Let me teach you how to make buttery shortbread wedge cookies using this simple 6 ingredient dough. There’s no chilling necessary and the cookies will never over-spread because you’re baking them in round pans. Keep the cookies vanilla flavored or spruce up the dough with add-ins such as cinnamon, pecans, sprinkles, peppermint extract, chocolate chips, and more.
This recipe is part of my annual holiday cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the word “wedges” while putting this recipe together. But it’s been so many times that I’ve accidentally typed “shortbread wedgies” at least twice now. Anyway, let me tell you about these shortbread WEDGES!
These are my perfect shortbread wedge cookies flavored virtually however you’d like, baked in a cake pan, and cut into triangles/wedges. With no add-ins, they’re pleasantly sweet with rich butter and vanilla flavors. You’ll divide the dough in half to make 2 pans of cookies, so you can flavor each half of dough different ways. Creativity is welcome here!
You Will Love This Shortbread Recipe:
- 6 ingredient dough with lots of optional add-ins
- No rolling pin, no cookie cutters
- 1 mixing bowl
- No dough chilling—ready in under an hour, making it the perfect recipe to tackle while waiting for your other Christmas cookies to chill. This recipe also joins 30+ others in my collection of Quick Dessert Recipes—ready in 1 hour or less!
- Cookies will never over-spread
- Another egg-free baking recipe
- Delicious alongside coffee, tea, & hot chocolate
- Texture: crumbly, yet tender
- Flavor: buttery, vanilla, mildly sweet
Traditional shortbread recipes are 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter, and 3 parts flour. Sometimes there’s vanilla and salt, but there’s no egg and no leavening. Delicious, for sure, but I’ve been making shortbread cookies with a slightly different ratio. Some of my favorite recipes include these flavored cherry almond shortbread, pecan shortbread & brown sugar shortbread that are icebox/slice & bake style, and sweet & salty chocolate pistachio shortbread. I also make chocolate cashew shortbread wedges, a recipe you can find in my cookbook along with a few other variations!
6 Ingredient Shortbread Dough
- Unsalted Butter: As the base of nearly all shortbread recipes, butter supplies these classic cookies with flavor and softness. Make sure you use room temperature butter that’s still cool to the touch. If it’s too warm, the butter and sugar cannot properly cream and the cookies will taste dense. Many shortbread recipes call for cold butter worked into the dry ingredients and that gives you a wonderfully flaky cookie but if not mixed properly, the results can be inconsistent. I usually stick with creamed room temperature butter.
- Granulated Sugar: I go back and forth between confectioners’ sugar or granulated sugar in shortbread recipes. Confectioners’ sugar keeps the cookies light and tender, but you often need more of it to get the same amount of sweetness. (And then an adjustment to butter or flour is ideal.) I’ve been using granulated sugar in these shortbread wedge cookies and I replace some flour with cornstarch, which helps give us that light texture again. By the way, this recipe is a great place to use homemade vanilla sugar because the vanilla flavor can really shine!
- Vanilla: 1 and 1/2 teaspoons gives us substantial vanilla flavor, especially if you use homemade vanilla extract. Feel free to add the beans scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean.
- Salt: 1/4 teaspoon of regular salt keeps the flavor balanced and the cookies are pleasantly sweet. If you like a little more salt flavor, increase the amount to 1/2 teaspoon.
- All-Purpose Flour: I test varying amounts of flour in shortbread recipes regularly and find 2 cups of spooned & leveled flour paired with 1/4 cup cornstarch produces sturdy, yet terrifically tender shortbread wedge cookies.
- Cornstarch: Again, cornstarch really is the “secret” to texture success here. Cornstarch provides the shortbread with structure, but its biggest job is keeping the cookies extra soft, tender, and light. I love adding a small amount to chocolate chip cookies too.
- Optional Coarse Sugar Topping: For an optional sparkly crunch on your shortbread wedges, add a sprinkle of coarse sugar before baking. I usually reach for white “sparkling sugar” sold as sprinkles in the baking aisle.
Overview: How to Make These Shortbread Cookies
These shortbread wedge cookies are great for beginners because the prepwork is fairly simple and the dough comes together in just 1 bowl.
