These Whipped Shortbread Cookies, made with cornstarch, are 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.
Recipe Overview: Whipped Shortbread
- Ready in: 25 minutes
- Calories: 85 kcal per cookie
- Serves: 24 cookies
- Main Ingredients: Butter, All-Purpose Flour, Cornstarch, Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar).
- Dietary Info: Vegetarian, Egg-Free, Nut-Free.
- Weight Watchers Points: 4 WW Points per cookie. To keep the points lower, use a small cookie scoop to make 'mini' whipped shortbread. You get the same melt-in-your-mouth experience for just 2 points!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Occasions: Christmas, Holiday Cookie Exchanges, Afternoon Tea, Weddings, Mother's Day.
- Why You'll Love It: This is the ultimate "Lazy Way" holiday treat! With only 4 ingredients and no chilling required, you can go from mixing to snacking in under 30 minutes. The secret "Award-Winning" ratio of cornstarch to flour creates a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture that is far superior to traditional, heavy shortbread.
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Why use cornstarch in Whipped Shortbread
Cornstarch is the secret to avoiding tough cookies. It keeps the flour from developing too much gluten, which creates that signature "powdery" melt-in-your-mouth crumb.
🍒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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- Recipe Overview: Whipped Shortbread
- Summarize and Save this Content on:
- Why use cornstarch in Whipped Shortbread
- 🍒Reader Review
- 🥘 Ingredient Notes
- 🔪How to make Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- How long should you whip shortbread?
- The No-Chill Advantage
- Expert Recipe Tips
- 👪 Serving Size
- 🌡️Storing
- ❔ Recipe FAQs
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
- 🍪More Holiday Cookie Recipes!
- 📋 Whipped Shortbread Cookies (with cornstarch) recipe
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:
- Cornstarch. Cornstarch is the "secret weapon." It inhibits gluten formation in the all-purpose flour, which is exactly what creates that delicate, powdery, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Without cornstarch, you have a standard butter cookie; with it, you have a classic whipped shortbread!
- 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.
*See below (How long should I whip shortbread)
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.
How long should you whip shortbread?
Stand Mixer: 3-5 minutes on medium-high.
Hand Mixer: 8-10 minutes (The "Lazy Way" workout!).
What should it look like?
You are looking for three specific changes:
Color: The mixture should change from a yellow "butter" color to a very pale ivory or off-white.
Texture: It should look light, fluffy, and voluminous, similar to the consistency of a stiff buttercream frosting.
The "Peak" Test: When you lift the beaters, the mixture should be able to hold a soft peak (just like real whipped cream or meringue) rather than slumping back into a greasy puddle.
The No-Chill Advantage
This dough does not require chilling. Most recipes make you wait 2 hours; this one goes straight from the bowl to the oven.
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 halve, 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. However, I've never found a need to do it, 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." 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.
The most common culprit for spreading is butter temperature. For the perfect whipped shortbread, your butter should be softened to room temperature but still cool to the touch. If the butter is too soft (or starting to melt), it won't be able to hold the air bubbles you've worked so hard to whip into it. When that warm dough hits the hot oven, the fat melts before the flour has a chance to set, resulting in a flat cookie.
The "Lazy Way" Fix: If you suspect your dough is a bit too warm, pop the tray of shaped cookies into the fridge for 15 minutes before baking. This "shocks" the butter back to a firm state so the cookies hold their beautiful shape!
Yes! In fact, this is the ultimate "Lazy Way" holiday hack for stress-free entertaining. You can freeze them in two ways:
To freeze baked cookies: Let them cool completely, then place them in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers to prevent sticking. They will stay fresh for up to 3 months.
To freeze unbaked dough: Scoop the dough into balls onto a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag. When you're ready for a fresh treat, just bake them straight from the freezer-simply add 2-3 minutes to the total baking time!
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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
- 1½ cups confectioners' sugar or powdered sugar referred to as 'icing sugar' in Canada, sifted
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ 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.*See NOTES below for 'how long should I whip' whipped shortbread.
- 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.
Notes
Hand Mixer: 8-10 minutes (The "Lazy Way" workout!). What should it look like? You are looking for three specific changes:
Color: The mixture should change from a yellow "butter" color to a very pale ivory or off-white.
Texture: It should look light, fluffy, and voluminous, similar to the consistency of a stiff buttercream frosting.
The "Peak" Test: When you lift the beaters, the mixture should be able to hold a soft peak (just like real whipped cream or meringue) rather than slumping back into a greasy puddle.
Cindy Young says
These whipped up easily and are melt in your mouth tasty! Your yield is way off though, I halved the recipe and made 81 cookies, even at the recommended size.
Terri Gilson says
Hi Cindy,
Glad you loved them and interesting that you got so many cookies. I've never got that many out of the recipe. Lucky you 🙂
Terri
Olivia says
Metric measurements are so far off it’s ridiculous. Completely ruined my cookies. For example, it says to add 60 g of icing sugar but 1-1/2 cup is 278 g. I have never had a recipe conversion fail this badly.
Terri Gilson says
Sorry to hear that happened, Olivia! I checked into it with the support for my recipe card and it took us a while to troubleshoot it. But it turns out it didn't covert how it was supposed to because of the way I put in the 1/2 cups (I did -1/2 and didn't use the fractions) so it wasn't coverting properly. This is an old recipe, so I didn't even have the fraction feature when I originally posted it. Thanks for letting me know.
Terri
greta walters says
It made about 136 cookies, not 36 🙂
Delicious !!!
Terri Gilson says
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 says
Delicious
Terri Gilson says
I'm so glad you loved them, Monique! 🙂
Christine Richard says
Could I use margarine (vegan) for this recipe?
Terri Gilson says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Have you tried this with gluten free flour?
Terri Gilson says
Hi Dianne,
No, I have not, so I’m not sure how they would turn out.
Thanks
Terri
Robin says
Could I add a flavor to the batter( vanilla)
Terri Gilson says
Hi Robin,
Yes, you probably could, but I'm not sure how it would alter the taste!
Kim says
Will my cookies come out soft?
Terri Gilson says
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....