Whipped Shortbread Cookies are sweet and buttery cookies that melt in your mouth. These light tea time treats have crisp edges and a crumbly center. They are perfect served with a hot drink or packaged up as gifts during the holiday season.
With just a handful of simple pantry staple ingredients and a few basic steps, you can make whipped shortbread from scratch. Plus, shortbread dough is freezer-friendly so make a big batch to keep your freezer stocked up for cookies on demand.
Why You'll Love these Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Simple and easy to make. Whipped shortbread cookies only require 6 common ingredients (only 5 if not adding sprinkles) and about 15 minutes of active preparation before waiting for them to chill and then bake in the oven. This sweet and buttery cookie is totally worth the wait.
- They last for weeks or months. These shortbread cookies with sprinkles last up to a week at room temperature and can last for months when frozen. Plus, shortbread cookie dough freezes well too so you can have freshly baked cookies on demand whenever you feel like it!
- They’re customizable. This easy shortbread cookie recipe can easily be customized with chocolate, cocoa powder, and different colored sprinkles. Keep scrolling to read the variations below.
- Switch up the sprinkles for your holiday. We used Christmas colored sprinkles because we made these whipped shortbread cookies during the holiday season. You can witch up the sprinkles based on whatever holiday you are making these cookies for. Try red and pink for Valentine's Day or Mother's Day, orange and purple for Halloween, and red and blue for 4th of July.
Ingredient Notes
To make these easy Whipped Shortbread Cookies, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- butter - use unsalted butter so that the cookies don’t turn our overly salty. You also want to make sure that your butter is softened to room temperature or it won’t cream and incorporate with the rest of the ingredients correctly.
- confectioners' sugar - we use confectioners' sugar for a melt-in-your mouth texture. You can substitute with granulated sugar for the same taste but the texture won't be the same.
- vanilla - or substitute with almond extract
- all-purpose flour - you could make this recipe gluten-free by swapping the wheat flour for a gluten free measure-for-measure flour. You may have to play with the ratios of cornstarch and butter to make sure the texture is similar.
- cornstarch - if you’re out of cornstarch, potato starch is the next best thing. If you can’t get your hands on any, you can substitute with flour and make sure to use confectioners’ sugar.
- Christmas sprinkles - switch up the sprinkles to match your theme.
Baking Equipment
You will also need the following kitchen equipment and tools:
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- cookie scoop
- half sheet baking pan with parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- wire cooling rack
How to Make the Best Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Cream butter and sugar. Cream butter and sugar together using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer) on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. The mixture will get very light in color.
- Add vanilla. Add vanilla and beat until incorporated.
- Combine with dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and cornstarch. Gradually add in to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat for 1 minute until dough becomes more breadcrumb like and less dry (You should be able to easily shape the dough into a ball using your hands).
- Scoop cookies. Line 2 large half sheet baking pans with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to take a tablespoon of dough and use your hands to roll it into a 1-inch ball. Transfer the shaped cookies to the lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1.5 inches apart (you will fit about 12 cookies per sheet).
- Add indentation. Dip a fork into flour or cornstarch and gently press in the tops of each cookie to make a linear indentation.
- Add sprinkles. Top with sprinkles.
- Bake. Bake in a 300F preheated oven for 20 minutes until the tops look set and the bottoms are just starting to brown. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before very carefully transferring them onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. (they are quite fragile when warm).
How to Serve
These Whipped Shortbread Cookies pair really well with a hot beverage like a decadent hot chocolate, a cup of coffee, or a hot mug of earl grey or chamomile tea. Some of our favorites to serve with these cookies are:
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate
- White Hot Chocolate
- Slow Cooker Apple Cider
- Golden Milk Turmeric Latte
- Ginger Turmeric Tea
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Make ahead and freeze. Double or triple the batch and freeze the extra dough or the baked cookies. You’ll have cookies ready to eat or bake any time you want! Your future self will thank you.
- Dip in chocolate. Melt 4 ounces of chocolate in a double broiler or in the microwave in 30 second increments and dip the cooled whipped shortbread cookies in halfway or coat them completely in chocolate. If planning to do this, I would hold off on baking the cookies with sprinkles. Instead, add sprinkles immediately over the melted chocolate once dipped.
- Make them chocolate. Turn these cookies into whipped chocolate shortbread cookies by substituting the cornstarch in the recipe with cocoa powder.
- Repurpose leftovers. Shortbread cookies can actually be repurposed into a completely new dessert. You can crush them up with a food processor and add a little more sugar, salt, and butter to create a shortbread crust for a pie or layer them with other sweet ingredients to create a trifle or freezer cake.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Once the shortbread cookies have cooled completely, carefully transfer them to a large ziploc bag or airtight container lined with parchment paper and store at room temperature for up to 7 days. I like to store them in mini cupcake liners in a single layer, stacked in between pieces of parchment paper. This helps prevent the sprinkles from falling off the cookies.
How to Freeze
Freeze shortbread cookies in between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
How to Store and Freeze Cookie Dough
Shape the shortbread cookie dough into a ball or disc and wrap it tightly in plastic cling wrap. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before baking. When ready to shape the cookies, allow the dough to come to room temperature (about 20-30 minutes) to make the dough soft enough to work with.
You can also transfer the wrapped dough to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To use, allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then bring it to room temperature on the kitchen counter for about 20-30 minutes to one hour.
More Shortbread Recipes
- 50 Best Cookie Recipes
- Classic Shortbread Recipes
- Chocolate Shortbread Recipes
- Cut Out Shortbread Cookies
- Christmas Shortbread Cookie Bites
- Slice and Bake Shortbread Cookies
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