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    Home » Recipes » Desserts » 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies

    Modified: Jan 23, 2025 · Published: Nov 19, 2016 by Angela G. · This post may contain affiliate links.

    3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies

    1.5K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    These melt-in-your-mouth Scottish-inspired shortbread cookies are simple to make. Just 3 ingredients and they come out so light and buttery!

    Easy Buttery Shortbread Cookies
    3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
    Easy Buttery Shortbread Cookies
    Easy Buttery Shortbread Cookies
    3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
    Easy Buttery Shortbread Cookies
    Table Of Contents
    1. ★ Why You’ll Love this Recipe ★
    2. ★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
    3. ★ How to Make this Recipe ★
    4. ★ FAQs & Tips ★
    5. ★ More Recipes You'll Love ★
    6. 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies

    ★ Why You’ll Love this Recipe ★

    Easy. Buttery. Shortbread Cookies. Yes!

    Add these to your holiday baking list or make them any time of the year to serve with tea or as a birthday treat.

    These melt-in-your-mouth Scottish-inspired shortbread cookies are simple to make. Just 3 ingredients and they come out so light and buttery!

    You can add extra flavoring if you'd like to give them a hint of almond or vanilla.

    These are fun to decorate and cut out into any shape you'd like!

    ★ Ingredients You'll Need ★

    Just 3 basic ingredients!

    Holiday Shortbread Cookies (Just 3 Ingredients)
    • Butter. Salted. You can also use margarine if you prefer.
    • Flour. All purpose flour is all you need. Nothing fancy or special.
    • Sugar. Just plain white table sugar.

    Simple as that!

    Optional Ingredients

    If you want to add extra flavor you can add a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract.

    ★ How to Make this Recipe ★

    Watch how to make these easy shortbread cookies.

    Check out this video below the recipe that shows how to make these cookies, step-by-step.

    ★ FAQs & Tips ★

    Cookie Cutters vs. Stamps vs. Shortbread Cookie Pan

    You can use a cookie cutter, cookie stamp, or a shortbread cookie pan. Or heck, you can even cut them with a knife. Your choice! I don't believe in rules when it comes to things like this. 🙂

    Using Cookie Cutters

    I like this method because most people have cookie cutters on hand so there's nothing new to buy. Cookie cutters work great work and you can cut out your shortbread in any shape so you get to be creative and can make these holiday themed if you want.

    You can see I have made them as squares and also as wreaths varying the shape, the thickness and the decorating style yet still using this same recipe.

    Want a special cookie cutter shape? Shop cookie cutters on Amazon

    Using Cookie Stamps

    A cookie stamp kind of does double duty here. It cuts out the cookie shape and also applies a decorative texture to the top of the cookie. This is an easy way to make your cookies look really beautiful!

    Shop cookie stamps on Amazon

    Using a Shortbread Cookie Pan

    This traditional tool works great to create an imprint in the cookie dough. The thing I don't like about using a shortbread pan is that it makes 9 cookies at a time in one block. So, you have to cut them out after they are baked. The chance of them crumbling as you separate each cookie is high. However, if you prefer this method, you can purchase a shortbread cookie pan on amazon.

    Can I make these thick like traditional Scottish shortbread cookies?

    Yes. You can roll these babies as thick or as thin as you'd like. Just just keep in mind, cook time may vary.

    You may need to bake them at a lower temperate and for longer if you roll them very thick. 325˚is a safe bet. Just keep an eye on them and snatch them out of the oven as soon as they look completely firm.

    Can you decorate these shortbread cookies?

    Sure! Have fun with it and put your own twist on it. You can decorate with sprinkles or go more tradition and poke holes to decorate. Try dipping in chocolate, These are a must for your Christmas baking list!

    First time making shortbread cookies?

    Have you ever wondered why there's no ready-made shortbread cookie mix? Or am I the only one who's that simple? Gah! Well, my friends. These buttery shortbread cookies are so easy to make, there are no shortcuts needed. It's literally three ingredients. Likely ones you have on hand. So these are the perfect thing for those days where you just want to put on your fuzzy socks and not leave the house the whole day.

    Finding an easy shortbread cookie recipe.

    So, never having make these before (obviously), I looked at a few different recipes for shortbread cookies. I know, it seems silly considering they're so simple but there were a few different types. Some claimed Scottish shortbread cookies are made with brown sugar and others called for vanilla extract.

    Now, I'm not necessarily a purest at heart but I do like to keep things as simple as possible. So I sided with the folks who were commenting that true shortbread cookies do not use vanilla. And I like the idea of brown sugar and might try that, but felt like the shortbread cookies I'd had before and loved always tasted like they used regular sugar.

    So once I narrowed it down to 3 ingredients it was very easy to get the dough made. The trickiest part was getting the shape right. I wanted a nice flat top and liked the look of the cookies I had seen with dotted indentations.

    So I ultimately decided to roll these out and used a square cookie cutter with a wavy edge. I used a kabob skewer to poke holes matching the scalloped edge of the cookie cutter. They have a traditional vibe but I felt like I put my own little spin on them and that was fun. 🙂 I think you could do all different shapes and really have some fun with the dots.

    You could try putting initials in the middle or even try a cookie stamp. Get creative! I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do it. Just do your thang! Baking is supposed to be therapy, right?

    Try these at your own holiday baking party.

    Speaking of baking, I'm thinking about making these for our annual Christmas cookie baking party. I love how simple yet delicious they are. So I'm thinking I'll do half the batch plain and then dip the other half in melted chocolate. Mmmm!! Or maybe do some kind of design in chocolate? I don't know yet but I'm definitely liking the idea of adding chocolate to these.

