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Home » 7 ingredients or less » Whipped Shortbread Cookies

Whipped Shortbread Cookies

Published December 18, 2019 Last Modified September 12, 2022 By GreedyEats

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 If you are searching for easy Shortbread, look no further! My buttery and melt in your mouth soft whipped Shortbread Cookies got you covered.

If you are a cookie lover, try my Chocolate Cookies with Cream Cheese next. Find all my other Cookie Recipes here!

Simple to make with just 4 ingredients, these whipped shortbread cookies will melt in your mouth!

These classic Christmas Cookies will literally melt in your mouth. Not too sweet, made with 4 simple ingredients and that light as air texture will keep you reaching for more!

Lets get straight away into how to bring these Holiday cookies together.

Puffy buttery and melt in your mouth soft shortbread cookies for your Christmas Cookie Tray!

Whipped Shortbread ingredients:

  1. Butter: We are using room temperature softened butter. But we don't want it over greasy or we are risking the cookies to spread more then we'd like!
  2. Confectioners' Sugar: Powdered sugar helps in creating light textured shortbread.
  3. Flour: Measure flour using a kitchen scale or fluff the flour first, measure out in measuring cup and sweep it with a knife to level it off.
  4. Cornstarch: Cornstarch makes the most light and puffy cookies that you will ever know!

How to make whipped shortbread:

Soft and buttery Christmas cookies dough
Easy Holiday Cookie recipe with 4 ingredients

These are just the easiest cookies to make! Just take care not to over measure your flour and cornstarch. And your cookies will bake all puffy and light! To make Shortbread:

  • Beat Butter and confectioners' sugar together for 3-4 minutes
  • Beat in sifted flour and cornstarch next:
  • Chill the dough
  • Make cookie dough balls
  • Quickly chill in the freezer again while you preheat the oven
  • Make a pattern using fork: Optional but super cute!
  • Top with sprinkles and bake then

Whipped Shortbread Cookies indented with fork- An favorite Christmas Cookie recipe!

Since the list is so short for these cookies, take care to use quality ingredients. Using good quality butter as opposed to margarine, good quality sugar and flour results in best tasting cookies.

You can also add flavorings like vanilla, almond, mint, orange or lemon to this dough. Or top it with hershey's kisses, jam filling or even candy cane kisses after these come out of oven.Soft and buttery, thick and puffy, my whipped shortbread cookies will be your favorite Holiday Cookies in the first bite.

Dotted with festive sprinkles and made with one secret ingredient that bakes puffy whipped Shortbread Cookies always!

How is shortbread different from cookies?

Shortbread only uses a few simple ingredients and is light and buttery to taste and are not chewy. There are no leaveners used in the dough as opposed to other cookies.

Should you chill shortbread cookie dough?

Yes, and I can't stress this enough. Chilled cookie dough bakes so much better cookies. Shortbread is high in fat content, chilling the dough will help firming the butter up. This results in thick and puffy cookies!

What does cornstarch do in cookie dough?

  • Helps the cookies to bake thick and . It reduces the risk of cookie spreading!
  • Cornstarch in the cookie dough yields lighter textured cookies.
  • Also cookies with cornstarch bake the softest.

Melt in your mouth soft, oh so buttery and thick, these whipped shortbread cookies deserve a place on your Christmas Cookie Trays!

Why did my whipped shortbread spread?

There can be a number of reasons for shortbread to spread. If the cookie dough had too much butter and/or less flour than recipe suggest. Or if you did not chill the dough enough. Or if the oven temperature was too high. Just follow the recipe as written and your cookies will bake just perfect!

Taste and texture of these Cookies:

  1. Not too sweet
  2. Buttery and melt in your mouth soft
  3. Slightly crumbly in a good way (not chewy at all!)
  4. Light and puffy

Easy Shortbread Cookies recipe made with 4 simple ingredients. Recipe on Greedyeats.com

More Holiday Recipes for you to try!

