Shortbread cookies are classic treats that everyone loves. This brown sugar shortbread cookies recipe adds a twist to the classic shortbread cookies by using brown sugar instead of white sugar, giving the cookies a richer flavor. These cookies are perfect for any occasion, whether it be a holiday gathering or a simple afternoon snack.
In the classic shortbread recipe, the ratio of flour, butter, and sugar is 3:2:1. For these brown sugar version of the shortbread, however, the same ratio cannot be applied. Sugar needs to be increased slightly as brown sugar tends to be less sweet than white sugar.
Other than that, this brown sugar shortbread dough is mixed in the same way as the classic version. For these brown sugar cookies, however, I choose to roll and cut them into circles instead of cutting them into bars.
These eggless cookies are absolutely rich and buttery and have a lovely crumbly, melt in your mouth texture, just like how the shortbread is meant to be. Try them!
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❤️Why you will love this recipe
- With just 3 simple and basic ingredients, these cookies come together quickly and easily.
- There is no egg in the recipe making it perfect for vegetarians and those on egg free diet.
- The brown sugar adds a depth of flavor and gives the cookies a lovely caramel flavor.
- These cookies can be cut into any shape you desire, making them perfect for any occasion, including for gifting and holiday cookie tray treats (Christmas cookies) too!
- Whether you enjoy them plain, dip them in chocolate, or sandwich them with a sweet filling, the possibilities for customization are endless.
If you like this easy cookie recipe, here are my other recipes you should check out too:
- All Butter Shortbread Bars (A Classic Quick & Easy Recipe)
- Jam Filled Shortbread with Homemade Mango Jam
- Sugared Shortbread Cookies
- Lemon Chocolate Chip Cookies
📋Ingredients
- All purpose flour - best to be sifted before using to break any lumps.
- Butter (salted) - The butter I used in this shortbread recipe is salted. You can use unsalted butter too, but remember to add about ¼ teaspoon fine salt when rubbing in the flour and the butter.
- Dark brown sugar - adds more flavor to the cookies, but light brown sugar will also work. Use fine sugar.
- Vanilla extract - adds a lovely aroma and flavor to the cookies.
*Refer to the recipe card below for exact quantities of the ingredients above. For best results, use a digital kitchen scale where applicable*
🧾Substitution and variations
- These shortbread are called brown sugar shortbread for a reason - for the use of brown sugar. Brown sugar gives these cookies a depth of flavor. I use dark brown sugar in the recipe but it can also be easily substituted with light brown sugar.
- Vanilla extract is optional. You can leave it out totally or replace it with other flavoring like almond extract.
- You can cut the cookies into other shapes and sizes. You can also cut these cookies into bars like in this traditional shortbread cookies mark the top with holes with the tines of a fork. Use a sharp knife to cut the cookies for smooth cut. Do note that the baking time of the cookies will depend on the size.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you do try, please let me know in the comments section below!
👩🏻🍳How to make
Mixing the dough
- Measure flour into a large bowl. Add in the butter.
- Mix both until they become crumbly. You can mix them with a cake mixer (at medium speed with a paddle attachment) or rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the butter is all mixed into the flour and the mixture is crumbly. Add in the brown sugar and vanilla extract.
- Mix until well combined. You can do with with the mixer or a wooden spoon. Make sure it’s well distributed with the butter and flour.
- Turn it out onto a clean work surface and press mixture together to form a dough. Do not knead the dough, suffice if you press it together into a ball.
Rolling and shaping the cookies
- Divide the dough into smaller sections (for easy rolling and cutting). Place the brown sugar cookie dough in between 2 sheets of parchment paper. And roll dough to the desired thickness. For even layer, I always place 2 dowel rods on either side of my dough, making sure they are positioned within the width of my rolling pin.
- And I literally roll on the dowel rods. That way, my shortbread dough does not get any flatter than the diameter of the dowel rods, which is the thickness I want for these brown sugar cookies. You can also use rolling pin guide rings
to help in rolling the dough to a consistent thickness. - Use a round cookie cutter to cut the dough.