The video tutorial and full printable recipe are below, but let me walk you through the basics with step photos so you know what to expect. Start by creaming the butter and sugar together, and then add the vanilla and salt. Finally, mix in the flour and cornstarch. Beat on low speed to begin bringing all of the ingredients together. The dough will be very crumbly at first, but then clump up when you turn up the speed. Let me show you the difference.
Below, left: Dough is crumbly and dry at first. Below, right: Dough finally clumps together.
Divide the dough in half and press into 2 lined 8-inch cake pans. If you’re shopping for new pans, I use and love these cake pans and these cake pans. If you use 9-inch cake pans instead, the cookies will be quite thin unless you add an add-in such as nuts, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips.
Now you’ll have 2 pans of pressed dough. Top with optional coarse sugar and dock with a fork so steam can escape these butter-heavy treats. And whoops… my hand got a little heavy with the coarse sugar here. You don’t need quite as much unless you love the sweet crunch!
Bake, cool, and then slice into 8 large, 12 medium, or 16 small wedges.
Can I Use This Dough for Other Shortbread Cookies?
Yes! Let me detail the specifics for you:
- Shortbread Bars: Instead of wedges, bake this dough as shortbread bars in 2 8-inch square baking pans. Or bake the dough in 1 9×13-inch baking pan. The bars baked in a 9×13-inch pan will be quite thin unless you add an add-in such as chocolate chips or nuts. The bake time for bars in either size pan is about the same as below, but begin checking at 25 minutes. They’re done when the tops and edges are very lightly browned.
- Thumbprints: You can use a variation of this dough to make thumbprint cookies. Substitute the cornstarch for the same amount (about 30g or 1/4 cup) of all-purpose flour. Chill the dough for 3 hours. This is exactly the recipe I use when making raspberry almond thumbprints—and I add a touch of almond extract to the dough. Follow the assembly/baking instructions from that recipe.
- As a Shortbread Crust: Press the dough into a 9×13-inch pan and use as the crust for lemon bars. Or you can halve all of the ingredients in the recipe below and use as the crust for lemon blueberry tart, raspberry streusel bars, or apple pie bars. Each of these 4 linked recipes call for melted butter in the crust, but using today’s recipe provides a slightly sturdier and flakier foundation. Follow each linked recipe as instructed (including pre-baking the crust if necessary), only swapping in today’s dough.
I do not recommend using this recipe for shaped/cookie cutter shortbread cookies. The butter-heavy dough loses shape in the oven. Instead, I recommend my regular sugar cookies or the buttery shortbread in my cookbook.
And finally, let’s add some goodies!
Flavors & Add-Ins
Add liquids/zest when you add the vanilla & beat in dry add-ins (such as nuts, sprinkles, or chocolate chips) on low speed after the dough is all mixed/clumped together. If adding spices such as cinnamon, add when you add the flour & cornstarch. *You can also divide the dough in half and beat half of these add-ins (including liquids/extracts if needed) into half of the dough.
- Plain: Keep the recipe as written below. Feel free to drizzle with salted caramel or melted chocolate or decorate with royal icing, this cookie icing, or vanilla buttercream. The pictured green cookies are decorated with vanilla buttercream tinted green to look like a Christmas tree! I used Wilton #32 piping tip.
- Peppermint: Add 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract. After the cookies have cooled, drizzle 4 ounces (113g) of melted semi-sweet chocolate on top, and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
- Sprinkles: Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract and 1/3 cup (about 50g) of sprinkles. Instead of coarse sugar, sprinkle a few teaspoons of more sprinkles on top of the pressed dough before docking and baking.
- Chocolate Chip: Add 3/4 cup (135g) mini chocolate chips. I recommend mini size so you get more chocolate in each cookie. Keeping that in mind, feel free to use 1 cup (180g) regular size instead.
- Cinnamon Pecan: Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 cup (130g) chopped pecans. Instead of coarse sugar, sprinkle the pressed dough with a mixture of 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Other add-ins: 1 cup (about 130g) chopped any nut variety, 3/4 cup (about 115g) dried cranberries or raisins, 1 cup (about 180g) flavored morsels such as butterscotch or white chocolate, 1 teaspoon your favorite extract, 1 Tablespoon (15ml) citrus juice such as lemon or orange + 2 teaspoons zest, or 3/4 cup (about 115g) Heath Bar Bits O’ Brickle English Toffee. Feel free to combine add-ins such as citrus juice, zest, 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup dried cranberries. These are the add-ins I’ve tested, so let me know if you try others!
