Do you remember the melt-in-your-mouth classic shortbread cookies that your grandma used to make? This is that recipe. Buttery, light and fluffy, these whipped shortbread cookies taste like Christmas in every bite. They're soft, airy and super easy to make with no chill time required. They are the perfect easy holiday cookies for baking, gifting, and enjoying all season long!
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- The Story Behind These Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review
- Ingredients To Make Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Variations To Try
- Pairing & Serving Suggestions
- How To Make Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Expert Tips
- How To Store Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Christmas Baking Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- ⭐️ Leave a Review
Looking for more Christmas cookie recipe ideas? We've got a ton! You'll love these soft classic ginger cookies, as well as these polar bear claw cookies. This classic chocolate crinkle cookie recipe is perfect for gifting, and this amazing butter tart recipe is one everyone asks for year after year.
The Story Behind These Whipped Shortbread Cookies
Remember those shortbread cookies your grandma made every Christmas? The kind of shortbread that was incredibly buttery, crumbly, and literally melted in your mouth. These are those cookies.
One of my earliest baking memories is making these cookies with my grandma. I can still picture myself at the kitchen table, carefully placing cherry halves on each cookie before they went into the oven. It's a simple memory, but one that makes my heart happy every single time I bake these cookies. I hope this recipe brings you as much joy as it has brought my family and me this Christmas season!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Whipped shortbread cookies are easy to make and the most classic Christmas cookie of all time!
- These shortbread cookies are light, buttery, fluffy and literally melt in your mouth instantly.
- This recipe is a foolproof shortbread cookie recipe, and it has been tested and retested dozens of times.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review
I have never made shortbread cookies before but this recipe have me hooked. It was so easy to make and the cookies came out melt in your mouth and taste great - Mercedes
Ingredients To Make Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Powdered Sugar - Powdered sugar is responsible for creating the delicate crumb of these cookies. Do not use granulated sugar. If you do not have powdered sugar, you can blend granulated sugar in a food processor or high-power blender until it is pulverized into a powder.
- Butter - High-quality butter is the foundation of the shortbread cookie flavor. This may be controversial, but I prefer to use salted butter in these cookies. You can use unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Almond Extract - If you do not have almond extract, replace it with more vanilla extract. Almond extract is highly recommended for optimal flavor.
- Cornstarch - Cannot be skipped or substituted. Cornstarch is the secret to the melt-in-your-mouth consistency.
- Toppings - Glacé cherries are traditional, but you could also add sprinkles, chocolate or other flavor variations.
A full list of ingredients with exact quantities can be found on the free printable recipe card below.
Variations To Try
- Citrus Zest - add 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange zest to the sugar, massaging it together before adding it to the butter. This will give the cookies a refreshing citrusy burst of flavor.
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies - add the zest of one lemon + 1 teaspoon of lemon extract. This is a perfect variation to make for Easter or springtime!
- Chocolate Drizzle - instead of putting cherries on top, drizzle the cookies with melted chocolate, or make my chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies, alongside these for unlimited shortbread options!
- Add Sprinkles - add your favorite sprinkles to the whipped shortbread dough balls after rolling. Press the sprinkles into the cookie dough ball before flattening with a fork and baking as instructed.
Pairing & Serving Suggestions
The melt-in-your-mouth texture of these shortbread cookies pairs well with coffee, tea, and hot cocoa. Use my homemade maple vanilla coffee syrup to give your coffee an extra special taste for the holidays.
These classic whipped shortbread cookies also fit perfectly into a holiday cookie tray, and the glacé cherries add some beautiful color. Some other cookies to include are these classic peanut butter blossom cookies, brownie-like crinkle cookies, viral Christmas crack, homemade caramel popcorn and these decadent chocolate cocoa truffles!
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How To Make Whipped Shortbread Cookies
Step 1
There is no chill time needed for these cookies!
So preheat the oven to 350°F and grab a baking sheet. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and powdered sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the mixture is silky smooth. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Return to the mixer and beat on medium speed until the batter is completely smooth.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and cornstarch, then whisk to fully combine. Add half of the flour mixture, mixing on medium-low speed until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat on low speed until a rough batter forms.
Step 2
Using a cookie scoop, scoop cookies (about 1 Tablespoon each) and roll the batter into a ball.
When you are rolling the batter into a ball, it helps to squeeze the batter a few times with your hands before rolling.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet and, using a fork, press down to slightly flatten the dough balls.
