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Hi Bold Bakers!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My 3-ingredient shortbread recipe makes it effortless to bake buttery, crisp cookies in no time. With simple ingredients and quick prep, they’re perfect for sharing, snacking, or gifting!
- Buttery & Crisp: A rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture with a delicate crunch.
- Incredibly Easy: Just three ingredients and minimal prep. No leavening agent is needed.
- Quick to Make: Fresh, homemade cookies ready in 30 minutes.
- Perfect for Gifting: A thoughtful, delicious treat everyone loves.
- Customizable: Add flavors, shapes, or toppings for a personal touch!
This recipe has been a baker’s favorite on my website for years! I’ve made it countless times—especially during the holidays and as a fun baking activity with my son, George. To make it even easier, I’ve updated the post with step-by-step photos to guide you on your baking journey!
Bold Bakers Loved This!
“These remind me of Walkers Shortbreads, my favorite! Thanks for sharing!” — James W.
“Fantastic recipe! Thank you very much. I followed your recipe exactly and the shortbread turned out perfect!” — Mary S.
” made the 3 ingredient short bread cookie today. They are a wonderful, melt in your mouth cookie. Just the way I hoped they would be.” — Sharon L.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 3/6/2025, to include NEW step-by-step photography, explanations and substitutes of key ingredients, make-ahead and stroage instructions, vegan shortbread, FAQs, flavor variations, and Pro Chef Tips.
Table of Contents
- What are Easy Shortbread Cookies?
- Tools You Need
- Key Ingredients and Substitutes
- How to Make 3 Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
- Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
- Flavor Variations
- Vegan Shortbread
- FAQs
- More Easy Shortbread Recipes
What are Easy Shortbread Cookies?
Easy shortbread cookies are simple, buttery treats made with just three basic ingredients: flour, butter, and sugar. They bake up crisp, light, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, making them a go-to recipe for bakers of all skill levels.
- Minimal Ingredients: Just flour, butter, and sugar for a classic taste.
- Buttery & Crisp: Light and crunchy with a rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Quick & Simple: Requires minimal prep time and no special equipment.
- Versatile: Customize with various add-ins or shapes to suit any occasion.
Tools You Need for Shortbread Biscuit Recipe
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Glass measuring jug
- Electric hand mixer
- Stand mixer with a paddle attachment (optional)
- Silicone spatula
- Cling wrap
- Knife
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
Key Ingredients and Substitute
Butter
- Provides richness and a tender, crumbly texture. It also contributes to the cookies’ flavor.
- I prefer salted butter for extra flavor but unsalted butter will also work.
- Substitute: Hard margarine (not spreadable) or a plant-based butter for a vegan version.
Powdered sugar
- Sweetens the dough and helps create a delicate crispness in the cookies.
- Substitute: You can also use coconut sugar or another sugar substitute of your choice from my Sugar Substitute Chart to make your own powdered sugar.
All-purpose flour
- Forms the structure of the cookies, giving them their shape and texture.
- Substitute: You can use a gluten-free blend or my Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix instead.
How to Make 3 Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Make the shortbread dough
- Cream butter: In a large bowl cream together the soft butter and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add dry ingredients: Add in the flour and mix until the dough just comes together.
- Shape & chill: Roll the cookie dough in cling wrap into a long two-by-two-inch log. Place in the fridge for at least 60 minutes, or up to 3 days.
Bake
- Slice the dough & bake: Once the dough is firm, slice the cookies using a sharp knife into ¼-inch thick rounds. Place each round on your baking tray and bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until just golden.
- Cool: Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a cooling wire rack.
FULL WRITTEN (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW!
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- Make sure you use softened butter, or else the dry ingredients won’t fully incorporate.
- Customize your recipe for shortbread biscuits with my Homemade Extracts such as vanilla extract.
- Don’t have an electric mixer? Make sure the butter is softened, and use a hand whisk to whisk it with sifted powdered sugar until light and fluffy. It shouldn’t take too long.
- Wrapping the log and placing it in the fridge for 30 minutes will help develop the flavor and ensure that your cookies don’t spread during baking.
- A fun baking hack is to use unflavored dental floss or sewing thread to cut your cookie dough. Slide them underneath, bring them up, cross over, and pull. It helps keep the shape for perfect cuts.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
Make-Ahead:
- Prepare shortbread biscuit dough and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freeze the dough (shaped into a log) for up to 3 months.
Storage:
- Store baked buttery shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- For longer storage, refrigerate or freeze cookies for up to 3 months.