See Your Cookies!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
Print
Shortbread Wedge Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 16 large, 24 medium, or 32 small
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Let me teach you how to make buttery shortbread wedge cookies using a simple 6 ingredient dough. There’s no chilling necessary and the cookies will never over-spread because you’re baking them in round pans. See above for optional flavors & add-ins.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 cup (28g) cornstarch
- optional: coarse sparkling sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper leaving enough overhang around the sides to easily lift shortbread out. (Tip: Parchment is used so you can easily remove the shortbread and not cut it while it’s in the pan. I like to use a square of parchment and I cut a 1-inch slit in the center of each side. This helps reduce the amount of creases when lined in the pan.)
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla and salt and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add the flour and cornstarch and beat on low speed for 1 minute as the mixture begins to combine. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for 1-3 minutes or until the dough clumps together. (It will eventually, just keep mixing it.) If you’re adding dry add-ins (see above), this is when you’ll add them.
- Divide dough in half. If you want to be totally accurate, weigh the halves to make sure they’re even. Recipe makes almost 1.5 lbs of plain dough (will weigh more if you added add-ins). Press each half of dough into a prepared cake pan. You want it nice and compact in the pans. Sprinkle with optional coarse sugar. Dock the surface all over with a fork to prevent air bubbles.
- Bake the shortbread for 28-30 minutes or until very lightly browned on top and around the edges.
- Remove from the oven, place pans on a wire rack, and cool shortbread for 10-15 minutes. Carefully remove the shortbread from the pans by picking it up with the parchment paper on the sides. Cut each into 8 large, 12 medium, or 16 small wedges. You want to make sure you cut the shortbread while it’s still warm. Enjoy warm or cool shortbread completely on wire racks.
- Cover and store shortbread at room temperature for up to 1 week. If you added a topping such as glaze, icing, buttercream, or melted chocolate, refrigerate after 2 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the shortbread dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 3. Baked shortbread freezes well for up to 3 months. Unbaked shortbread dough freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before continuing with step 3.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Fat Daddio’s 8-inch Round Cake Pan or Wilton 8-inch Round Cake Pan | Parchment Paper | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Coarse Sprinkling Sugar | Cooling Rack
- Vanilla: Feel free to add the beans scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean in addition to the vanilla extract. Add when you add the vanilla extract. If you want to swap in vanilla bean paste, substitute it for the same amount of extract.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch can also be known as cornflour. (Not to be confused with cornmeal.) It keeps the cookies soft and tender. If you don’t have it, replace with the same amount of all-purpose flour.
- Pan Size: I recommend 8-inch round cake pans. If using 9-inch round cake pans, the cookies will be quite thin unless you added an add-in to the dough. Bake time will be slightly shorter if using 9-inch pans. Bake until tops and edges are very lightly browned. See post above for directions for shortbread bars in square or rectangle pans.
- Half Batch: You can halve this recipe to yield 1 pan of shortbread wedges. Same bake time.
Followed the recipe exactly, including about 1/2 cup toasted pecans. Delicious! I gave half of them away specifically so I wouldn’t eat them all! My husband is more of a chocoholic than a shortbread guy, but he REALLY enjoyed these wedges. Can’t wait to make them again! Thanks Sally!
I am an avid and experienced baker and followed this recipe precisely. No matter how long I mixed the dough in a KitchenAid Professional stand mixer, it never came together in a ball as noted in the instructions. Instead, it remained in the consistency of whipped butter and sugar. From now on I’ll stick with recipes that are proven tested from sources like Ina Garten.
Hi Michelle, I understand it can be frustrating when a recipe doesn’t turn out. I don’t know if the last sentence in your feedback is necessarily helpful, though. I don’t normally comment back about this, but I have worked hard in my 13-year career to build a reputation as a trusted baking recipe source. I endlessly test my recipes, honestly probably more than needed, and have hired a staff dedicated to help. Testing recipes is the center of my job. You can be certain that recipes do not make it on my website or in my books unless they have been thoroughly tested in multiple home kitchens.
The recipe here has a lot of great reviews and I’m wondering if there was a mix-up in your measuring? Did you try baking the dough, even though the consistency was different?
