This recipe was originally published in December 2020 and has since been fully updated with a refined recipe and stunning new images to ensure the best possible baking experience for you.

This incredibly soft and rich cut-out shortbread cookie dough offers endless possibilities for customization, making it a truly versatile addition to your baking repertoire! Beyond serving them plain, you can transform these cookies into elegant Linzer-style treats by adding a jam filling, craft charming jam thumbprint cookies, or adorn them with my signature no-spread cookie icing, just like I use for my no-spread sugar cookies. The choice is yours to make them uniquely your own!

There’s something truly special about pulling out my cherished box of cookie cutters each year to create a festive array of these cutout shortbread cookies. They’re perfect for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or simply enjoying with a warm cup of tea. A huge bonus? The dough can be prepared several days in advance, simplifying your holiday baking schedule significantly. This allows you to spread out the fun and enjoy the process without feeling rushed.

If you’re curating a diverse holiday cookie box this season, consider pairing these delightful shortbread cookies with other festive favorites. Explore recipes like my decadent cocoa blossom cookies, the traditional German gingerbread cookies, elegant chocolate-dipped butter cookies, and the warmly spiced browned butter snickerdoodles. Each recipe brings its own unique flavor and texture, ensuring a truly impressive assortment for any celebration.

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Shortbread

Crafting these delectable shortbread cookies requires only a few high-quality ingredients. Each component plays a crucial role in achieving that signature melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich, buttery flavor.

• Unsalted Butter: This is the star of any great shortbread, providing the foundational rich, creamy flavor and incredibly tender texture. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the salt content in your recipe. Ensure your butter is at room temperature for optimal creaming, as this helps incorporate air for a lighter cookie structure. I personally love using European-style butter, like Kerrygold, for an even richer and creamier result, but any good quality unsalted butter will work beautifully.
• All-Purpose Flour: The primary dry ingredient, all-purpose flour provides the structure for your cookies. I have exclusively tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, and it consistently yields excellent results. Avoid over-measuring flour, as this can lead to dry, crumbly cookies. For best accuracy, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
• Cornstarch: This seemingly small addition is a game-changer! Cornstarch is the secret ingredient that keeps these shortbread cookies incredibly soft and tender, preventing them from becoming too crisp. It also helps the cookies maintain their shape during baking, ensuring your cutout designs remain sharp and defined.
• Vanilla Extract: A touch of high-quality vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor profile of the cookies, adding a warm and aromatic note that complements the rich butteriness. If you have it, use pure vanilla extract for the best taste. You can also experiment with other extracts like almond or peppermint for different flavor variations.
• Confectioners’ Sugar (Powdered Sugar): Unlike many cookie recipes that use granulated sugar, we opt for confectioners’ sugar here. The finely ground texture of powdered sugar contributes significantly to the delicate, soft, and smooth texture of these shortbread cookies. It dissolves more readily into the butter, resulting in a finer crumb and preventing a grainy mouthfeel. This also helps the cookies hold their intricate cutout shapes better than granulated sugar might.
• Kosher Salt: A small amount of kosher salt is essential to balance the sweetness and amplify the rich buttery flavor of the shortbread. Salt brings out the best in all the other ingredients, creating a more complex and satisfying taste. If using fine table salt instead of kosher salt, remember to halve the amount, as it is much denser. I typically use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt.

For precise measurements and full instructions, please refer to the comprehensive recipe card below.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Perfect Cutout Shortbread Cookies

Making these delightful shortbread cookies is a straightforward process, but a few key techniques will ensure they turn out beautifully every time. Follow these steps for buttery, tender cookies that hold their shape perfectly.

Step 1: Prepare the Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together your all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and kosher salt. Whisking ensures these ingredients are thoroughly combined and evenly distributed, which is crucial for the consistent texture of your shortbread. Set this bowl aside for now.

Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, combine the softened unsalted butter and confectioners’ sugar. Beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This step is vital for incorporating air, which contributes to the shortbread’s tender crumb. Next, add the vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Gradually, and on low speed, add the whisked dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Continue to beat until a cohesive dough forms. The dough might appear crumbly at first, but keep mixing; it will eventually come together into a soft ball.