    Special tools you'll need:

    Here's the type of cookie cutter I used — square with scalloped edges.

    Square Cookie Cutter with Scalloped Edges

    Also, if you don't own one already, I highly recommend purchasing a thin, flexible metal spatula.

    Thin Flexible Metal Spatula

    The Mr. turned me on to this handy piece of kitchenware. They're very useful for lifting sticky, delicate things (like these cookies!) without smashing them or breaking them.

    ★ More Recipes You'll Love ★

    Feeling the holiday spirit?

    Try making my easy yule log cake too, browse my other cookie recipes and see all my Christmas recipes.

    These 3-ingredient easy buttery shortbread cookies were featured on Menu Plan Monday!

    Easy Buttery Shortbread Cookies

    3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies

    Author: Angela G.
    These melt-in-your-mouth Scottish-inspired shortbread cookies are simple to make. Just 3 ingredients and they come out so light and buttery!
    5 from 3 reviews
    Reviews
    Course: Dessert, Snacks
    Cuisine: American
    Skill Level: Easy
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 7 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 22 minutes minutes
    Servings: 24 Servings
    Yield: 2 dozen

    Ingredients 

    • 2 cups flour
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)
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    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, whisk together flour and sugar.
    • Add softened butter to dry ingredients and mix together using a fork until crumbly dough forms.
    • Grab a ball of dough and roll into a ball. Place dough ball onto a floured surface and roll out with a floured rolling pin.
    • When dough is about ¼" thick, cut out your cookies using a flour-coated cookie cutter.
    • Lift cookies using a thin metal spatula and place onto a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper.
    • Bake at 350˚ for about 8-9 minutes or until the edges show hints of golden brown. If you prefer thicker cookies, just don't roll them out as much and bake a bit longer. You may also want to drop the temp down to 325˚.

    Video

    Notes

    Use a skewer or thick toothpick to poke holes to create your own design.

    Nutrition Facts

    Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
    Follow Mighty Mrs. for more easy recipes!Find @MightyMrs on Pinterest

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    1.5K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Glenda Murray says

      November 28, 2022 at 10:10 am

      All purpose flour or self rising?

      Reply
      • Angela G. says

        November 28, 2022 at 4:25 pm

        All purpose flour.

        Reply
    2. Grace says

      September 21, 2022 at 6:43 am

      Hey
      Thanks for this recipe.
      I want ask, can I use margarine instead of butter? Cause where I am butter is very scares.thank you

      Reply
      • Angela G. says

        September 21, 2022 at 7:30 am

        Hi Grace, yes you can use margarine. Personally, I prefer the taste of real butter. If you're able to find heavy cream, I have a recipe you can use to make your own butter using heavy cream. If you have time, you could try that or just use margarine. Thanks for asking! Great question.

        Reply
    3. Jessie says

      September 03, 2022 at 4:10 am

      May I know the butter is it 250g. Can have the recipe in grams? Thank you

      Reply
      • Angela G. says

        September 03, 2022 at 4:47 pm

        Hi Jessie, it would be 226.8g of butter.

        Reply
    4. Lynn says

      August 31, 2022 at 5:37 pm

      Growing up our neighbor was from Scotland. She made the exact same recipe. So very good so very easy.She made them in a sheet pan and cut them to the size she wanted. As a child I loved to watch and learn from her. I was 9 at the time, I'm 70 now and still make a lot of the same cookies and Scottish recipes she taught me.

      Reply
      • Angela G. says

        September 01, 2022 at 7:12 am

        What a nice story, Lynn! Thanks for sharing.

        Reply
    5. Kathleen says

      November 16, 2021 at 8:59 pm

      How much is a stick of butter? I am guessing a stick is 1/4 but not sure, could you please clarify.

      Reply
      • Angela G. says

        November 17, 2021 at 7:23 am

        Hi Kathleen, 1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup

        Reply
    6. Cathy R Canfield says

      November 15, 2021 at 1:01 am

      I'm wondering if it's possible to use something else other than butter like I can't believe it's not butter, or some other butter substitute?

      Reply
      • Angela G. says

        November 15, 2021 at 7:35 am

        Hi Cathy, According to the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter website, you can substitute their product for butter in baking. So I think you'd be good to make that swap and give these a try!

        Reply
    7. Linda Tschappat says

      August 10, 2021 at 2:32 pm

      May I ask what altitude you're in? I'm thinking this probably won't work in high altitude areas. Will try your recipe but pretty sure I'll need to add at least a half cup more flour, if not more.

      Reply
      • Angela G. says

        August 10, 2021 at 10:58 pm

        Hi Linda, sure! My altitude is 1200 feet. Let me know if you end up adjusting for your altitude. I’d be curious to hear the difference.

        Reply
    8. Daksha Vallabh says

      July 25, 2021 at 8:07 am

      How much in quantity is one stick?

      Reply
      • Angela G. says

        July 25, 2021 at 11:38 am

        1/2 cup is in one full stick of butter.

        Reply
    9. Ju ju says

      July 25, 2021 at 12:53 am

      Not sure to use salted or unsalted Butter?

      Reply
      • Angela G. says

        July 25, 2021 at 11:38 am

        I use salted. Then you do not need to add any extra salt.

        Reply
    10. Anita says

      December 02, 2017 at 9:31 pm

      I’m so trying this recipe as a part of our annual Christmas cookies. And you’ve inspired me to buy new cookie cutters. ????☺️

      Reply
      • Angela G. says

        December 11, 2017 at 1:39 pm

        Anita, I'm so glad this inspired you! That's what I'm all about so thanks for the feedback. Merry Christmas!! Hope you're enjoying the cookies. 🙂

        Reply
    5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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