Brown Sugar Shortbread is my new favorite twist on a classic, and since thousands of you have made and loved my traditional shortbread recipe, you knew this one was coming. These beauties bake up in the cutest stamped shapes and have a deeper, richer caramel flavor that regular shortbread just can’t touch!
Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies
My shortbread cookies are consistently one of the most popular recipes on the blog this time of year, for good reason. Their simplicity is their secret weapon. The easiest cookies for the holiday season, you get a cookie that’s buttery, tender, and perfectly sweet without being fussy. For Christmas this year, I wanted to create a shortbread variation that still checks every box but leans warm and cozy, and brown sugar was the perfect way to do it.
These Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies are everything you want in a holiday bake: no spreading, incredible flavor, and a gorgeous finish, especially when stamped with festive cookie presses. And a little bonus: these cookies are part of The Sweetest Season Cookie Exchange, a virtual cookie exchange that raises money for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Please check it out and help support an amazing cause!
Why You’ll Love This Brown Sugar Shortbread Recipe
- They hold their shape. Truly, this brown sugar shortbread cookie recipe has no spread. So your cut-outs and stamps stay crisp and defined!
- Melt-in-your-mouth texture. These buttery cookies are the best, thanks to the combination of butter, brown sugar, and cornstarch.
- Perfect for stamping or molding. This dough works beautifully no matter how you shape it. Check out the cookie stamps I used.
Brown Sugar Shortbread Ingredients
- Salted Butter: Use a quality butter; I usually use Kerrygold or a European-style butter. With a higher butterfat content, it is a superior butter for these cookies. Room temperature softened butter for that light, whipped texture.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a warm, classic shortbread flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Light or dark, both work! Dark gives a deeper molasses note, if you want that.
- Cornstarch: The secret ingredient that helps the dough hold its shape and creates a tender, delicate crumb!
- All-Purpose Flour: I always use unbleached, organic all-purpose flour. See variations if you want to make them gluten-free.
- Salt (if using unsalted butter): Just a pinch to balance the sweetness.
- Cookie Cutters, Stamps, or springerle molds
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Stamped Shortbread Cookies
Step 1 – Make the Cookie Dough
Preheat the oven to 325°F (165 °C). Line one or two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter, vanilla, and brown sugar for 5 minutes. Yes, a full five minutes. Beat it like it owes you. The mixture will look pale and fluffy.
Add the dry ingredients. Mix until the dough comes together. You may also use a food processor until it comes together.
Step 2 – Roll & Shape Christmas Shortbread Cookies
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thickness.
Cut into shapes with cookie cutters or a cookie press. Re-roll scraps until all the dough is used. See notes for more ways to bake this versatile dough.
Slice and Bake Tip for Shortbread Christmas Cookies: If you prefer not to roll and cut, roll into a log, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour, when ready to bake, simply slice and place on prepared baking sheet.
Step 3 – Bake
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart. These do not spread much.
Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Edges should look lightly golden. The cookies go into the oven looking a bit wet and come out looking dry.
Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips When Making Cookie Stamp Recipes
- #1 Tip: Use quality butter, go for that Irish butter (such as Kerrygold) or European butters, they are higher in butterfat, which equals better texture and taste! Use it and you will have shortbread perfection.
- Chill if your kitchen is warm. If it’s over 78°F, pop the dough in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes so the butter stays solid and the stamps stay crisp.
- Use even pressure when stamping. Press straight down, then press and lift straight up! Rocking the stamp can slightly blur the design.
- Dust the stamp, press, or springerle with flour. A quick dip in flour prevents sticking without leaving white patches on the dough.
- Stamp on the baking sheet. If you can, this is a good option to prevent distortion when you try to move the cookies.
- Watch the bake time closely. These Scotch cakes can dry out fast, so pull them when they look matte and lightly golden at the edges!
How to Store Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies
Room temperature: Store in an airtight container or zipper bag up to 5 days. They may taste a little stale by day 6 or 7, but they are still perfectly safe to munch on for up to 8 days.
Freeze-baked cookies: Cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Freeze-shaped, unbaked cookies: Cut out cookies and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid. Transfer to an airtight container. Bake straight from frozen. Add 1 to 2 minutes of extra bake time if needed.
Freeze the dough: Prepare through step 3. Place dough in an airtight container and place in freezer up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator until rollable.
Variations & Substitutions
- Use granulated sugar: You’ll get a classic shortbread this way! Still delicious, just without the deeper caramel notes.
- Use powdered sugar: Also called confectioners’ sugar. This creates a softer, sandier texture. Not brown sugar shortbread, but still wonderful.
- Frosted Shortbread Christmas Cookies: Bake simple round cut-outs, cool completely, and frost with your favorite buttercream. Add sprinkles for a festive finish.