Top with one half of a glacé cherry.
Step 3
Bake for 14 minutes until bottoms are golden brown.
Transfer the shortbread cookies to a cooling rack and serve when fully cooled.
Expert Tips
- Room temperature, soft butter is key. If the butter is too cold, you won't get the "whipped" texture, and if it is too warm, the cookies will spread.
- Dip the fork in flour before pressing on the cookie dough balls to prevent the fork from sticking.
- The secret to perfectly light and fluffy shortbread cookies is whipping the butter long enough and baking at a low temperature. This keeps the cookies light and tender without a hard outer crust.
How To Store Whipped Shortbread Cookies
Store the whipped shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
This is a freezer-friendly shortbread recipe! Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months in an airtight container or ziplock bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your cookies may have come out dense if too much flour was used. A properly measured cup of flour weighs 140 grams/cup.
I prefer to use salted butter, just because that is what I have always used. Unsalted butter may be used instead. One thing to ensure is that you are using a high-quality butter, as it is the foundation of a good shortbread cookie.
Yes, glacé cherries are the traditional topping, but other toppings like sprinkles, lemon zest, and chocolate may be used. See the recipe variations section where I cover how to change the flavor and how to use optional toppings.
Dip the fork in flour before pressing it into the cookie dough ball to prevent sticking.
Whipping the butter for long enough and using cornstarch in the cookie dough batter are what are responsible for the melt-in-your-mouth texture of these shortbread cookies
These whipped shortbread cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
The cause of shortbread cookies that spread too much is usually using butter that is too warm or melted. The butter temperature is crucial to success with shortbread. You must use room temperature butter (typically between 65°F and 67°F) for this recipe. Do not try and speed up the softening time by using a microwave, as this could easily melt the butter and make it too warm to use in these cookies.
Another reason is that the butter-to-flour ratio could be off. Properly measured flour weighs 140 grams/cup. For this shortbread recipe, you will need 210 grams of flour.
No, the cornstarch is the secret ingredient to the melt-in-your-mouth consistency of these whipped shortbread cookies.
The bottoms of the cookies will be golden brown, and there will be no soft spots on top when the cookies are fully baked.
More Christmas Baking Recipes
Are you looking for more stellar Christmas baking recipes? Check these out:
These classic cookies are a part of our 12 Days of Christmas Series - Season 2. Don't miss Day 1: Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies! 🎄
If you made these Whipped Shortbread Cookies or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating, a 💬 comment and share it on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook!
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Whipped Shortbread Cookies
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Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup Butter softened
- ¾ cup Powdered Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Cornstarch
- 10 Glacé Cherries cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and powdered sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Beat on medium speed until the batter is smooth.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and cornstarch. Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat on low speed until a rough batter forms and no dry bits remain.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out cookies (about 1 Tablespoon each) and roll into a ball. Place cookies on a baking sheet and, using a fork, press down to slightly flatten the dough balls. Top with one half of a glacé cherry.
- Bake for 14 minutes until bottoms are golden brown. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and serve when fully cooled.
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Notes
- Room temperature butter is key. If it is too cold, you won't get the "whipped" texture, and if it is too warm, the cookies will spread too much.
- Dip the fork in flour before pressing on the cookie dough balls to prevent the fork from sticking to the dough.
- Powdered sugar is also known as icing sugar or confectioners' sugar.
- The secret to perfectly light and fluffy shortbread cookies is whipping the butter long enough and baking at a low temperature. This keeps the cookies light and tender without a hard outer crust.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- For some other topping ideas, try drizzling the cookies with melted chocolate, rolling the dough balls in sprinkles before baking them or adding lemon zest to the cookie batter.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
Helen says
Can food coloring be added to shortbread dough?
Jessica says
Hi Helen,
Yes, food coloring can be added to the dough! I would recommend using gel food coloring so it doesn't change the consistency of the batter. If you want to use liquid food coloring, add it sparingly.
- Jessica
Mercedes says
I have never made shortbread cookies before but this recipe have me hooked.
It was so easy to make and the cookies came out melt in your mouth and taste great
Jessica says
Yay! We are happy you loved it!
Jessica says
These are my number one favourite Christmas cookie and a family recipe that has been passed down for generations! I truly hope you love this recipe as much as we have!
Ed says
This might sound bold, but I’m ranking this my favourite cookie to date. They are that delicious.
Debra Lynn says
Absolutely Delicious
Jessica says
Thank you!