Easy Gingerbread Cookies

Mini Gingerbread Cakes

Easy chocolate Truffles

No bake Cookie Dough Truffles

If you liked these Cookies give it a star review. Do tell me in the comments below, how did this turn out for you! And don’t forget to share your creations with me on Instagram at #greedyeatsblog Let's connect on Pinterest and Facebook too!

Whipped Shortbread Cookies

If you are searching for easy Shortbread, look no further! My buttery and melt in your mouth soft whipped Shortbread Cookies got you covered.
4.99 from 277 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
US Customary - Metric
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 36 Cookies
Calories: 66kcal
Author: Neha

Equipment

  • Hand/stand Mixer
  • Baking Tray

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ Cups Butter at Room Temperature , salted
  • ¾ Cup Confectioners' Sugar
  • 2 ¼ Cups All Purpose Flour
  • ¾ Cup Cornstarch

Flavorings and Toppings: (optional but delish)

  • 2 tsp Pure vanilla extract or Lemon extract or Orange extract
  • ¼ Cup Sprinkles (of choice)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl beat butter and confectioners' sugar for 3-4 minutes. Don't skimp on the beating time for light textured cookies. Add flavorings at this point (if adding) and give it a whirl too.
  • Next add in sifted flour and cornstarch in the bowl and beat only till combined.
  • Chill the dough for about 2 hours in the fridge, or till it's firm to touch. Pro Tip: To speed up this process, you may chill the dough in freezer until firm.
  • Roll into 36 cookie balls, press their tops with a cornstarch dipped fork and top with sprinkles.
  • Set the cookies on a lined baking tray and allow to chill in the freezer till you preheat the oven. I usually bake 12 cookies on a tray at a time.
  • When ready to bake preheat oven at 300 deg F and bake cookies for 19-20 minutes. Or till their tops look set.
  • Allow to cool on the baking tray.

Notes

Storing Information:
Whipped shortbread can be stored in an airtight container at room temp up to a week.
For longer storage, you may store them in fridge for another week. Allow to come to room temperature before serving!
Freezing instructions:
  • Both baked and unbaked cookies can be stored in the freezer. 
  • To freeze unbaked cookie balls, keep the balls on a tray in freezer till they firm up. Store them in zip loc bag then. No need to thaw before baking. Just add a minute more to the baking time.
  • Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight freezer friendly container for up to 2 months. Thaw the cookies before serving.
To Amplify the flavor:
These cookies are not super sweet to taste. So if you like to amp up their flavor profile.
  1. Top them off with melted chocolate or a Hershey's Kiss on every cookie or even Candy cane Kisses taste so good with these.
  2. Place a cherry in their center.
  3. Make a dent and top with jams and preserves of your choice before baking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cookie | Calories: 66kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 50mg | Sugar: 2g
Tried this recipe? Pin it for later!Mention @greedyeats or tag #Greedyeats!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    December 27, 2022 at 2:19 pm

    5 stars
    So yummy and fund you bake with kids!

    Reply
  2. Rachel

    December 25, 2022 at 5:48 pm

    Delicious! We added one tsp of peppermint extract to the dough. Delicious! And pretty, with red and green sprinkles. Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Mary B.

    December 23, 2022 at 3:21 pm

    5 stars
    WOW!!! Ive been looking for the perfect shortbread recipe for years and when I tell you THIS IS IT! Words can’t describe how light, flaky, buttery and perfectly sweet these are. This will be my official go to Christmas cookie from now on, I topped them with a generous amount of powdered sugar instead of sprinkle’s because I didn’t have any like in the picture and honestly I think it’s the way to go. Best cookie EVER.

    Reply
  4. Patti

    December 22, 2022 at 8:15 pm

    5 stars
    My hubby’s favourite Christmas treat. He says they are just as good as his Mom’s. I just put a 1/2 cherry on top, because she used to.

    Reply
  5. Anonymous

    December 22, 2022 at 7:50 pm

    5 stars
    Easy to make and delicious!

