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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.
Sue S says
As always, your recipes are the best, and they are my “go to”
Has anyone ever tried making these with chocolate or cheese? Asking for a friend LOL. I am looking for some variety.
Keri says
These whipped shortbread cookies had decent flavour, melted in your mouth but once baked they came out like flat wafers even after chilling the dough due my kitchen being overly warm.
Going forward I will stick to my own recipe that incorporates a small amount of cornstarch as it definitely produces a much more aesthetically pleasing cookie and the taste is just as buttery and light!
Linda Connolly says
Folks, confectionery sugar contains cornstarch. It’s not missing, it’s disguised!!
Michelle says
I make these every year at Christmas. Everyone always tells me they are the best shortbread cookies ever. They melt in your mouth and crumble perfectly every time. The trick is definitely to whip them for minimum 6 mins, and bake them from a cold. I usually cover and put the dough in the fridge between batches.
Katherina says
Made these yesterday and they turned out delicious! Easy recipe. I think I will try 1/2 salted and 1/2 unsalted next time. But otherwise great! Just watch the timing … 25 minutes was better for my oven. Depends on your own oven temperature ranges. Thank you.
Tracy Ferguson says
Sent hubby for butter and he bought Becel vegan butter substitute…Oops! The packages look very similar so an easy mistake to make! I made one batch with real butter and one batch with the Becel and they are both great!
Peggy says
I made these today, and they came out great. They have a salty taste, which I like, but maybe using non-salted butter, or half salted & half unsalted butter would cut the saltiness. This is a great cookie for people with egg allergies, because it doesn’t contain eggs. I put the cookies in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before baking them. I usually make pressed cookies for Christmas, but I think this year I will use this recipe and make them several days before serving as suggested by a previous reviewer to reduce crumbling.
Mrs. Claus says
I used all salted butter. First time baking in a couple years! These are delicious! I love the simple ingredients and after getting a handle on using my mixer again, batch 2 went much better! I didn’t mix well enough with batch one, so it tasted too salty. Second batch I mastered the mixer and the batter was deliciously airy as you describe, and voila this batch didn’t taste so salty! So follow the mixer at least 6 mins and you’ll all be good. After rolling into balls (slightly watered hands to avoid sticking) I gently pushed the 24 cookies with a fork and pushed in half a candied cherry on each..trying to keep at raised up as possible still. These hold their shape great, I went for middle of the line on cooking time you suggested. I might try unsalted butter with a dash of sea salt next time just to better control what’s going in the cookies. Love them, especially out of the fridge! Family will be enjoying these for Christmas 🎄 Thanks for sharing your family recipe!!
Linda Tanzini says
Karlynn, I got frustrated with my snowball cookies being to fragile so I started putting an egg in them or even just a yolk. I’m wondering if this might work for the short bread cookies,your thoughts?, Linda
Tiff says
Hello felloe albertan
I am going to make these later in the week and i know they’re going to be be amazing. I know that they will be simply based on your chii recipe. As we all know there is usually that one that just doesnt quite know goog food, however when I made your chili….. EVERYONE asked for more or when i am making it again.
And just so you have a full understanding of when anyone i cook for asks for more you should know that i have been the one that is at a neighbor’s for leftovers or at the drive through window on christmas eve enjoying watching everyone else. Basically, i am i hermet. And i am shy always second guessing my efforts. So when i say i am confident and very pleased to serve any of your recipes, even the ones i havent but plan to make, then you better believe… its because is gonna be delicious enough for even the quietest of mice to ask for more.
Thanks so much
Much love
Tiffani
Alyssa says
I hear ya on the margarine quality. I’ve had bad luck with parkay as well. I’m in southern AB. Thanks for the recipe though!
Mary says
Oh my these are the best! I must have missed the part that says let the mixer do the work- used my hand mixer & 6 minutes! Very much worth it! First time I ever heard of whipped shortbread, but glad I saw this. YUMMY
Sandy Mcallister says
I enjoy reading all your recipes. I have been making whipped shortbread for almost fifty years. Butter is definitely better for flavour but doesn’t give the body you get using half marg. Use really good marg. Also the long beating incorporates air making the cookies very light therefore I do not recommend using a cookie press as it squeezes out the air and therefore makes the cookies more dense. Another tip is to let the cookies age a couple of weeks and they won’t crumble as easily. These cookies do not rise so make them the size you want the finished product..
