Shortbread Dough

Oct 13, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cookies bars Vanilla: Extract Easy

Shortbread dough cooling on parchment on a wooden table, a few stacked

Three-ingredient-style Scottish shortbread with vanilla: crumbly, buttery and sturdy enough for sandwich cookies, crusts and crumbles.

Prep 20 min

Cook 40 min

Cooling 45 min

Total 1 hr 45 min

Yield 24 cookies

Diet —

Ingredients

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1.0 cup (226.0 g)unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (100.0 g)granulated sugar
¼ tsp (1.5 g)fine sea salt
2.0 tsp (10.0 ml)pure vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups (280.0 g)all-purpose flour

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Instructions

Beat the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla 2 minutes until smooth. Stir in the flour until the dough clumps.
Press into a 9-inch square pan lined with parchment, prick all over with a fork and chill 30 minutes.
Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 35 to 40 minutes until pale gold.
Cut into 24 bars while warm, then cool in the pan.

Tips

Cut while warm; cold shortbread shatters.
For sandwich cookies, roll the dough 1/4 inch thick and cut rounds instead; bake 16 minutes.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make shortbread dough?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of cooking, plus 45 minutes to chill and rest. The recipe makes 24 bars or rounds.

How should I store shortbread dough?

Store airtight at room temperature up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months.

Can I make shortbread dough ahead?

The dough keeps 3 days in the fridge; bake fresh the day you need them.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (10 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Three-ingredient-style Scottish shortbread with vanilla: crumbly, buttery and sturdy enough for sandwich cookies, crusts and crumbles.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 24 servings this recipe makes.

127 Calories / serving

7.7g Fat

13.1g Carbs

1.3g Protein

4.3g Sugar

Whole recipe (24 servings): ~3048 cal · 185g fat · 314g carbs · 31g protein · 103g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.