Don’t worry Sally! Not everyone who says they are an avid and experienced baker really is. There are enemies to every big success. Your excellence and hard work shows in every recipe and is given as a gift to every serious baker. I am blessed to have found your website and you have deservedly earned the trust of millions of really avid and experienced bakers.
I’m going to have to practice a little self control because this recipe is so good and so easy I want to make it everyday! I didn’t have any vanilla so I substituted in a teaspoon of strawberry extract and half a teaspoon of almond extract, added some icing with banana flavour and everything came together with a whole lot of fruity sweetness. Now I’ll have to invest in some decorated shortbread pans as this is officially a staple.
I’m thinking of flavoring the dough with almond extract and swirling raspberry jam on the top- sort of a short cut to the raspberry almond thumbprints. Do you think that would work?
Hi Rachel, you could definitely add some almond extract (in addition to the vanilla), however we haven’t tried swirling jam directly into the tops of these cookie wedges, so we’re unsure exact how it would bake up. Let us know if you do decide to give it a try.
Could I double the recipe and bake in one 9×13 pan so they aren’t too thin? I made the first time in 2 batches with the one 8in square pan that I own. They were perfect and so delicious!
Hi Heather, for a thicker 9×13-inch pan of cookie bars, we recommend 1.5x the recipe. Enjoy!
I followed the recipe to a T and my batter was not course at all. Almost like a chocolate chip cookie batter. Only thing I deviated with was that I used pastry flour. Could that be it?. They are currently baking so not sure yet hour they will come out. But definitely not looking like shortbread cookies I have made in the past…
Hi Jessica, the pastry flour could be the culprit. For best results, we recommend sticking with the combination of all-purpose flour and cornstarch for future batches.
Could I use foil instead of parchment paper?
Hi Camille! We really prefer using parchment paper here, but aluminum foil should work in a pinch. We would spray it with a bit on non stick spray.
I have now made this recipe numerous times! Very popular in my house and at the office! I have recently started making it with brown sugar instead of white and LOVE it. Thank you for putting together such a clear recipe to follow!!
I typically make my traditional shortbread in a 9 / 13 PAN because I get so many cookies and I make at least 10 of these pans for Christmas. I would like to try your recipe However I would like to make it in the 9 / 13 so that I can get more squares. Do you feel I can do this by just doubling the recipe. Thank you.
Hi Bonnie, see blog post for section titled “Can I Use This Dough for Other Shortbread Cookies?” for 9×13-inch pan instructions. Enjoy!
Hi! Did you happen to try doubling the recipe in a 9×13? How did it go? Wanting to try it too. Thanks.
Hi Sally! I have made these around the holidays with nuts and chocolate and I love the recipe! For summer I’d like to try with rosemary, do you think that would pair with citrus or does a more savory flavor require a change to the base recipe?
Hi Desiree, we haven’t tested a savory version of this shortbread, but let us know if you do any experimenting! It will take some trial and error with the amount of sugar, add-ins, etc. You may wish to search for another savory shortbread recipe to find inspiration and see how it differs from our recipe.
question? I have to make Irish shamrock cookies for my grandson’s history class in an authentic Irish shortbread recipe. The only difference I can tell is that they use corn starch and Irish butter. Would that work in your recipe to make cutouts? Any suggestions for 30 cookies? Thank You!
Hi Terry, this recipe isn’t ideal for cookie cutters—the cookies will simply spread too much. We do have these shamrock cookies that use a butter sugar cookie base, if you’re interested!
I’m so amazed that there are so many recipes for shortbread. This one is definitely a keeper. Everyone luvs luvs luvs these. You can’t go wrong with this recipe. Thank you for sharing your expertise.
Because of where I am, unsalted butter is hard to come by. How would you alter the recipe if you had to use salted butter? Thank you
Hi Kaykay, If using salted butter, you can reduce the added salt to 1/8 teaspoon or you can actually stick with 1/4 teaspoon if you don’t want them too sweet.
love the recipe!!! need to make the dough the night before and keep in refrigerator. i will wrap it in saran wrap. how long does it usually take to come back to room temperature when you take it out of the refrigerator?
Hi Barbara! That will depend on how warm/cool your kitchen is, but probably around a couple hours.
How do I make it a chocolate shortbread cookie?
Hi Lucie, We have not tested a chocolate version shortbread cookies yet. It would take additional recipe testing for us to make these chocolate. Let us know if you try anything or find a chocolate shortbread recipe that you love!
