Name: Best Ever 4-Ingredient Shortbread
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 36 Servings
Cuisine: Other
Ingredients: 1.25 cups salted butter; 1 cup powdered sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2.5 cups all purpose flour

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Best Ever 4-Ingredient Shortbread

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Ingredients

Warning0 allergens identified

Best Ever 4-Ingredient Shortbread

1 ¼ cups salted butter(softened, cut into pieces)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.

Place the butter and powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl or large mixing bowl. Beat on low speed to blend, then switch to medium speed and beat until soft and light. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour one cup at a time, mixing until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Press the dough into the prepared baking dish using a flat hand and fingers until dough is a smooth, even layer about 1/2-inch thick. With a fork, dock the dough across the short side of the dish in lines about 1 inch apart. Freeze for 5 minutes.

Bake the shortbread on middle rack of oven until golden, 35-45 minutes.

Check to see that shortbread is done. Remove from oven or add time as needed.

Cool shortbread on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.

Starting from a long side, cut the shortbread in the dish into 1-inch strips. Working from a short side, cut the strips into quarters to create rectangular cookies. Let cool completely in the dish, about 2 hours.

Gently remove cookies from dish using a small offset spatula. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week, or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Video Tutorial Bite Tutorial

Nutrition

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Cold Butter is Essential ❄️
Use cold or even slightly frozen butter cut into small cubes and work it into the flour quickly with your fingertips to create a crumbly texture that yields tender, flaky shortbread rather than tough cookies.
Don't Overwork the Dough 🙅
Mix ingredients minimally until just combined—overmixing develops gluten and creates dense, tough cookies instead of the delicate, tender texture shortbread demands.
Low and Slow Baking Unlocks Flavor 🍪
Bake at a lower temperature (around 325°F) for a longer duration to gently cook the cookies through while allowing the butter and vanilla flavors to fully caramelize and develop complexity.
Room Temperature Ingredients Mix Better 🌡️
Let butter soften slightly at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before creaming with powdered sugar—this ensures even distribution of ingredients and better texture, while still keeping it cold enough for proper shortbread crumb.
Cut While Warm for Clean Edges ✂️
Cut shortbread into pieces while still warm from the oven for clean breaks; once completely cooled, it becomes brittle and may crumble rather than cut neatly.