Name: 📋 Whipped Shortbread Cookies (with cornstarch) recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 3 cups unsalted butter (softened); 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar or powdered sugar (referred to as 'icing sugar' in Canada, sifted); 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1-1/2 cups cornstarch; Nonpareils and/or halved candied cherries (optional)

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 panel 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 cheeses.

4 ingredient whipped shortbread piled on a plate with red background

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... These shortbread cookies with sprinkles are very popular during the holiday season, but great any time of year. And they are ideal for your holiday cookie tray.

🍒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."⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jump to:

🍒Reader Review
Tips for Success
🥘 Ingredient Notes
🔪How to make Shortbread Cookies with Cornstarch
Top Tip
👪 Serving Size
🌡️Storing
🍪More Holiday Cookie Recipes!
📋 Whipped Shortbread Cookies (with cornstarch) recipe

And these 4 ingredient shortbread cookies with cornstarch are nothing short of magical! They are airy, light, and literally melt-in-your-mouth. They are also very quick and easy to make and great for a cookie exchange!

If you're looking for more easy Christmas recipes to make with kids, try my Christmas Nougat recipe and my No Chill Gingerbread Cookies!

Tips for Success

Use unsalted butter. Whipped shortbread with cornstarch is not a very sweet cookie, so you don't need salt.
The magic is in the whipping! It's best to use a stand mixer for this recipe, but you can use a hand mixer if you don't have one.
Don't grease your cookie sheets.
Bake on lower heat (300 degrees F/148 degrees C) until lightly browned on the bottom.
Don’t move the cookies for at least 5 minutes after they are done or they will fall apart.

🥘 Ingredient Notes

Seriously, all you need is 4 basic ingredients for these cornstarch shortbread cookies:

whipped shortbread ingredients, labelled, in glass bowls, on blue surface

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
All-purpose flour. Flour holds the cookie together!

Garnish (optional):sprinkles and maraschino cherries

🔪How to make Shortbread Cookies with Cornstarch

Prep: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (148 degrees C)

butter being creamed with icing sugar in stand mixer — **STEP 1**

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).

butter and powdered sugar mixed until combined and light and fluffy in stand mixer — **STEP 2**

Mix until combined and light and fluffy.

flour and cornstarch added to butter and powdered sugar — **STEP 3**

Gradually add flour and cornstarch, beating on medium high speed, until well blended.

whipped shortbread dough rolled into balls on baking sheets — **STEP 4**

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.

cookie dough balls being pressed with floured tines of a fork on a baking sheet — **STEP 5**

Press lightly with floured tines of a fork.

sprinkles and glazed cherry halves added to uncooked cookies on baking sheet — **STEP 6**

Add nonpareils and/or cherry halves, if desired to the top of the cookies.

cookie lightly browned on bottom being held up over pan — **STEP 7**

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.

baked whipped shortbread with cornstarch on a wire cooling rack — **STEP 8**

Move cookies to wire cooling rack.

HINT *If you try to move the cookies too early, they will fall apart.

Top Tip

This tip came from a reader:"Chill the dough in the fridge for a couple of hours- the cookies remain well formed and the dough gets to rest."

👪 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.

4 whipped shortbread cookies on a white plate

🌡️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 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).

shortbread cookies with cornstarch on a baking sheet

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!

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