Brown Butter Shortbread: Easy and Scrumptious

18 de December de 2025

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By Lynne on December 7, 2025 » Depart a assessment

This Brown Butter Shortbread is melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious and solely makes use of three easy components. These indulgent cookies are so wealthy and buttery, you’ll by no means return to store-bought shortbread once more!

This traditional shortbread recipe is tremendous easy, making these cookies good for a cookie change or vacation celebration. These are the very best cookies and certainly one of my favorites to make for Christmas. The dough could be a little finicky for those who’re new to shortbread, however for those who comply with my ideas, your cookies will come out good each time!

Welcome to 2025’s 12 Days of Cookies!
These Brown Butter Shortbread are Day 8 of our 12 Days of Cookies!
You’ll want to take a look at the entire different days for extra goodies!

Day 1 – Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Day 2 – Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Day 3 – Chai Biscotti
Day 4 – Haystacks
Day 5 – Cherry Pie Bars
Day 6 – Cookies and Cream Cookies
Day 7 – Cranberry Orange Cookies
Day 8 – You’re on it!
Day 9 – Buckeye Cookies
Day 10 – Ricotta Cookies
Day 11 –
Day 12 –

What’s Brown Butter?

Browned butter is actually butter that’s cooked past the melting level till it darkens and begins to caramelize. It provides a splendidly nutty, wealthy taste that provides depth to your recipes. I like to make use of it in baking, particularly when paired with heat spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

On this shortbread recipe, brown butter will elevate the flavour of the cookie with out including every other components, holding shortbread true to its traditional taste profile.

Brown Butter Shortbread Elements

All shortbread makes use of the identical three components, and this recipe is not any completely different! You want the next issues:

Butter (room temperature)
Granulated white sugar
All-purpose flour

That’s it! There aren’t any leavening brokers like baking soda or powder, and that’s intentional. Some individuals add a teaspoon of vanilla extract so as to add slightly extra taste, however purists will maintain to the fundamentals!

See the recipe card beneath for detailed ingredient quantities and directions.

Process photos for Brown Butter Shortbread.

Learn how to make Do-it-yourself Brown Butter Shortbread

Plan forward! Set out your butter for Half-hour to 1 hour earlier than baking to return to room temperature. It will guarantee it melts evenly because it browns. Then you definitely’ll want one other hour to let it solidify to make use of within the recipe.
Brown the Butter: Use a medium saucepan or skillet to soften butter over medium-high warmth, stirring continually with a wood spoon or rubber spatula. (A dark-bottomed pan makes it more durable to see the colour of the butter). As soon as the butter melts, proceed to prepare dinner it till golden brown with a nutty aroma. Instantly take away the melted butter from the warmth and pour it right into a heat-proof bowl. Refrigerate the butter for one hour to solidify earlier than persevering with.
Put together the Pan: Preheat the oven to 350 levels F and line an 8×8 inch sq. pan with parchment paper.
Make the Dough: In a medium bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the brown butter and sugar on medium velocity till lighter in shade and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and blend on low velocity till simply mixed, being cautious to not overmix. I really like to make use of my fingers to essentially incorporate the flour.
Press the Dough: Switch the dough to the ready pan and press it evenly into the underside of the pan. It might look like there isn’t sufficient, however it is best to be capable of unfold it to all sides.
Bake Shortbread: Prick the highest of the shortbread cookie dough throughout with the tines of a fork. Flippantly rating the dough into 16 bars with a pointy knife to make slicing simpler later. Then bake for 50-60 minutes till calmly golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 20-Half-hour, then take away the bars utilizing the parchment paper and thoroughly lower alongside the scored strains.

Suggestions for Superb Shortbread

In case your shortbread dough appears crumbly, work it together with your fingers. That basically helps it come collectively.
Carry the brown butter again to room temperature as soon as solidified to make it simpler to include into the cookie dough.
Don’t roll the dough out- simply use your fingers to press it out and maintain it from crumbling aside.
Use a kitchen scale to measure your flour in grams (120 g= 1 cup) to make sure you’re utilizing the correct quantity. Additionally, be certain that to stir your flour earlier than spooning it out as it should decide on the shelf.
You should utilize a spherical cookie cutter or Christmas shapes for shortbread cookies as an alternative of bars if desired! Bake these on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

An easy 3-ingredient cookie made with browned butter.

