These melt-in-your-mouth Christmas shortbread cookies bring back so many fond memories of holidays when I was a child. The buttery cookies are perfect for parties or a sweet treat when you’re in the mood for something festive on a cold winter night.
Christmas Shortbread Cookies Ingredients
Whipped shortbread cookies have a distinct and irresistible flavor. They’re rich, buttery, and crumbly, thanks to the cornstarch, with hints of vanilla and almond extract.
To make the delicious cookies, you’ll need:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted (plus more for dipping fork into if needed)
- ¼ cup cornstarch, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- Holiday sprinkles (non-pareils or jimmies)
PRO TIP:
There is no substitute for the added cornstarch in this classic recipe. It is what gives these shortbread cookies their delicate, soft texture. This, along with the whipped butter and powdered sugar, are what makes these easy cookies so tasty.
Substitutions And Additions
VANILLA: I like to use clear vanilla extract, also known as clear vanilla flavoring, when making cookies that are so pale in color. Sometimes the darker vanilla extract brands will give the cookie dough a slightly tan color. They both will taste delicious, but I like the look of the cookies better with the clear vanilla flavor.
SPRINKLES: When choosing your sprinkles for this great recipe, I like to keep it simple and only use the nonpareils or jimmies. When the sprinkle blends have bigger pieces, the larger sprinkles do not want to stay on the cookie.
The nonpareils are my number one choice because I like how they nestle into the indentations that are left from pressing the tines of the fork into the top of the cookie dough balls.
How To Make This Christmas Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Shortbread is really easy to make, and the cookies always come out of the oven so light and fluffy.
The key to making these cookies is whipping the butter and powdered sugar until it is night and fluffy. Once the cookie dough is made, you’ll want to make sure to give it time to chill in the fridge. This will help reduce spreading while baking and give you that soft texture.
Our step-by-step instructions below will help you create these delectable cookies.
STEP ONE: To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and powdered sugar on medium-high speed for 5-6 minutes or until very pale, fluffy, and smooth. Be sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle as needed during the creaming process to ensure all the butter gets uniformly whipped.
STEP TWO: Add the vanilla and almond extracts to the bowl and mix again until well incorporated.
STEP THREE: Add the sifted all-purpose flour, sifted cornstarch, and salt to the bowl of the stand mixer, then mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. The dough will be thick and smooth. Do not overmix the dough or it can develop too much gluten, causing it to bake up tough rather than tender.
STEP FOUR: Refrigerate the dough for 10-15 minutes or just until chilled enough to easily scoop and roll into smooth balls.
STEP FIVE: While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 325°F and line two large (18×13-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
STEP SIX: Using a 1-tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop out a level amount of dough, roll gently between the palms of your hands to form a smooth ball and place onto a prepared baking sheet.
STEP SEVEN: Repeat with the remaining dough, being sure to place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. You should be able to fit 15 cookies per baking sheet. If your baking sheets are smaller, you will need to bake the cookies in multiple batches.
STEP EIGHT: Using the tines of a dinner fork, gently press down the top of each dough ball until the cookie is about 1½ inches wide when flattened. Dipping the tines of the fork into a little bit of flour prior to pressing into the cookie dough will help to keep the dough from sticking and will give smoother decorative lines on the tops of the cookies.
STEP NINE: Add a few sprinkles to the tops of each cookie, then bake for 12-14 minutes. The cookies are done when they have slightly spread, puffed up, and are no longer glossy looking in the center. The bottoms may be very lightly golden, but the tops and sides should remain pale.
STEP TEN: Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving them.
How To Serve
You can serve these delicate little shortbread cookies with hot tea, homemade hot chocolate, or a cup of coffee.
A cold glass of homemade eggnog or a Christmas hot chocolate for the grown-ups is another way to enjoy these classic cookies.
Enjoy them for an afternoon snack, or add them to your holiday cookie platter or cookie exchange along with our pretty Christmas pinwheels and candy cane shortbread cookies.
