Easy Shortbread Christmas Cookies are buttery, crisp, and melt in your mouth with every bite. These festive cookies are perfect for holiday gifting, cookie exchanges, or adding to your Christmas dessert platter.
These buttery Shortbread Christmas Cookies are a holiday classic that never goes out of style. With their rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture and simple ingredients, they’re a must-have for any Christmas cookie tray. The dough comes together easily, making them a great choice for both beginner and experienced bakers.
Decorate them with festive sprinkles, drizzle with chocolate, or enjoy them plain with a cup of cocoa or coffee. However you serve them, these cookies are guaranteed to bring warmth and joy to your holiday celebrations. Also, try 12 Days of Christmas Cookies for an assortment of cookies.
You might also like Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies.
What's in this post: Shortbread Christmas Cookies
Why We Love This
- Buttery and tender: Melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s rich without being overly sweet.
- Easy to make: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps make them perfect for bakers of all skill levels.
- Customizable: Decorate with sprinkles, chocolate drizzle, or leave plain for a classic look.
- Perfect for gifting: Great for cookie exchanges, holiday gift boxes, or festive platters.
- Timeless holiday favorite: A traditional recipe that’s been loved for generations.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: Spoon the flour into the measuring cup rather than packing it to avoid adding too much, which can make the cookies crumbly.
- Powdered Sugar: Gives the cookies a light, tender texture. Unlike granulated sugar, it blends smoothly into the dough for perfect consistency.
- Unsalted Butter: Soften at room temperature but do not melt, or the cookies may spread too much while baking.
- Vanilla Extract: Provides classic flavor, though almond extract can be used for a subtle twist.
- Christmas Sprinkles: Nonpareils and jimmies work best for decorating and adding festive color to the cookies.
Find the complete list of ingredients at the bottom of the page.
Variations
- Flavorings: While traditional shortbread is simple and buttery, you can add flavors like lemon, coconut, peppermint, mint, or orange for a unique twist.
- Icing: Frost the cookies with a simple icing for extra sweetness and festive decoration. Use food coloring to match holiday themes.
- Cookie Cutters: Roll out the dough with a rolling pin and use holiday-shaped cookie cutters for fun and festive designs.
- Glaze: Drizzle or dip the cookies in a cream cheese glaze for added richness and flavor.
- Chocolate: Melt chocolate to dip or drizzle over the cookies for a decadent treat.
- Sprinkle Mix: Try mixing different colored sprinkles, sanding sugar, or crushed candy canes on top for variety.
- Nut Toppings: Press finely chopped nuts like pecans or almonds into the cookies before baking for extra texture and flavor.
- Filled Cookies: Sandwich two cookies together with a thin layer of jam, chocolate, or flavored buttercream for a festive variation.
Step By Step Instructions
- Step 1. Sift the salt and flour together. Set aside.
Step 2. I like to use the bowl of my stand mixer but you can also use a hand mixer. Beat together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until fluffy.
Step 3. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add in the flour. Combine until the butter is just mixed into the flour to form the shortbread dough. Be careful that you don’t over mix or the cookies will be tough.
Step 4. Next, add the sprinkles and mix until just combined. You do not want to over mix with the sprinkles either or the color might bleed into the dough.
Step 5. Once combined, separate the dough into 2 balls. Then form each ball into a log. Wrap with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. While the dough is in the freezer, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the rack in the center of the oven. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Cut the dough into ¼ inch thick slices.
Step 6. Then place the cookies on the baking pan. You can use a spatula to do this if it’s easier. Bake cookies for 10-15 minutes until the edges of the cookies are slightly golden brown.
Step 7. Finally, allow the cookies to cool for 20 minutes. Then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage
Room Temperature: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Keep them away from heat and direct sunlight to preserve their texture and color.
Refrigeration: If your kitchen is warm or you’ve decorated with perishable icing, refrigerate the cookies in an airtight container. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving.
Freezing: Shortbread cookies freeze well. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze, then transfer to a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Decorated Cookies: If cookies are decorated with icing or chocolate, store them in a single layer to avoid smudging.
Learn How to Freeze Cookie Dough.
Pro Tips
- Measure Accurately: Fluff and spoon the flour and powdered sugar into the measuring cups instead of packing them down. Accurate measurements help ensure the cookies bake with the perfect texture.
- Chill the Dough: Freeze or refrigerate the dough before slicing. This makes it easier to cut even slices and prevents the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
- Use Scraps Wisely: Gather any leftover dough scraps, re-roll, and cut into additional cookies to avoid waste.
- Softened Butter: Make sure the butter is softened at room temperature but not melted. Melted butter will make the cookies spread too much.
- Even Slices: Try to cut uniform slices for consistent baking and even cookie shapes.
- Decorate After Cooling: Allow cookies to cool completely before adding icing, glaze, or sprinkles to prevent them from sliding or melting.
- Experiment with Flavors: Add a hint of almond, lemon, or peppermint extract for subtle seasonal variations without changing the cookie’s texture.
More Delicious Christmas Cookies
- M&M Christmas Cookies
- Christmas Sprinkle Cookies
- Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe
- White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Christmas Cake Mix Cookies Recipe
Make Shortbread Christmas Cookies for a delicious dessert. Please leave a comment and star rating once you try this recipe. I love to hear from you!
Shortbread Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Christmas Sprinkles
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Sift together the salt and flour, then set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand up mixer, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-low speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add in the flour, bring down the speed of the mixer on low, and beat just until the butter is mixed into the flour. Don’t over mix or the cookies will be tough.
- Mix in the sprinkles until just combined. You do not want to over mix with the sprinkles either or the color might bleed into the dough.
- Separate the dough into 2 balls. Form each ball into a log that is approximately 7-8 inches long. Wrap with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place the rack in the center of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove the logs from the freezer and cut each one into approximately ¼ inch thick slices. Then place the cookies on the baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes until the edges of the cookies are slightly browned.
- Let the cookies cool for 20 minutes, then gently transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Then the cookies are ready to serve and enjoy!
The easiest Christmas cookie recipe. They taste great too!
I want to try all of recipes RIGHT NOW!!!
Anyone else?!
So where do I start.
Shortbread is my favorite, so something
with shortbread base.
Easy also.
This will also have a 10yr old as master baker.
So *quick, *easy, *colorful, *flashy, *familiar ingredients, *&, *&, *&
Thx bunches.