These whipped shortbread cookies are light, buttery, and melt in your mouth. They will certainly be a crowd pleaser at your holiday table!
Jump straight to the recipe!
🎄A perfect holiday cookie
Whipped shortbread cookies are similar to shortbread - they have the same ingredients. However, when making whipped shortbread, the butter and icing sugar are beat together for much longer. This creates a cookie that is lighter and more delicate.
Whipped shortbread can be piped out, or just rolled into balls like I have done here. Flatten them lightly with a fork, and decorate them with some festive sprinkles.
If you are looking for more holiday cookies, try my spiced gingerbread cookies, chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies, or white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.
🥘Ingredients
📝Ingredient notes
- Salted butter - If you use unsalted butter, add ¾ teaspoon salt.
- Sprinkles - You can leave out the sprinkles if you want. Decorate with chocolate, or just leave them plain.
🔪Instructions
Whisk flour and cornstarch together in a medium bowl, and set aside. Place butter, icing sugar, and vanilla in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheets. Press the balls down lightly with a fork and decorate with sprinkles, if you choose.
Place the cookie sheets in the refrigerator so they can firm up again. Then bake in a 325°F oven for 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly golden.
✔️Expert Tips
- Use real butter!
- Chill the cookies before baking them. The butter will firm up and the cookies won't spread out when baking.
- Beat the butter and icing sugar for a solid 5 minutes. The ingredients need to be whipped really well to make a light airy cookie.
- Only bake 1 cookie sheet at a time. If you bake with 1 cookie sheet on the middle rack, and 1 on the lower rack, the cookies on the bottom can get dark on the bottom.
💭Recipe FAQs
These can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week. Or they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
You can freeze cookie dough for up to 2 months. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag or container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Unbaked cookie balls can be frozen. Freeze the balls on a cookie sheet, and then store them in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.
Baked cookies can be frozen in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Cornstarch helps make a light and delicate texture in the cookies.
📎Related recipes
📋 Recipe
Whipped Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter at room temperature
- ¾ cup icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- sprinkles (jimmies, no pareils, or sanding sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk flour and cornstarch together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Place the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Mix the dry ingredients in until just combined. Roll dough into 1 inch round balls. Place them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use a fork to lightly flatten the dough. Decorate with sprinkles.
- Place baking sheets into the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm cookies.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool and store in airtight container for 1 week.
Notes
- Use real butter!
- Chill the cookies before baking them. The butter will firm up and the cookies won't spread out when baking.
- Beat the butter and icing sugar for a solid 5 minutes. The ingredients need to be whipped really well to make a light airy cookie.
- Only bake 1 cookie sheet at a time. If you bake with 1 cookie sheet on the middle rack, and 1 on the lower rack, the cookies on the bottom can get dark on the bottom.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️