Vanilla Shortbread Cookies

These buttery Vanilla Shortbread Cookies are crisp, tender, with just the right touch of sweetness. They’re the perfect little sweet treat alongside a cup of hot tea or coffee, whether you’re enjoying a quiet afternoon or simply need a little something sweet.

Easy Vanilla Shortbread Cookies Recipe

I’ve been a lifelong fan of Scottish shortbread. There’s just something special about a simple little cookie made with good butter, sugar, and flour. It’s the kind of old-fashioned sweet that doesn’t need much fuss to be downright delicious.

Shortbread is also one of those handy recipes I can turn to when I want something homemade without making a special trip to the grocery store. The ingredients are simple, and chances are, you already have everything you need tucked away in the pantry.

And while classic shortbread is hard to beat, the recipe is wonderfully easy to make your own. Add a little citrus zest, chopped nuts, baking chips, or your favorite extract to change things up. It’s a simple, dependable cookie with plenty of room for a little creativity, and one you’ll be glad to have in your recipe box.

Key ingredients you’ll need to make simple Vanilla Shortbread Cookies: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card and quantities.)

• Flour – All purpose flour forms the base of the shortbread.
• Sugar – Granulated sugar (white sugar) for sweetness.
• Butter – Salted butter for a rich flavor.
• Flavoring – Vanilla extract adds creamy floral notes.
• Raw Sugar – Turbinado sugar for sprinkling the tops. (Sugar in the raw)

How to Make Vanilla Shortbread Cookies Recipe

• Heat Oven and Prepare Pan – Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Creamed Ingredients – Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla extract until fluffy.
• Add Flour- Lower speed of mixer adding flour 1/2 cup at a time. Beat on medium speed until fully combined and a soft dough forms.
• Chill – Turn dough out onto plastic wrap. Knead gently just until smooth. Form into a disc and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll Dough – On a non stick surface roll dough into roughly an 8×8 square.
• Divide – Slice cookie dough into 2-inch squares. Place onto pan, at least 1-inch apart. Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar.
• Oven – Bake per the recipe until the bottoms are very lightly golden. Cool on the pan for a few minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Kitchen Equipment to Make Vanilla Shortbread

• Electric mixer. You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer.
• Large bowl.
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
• Sharp knife and pastry mat or non stick surface for rolling.
• Large baking sheet pan.
• Wire rack.

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

• Room Temperature Butter – It’s important to begin with softened butter so that it incorporates more easily with the sugar.
• Unsalted Butter – You can use unsalted butter. when doing so, sift 1/4 teaspoon of salt with the flour.
• Nuts – You could add chopped toasted pecans, almonds or walnuts.
• Vanilla Beans – You can use the tip of a knife to scrape whole vanilla beans and add the dough to the to amp up the vanilla flavor. Add 1 teaspoon or adjust the amount according to your preference.
• Flavorings – You could add almond extract, lemon extract or any other flavor that you enjoy.
• Citrus Zest – You can change the flavor profile using lemon zest, lime zest or ornange zest for a pop of citrus.
• Whipping Butter and Sugar – There’s no need to be concerned about over whipping the butter when creaming with the sugar. Allow a couple of minutes of whipping to get it right.
• Classic Shortbread Requires No Leavening – You’ll note this recipe for shortbread has no leavening included in the ingredients. No eggs, no baking powder or baking soda results in a cookie dough that expands less while baking. That said, do leave space between to avoid the cookies from touching.
• Scoop and Level the Flour – When measuring the flour for this recipe, remember to always spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Never scoop, or it can become packed and the shortbread will be dry.
• Chill the Dough – Before baking shortbread, it’s important to chill the dough to give the softened butter time to solidify after incorporating with the flour. Otherwise, it will melt too quickly in the oven and affect the texture of the cookies.
• Use a Fork to Prick the Top – Classic shortbread is often pricked with a fork on top before baking. This has a purpose, it’s meant to keep the butter from bubbling up while baking. I don’t typically do that with this recipe, but you can, if you’d like to.
• Cut into Shapes – I typically bake this cookie in squares. That said, this shortbread can be cut into any shape you like, using a cookie cutter of choice.

Storage and Leftovers

• Make-Ahead Tip – If you prefer round shortbread cookies, form the dough into a cylinder and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. This can be done up to 2 days in advance of baking, just pop the cookie dough into the refrigerator and keep well chilled. Slice into rounds, then sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake per the recipe.
• Leftovers – Store leftover Vanilla Shortbread Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
• Freezer – You can freeze these cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and enjoy.

More Southern Style Cookie Recipes to Make

Whether you choose to whip-up a batch of these easy shortbread cookies or bake a pan of loaded cookies with lots of mix-ins, they’re forever a favorite for kids of all ages to eat. More cookie recipes you may like to try:

• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are a classic that everyone loves.
• Easy Peanut Butter Cookies are the very first cookies I ever made.
• Turtle Cookies filled with pecans, melted chocolate and topped with a caramel drizzle.
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies are rich and fudgy.
• Loaded Butterscotch Toffee Pecan Cookies are rich and buttery.
• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a holiday must make.
• No campfire needed to make gooey Rocky Road Cookies.
• Lemon Crinkle Cookies from Lauren’s Latest.

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Helpful Kitchen Items: 

• Mixing Bowls
• Baking Sheets
• Measuring Set
• Mixer