Awesome recipe. I add a cup of cranberries and fiori di Sicilia instead of vanilla. Yum!
Please, please send me the recipe that is orange shortbread dipped in chocolate with orange zest. I have this placed the recipe and I am distraught, distraught.
Hi Kay, are you looking for these dark chocolate orange slice & bake cookies by chance?
I’ve made these twice, both times excellent! The first time I made them in 2 9-inch cake pans, one with pecans, and one with mini-chocolate chips. Wonderful! But the second time was even better; I made in a 9×13 pan with dried cranberries, pistachio nuts, and a teaspoon of orange extract. Exceptional!
I am the most impatient baker in the world and hate waiting for dough to chill, so this is perfect! Made it with lavender sugar, spread lemon curd over the top and then crumbled a bit of leftover dough over the curd. They were lovely!
I have to say, this is one of the best baking blogs online, maybe the best. The recipes are delicious and reliable. I’ve recommended it to others in the past because it’s so beginner friendly too.
Can these cookies be partially dipped in chocolate or are they too soft for that?
Hi Kim, you can definitely dip them! Enjoy!
Can you use gluten free flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Barbara, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the exact results. Let us know if you try it.
Turned out perfect. Thank you for the recipie!
Can brown sugar be substituted without changing everything else?
Hi Emily, we’re so glad you enjoyed the shortbread cookies! You could try with brown sugar, but it has more moisture than granulated sugar and the cookies would be quite soft. We’d maybe start by doing half granulated sugar and half brown sugar, then adjusting more/less for future batches. Let us know what you try!
This shortbread has won my husband’s devotion and displaced the brand from Scotland (starts with a “W”). I adore the candy cane kiss cookies and the dark chocolate cranberry blondies, and the macadamia white chocolate chunk must be the best tasting cookie I’ve ever baked! A batch of the oatmeal white chocolate dried cranberry/sour cherry cookie dough (using some of each) is chilling right now.
Thank you, Sally, for such wonderful Palooza cookie recipes! I have one request – if you would consider giving the recommended weight in grams for each ball of dough before baking? I weigh them, especially the first few, so the baking time and number produced hopefully will be as expected.
Hi Nancy, we’re so glad you enjoyed this shortbread recipe and this year’s Cookie Palooza lineup! Absolutely—this is something we’re starting to do with our newer recipes, with the hopes of adding this information to our older recipes, too. We know how helpful it can be, so thank you for suggesting it!
Best recipe ever! Absolutely foolproof. I did have to lower the baking time a bit because my oven runs hot and I used dark pans but that was no issue; I knew I would have to do this ahead of time. Thank you a hundred times for this easy delicious recipe. 🙂
Is there a way to make this without doing it pan style? And just shaping it into circles or whatever shape? I just want to make regular cookies to give out
Hi Fia, these cookies do spread and are not ideal for cut-out shapes, so we bake them in a pan to help prevent spread. Best to stick with regular sugar cookies if you’re looking for something that will hold shape!
Thank you, are there any shortbread recipes here besides this? Since I want to do a vanilla/butter cookies without eggs
We have a recipe for Lemon Coconut Drop Shortbread Cookies, pecan shortbread cookies, and here are all of our other Egg Free Baking recipes.
These were fantastic!! I made two batches – one with mini chocolate chips and the other with sparkling sugar. Unfortunately, most of the cookies broke when I removed them from the cake pans after cooling. Any thoughts on what may have gone wrong? My dough never really “came together” and was more creamy than the photos provided. Maybe I overbeat the dough?? I’ll definitely be making these again, but want to correct any mistakes. Any thoughts are appreciated!
Hi Diana, we’re so glad you enjoyed these shortbread cookies! When they broke, did they seem too dry or over baked? Or were they more on the tender side? If it was too creamy, it sounds like perhaps the butter was a bit too soft and/or the flour was under measured. Here’s more on what room temperature butter really means and how to properly measure flour. Hope this helps for the next batch!
Great recipe! I’m not much of a baker but these are so easy. I used a 9×13″ pan instead of two round ones (as you note is an option) and added 2/3 cup chopped walnuts. Followed exactly and was perfect. Took about 30 minutes to bake. Not too sweet, great texture. Thanks!
Perfect shortbread cookies! Much easier and better texture than my usual recipe. This is now my new go to! Thanks!