Step 3: Chill the Dough. Remove the shortbread cookie dough from the mixing bowl and shape it into a flat disc or log. Tightly wrap the dough in a large piece of clingfilm, ensuring no air can get in. This chilling step is absolutely essential; it allows the butter to firm up, preventing the cookies from spreading excessively in the oven and helping them maintain their intricate shapes. Place the wrapped dough in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, though preferably overnight for the best results.

Step 4: Roll, Cut, and Freeze. The next day (or after sufficient chilling), lightly flour a clean work surface and your rolling pin. Unwrap the chilled cookie dough and roll it out evenly to about ¼-inch thick. Avoid rolling it too thin or too thick. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out various shapes. Gently gather any dough scraps, press them together (without overworking), and re-roll to cut out more cookies. Place the cut-out cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate. Now, here’s another critical step: freeze the cut-out cookies for 15-20 minutes. This second chill ensures the butter is very cold, which further helps the cookies hold their shape perfectly in the oven.

While the cookies are chilling in the freezer, preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit (175°Celsius). Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Once the cookies are thoroughly chilled, arrange them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just barely golden. The centers should still be pale. Baking one sheet at a time helps maintain an even oven temperature and prevents overcrowding. While one sheet bakes, keep the other sheet of unbaked cookies in the fridge or freezer to ensure they remain cold, preventing any premature spreading.

Allow the baked cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. They will be delicate when warm, so handle with care.

Creative Variations for Your Shortbread Cookies

One of the most exciting aspects of this cutout shortbread recipe is its incredible versatility. With a single batch of dough, you can explore a multitude of creative transformations to suit any occasion or preference. Here are some popular and delightful variations to inspire your baking:

Elegant Thumbprint Jam Cookies

Transform your shortbread into classic thumbprint cookies by gently pressing an indentation into the center of each cookie before baking. You can use a thumbprint cookie stamp or simply the back of a small round spoon or even your thumb! Once the cookies are baked and completely cooled, fill the cavities with your favorite jam or fruit spread. For a neater finish, place the jam in a piping bag with a small round tip and gently pipe it into the indentation. If your jam is too thick, microwave it for 5-10 seconds to make it more pliable. Raspberry, apricot, strawberry, or even a citrus curd make exquisite fillings.

Beautiful Linzer Cookies

Create stunning Linzer cookies by using a dedicated Linzer cookie cutter set. These sets allow you to cut out two identical shapes, with a smaller design cut from the center of one. Bake both halves as instructed. Once cooled, spread a layer of your favorite jam, a rich chocolate spread (like Nutella), or a tangy lemon curd onto the solid cookie half. Then, gently place the cutout cookie half on top, creating a beautiful “window” that showcases the delicious filling beneath. A light dusting of confectioners’ sugar over the top cookie half adds a delicate finish.

Delightfully Frosted Cookies

Let your creativity shine with frosted shortbread cookies! Use any cookie cutters you desire to create fun shapes. Once baked and completely cooled, these cookies provide the perfect canvas for decoration. I often use my hard-setting icing recipe from my no-spread sugar cookies for a smooth, firm finish, often sprinkling sparkling sugar over the wet icing for extra sparkle. Alternatively, for a softer, creamier topping, you can use a classic buttercream frosting, like the one from my buttercream cookies recipe. Experiment with different colors, piping techniques, and an assortment of sprinkles, edible glitter, or even finely chopped nuts to create visually stunning and delicious treats.