- Use a spatula to lift them off the parchment paper onto a lined baking tray / baking sheets/ cookie sheet.
to help in rolling the dough to a consistent thickness. Decorating the shortbread cookies
- I decorated my shortbread circles with simple dots around the edges using the end of a cake decorating brush.
- For consistently spaced holes, start with 4 holes in each quarter of the circle.
- Next, add one hole in between each of the 4 holes. You should have 8 holes.
- And finally, add one hole in between all the 8 holes.
- That should give you 16, equally spaced out holes on each of the brown sugar cookies. If your cookies are smaller, you can reduce the number of holes, it's entirely up to you. The cookies don’t rise during baking, so it is ok to put them close to one another (so long as they are not touching one another).
- Bake the brown sugar shortbread for about 10 minutes (in a preheated oven) until the sides start turning golden brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
🍽️Serving & storage
- This brown sugar shortbread recipe yields cookies that last well. I have tried keeping them for 3 weeks, and they were fine. Just remember to store them in an airtight container to retain their crispiness.
💡Expert tips
- The best way to avoid the dough from sticking to the rolling pin is to roll it between 2 sheets of parchment paper. You can also try working on lightly floured surface.
- And when lifting the cut shortbread onto baking trays, use a spatula or an icing scraper to move the cut out cookies. This is really helpful in retaining the cookie sizes as you move them.
💭FAQs
If you wish to make these buttery treat with white sugar, the amount of sugar used must be adjusted as brown sugar tends to be less sweet than white sugar. You can use my all butter shortbread bars recipe if you want to use white sugar.
This brown sugar cookie recipe does not call for the use of any leavening agents. Hence the cookies do not rise during baking. They do puff up a little, but it’s almost negligible. Hence, when placing them in a baking tray for baking, you can place them near to one another. A mere gap of about 1cm to 2 cm is sufficient, for easy handling.
To ensure the brown sugar shortbread turns out soft, crispy and crumbly, do not overmix the dough after adding in the sugar. Suffice if you press it together to form a ball.
Working the dough for too long causes the gluten in the flour to become stretchy, and there is a tendency for your shortbread to lose its crumbly texture. The cookies will still be crispy, but not crumbly.
If your shortbread is not crispy, it could be due to them being underbaked.
The baking time indicated in the recipe card below is for round shortbread cookies measuring approximately 4cm. The thickness is about ½ cm. If your cookies are larger or thicker than this, the baking time would need to be increased accordingly. And if they are smaller, then the time needs to be reduced as such.
Yes you can. Wrap it well with plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated overnight if not baking the cookies immediately.
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📖Recipe
Brown Sugar Shortbread
For best results, use the metrics measurements. US customary measurements have not been tested and are only meant for guide.
Ingredients
- 130 g brown sugar
- 200 g butter salted
- 300 g all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170°Celsius. Line baking trays with parchment paper.
- Place butter in a medium-sized bowl. Add flour and mix on low speed until the mixture turns crumbly. If mixing by hand, rub in the flour and butter with your fingertips until both ingredients are well incorporated and the mixture turns crumbly.
- Add the brown sugar and vanilla and mix until well incorporated into the flour and butter.
- Turn the mixture onto your workspace and press it together to form a ball.
- Divide the dough into sections. Roll each section and cut it into circles with a round cutter.
- Place the cut shortbread cookies onto prepared baking trays.
- Press holes into the edges of each cookie with a skewer or the back of a small cake decorating brush.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until the sides of the shortbread start to turn light golden.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them rest on the baking tray for a few minutes before transferring them onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Store the shortbread in an airtight container.
Notes
- The best way to avoid the dough from sticking to the rolling pin is to roll it between 2 sheets of parchment paper. You can also try working on lightly floured surface.
- And when lifting the cut shortbread onto baking trays, use a spatula or an icing scraper to move the cut out cookies. This is really helpful in retaining the cookie sizes as you move them.
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