Every Christmas cookie tray needs something soft and buttery next to the frosting and chocolate. Christmas shortbread cookies fill that spot without an afternoon of rolling out dough and decorating.
Each one is tender enough to melt in your mouth, lightly sweet with a little almond, and topped with simple holiday sprinkles. One batch makes 30, enough for your own cookie tray and a tin for someone else.
Let The Butter Soften Until It Takes A Fingerprint
There’s no egg or milk in this shortbread dough, so the butter is what holds everything together, so it’s worth getting its temperature right before anything goes in the mixer.
I set the butter out ahead of time and check it by pressing a finger into the side of the stick. The butter is ready when your finger leaves a print but can’t push through to the bottom of the stick.
If it looks greasy or your finger sinks right through, it’s too warm and the dough won’t handle as well, so give it a few minutes back in the fridge before you start.
I use unsalted butter with ¼ teaspoon of fine salt. If salted butter is all you have, leave the salt out.
Whip The Butter And Sugar Before Anything Else Goes In
Once the butter is ready, I put it in the stand mixer with the powdered sugar and beat them on medium-high for five to six minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl and the paddle along the way. By the end the mixture turns very pale and fluffy.
That long whip is what makes this a whipped shortbread, and it’s where the light, tender bite comes from.
After I mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, I add the flour, cornstarch and salt and switch the mixer to low. It’s important to stop as soon as the dough comes together, because mixing past that point makes the cookies bake up tough.
The Dough Should Hold Together When You Roll It
If you’ve had shortbread dough crumble in your hands before, here’s what to look for with this batch: thick, smooth dough that rolls into a ball without cracking or falling apart. You shouldn’t have to squeeze a handful of dry crumbs together to make each cookie.
Measure the flour carefully. Fluff it before filling the measuring cup, then level off the top without packing it down.
Don’t leave out the ¼ cup of cornstarch.
Chill The Dough Just Long Enough To Easily Scoop It
Straight from the mixer, this shortbread cookie dough is soft enough to stick to your palms when you roll it. I chill it for 10 to 15 minutes, just until it’s firm enough to scoop and roll without flouring my hands.
How To Make Christmas Shortbread Cookies:
- I use a one-tablespoon scoop so the cookies are the same size and bake at the same rate.
- Level off every scoop and you’ll get 30 cookies.
- Gently roll each scoop between your palms into a smooth ball.
- Set the balls about two inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Dip a fork in a little flour and press each ball down to about 1½ inches across. They only spread a little in the oven, so the size you press is close to the size you’ll get.
- Scatter a few sprinkles over the fork lines and put the sheet straight in the oven.
Recipe Test – Last Update Sept 2026
These Christmas shortbread cookies have been on the site since October 2022. I kept thinking they could be even more tender, the kind that melts as soon as you bite in, and I didn’t think it would take much to get them there.
So in August 2026 I went back to the recipe. I added more butter, a full cup instead of ¾ cup, and a little more cornstarch, ¼ cup instead of three tablespoons.
I could tell the difference as soon as I started scooping. The dough came out of the scoop cleanly and rolled into smooth balls in my hands, with no crumbling or cracking.
Then I tried the oven two ways with that same dough.
Those improvements are in this post along with new photos taken September 2026.
Take The Cookies Out While They’re Still Pale
Whipped shortbread stays pale on top when it’s done, so the color won’t tell you when to take the pan out.
I start checking at 12 minutes, and 14 is right in my oven. They’re done when they’ve spread slightly, puffed a little, and the centers look matte instead of glossy. The bottoms may be very lightly golden.
If the centers still look shiny, give them another minute and check again. If the tops are starting to brown, they’ve baked a little long, so take the next batch out sooner.
When the pan comes out, leave the cookies on it for five minutes. If you try to lift them sooner, they’ll squash a little. After five minutes they’ve set enough to move to a wire rack to cool.
Make Ahead And Storage
Once they’ve cooled completely, I keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Around day four they start to dry out a little, and by day five they’re drier, though still good to eat.
If these Christmas shortbread cookies are going on a tray or into a tin for someone, bake them no more than two days before you give them, unless you are going to freeze them.
To freeze baked cookies: Let them cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container with parchment between the layers. Thaw at room temperature before serving. For longer storage, University of Illinois lists eight to 12 months at 0°F for baked cookies.
To freeze the dough: Portion and shape the cookies first, then freeze on a lined baking sheet until firm. Transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container and use within two months. You can bake from frozen, allowing a little extra time and watching for the same pale tops and centers that have lost their shine.
More Shortbread Recipes
- Chocolate chip shortbread cookies add chocolate chips to the shortbread dough.
- Millionaire shortbread layers shortbread with caramel and chocolate ganache.
- Shortbread cookies are a plain five-ingredient version for any time of year.
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, nonpareils 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
- These Christmas shortbread cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week or frozen up to one year. If you want to freeze the dough before baking, it will last up to two months in the freezer.
- For a fun twist, check out my peppermint shortbread cookies. They bring peppermint into a buttery shortbread for the same Christmas tray.
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!)