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    Home » Recipes » Cookies and Biscuits

    Easy Shortbread Biscuits

    Published: Dec 4, 2023 by Anna · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 15 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Easy shortbread biscuits made with only 3 ingredients! These tender, buttery and crumbly cookies will be perfect to enjoy with your favourite cuppa, but equally delicious on their own.

    Classic shortbread recipe is one of the simplest treats to bake, and can be used to make different versions of these traditional biscuits, by using extra flavours and add-ons.

    slices of shortbread fingers on a brown baking paper.

    These melt-in-your-mouth, crumbly shortbread cookies are full of wonderful, buttery taste. They are perfect for family gatherings, afternoon teas or mid- morning coffees. Just a good all- rounders really.

    Shortbread is also an ideal addition to any edible gift baskets or festive hampers, and I always include it (together with Gingerbread Macarons and Peppermint Creams) in my Christmas cookie boxes.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • Top Tip
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Comments

    Ingredients

    Traditionally, shortbread biscuits are made from one part of white sugar, two parts of butter and three to four parts of plain flour (all purpose flour). Extra ingredients are often added to spruce up the flavour, like vanilla, citrus zest or chocolate.

    To make this basic shortbread cookie recipe, you will only need 3 simple ingredients. Because classic shortbread requires only 3 ingredients, it's crucial to make sure they're right. I do not recommend any swaps or substitutes to these:

    ingredients for Scottish shortbread biscuits in the bowls on a metal tray with text overlay.
    • Sugar - White caster or granulated sugar. Some recipes use icing sugar (powdered sugar, also known as confectioner's sugar), but I recommend sticking to granulated or caster for best results.
    • Butter - Unsalted butter, chilled and cubed. Use the best quality butter you can, as it will make a huge difference to the taste! Salted butter can be used too, but because I like to control the amount of salt that goes into my bakes, I typically use unsalted.
    • Flour - Plain, all purpose flour.

    I also add a good pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness of shortbread, but it's totally optional and not necessary.

    Scroll to the bottom of this post for the recipe card and the full list of the ingredients.

    Instructions

    When it comes to making this easy shortbread recipe, you have few options. You can simply roll the dough and cut the biscuits (by hand) into rectangles, or use a cookie cutter (any shape).

    Alternatively, you can place the dough into a baking tin or baking pan, score it, and then bake. This method will prevent your biscuits from spreading too much, and will give them more uniform shape.

    You can even roll the dough into a sausage, chill, then slice into discs and bake.

    Whichever method you choose, be sure not to roll (or press or slice) the dough too thin. Proper shortbread should be quite thick! I typically roll mine into about 1cm- 1.5cm thick.

    large glass mixing bowl with flour, butter and sugar to make shortbread.

    Put the flour, sugar and butter into a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to rub the ingredients together until they resemble breadcrumbs.

    dough for easy shortbread biscuits inside of the glass mixing bowl.

    Press the ingredients together until you have a dough. If baking in the pan or tin, press the dough into an even layer directly into lined tin.

    biscuits dough rolled into square on a lightly floured surface.

    Roll the dough to about 1cm thick. Alternatively, instead of rolling it, you can press the dough into small baking dish/ baking pan.

    shortbread dough sliced into 8 fingers and pricked with fork on top.

    Cut the dough into fingers (or any shape) and transfer into baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Prick it gently with fork and sprinkle with extra sugar. Chill for 30 minutes.

    Once chilled, bake shortbread for 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the biscuits to cool for 10 minutes.

    Variations

    • Vanilla shortbread - Add a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract to the dough ingredients for a vanilla flavoured shortbread.
    • Citrus zest - Finely grated lemon, orange or lime zest will be a great addition and easy way to introduce different version of shortbread.
    • Chocolate - Try adding a handful of chocolate chips or chocolate chunks to the shortbread dough. Alternatively, you can dip or drizzle your shortbread biscuits with some melted chocolate.

    This recipe is a brilliant and easy basic biscuit recipe that will take on most flavours really well. Experiment with different extracts, herbs (lavender and rosemary are some of my favourite) dried fruit or nuts.

    Storage

    Store your shortbread biscuits in an airtight container or biscuit tin at room temperature. They will last for at least a couple of weeks.