For more festive cookie recipes, our Christmas sugar cookies and M&M Christmas cookies will both become family favorites.
Storage
ON THE COUNTER: These classic shortbread cookies can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to three days.
IN THE FREEZER: These butter shortbread cookies can be frozen once baked for up to two months. Allow the baked cookies to cool completely, then flash-freeze them on the baking sheets for about 30 minutes to one hour before placing them into an airtight container.
You can also flash freeze the dough balls, then transfer them to a freezer-safe zip-top bag. You can bake from frozen, but you will need to add an additional two to three minutes to the bake time.
Whipped Christmas shortbread cookies are a Christmas classic and one of my favorite cookies. Delicious, with a buttery flavor and crumbly texture, they’re the perfect treat for any holiday party or for enjoying around the tree on Christmas Eve.
Frequently Asked Questions
This buttery shortbread cookie recipe will be too soft to create shapes with cookie cutters. Our no-spread sugar cookies are perfect for your favorite cookie cutters.
To achieve soft cookies and prevent them from spreading in the oven, the soft dough needs a little bit of chilling time in the fridge.
The dough for these simple shortbread cookies can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer until you are ready to bake them. Thaw and bake them when you are ready to enjoy them.
More Christmas Recipes You’ll Love
- Reindeer Food
- Cinnamon Ornaments
- Christmas Crunch
- Christmas Roll
- Christmas Brownies
- Cranberry Christmas Cocktail
Christmas Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted (plus more for dipping fork into if needed)
- ¼ cup cornstarch, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- Holiday sprinkles, non-pareils or jimmies
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and powdered sugar on medium-high speed for 5-6 minutes or until very pale, fluffy and smooth. Be sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle as needed during the creaming process to ensure all the butter gets uniformly whipped.
- Add the vanilla and almond extracts to the bowl and mix again until well incorporated.
- Add the sifted all-purpose flour, sifted cornstarch, and salt to the bowl of the stand mixer, then mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. The dough will be thick and smooth. Do not overmix the dough or it can develop too much gluten, causing it to bake up tough rather than tender.
- Refrigerate the dough for 10-15 minutes or just until chilled enough to easily scoop and roll into smooth balls.
- While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 325°F and line two large (18×13-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a 1-tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop out a level amount of dough, roll gently between the palms of your hands to form a smooth ball and place onto a prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat with the remaining dough, being sure to place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. You should be able to fit 15 cookies per baking sheet. If your baking sheets are smaller, you will need to bake the cookies in multiple batches.
- Using the tines of a dinner fork, gently press down the top of each dough ball until the cookie is about 1½ inches wide when flattened. Dipping the tines of the fork into a little bit of flour prior to pressing into the cookie dough will help to keep the dough from sticking and will give smoother decorative lines on the tops of the cookies.
- Add a few sprinkles to the tops of each cookie, then bake for 12-14 minutes. The cookies are done when they have slightly spread, puffed up, and are no longer glossy looking in the center. The bottoms may be very lightly golden, but the tops and sides should remain pale.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving them.
Notes
- You can change the colors of sprinkles to coordinate with a sports team, baby shower or just use rainbow sprinkles for anytime of the year.
Nutrition
Comments
Shaunda Snider says
I would use jarred caramel sauce.
Jackie says
This is another recipe I will try this holiday season. Wish you were around 53 years ago when I first married. Then I would not have had to buy cookies at the holidays.
Karen Johnsen says
Your candy cane shortbread cookies look so yummy. Can’t wait to to try them. These would be fun to make with my grandkids. They would definitely eat them with a cup of hot chocolate!
Ronald Maracle says
Can’t wait to try this recipe for the Christmas holidays 😋
Pam S from Florida says
I thought these turned out great! They had that classic pale color you expect from shortbread cookies. That also had that distinct almond flavor. They were soft and moist on the inside. They did not crumble when eating them. (I had three right out of the oven and had to stop myself before eating all of them!)