- Rosemary Shortbread: Add 1–2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary to the dough for a stunning sweet-savory twist.
- Gluten-Free Shortbread: I’ve done this many times for my gluten-free friends and family. Replace the flour with gluten-free cup-for-cup, all-purpose flour. I like to replace up to ½ cup of the flour with either oat flour or almond flour for better texture and flavor.
- Lemon Shortbread: Add the zest of one lemon to the dough.
- Extracts: use your favorite flavors; try almond extract, peppermint or your favorite.
- Stir ins: Stir in craisins, pistachos or your favorite nut or fruit!
FAQs
The butter was probably too warm. Pop the dough in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes, or chill the cut-outs directly on the baking sheet before baking.
It’s the classic ratio: 3 parts flour, 2 parts butter, 1 part sugar. My recipe uses cornstarch to help with tenderness and structure, which is why these cookies hold their shape so well and have that melt-in-your-mouth texture everyone raves about.
Yes! Brown sugar works beautifully in shortbread. It adds a subtle caramel or molasses flavor and gives the cookies a slightly softer, more tender texture compared to classic shortbread made with granulated sugar.
Either the dough is too soft, you didn’t press hard enough or you’re over-mixing! Chill the dough slightly and press firmly and evenly when stamping.
Our Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes
So this December, make up a batch or three of these Shortbread Cookies for Christmas! They make amazing gifts, ship well and everyone drools over these classics!
Like this recipe?
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Video
Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter room temperature, (6 oz, 175 g) Use a high-quality butter, such as Kerrygold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup packed brown sugar light or dark, (3.5 oz, 100 g)
- ½ cup cornstarch I use non-GMO (2 oz, 60 g)
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 oz, 225 g)
- If using unsalted butter: Add ¼ teaspoon salt plus a pinch more.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line one or two baking sheets with parchment.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed, beat the butter, vanilla, and brown sugar for a full 5 minutes—keep going until it’s pale, fluffy, and whipped. Scraping down the sides when needed. You can also do this with a good hand mixer.
- With the mixer on low, add the cornstarch and flour and mix just until the dough comes together.½ cup cornstarch, 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, If using unsalted butter: Add ¼ teaspoon salt plus a pinch more.
- Roll the dough on a floured surface to about ¼-inch thickness.
- Cut into shapes using cookie cutters or a cookie press, re-rolling scraps as needed (see notes for other shaping options). Lightly dust or dip any cutters, or stamps in flour before using to avoid sticking. If using a cutter/stamp combo, press down on the cutter, then gently but firmly press the button to "stamp" the cookie. If using a cookie stamp, cut into rounds or into walnut sized balls and press the stamp onto the dough.
- Arrange cookies on the prepared sheet, spaced about an inch apart—they won’t spread much.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the tops look dry rather than shiny.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Cookie cutters or cookie press: Best for decorative shortbread; no chilling needed in normal kitchen temps.
- Shortbread molds: Press evenly, prick with a fork, and bake 15–22 minutes until golden. Cool completely before unmolding.
- Wedges or bars: Press into an 8–9″ pan, score, and bake until lightly golden.
- High-Altitude Adjustments (5,000–7,000 ft): Reduce sugar by 1 tablespoon. Add 1–2 teaspoons extra flour if the dough feels soft. Bake on the lower end of the time range.
- Freeze dough up to 3 months.
- Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months.
- Freeze shaped, unbaked cookies and bake from frozen with 1–2 extra minutes.
- Do not use margarine. Use a high-quality butter, such as Kerrygold or other grass-fed butters.
- Light brown sugar = mild caramel flavor; dark brown sugar = deeper molasses.
- Chill dough 30 minutes if your kitchen is warm.
- Makes ~48 cookies with a 2–3″ cutter; ~100 with a 1″ cutter.
Nutrition
Randy
Five stars! Like most recipes from thefreshcooky, these are all but guaranteed successes. I agree – you must use quality butter for the best results.
I made a double batch, using vanilla extract in half and almond in the other. Both mysteriously disappeared in record time.
Aw Randy, you made my day!! Thank you! So glad you loved them!
Erin
Kathleen, these Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies are absolutely stunning!!!! The stamped designs make them so charming, and that deeper caramel flavor from the brown sugar sounds like such an incredible upgrade to the classic. It is easy to see why this recipe is a new favorite. Beautifully done!
Thank you so much for participating in this year’s Sweetest Season and bringing another delicious cookie recipe to the virtual celebration. I am so appreciative for you and everyone who joins me in this yearly and am always blown away with the generosity. I hope you and yours have the happiest holiday season!
It’s always a supreme pleasure Erin!!