Lesley Leith says
I used all salted butter. I find they taste a little too salty. Can I use all unsalted butter
Please. Mine were quite flat too.
Eric says
Hi, made your recipe and turned out great.
Now to be a purist “Without further adieu” means ‘Without further GOOD BYE” Adios amigo!
The expression is “Without further ADO”
Now, without further ado I’ll go and make another batch of biscuits.
Sandra Dmc says
Nothing better to ado?
🙄😁🤣
Tara says
Sry you can’t add margarine to shortbread. That’s not shortbread.
Jacki says
I wish you would be more specific on the scoop size. I used too small a scoop (estimated it to be a heaping teaspoon) but cookies are only about 2×2″. I even heaped the dough in the scoop.
It would help if you specified the size of the scoop (IE 2 TBSP size scoop) or whatever! Maybe next time I’ll weigh them out instead, based on total dough weight and your estimated yield.
Lori Stuart says
You made my Christmas!!!
Laura says
Can you freeze this dough?
Monica says
It says in the recipe that if your kitchen is warm to put the pre-baked cookies in the fridge or freezer for a while (I put mine in the freezer for 10 minutes) before putting in the oven.
Foofit says
I made these exactly as written with Earth Balance as my margarine (which I like!). However, I think you have to really enjoy the flavor of margarine to like this version. In a shortbread, I much prefer the flavor of butter. The texture is a bit like sand and does definitely melt in your mouth. They’re not sweet, so would be suited to folks who prefer a less sweet dessert. This is my third batch of whipped shortbread this year, and I believe I prefer a version with cornstarch over this one. However, it’s not a totally fair comparison because in the cornstarch version I used 100% butter. I’ll give this version another try with all butter, but as written I didn’t particularly love it.
Laura says
These are awesome, everyone that has by has tried them, I got rave reviews from them. Thank you for the recipe
Eileen says
I am done making whipped shortbread cookies. I have tried many recipes including this one, with and without cornstarch.
They are too soft. You can’t have a bite. You have to put the whole thing in your mouth or it falls apart.
You can hardly hold one in your hand! I would like a nice shortbread cookie instead of bar that doesn’t melt in your mouth but that you can bite once or twice before finishing it off!
Kathy Watson says
So easy and good. I just dipped partway in chocolate and added sprinkles. So light, they really melt in your mouth, Thank you for the recipe!
Eileen says
I used straight butter and the recipe was awesome and they taste delicious. Using gas stove I found I had cook them a little less than the suggested time.
Amanda says
Can I use a hand mixer instead of a stabd mixer? Will i get similar results?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Wendy says
I’m going to try these! What brand of hand mixer do you have?
Moira Slater says
I baked these whipped shortbread last night and they are perfect. I had taken out non salted butter in the morning so used it and added a touch of salt. I have baked other whipped shortbread that just fell apart!
Thank you for the great recipe and instructions.
Kathryn Smith says
I’ve never heard of hard margarine. What brand is the best?
Rachel says
I found the cookies to taste/smell a little to much like margarine.. and a little salty.
Linda Finke says
I came across this recipe after using another recipe that used cornstarch. My husband said it had a funny taste and he didn’t like it. I thought I would search out another recipe so in your recipe you suggested not to use cornstarch I thought great idea.The oven temperature was another good idea because I found the other cookies over baked and got done in half the time so cooking them at a lower temperature might help. When I looked at other recipes they also said to use an electric mixer so that might be another good idea as I always use my kitchen aid. This is my first attempt at whipped shortbread. My husband thinks I did something wrong but I followed the recipe exactly and every recipe is the same except for this one without the corn starch and the temperature being lower. I always make icebox shortbread and it turns out perfect every time, there’s so many different things that you can do with it once they are baked.
Sharon Campbell says
I cooked my whipped shortbread at 275 and they went flat. Why is that and how can I stop it from happening again? Thanks
Sharon
Raelene says
Sharon mine did the same, I am wondering if cornstarch was left out accidentally?
Karlynn Johnston says
This is a no cornstarch recipe, and if you use half margarine they will keep their dome shape. however humidity in the house, the weather, it all affects your baking as well. You can refrigerate the cookies then bake to keep their shape as well.
Lee-Ann says
I used all butter and they kept their shape perfectly.. I think making sure they are nice a cold before baking is the key to keeping the dome shape 😞
Joe says
You need cornstarch (look up what cornstarch does) and chill the dough for at least 30 mins before baking.