    You can also freeze the shortbread for up to 3 months. To freeze, allow the biscuits to cool completely, then transfer to freezer-friendly container or bag.

    If you stacking your shortbread cookies for freezing, place a layer of baking paper or kitchen foil between the layers, to prevent them from sticking together.

    Thaw at room temperature before serving.

    Top Tip

    • Do not over-work the dough. The key to a delicious shortbread biscuit is not to overhandle it. Make the dough exactly as per the recipe instructions. Don't mess around with cutting fancy shapes (use my Sugar Cookies recipe instead for that), stretching or pulling the dough, as this will activate the gluten in the flour, and you will have chewy, rather than crispy and tender cookies.
    • If you are baking shortbread fingers, make sure they are wide enough so that the fork can prick them.
    • Adjust baking times. Depending on the size of your biscuits, they will need the baking times to be adjusted. Shortbread is done baking when the corners of the biscuits begin to take on very light caramel tinge.
    batch of shortbread biscuits on a brown baking paper and lots of crumbs around them.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do I have to put shortbread in the fridge before baking?

    You don't have to, but chilling the dough will help your shortbread biscuits to keep their shape while baking. Once in the oven, the butter will melt, causing the dough to spread. If you chill the biscuits before baking, it will help to reduce the spreading. It's not as much of an issue if you are baking your shortbread in a tin or baking pan, but definitely worth doing if you are baking individual biscuits.

    Can this recipe be scaled up/ down?

    Yes, it can! Feel free to double or triple it for a big batch of shortbread biscuits (ideal for gifting). It can also be scaled down for a small batch.

    Why is my shortbread crumbly?

    Traditional Scottish shortbread meant to be crumbly and tender, with melt-in-your-mouth texture. The dough is crumbly, due to the fact that there are no binding ingredients in this recipe (like eggs or milk).

    📖 Recipe

    Scottish shortbread biscuits sprinkled with sugar on a brown baking paper and one biscuit missing a bite.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 9 votes

    Easy Shortbread Biscuits

    Deliciously tender, buttery shortbread biscuits, made with only 3 basic ingredients! These simple cookies are ideal with a cup of tea or coffee, but just as good on their own!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Chilling Time30 minutes mins
    Total Time55 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: British
    Keyword: butter cookies, shortbread, shortbread biscuits, shortbread cookies
    Servings: 8 biscuits
    Calories: 88kcal
    Author: Anna Wierzbinska

    Equipment

    • mixing bowl
    • rolling pin optional
    • baking tray
    • baking paper

    Ingredients

    • 180 g plain flour
    • 120 g unsalted butter chilled and cubed
    • 60 g caster sugar (plus extra 1 tablespoon for sprinkling)
    • ½ teaspoon salt optional
    Metric - US Customary
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Prepare the baking tray or baking pan/tin. Line large baking tray with baking paper and set aside. Alternatively, you can also bake your shortbread in a small ovenproof dish, small pan or small tin.
    • Mix the ingredients. Place the flour, butter, sugar and salt (if using) into a large mixing bowl and use your hands to combine all the ingredients until the mixture resembles the texture of breadcrumbs. Press the mixture firmly together, then knead it into a dough.
      180 g plain flour, 120 g unsalted butter, 60 g caster sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
    • Pre-roll and chill the dough. Lightly flour the work surface, then using a rolling pin, roll the dough to roughly about 1cm - 1.5 cm thick (¾-inch). Cut the dough into rectangles/ fingers, and transfer to a baking tray. Use fork to create few imprints in each of the biscuits (about half way through), then sprinkle with extra sugar. Chill for 30 minutes.
      Alternatively, press the dough into your baking pan or baking dish. Gently prick it with fork and sprinkle with extra sugar. If using this method, you do not have to chill the dough.
    • Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 190°C (374°F) or 170°C (338°F) for fan assisted ovens.
    • Bake the biscuits. Bake the shortbread biscuits for 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove shortbread from the oven and allow the biscuits to cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

    Please note that all my recipes are developed and tested in metric grams. I recommend that you use digital scales for a more accurate results. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.

