Whipped Shortbread Cookies (5-Ingredient Treat!)

Whipped shortbread cookies make ideal Christmas cookies for the experienced baker and the novice alike. They’re great for parties, cookie exchanges, and mindless munching.

These yummy little shortbread cookies are slightly sweet, totally buttery, and light as air. They’ve got an addictingly delicious melt-in-your-mouth consistency that makes them simply irresistible.

The whipped shortbread cookies recipe is simple and easy to follow. This is my go-to recipe for cookies on the fly. It makes delectable little cookies in under an hour with no hard-to-find ingredients and no crazy gadgets.

Let’s apron-up and bake some cookies!

What I Love About Whipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe

I love this whipped shortbread cookies recipe because literally anyone can follow it and make some heart-pounding fabulous little cookies. You only need a few common kitchen staples and a couple of tips to whip up a batch of these lovely little gems. They’re simple, wholesome, and just plain awesome.

Here are some other great reasons to love them.

Buttery melt-in-your-mouth consistency
Totally simple straightforward recipe
Wholesome, delicious, and not too sugary sweet
Ideal for holiday parties & cookie exchanges
No hard-to-find ingredients or crazy kitchen gadgets required

Whipped Shortbread Cookies Ingredients

Serving up these whipped shortbread cookies is pretty simple. They appeal to the masses because they’re not overpoweringly sweet. They’re more like butter shortbread cookies with the perfect crumbly texture.

Butter – Genuine unsalted butter works best in this whipped shortbread cookies recipe. Margarine just doesn’t seem to produce the same results. You want your butter to spread easily but still be cold.
Sugar – This recipe calls for confectioner’s sugar. With these awesome little shortbread cookies cornstarch helps give them that melt-in-your-mouth texture. You won’t see it in the recipe, but it’s typically added to confectioner’s sugar as an anti-caking agent.
Flour – I use all-purpose flour for this recipe, and it works just fine. You probably don’t want to substitute here.
Salt – Adding just a small amount of salt helps combat bitterness and enhances all that yummy cookie flavor.
Vanilla Extract
Nonpareils or Jimmies

Recipe Notes

This is not quite a classic shortbread cookie recipe. No, no – this whipped shortbread cookies recipe is something much more special. It produces pillowy soft little cookies with an uncommonly airy texture. They’re light as a feather! Here’s how to make them.

I hate to sound technical but creaming for 8 minutes means setting a timer and creaming for the full 8 minutes. The mixture may be light and fluffy long before the timer goes off but keep going! You’re incorporating as much air as possible into the batter to give you those incredible light and airy results.
When you add the flour, gently mix only until combined. Overmixing helps strengthen gluten which can make your cookies tough and chewy. Arrgh! For best results, you’ll want to blend just until incorporated.

How To Make Whipped Shortbread Cookies

Cream the butter, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, and salt. Gradually add the flour. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls.
Lightly press the cookies with a fork. Sprinkle with nonpareils. Bake.
Cool on the cooling racks.

***See the full instructions below.

How to Store and Make Ahead

Storing Tips: Storing these tasty little guys is really easy. They’ll stay fresh and yummy in an airtight container. I like to toss a fresh piece of bread in there with them to absorb excess moisture. You may even want to put wax paper between the layers to protect their integrity. I don’t recommend storing these in a bag because that soft crumbly texture can be a little delicate.
Can You Freeze This? Here’s the thing. You can freeze the baked cooled cookies and they freeze really well.
Unfortunately, you can’t freeze the raw cookie dough with the same results. The freezing and thawing process rids the raw cookie dough of much of the air that’s been incorporated so cookies just won’t bake up the same.
Make Ahead Tips: These whipped shortbread cookies really have to be made all at once, but the prep work is nil. Making these buttery soft shortbread cookies doesn’t even take an hour. You can certainly pre-measure the powdered sugar and salt in one container and the flour in another, but how much time is that really gonna’ save?
- The best make-ahead tip I can give you is to bake up these little gems and toss them in freezer after they’ve cooled. Then you can pull them out whenever you need them.
How Long Can You Keep This? These tasty little gems will stay good for about a week when stored properly. You can keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Just be sure to let them cool completely before prepping them for storage.
Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.

More Christmas Cookies Recipes…

Serving up Christmas cookies is just part of the season. We all have our differences, but beautifully delicious Christmas cookies help spread holiday cheer and make people smile. You can never have too many Christmas cookies recipes so here are some of my best for you to try.

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