These Whipped Shortbread Cookies are made with cornstarch, light, airy, and literally melt in your mouth. They are also quick and easy, so a perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray and ideal for a cookie exchange!
These shortbread cookies with sprinkles are very popular during the holiday season, but great any time of year.
🍒Reader Review
"I love this recipe! I've made it a few times and it could almost be called 'Never Fail Shortbread Cookies'. Neighbour kids are coming over this week to make cookies and this one is on the list."⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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These delectable, pillowy little melt-in-your-mouth cookies were always what I gravitated to. And I just couldn't get enough of these 4 Ingredient Whipped Shortbread Cookies with cornstarch (and I still can't)! I am told that the magic is in the whipping. What I remember most about Christmas as a kid is the party food.
The setting was always somebody's 1970s-style, wood-paneled rec room, kids running everywhere, that incredible spread of forbidden food that we had unrestricted access to (for one glorious night); food beyond our wildest grocery budget dreams, side tables lined with triple-decker serving trays, spilling over with mounds of olives, meat, crackers, and cheese.
And then there were the carousels of sweets - sugar cookies, gingerbread, every dainty (as they called them back in the day), bar, tart, and square imaginable. It was a Christmas food gluttenousganza! But it was the Whipped Shortbread Cookies that consistently won my heart...
If you're looking for more easy Christmas recipes to make with kids, try my Christmas Nougat recipe and my No Chill Gingerbread Cookies!
🥘 Ingredient Notes
Seriously, all you need is 4 basic ingredients for these cornstarch shortbread cookies:
- Corn starch. Cornstarch gives structure to the cookie and keeps it tender.
- Icing sugar (aka powdered sugar or confectioners sugar) gives these cookies that delicate 'melt in your mouth' texture, and adds some sweetness.
- Unsalted butter. Butter binds the ingredients together. Salt is not necessary in these cookies, as they aren't overly sweet, and you don't need to balance the sweet with salt.
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
🔪How to make Whipped Shortbread Cookies
Prep: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (148 degrees C)
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, (or in a large bowl) cream butter and icing sugar (you can use an electric hand mixer, but it's not ideal).
Mix until combined and light and fluffy.
Gradually add flour and cornstarch, beating on medium high speed, until well blended.
With hands lightly dusted with additional cornstarch, roll cookie dough into 1 inch. balls (or use a small cookie scoop)
Place 1 inch. apart on ungreased baking sheet.
Press lightly with floured tines of a fork.
Add nonpareils and/or cherry halves, if desired to the top of the cookies.
Baking time: Bake at 300° for 20-22 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.
Cool for 5 minutes before moving from pans to a wire rack to continue cooling. If you try to move the cookies too early, they will fall apart.
Move cookies to wire cooling rack.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Soften the butter properly. Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature (not melted) before whipping so it incorporates air and creates that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Whip the butter and sugar well. Beat the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy - this step is crucial for the cookie's signature airy texture.
- Don't skip the cornstarch. Cornstarch helps give the cookies their delicate, short, and tender crumb. Without it, they'll be denser and less melt-in-your-mouth.
- Measure the flour carefully. Spoon and level your flour rather than scooping directly from the bag to avoid adding too much and drying out the dough.
- Keep your dough cool if needed. If your kitchen is warm, chill the dough for about 20-30 minutes before baking so the cookies hold their shape.
- Don't grease your baking sheet. The cookies have enough butter in them and can spread too much if baked on a greased sheet. Use ungreased cookie sheets or parchment paper instead.
- Watch for light browning. Bake just until the bottoms are lightly golden - overbaking will make them too crisp and lose their delicate texture.
- Let them rest before moving. Allow cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack, or they may fall apart.
- Add decorations before baking. Press sprinkles or cherry halves onto the dough before baking so they stick and bake in nicely.
- Use a hand or stand mixer. A mixer will incorporate more air than mixing by hand, giving you fluffier, more tender shortbread.
👪 Serving Size
This whipped shortbread recipe makes 36 cookies. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. You'll just need additional cookie sheets.