Recipe Variations

Sugar: Mud completed cookies calmly with powdered sugar for added sweetness, or sprinkle some turbinado sugar as they arrive out of the oven.

Spices: Add heat seasonal spices like cinnamon and nutmeg for some spiced shortbread.

Citrus: Add orange or lemon zest.

Add-ins: Stir in chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, or dried fruit for added taste and texture.

Dipping: Dip half of the cookies in melted chocolate as soon as cool!

Sandwich: Sandwich two cookies round your favourite jam or filling!

FAQs

How do you retailer Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies?

Shortbread doesn’t must be refrigerated. Retailer it in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as per week.

Can I make these prematurely?

Sure! If you happen to love to do your vacation baking early, these are an excellent selection. Make and freeze them following the instructions beneath, then simply thaw them earlier than serving or gifting them.

You can too simply make the dough, then wrap it effectively in plastic wrap and maintain it within the fridge for as much as per week. When you’re able to bake, let it heat up sufficient to press into the pan and bake as directed.

Are you able to freeze Shortbread Bars?

Sure, this shortbread cookie recipe freezes splendidly! As soon as the shortbread is totally cool, put the cookies in an hermetic container with a layer of parchment paper in between layers, or in a freezer bag. Freeze for as much as 3 months. Thaw at room temperature earlier than serving.

How are these completely different from sugar cookies?

Sugar cookies sometimes use eggs, whereas shortbread doesn’t. The ratio of components can also be completely different. Shortbread has a better ratio of butter to flour, so is normally extra tender and crumbly.

Ought to I take advantage of Salted or Unsalted Butter?

You should utilize both one on this recipe.

In search of Extra Straightforward Recipes?

These 3-ingredient recipes are good for the busy vacation season!

3-Ingredient Pretzel Hugs– Candy chocolate and salty pretzels are the right mixture, and you can also make a complete tray of those little treats very quickly!
3 Ingredient Whipped Cream– Whether or not you’re topping off a slice of pumpkin pie, a no-bake dessert, a scorching cup of cocoa, or just indulging in a spoonful straight from the bowl, home made whipped cream is an opulent deal with that’s surprisingly straightforward to make.
3 Ingredient Peppermint Bark– This straightforward sweet bark with white chocolate, darkish chocolate, and a contact of peppermint is a good present for everybody in your record.
3 Ingredient Grape Jelly Meatballs– With just a few easy components and hardly any prep, these meatballs are the right appetizer for a vacation celebration, tailgates, and sport day gatherings!
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies– They’re the right factor to make while you want one thing candy to eat or have little ones wanting a fast snack.

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Created by: Lynne Feifer

Brown Butter Shortbread

Prep Time 10

Cook dinner Time 50

This Brown Butter Shortbread is melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious and solely makes use of three easy components. These indulgent cookies are so wealthy and buttery, you’ll by no means purchase store-bought shortbread once more!

Cook dinner ModeForestall your display screen from going darkish

Directions

Earlier than beginning, lower butter into tablespoons and got down to come to room temperature at the least Half-hour – 1 hour earlier than beginning. It will be certain that it melts evenly because it browns.
Soften butter in a medium light-colored skillet over medium-high warmth whereas stirring continually. If utilizing a darkish bottomed pan, it might be troublesome to see the butter browning which may end in in burning. Because it cooks, the butter solids will start to a golden brown whereas emitting a nutty aroma. As soon as golden, instantly take away from range to cease cooking, and pour right into a heat-proof bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour for it to solidify earlier than persevering with.
Preheat oven to 300°F and line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment.
In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar till mild, about 2-3 minutes.
Add flour and blend till simply mixed, being cautious to not overmix.
Press the dough evenly into the ready baking pan. It might not appear as if there’s sufficient dough, however it is possible for you to to unfold it to the edges.
Prick the highest of the dough throughout with the tines of a fork. Flippantly rating into 16 bars with a knife, in order that it’s simpler to chop when cooled.
Bake for 50-60 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack and let it cool for 20-Half-hour earlier than eradicating the bars from the pan with the parchment. Reduce alongside scored strains.

Notes

Don’t go away the butter unattended because it cooks as a result of it may burn. It could possibly go from golden brown to burnt rapidly, so regulate it.

Diet

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