Flavor Variations
- Butter Pecan Shortbread Cookies
- Irish Shortbread Christmas Tree Cookies
- Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies With Jam
- Matcha Shortbread Cookies
- Rose & Cardamom Shortbread Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
- Millionaire’s Shortbread (Caramel Squares)
Vegan 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
This recipe is easily adaptable for a vegan version—simply substitute the butter with hard baking margarine (avoid the spreadable tub version). Since there are no eggs in the recipe, you’re already halfway there!
Key Notes:
- Substitute Butter: Use hard margarine for a vegan option.
- Flavor Difference: Butter offers a creamier, richer flavor, while margarine is milder and dairy-free.
- Egg-Free: This recipe is already egg-free, making it ideal for vegan bakers.
- Want More Tips?: Check out my guide on 7 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking Recipes.
FAQs
If your dough is crumbly, ensure the butter is softened enough to incorporate fully with the sugar.
Add slightly more butter or reduce baking time to keep the cookies moist and tender.
Yes, feel free to add vanilla extract, lemon zest, or other flavorings to customize your cookies.
More Easy Shortbread Recipes!
- Homemade Walker’s Scottish Shortbread Cookies
- Butter Pecan Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- Perfected Millionaire’s Shortbread (Caramel Squares)
- Cranberry Orange Shortbread
- Delicate & Sweet Matcha Shortbread Cookies
IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 3/6/2025, to include NEW step-by-step photography, explanations and substitutes of key ingredients, make-ahead and stroage instructions, vegan shortbread, FAQs, flavor variations, and Pro Chef Tips.
Try These Recipes!
Watch The Recipe Video!
Easy Shortbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 oz/225 g) butter, softened
- ½ cup (2 oz/58 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 cups (10 oz/280 g) all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl cream together the soft butter and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the flour and mix until the dough just comes together.
- Roll the cookie dough in cling wrap into a long two-by-two-inch log. Place in the fridge for at least 60 minutes, or up to 3 days.
- Once the dough is firm, slice the cookies into ¼-inch thick rounds. Place each round on your baking tray and bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until just golden.
- Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack. Once cool the cookies can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
- Make sure you use softened butter, or else the dry ingredients won’t fully incorporate.
- Customize your recipe for shortbread biscuits with my Homemade Extracts such as vanilla extract.
- Don’t have an electric mixer? Make sure the butter is softened, and use a hand whisk to whisk it with sifted powdered sugar until light and fluffy. It shouldn’t take too long.
- Wrapping the log and placing it in the fridge for 30 minutes will help develop the flavor and ensure that your cookies don’t spread during baking.
- A fun baking hack is to use unflavored dental floss or sewing thread to cut your cookie dough. Slide them underneath, bring them up, cross over, and pull. It helps keep the shape for perfect cuts.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I think that the ratio is actually 4:2:1
To make sense of it, if you doubled the recipe you would need 4 cups flour, 2 cups butter and 1 cup sugar, see – 4:2:1
Looking forward to making these, a little tip for cutting the buscuit dough use dental floss, slide underneath bring up and cross over and pull, it’s like a hot knife through butter and keeps its shape
I used 1Tbsp of hot water to dissolve 2Tbsp of Instant coffee. Added it before flour. Tastes amazing. My first attempt on shortbread. Mahalo Gemma!
I’m not sure if someone else has asked this, so I apologize if you’ve already answered this question, but is the butter for the shortbread salted or unsalted?
I have made these a few times now,first batch your recipe then added a sprinkling of Lavender flowers and last batch chopped dried cranberries and Pistachios and they looked very Christmassie…
Hi Gemma,can I subtitute the Almond flour instead for the shortbread cookies? and also subtitute fresh shredded coconut for coconut cookies as well
Hi Gemma!
I would like to add chopped pecans to the short bread cookies, will that work out ok & so I just add them in last? Thank you for all the great recipes, I use them all the time! ????
Hi Gemma – getting ready to make the Shortbread Cookies but have a question….the recipe states, “Turn the dough out onto a counter dusted with powdered sugar and gently roll the dough into a long two by two inch log.” However, in your video tutorial you put the dough directly on the cling wrap to transform into the log. Your thoughts? Thanks Sandy
Can you make these with gluten free flour or a gf mix which includes tapioca flour? Thanks Mel
Hi gemma, i have made these shortbread cookies many times and even successfully added different ingredients (choco chips, grated orange zest and grated lemon zest) i want to know if these could be chocolate coated and if so how