The best cutout shortbread cookies that are no spread and full of buttery, soft, yet crispy textures. The perfect shortbread for Christmas cookie decorating, these specific Christmas tree cookies use an easy technique using standard American buttercream rather than finicky royal icing.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Easy shortbread cutout cookies - These are classic and traditional shortbread cookies perfect for stamping with cookie cutters. It's a dough that is very forgiving and easy to work with, and any pieces that crack or fall apart before baking can just be squished up and re-rolled. This version uses almond extract in both the cookie and icing, but can be omitted or substituted with a preferred flavor.
Classic texture - The true base of the recipe is a 3-ingredient shortbread: butter, sugar, and flour. The vanilla and almond extracts (and salt) are added strictly for flavor. All of these lend to a crispy outside, and toothsome bite on the inside, just like in these pistachio shortbread cookies and cookie sticks!
Simple shapes and decorating technique - While these are made in the shape of Christmas trees (the printable template is included below), you can cut these into any shape you'd like and use the same decorating technique. Special tools aren't needed, and even kids can do this decoration!
This cookie recipe is adapted from a near and dear family friend, Lisa Vasco, who is an OG cookie decorator. She was making and decorating cookies with royal icing before it was cool! Thanks so much for letting me share this, Lisa.
For more holiday cookie recipes, try:
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Ingredients
- Unsalted butter. For both the cookies and icing, and at a true room temperature.
- Sugars. Granulated for the shortbread and powdered sugar for the icing.
- All-purpose flour. Use a digital kitchen scale if you have one, or be sure to measure your flour correctly!
- Extracts. Almond and vanilla, but other flavors can be substituted. See the Substitutions and Variations section for more ideas.
- Heavy whipping cream. For the frosting, but you could also use milk or water.
- Food coloring. I use Wilton gels so it doesn't add extra liquid to the icing. Adding too much coloring can sometimes split buttercream.
- Sprinkles. I like to use edible stars and non-pareiles, but use whatever makes you feel festive.
Substitutions and Variations
- Extracts - orange, spice, lemon, peppermint, mint, or coconut are all good options to use in place of almond extract.
- Brown the butter and allow it to re-solidify to room temperature for an extra level of flavor.
- Add a ¼ cup of colored nonpareils to the dough during the making process for a fun sprinkled dough.
- Use any shape of cookie cutter or template to make various cookie shapes.
- Use a zip top bag instead of a piping bag to decorate, if you don't have piping bags. No piping tips necessary!
How to Make This Recipe
The recipe makes about 24-30 cookies. Feel free to only use one disc of dough (and half the icing recipe) if you'd like closer to a dozen.
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Shortbread Cookies
One: Cream together the butter and sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add the extracts, then scrape down the sides.
Two: Add the sifted flour and mix until crumbles form.
Three: Continue mixing until a smooth dough ball forms.
Four: Cut the dough in half and add each piece to a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap completely, press into a disc, then refrigerate. You can also do it in one large mass.
Hot tip! The dough should be very firm after the refrigeration stage. If it's still soft in the center, allow it to chill for longer.
Five: Use a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to roll out the dough until it's ¼" thick. Use a cookie cutter or template and cut out the desired shapes from the shortbread dough. Squish the scraps, re-roll, and cut out more trees.
Six: Use an offset spatula to transfer the cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet, then bake until lightly browned. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before trying to remove them, otherwise, they will fall apart!
Making the Buttercream
One: Cream the butter, then add the sifted powdered sugar until a thick paste forms. Then, drizzle in the liquid and extracts while beating.
Two: Beat the buttercream until it's light and fluffy, scraping down the sides once during the process.
Three: Separate the icing into three separate bowls. Keep one white, then add small amounts of green to the other two bowls, mixing until the desired colors are formed - one light green, and one darker green.
Four: Add the piping bags (or zip top bags) to a drinking glass and fold the tops over, then add each color to the glass.
Hot tip! Use a small amount of white, medium amount for the light green, and the largest amount for the dark green. For a slightly muted color, add a very tiny amount of brown.
How to Decorate the Christmas Tree Cookies
One: Snip off a ½cm piece from the tip of the piping bag, and add 5 small dollops to the base of the tree.
Two: Use an offset spatula to gently push down in the center of the dollop, then pull toward you to smooth out the frosting.