🌡️Storing
You can store these buttery cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 1 week. However, they freeze very well, so I usually pop them into the freezer right away. I like to store them in an airtight container, stacked between sheets of parchment paper.
You can freeze these cookies for up to 3 months.
These 4 ingredient shortbread cookies with cornstarch are a classic Christmas cookie recipe that has been around forever, and at one time, you could find it on the back of the cornstarch box. Although I don't know if that's still the case. These days, I buy everything in gigantic sizes from Costco, and the container is plastic (minus the shortbread cookie recipe).
❔ Recipe FAQs
Yes - one of the tips from reader feedback suggests chilling the dough in the fridge for a couple of hours so the dough rests and the cookies hold their shape better. It's optional, but helpful if your kitchen is warm or you prefer the dough firmer before forming.
This is a common issue with this delicate cookie. The recipe notes: "Don't move the cookies for at least 5 minutes after they are done or they will fall apart." Food Meanderings The bottoms should be lightly browned before removal, and you should move them to a wire rack only after that brief rest. If you try to pick them up too early, they may break apart.
If the dough is too dry or crumbly, perhaps the butter wasn't sufficiently softened or you may have over-measured the flour/cornstarch. Make sure the butter is at room temperature so it whips well. Also, the "whipping" step is critical: creaming the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy helps create the right texture.
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All the same, Christmas just isn't Christmas without these amazing and easy cookies. I have tried other shortbread recipes, and they just don't cut it. So, if you're looking for the best whipped shortbread cookies, give this easy recipe a try!
🍪More Holiday Cookie Recipes!
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📋 Whipped Shortbread Cookies (with cornstarch) recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups unsalted butter softened
- 1-½ cups confectioners' sugar or powdered sugar referred to as 'icing sugar' in Canada, sifted
- 4-½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1-½ cups cornstarch
Garnish:
- Nonpareils and/or halved candied cherries optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (148 degrees C)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, (or in a large bowl) cream butter and icing sugar (you can use an electric hand mixer, but it's not ideal).
- Mix until combined and light and fluffy.
- Gradually add flour and cornstarch, beating on medium high speed, until well blended.
- With hands lightly dusted with additional cornstarch, roll shortbread dough into 1 inch balls (or use a small cookie scoop) Place 1 inch. apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Press lightly with floured tines of a fork.
- Add nonpareils and/or cherry halves, if desired to the top of the cookies.
- Baking time: Bake at 300° for 20-22 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.Cool for 5 minutes before moving from pans to wire racks to continue cooling. *If you try to move them too early, they will fall apart.
- Move to wire rack to continue cooling.
greta walters
It made about 136 cookies, not 36 🙂
Delicious !!!
Terri Gilson
Hi Greta,
Well, I'm glad you liked them! I've never got that many out of the recipe, but you likely made them smaller than I do.
Happy Holidays!
Terri
Monique
Delicious
Terri Gilson
I'm so glad you loved them, Monique! 🙂
Christine Richard
Could I use margarine (vegan) for this recipe?
Terri Gilson
Hi Christine,
I would substitute Becel Plant Based Spread in stick or block form, not a tub, instead of margarine!
I'd love to know how it turns out!
Enjoy...
Terri
Barry
I mixed my cookie last night put it in fridge for night now it is to dry and flakey what can I do to moisten it up
Terri Gilson
Hi Barry,
I would turn on the oven and let it sit on top of the stove so it can warm up a bit, then knead it a little. If that still doesn't make it soft enough, then try adding a tsp of water. Good luck!
Terri
Diane
Have you tried this with gluten free flour?
Terri Gilson
Hi Dianne,
No, I have not, so I’m not sure how they would turn out.
Thanks
Terri
Robin
Could I add a flavor to the batter( vanilla)
Terri Gilson
Hi Robin,
Yes, you probably could, but I'm not sure how it would alter the taste!
Kim
Will my cookies come out soft?
Terri Gilson
HI Kim, Yes, they come out soft, but you need to let them cool and set on the pan before you move them or they'll fall apart. Then let them cool longer and set on the cooling rack. They are still soft to eat and literally melt in your mouth! Enjoy....