    Notes

    Storage and freezing: 
    Store your shortbread biscuits in an airtight container or biscuit tin at room temperature. They will last for at least a couple of weeks.
    You can also freeze the shortbread for up to 3 months. To freeze, allow the biscuits to cool completely, then transfer to freezer-friendly container or bag.
    If you stacking your shortbread cookies for freezing, place a layer of baking paper or kitchen foil between the layers, to prevent them from sticking together.
    Thaw at room temperature before serving.
    Recipe tips:
    1. Do not over-work the dough. The key to a delicious shortbread biscuit is not to overhandle it. Make the dough exactly as per the recipe instructions. Don't mess around with cutting shapes, stretching or pulling the dough, as this will activate the gluten in the flour, and you will have chewy, rather than crispy cookies.
    2. If you are baking shortbread fingers, make sure they are wide enough so that the fork can prick them.
    3. Adjust baking times. Depending on the size of your biscuits, they will need the baking times to be adjusted. Shortbread is done baking when the corners of the biscuits begin to take on very light caramel tinge.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 15g | Calories: 88kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 11mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    Did you make this?Tell me how you like it? Leave a comment or take a picture and tag @anna_wierzbinska on Instagram. I love seeing your take on my recipes!

    This recipe was originally published in March 2017. It has been updated with new photos, revised recipe and tips in December 2023.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katie

      March 20, 2020 at 3:24 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so good! Can't wait to try it.

      Reply
      • annabanana

        March 22, 2020 at 1:54 pm

        Thanks Katie, let me know if you give them a go!

        Reply
    2. Jordin

      March 20, 2020 at 3:16 pm

      5 stars
      I LOVE cookies, and especially these shortbread cookies! So easy to make, and soo delicious!

      Reply
      • annabanana

        March 22, 2020 at 1:52 pm

        Glad you like them Jordin, thanks so much!

        Reply
    3. Carrie Robinson

      March 20, 2020 at 2:23 pm

      5 stars
      I just love a good shortbread cookie! These would go perfect with my afternoon tea. 🙂

      Reply
      • annabanana

        March 22, 2020 at 1:52 pm

        Thanks Carrie, they're one of my all time favourite too! Ideal for dunking!

        Reply
    4. Lauren

      March 20, 2020 at 2:08 pm

      5 stars
      Shortbread are so simple and always a yummy treat! These cookies were especially delicious served alongside a cup of coffee. So crumbly, butter and tender.

      Reply
      • annabanana

        March 22, 2020 at 1:51 pm

        Thanks so much Lauren, so glad you've enjoyed the recipe! They are the best companion to a cuppa, almost like they've meant to be together!

        Reply
    5. Nicola Burrow

      December 11, 2018 at 1:39 am

      5 stars
      I made these recently and they are just lovely, tonight I'm making them with a layer of biscoff spread added once they've cooled and topped with sainsbury's free from white chocolate melted over the top.

      Reply
      • annabanana

        December 13, 2018 at 2:40 pm

        Hey Nicola! Thanks so much for this lovely comment! Made my day to hear that you've been enjoying this recipe! And your version with spread and white chocolate sounds just like a heaven to me! I think I'm going to try that too!x

        Reply
    6. NV

      December 23, 2017 at 8:12 pm

      are the calories per cookie or for the whole batch?

      Reply
      • annabanana

        December 30, 2017 at 1:19 pm

        Hey there!
        The calories are per cookie. Hope it helps!

        Reply
    7. Rebecca de Silva

      April 25, 2017 at 9:40 am

      5 stars
      I cant stop eating these!!! Xxx

      Reply
      • annabanana

        April 26, 2017 at 9:08 am

        Yayyyyy!!!
        This made my day! So glad that you have tried and that you like them!!! Mwaaaahhhh! x

        Reply
    8. Jo

      April 10, 2017 at 10:17 am

      5 stars
      How tasty are they? Love the simple recipes and this couldn't be any simpler Anna! I'm making them for Easter and can't wait to share the results with you 🙂 XXX

      Reply

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    Anna Wierzbinska.

    Hey, I'm Anna!

    I'm a self-taught baker, recipe developer & food photographer based in small village in Hampshire, UK. I created this blog to share sweet recipes that are simple enough for bakers of any level to enjoy. I truly hope that you will find your new favourite dessert recipe here! If you have any questions, or want to connect, I would love to hear from you!

    About Anna →

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