Expert Tips & Tricks for Shortbread Success

Achieving perfect cutout shortbread cookies is easy with a few insider tips. These expert recommendations will help you ensure your cookies are tender, flavorful, and hold their shape beautifully every single time:

• Embrace a Kitchen Scale for Precision: When it comes to baking, especially for delicate cookies like shortbread, accuracy in measurement is paramount. I cannot stress enough the importance of using a kitchen scale. Measuring flour by volume (cups) can easily lead to adding too much, resulting in a dry, dense, and crumbly shortbread that lacks that signature melt-in-your-mouth quality. A scale ensures you have the exact amount of each ingredient, leading to consistent and perfect results.
• Don’t Skip the Chill Time: This is arguably the most crucial step for cutout cookies. The dough needs to be thoroughly chilled – not just once, but twice! The initial chill firms up the butter in the dough, preventing it from spreading too much in the oven. The second, brief freeze just before baking locks in the butter’s coldness, acting as a crucial barrier against excessive spreading, ensuring your intricate cookie cutter shapes remain crisp and defined. Patience here pays off immensely.
• Ensure Cookies Are Completely Cooled Before Decorating: While it might be tempting to start frosting your beautiful creations as soon as they come out of the oven, resist the urge! Warm cookies will melt any frosting or icing you apply, leading to a messy and unappealing finish. Always allow your shortbread cookies to cool completely on a wire rack for at least an hour before you begin any decorating. This ensures your icing sets properly and your designs stay pristine.
• Avoid Overworking the Dough: Shortbread is known for its tender texture, and overworking the dough can develop the gluten in the flour, resulting in tough or chewy cookies. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients only until just combined and a cohesive dough forms. As soon as it comes together, stop mixing.
• Consistent Thickness Matters: When rolling out your dough, aim for an even ¼-inch thickness. Cookies that are too thin will bake too quickly and become overly crisp, while those too thick may not bake through evenly. Using a rolling pin with thickness guides can be incredibly helpful for achieving uniformity.
• Bake One Sheet at a Time: For the most consistent baking and even browning, bake one sheet of cookies at a time in the center rack of your oven. If you try to bake two sheets at once, the airflow in the oven can be disrupted, leading to uneven baking. While one sheet bakes, keep the other prepared sheet of cookies in the fridge or freezer to maintain their chill.

The choice of powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) over granulated sugar is key to achieving the signature texture of these shortbread cookies. Powdered sugar is much finer, dissolving more completely into the butter to create an incredibly smooth, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth crumb. Granulated sugar can sometimes leave a slightly grainy texture and may contribute to more spreading during baking, whereas powdered sugar helps the cookies hold their delicate cutout shapes beautifully.

Cornstarch is a secret weapon in this shortbread recipe! It’s added to the flour to help inhibit gluten development, which is crucial for achieving an exceptionally soft and tender cookie. Without cornstarch, shortbread can sometimes be a bit too crumbly or even slightly tough. It also plays a role in helping the cookies maintain their precise cutout shapes and preventing them from spreading excessively in the oven, ensuring your festive designs look perfect.

Absolutely, chilling is not an optional step; it’s fundamental to the success of these cutout shortbread cookies! The dough requires a significant chill (preferably overnight) to allow the butter to firm up and the flavors to meld. Then, briefly freezing the cut-out cookies just before they go into the oven is a critical second step. This ensures the butter remains very cold, which creates steam as it bakes, helping the cookies puff slightly and preventing them from spreading too much. This dual chilling process guarantees your cookies will hold their beautiful shapes, have crisp edges, and boast that desired tender, buttery texture.

Yes, this dough is perfect for making ahead! You can prepare the dough, wrap it tightly in clingfilm, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. This makes holiday baking much more manageable, as you can break up the process. When you’re ready to bake, simply let the dough sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes to soften slightly before rolling it out. You can also freeze the raw dough (well-wrapped) for up to 2-3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before rolling and cutting.

If you’ve had the pleasure of making this wonderful cutout shortbread recipe, I would absolutely love to hear from you! Please make sure to leave a ⭐️ rating and a thoughtful review below. Your feedback helps me improve and inspires other bakers. I get so much joy from seeing your beautiful creations, so remember to tag me on Instagram @alpineella when you share your delicious bakes! You can also stay connected and follow along for more baking inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook, and TikTok!

Cutout Shortbread Cookies

By Ella Gilbert

Nutrition