!
Kelly C says
I think u have to whip the butter and the powdered sugar until pale and very first, before adding in the flour. Can also try to replace half of the butter for hard margarine ,or vegetable shortening should be fine.
Kelly C says
Whip the butter and the powdered sugar until pale and very fluffy first.
Jo Kenngott says
By icing sugar do you mean powdered sugar?
Karlynn says
Yes!