Shortbread Cookies: the incredible, buttery cookie made with just four ingredients

Homemade shortbread cookies are always such a delight. Simple, perfectly sweet, and wonderfully buttery shortbread cookies are a favorite treat to make during the holidays as a delicious homemade gift for friends and family. You only need four ingredients to make shortbread cookies: flour, sugar, butter, and vanilla extract. You probably already have all these ingredients in your kitchen!

They're fantastic with a cup of coffee or tea, and super easy to make – you can quickly whip up a batch for afternoon tea! Shortbread only takes about half an hour from start to finish and can be prepared a few days in advance. The best part is shortbread can easily be customized, so feel free to put your own spin on this much-loved classic cookie. Add chocolate, mix in candied citrus peel, or fold in chopped nuts. Get creative!

Tips for Making Shortbread Cookies

If your dough is too crumbly, mix it with your hands. Your body heat will help soften the butter and help the ingredients combine and stick together. And don't forget to use room-temperature butter!

Chilling the cookie dough prevents spreading. If you want to use a cookie cutter instead of making shortbread rounds, chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking will help the cookies keep their shape. It's an optional step, but a helpful one.

To make gluten-free shortbread, use your favorite gluten-free flour.

Add flavored extracts like orange, lemon, or almond to jazz up your shortbread. Other tasty ingredients to add include chocolate chips, citrus zest, candied citrus, lavender, dried fruit, chopped nuts, and coconut.

Use a plant-based spread to make vegan shortbread cookies.

How to Store Homemade Shortbread Cookies

Keep your shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy within 5 days.

How to Make Shortbread Cookies

Preheat your oven to 325F. Line two cookie sheets with baking parchment.

Place butter, sugar, and flour in the bowl.

Add the vanilla extract.

Mix until a crumbly dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto parchment paper, then shape it into a ball.

Roll it out to about 1/2-inch thickness by placing another parchment paper on top.

Using a cookie cutter, punch out the dough. Gather the scraps of dough, shape them into a ball, then roll the dough out. Punch out cookies. Repeat until all the dough has been used.

Place the cookies onto the parchment on the baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the bottoms of the shortbread begin to turn lightly golden. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes.

Remove the cookies to racks to cool completely.

Serve and enjoy!