    Reply
  6. Mattie

    December 21, 2022 at 7:46 pm

    5 stars
    I just made mine, they came out perfect. My husband can't stop eating them. 👍👍

    Reply
  7. Jessica

    December 21, 2022 at 4:47 pm

    Can I add food colouring to these to brighten them up? Or will that ruin the cookie?

    Reply
    • GreedyEats

      December 24, 2022 at 3:05 pm

      Hi Jessica! Sure you can add food colorings to this dough.

      Reply
  8. Beth

    December 19, 2022 at 7:50 pm

    5 stars
    These cookies are delicious! I love shortbread cookies and now I have a recipe to make them. Yummy!

    Reply
  9. Kathy

    December 18, 2022 at 9:36 pm

    I added almond flavoring, so they tasted like almond flavored flour. Waste of ingredients.

    Reply
  10. Anonymous

    December 18, 2022 at 4:34 pm

    Have been looking for THE whipped shortbread for a few yrs.
    Found THE ONE! These are the best!
    Not sure if they will last until christmas dinner.

    Reply
    • Jean

      December 21, 2022 at 11:38 pm

      5 stars
      Made these tonight. Simple recipe and delicious. For flavoring I used 1 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp Fiori di Sicilia. So light.

      Reply
  11. Lorraine Barker

    December 18, 2022 at 3:22 pm

    Can you substitute butter to make it non dairy?

    Reply
  12. Amanda

    December 16, 2022 at 11:30 am

    Just wondering what the weight of the flour should be? If measuring using a kitchen scale?

    Reply
    • GreedyEats

      December 17, 2022 at 10:43 pm

      Hi Amanda! If you use US Customary - Metric conversion in the recipe table, it will give you the values of each every ingredient in gms. Flour would be 281 gms.

      Reply
  13. Anonymous

    December 15, 2022 at 7:37 pm

    Totally disappointed
    Made 2x. Threw out 1 batch. Used the double batch button, and it neglects to increase amount of butter so cookies didn't mix. i didn't catch that fact and should have.
    Cookie not that great tasting.

    Reply
    • Kathleen

      December 18, 2022 at 5:25 pm

      5 stars
      These are the bomb. Like regular shortbread but more airy. Yum. I followed the recipe exactly, beat the butter and sugar together on speed 4, used a cookie scoop, and baked for 18 minutes in a gas oven. Turned out perfect.

      Reply
  14. Ayessa

    December 14, 2022 at 9:57 am

    After baking, how long will they last?

    Reply
    • GreedyEats

      December 16, 2022 at 8:22 pm

      For up to a week at room temperature. Enjoy!

      Reply
  15. Tracy

    December 14, 2022 at 8:43 am

    5 stars
    So delicious 😋. The storage information made me laugh. I made these and the plan was to give away to family and friends. That didn't happen. My husband and I ate them, now I'm making more. Yummy!

    Reply
  16. Sue

    December 13, 2022 at 9:41 am

    5 stars
    These are super yummy, the only thing is they came out more like crisp Scottish shortbread than whipped, any suggestions? I measured using a scale and the dough wasn’t too crumbly or anything after being in the fridge 🤔

    Reply
  17. Martha Jens

    December 12, 2022 at 7:55 pm

    These are awesome!the best shortbread I’ve ever made!

    Reply
  18. Lynne

    December 11, 2022 at 12:41 am

    5 stars
    People who find the dough crumbly are not measuring flour correctly. Never scoop into the flour always spoon into the measuring cup then level with a flat knife. Never use your hand or just scoop the flour it compresses the flour and recipe will not work.

    Reply
  19. Melissa

    December 10, 2022 at 1:39 pm

    Hi. Are you able to roll and cookie cut this dough?
    Thanks

    Reply
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About Neha

I'm Neha, baker, recipe developer, photographer and writer at Greedyeats.com I aim to create kitchen tested and quality recipes, accompanied by helpful process clicks and lots of tips & tricks along the way. I truly hope my recipes give you confidence to bake and cook from scratch! Read More…

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