Small Batch Shortbread Cookies: make 12 shortbread cookies to satisfy your bakery-style shortbread cookie cravings! Buttery with a hint of vanilla, these cookies are perfectly tender and actually melt in your mouth. Just 4 ingredients, ready in just 25 minutes.
Small Batch Shortbread Cookies
Shortbread cookies are literally the perfect cookies for impulse-baking and random late night cravings: all you do is throw 4 ingredients into a bowl, mix, optionally chill for 5-10 minutes, and bake.
Change my mind.
They melt in your mouth and have that delicious bakery-style buttery flavor with a hint of vanilla that’s so simple yet delicious. I’d go as far as to say that they’re the perfect cookie.
Which is why I’m bringing you guys Small Batch Shortbread Cookies today! The perfect amount for random cravings, small gatherings, and the busy Holiday season!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Just 4 ingredients that you likely already have at home: butter, flour, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract!
- Classic shortbread flavor: buttery with a hint of vanilla, these cookies taste just like shortbread cookies from your local bakery!
- Melt-in-your-mouth texture. Tender and delicious, these cookies actually melt in your mouth.
- Quick and easy. Using powdered sugar guarantees the sugar will mix and dissolve in just a few minutes. These cookies are ready in just 20 minutes!
- Customizable. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, or your favorite spice to the dough and decorate them as you wish! Dip them in chocolate, drizzle them and add sprinkles or use round cookie cutters and make them into cookie sandwiches! The options are endless.
Ingredients
Flour. Use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
Powdered sugar. I always stick to powdered sugar because it’s easier and quicker to work with: it dissolves beautifully with no effort and gives you a perfectly smooth cookie dough in just a few minutes of mixing.
Butter. Use unsalted chilled butter. You don’t want your butter softened or at room temperature because you need these cookies to keep their shape so the colder the butter, the better which is also why you might skip chilling if your butter hasn’t warmed up or softened too much during mixing.
Vanilla extract for flavor. You may add different extracts and even multiple extracts to your shortbread if you desire a different flavor. Cinnamon, almond, nutmeg, orange extract, or coconut extract are all great options.
Chocolate, optional. This is optional as decorating options are endless when it comes to shortbread cookies. I love them dipped in chocolate so I recommend using a high-quality chocolate bar such as Ghirardelli or Lindt for best flavor. You can use semi-sweet, white, or your favorite. Alternatively, you can cut them into rounds or your preferred shape and stuff them with dulce de leche, jam, curd, etc.
How to make Shortbread Cookies
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
STEP TWO: Make the cookie dough. Add the flour, powdered sugar, cold butter, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl and mix until completely combined. At first, the cookie dough will be very dry and crumbly but it will come together and form a perfectly smooth cookie dough.
STEP THREE: Optional chilling. Whether you chill these cookies or not depends on the temperature of the butter. If your butter warmed up too much and the cookie dough is very soft and doesn’t seem to hold its shape too well, I recommend chilling for 5-10 minutes. Simply flatten the cookie dough into a 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick rectangle, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for up to 10 minutes.
STEP FOUR: Roll out. Place the cookie dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper and begin rolling it out until about 1/2-inch thick (1 cm). Use a knife or a cookie cutter of your choice to cut the shortbread into rectangles or shape of choice. Gently place the prepared cookies onto your baking sheet.
STEP FIVE: Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies are done when the back is lightly golden brown and the top is still pale, do not allow to brown on top.
STEP SIX: Decorate. The options are endless when it comes to decorating shortbread. To dip in chocolate as pictures, simply add the chopped chocolate to a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes in total, stopping every 15-20 seconds to stir with a rubber spatula. Once the chocolate is fully melted and smooth, remove from the microwave, dip each cookie into the chocolate and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to set before serving. Enjoy!
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes! Follow the recipe through step 3, then chill for 1 day in the refrigerator. The next day, follow the recipe (step 4) and bake. Alternatively, you can make and bake the cookies 1 day ahead of time and decorate them (step 6) on day 2.
How do I shortbread cookies?
Store shortbread cookies covered or in an air-tight container for up to 6-7 days. Shortbread cookies are very stable and won’t lose flavor or their tender texture overtime.
If your cookies are decorated with melted chocolate and it’s very hot in your kitchen, I recommend storing them in the refrigerator or the chocolate will melt.
You should also keep them in the refrigerator if they’re stuffed with jam, dulce de leche, curd, or other perishable ingredients.
HAPPY BAKING!! I hope you'll love this Small Batch Shortbread Cookies Recipe as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
More Small Batch Recipes you'll enjoy:
- Small Batch Snickerdoodles
- Small Batch Brownies for Two
- French Hot Chocolate for Two
- 5 Ingredient Chocolate Lava Cakes for Two
Small Batch Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
For The Shortbread Cookies
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 stick (50 g) unsalted butter (chilled)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, for flavor, other extracts or spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg may be used)
For Decorating
- 1/2 cup (70 g) chopped chocolate bar of choice (optional, for decorating, semi-sweet, white or your favorite chocolate may be used)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the cookie dough. Add the flour, powdered sugar, cold butter, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl and mix until completely combined. At first, the cookie dough will be very dry and crumbly but it will come together and form a perfectly smooth cookie dough.
- Optional chilling. Whether you chill these cookies or not depends on the temperature of the butter. If your butter warmed up too much and the cookie dough is very soft and doesn't seem to hold its shape too well, I recommend chilling for 5-10 minutes. Simply flatten the cookie dough into a 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick rectangle, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for up to 10 minutes.
- Roll out. Place the cookie dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper and begin rolling it out until about 1/2-inch thick (1 cm). Use a knife or a cookie cutter of your choice to cut the shortbread into rectangles or shape of choice. Gently place the prepared cookies onto your baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies are done when the back is lightly golden brown and the top is still pale, do not allow to brown on top.
- Decorate, optional. The options are endless when it comes to decorating shortbread. To dip in chocolate as pictures, simply add the chopped chocolate to a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes in total, stopping every 15-20 seconds to stir with a rubber spatula. Once the chocolate is fully melted and smooth, remove from the microwave, dip each cookie into the chocolate and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to set before serving. Enjoy!
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