Hot tip! Have the point of the tree facing your body as you decorate, as this is the way the swipes will need to go.
Three: Add an additional row of dark green, followed by two rows of light green.
Four: End with one dollop of white. Run the side of the offset spatula on the edges of the cookies to remove any excess icing that may have fallen over the edges.
Hot tip! Have a few pieces of paper towel next to your decorating area so you can wipe off the offset spatula after each section.
Five: Add a star to the top of the tree, I find that tweezers allow for the best control.
Six: Sprinkle on any additional stars or sprinkles you'd like, then enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use a digital scale to measure the flour for best results.
- Flour the knife or cooke cutter if it begins to stick as you're cutting out the dough.
- Bake the cookies one sheet at a time in the center rack of the oven.
- Allow them to cool completely on the pan before moving them, otherwise, they'll crack.
- Use a microplane to shave off any lumpy edges to make very clean cookies.
- Have your decoration station set up before beginning.
- Use a zip top bag if you don't have a piping bag. No piping tips necessary!
- If you don't have an offset spatula, use a popsicle stick or butter knife to create the decoration.
Storage
Store the cookies uncovered at room temperature for 5 days. The icing will harden over on top but stay soft underneath. They can be gently leaned against each other to place into a cookie box. For flat storage, add a sheet of parchment paper followed by a piece of small bubble bubble wrap and layer that way.
Freezing
You can also freeze the cutout shortbread cookies in a few different phases:
- The discs of dough can be frozen for 2 months, thawed in the fridge, then rolled out.
- The cut and pre-baked cookies can be frozen by flash freezing on a baking pan and then adding to a bag or container to freeze for 1 month. They can be baked straight from frozen, but you will need a few extra minutes of bake time.
- The baked cookies can be frozen in a bag or airtight container for 3 months. Uncover and thaw at room temperature, then decorate.
- The full baked, iced, and decorated cookies can be frozen in a zip top bag or airtight container for 3 months (layer between slices of parchment paper). Leave at room temperature (uncovered) to thaw, then eat!
Recipe FAQs
Shortbread cookies contain just butter, sugar, and flour while sugar cookies also include eggs. There is also a bit more butter in shortbread cookies, making them slightly more crumbly and sugar cookies more chewy.
Good quality butter! Because there is so much butter in shortbread, you really do taste it, so the quality of the butter can make a difference.
You'll want to use visual cues and look for the edges of the cookies to be very lightly browned.
The best way to keep cutout shortbread cookie dough from spreading is to be sure it's completely chilled prior to rolling and baking.
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📖Recipe
Christmas Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Digital scale optional, but recommended
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
- Plastic wrap
- Sharp paring knife or cookie cutter
- Piping bags (or ziptop bags)
- Offset spatula or butter knife
Ingredients
Shortbread Cutout Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Almond Buttercream
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2-4 tablespoons water
- Food coloring green, or color of choice
- Edible sprinkles and stars optional
Instructions
Shortbread Cutout Cookies
- Cream the butter, sugar, salt, and extracts over medium-high speed until combined, then scrape down the sides. Sift the flour into the bowl, then mix on low speed until just combined.1 cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 3 cups all-purpose flour
- Remove from the fridge and allow the chill to come off for 10-15 minutes. Place in between two pieces of parchment paper use a rolling pin to roll it out to ¼" thick (it can be any shape, just keep it an even thickness).
- Use the template to carefully cut out the cookies with a sharp paring knife. Squish the scraps back together and roll out again, repeating the same process. Place the cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets and freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ while the cookies chill.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating the pan at the halfway mark. Bake only one pan at a time for best results.
- Leave the cookies on the pans until completely cool. Moving them before cooled will cause them to crack.
Almond Buttercream
- Beat the butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Sift the powdered sugar into a separate bowl.½ cup unsalted butter, 3 cups powdered sugar
- Slowly add in the powdered sugar, then add in the vanilla and almond extracts and mix on medium high speed for about a minute.½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract
- On medium speed, drizzle in the cream/milk/water by tablespoon until the mixture becomes light, soft, and spreadable. If it feels too thick, add more liquid. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.2-4 tablespoons water
- If coloring the buttercream, separate into bowls and mix in the coloring by hand to desired shades.Food coloring
- Transfer to piping bags or ziptop bags.
Decorating the Cookies
- Starting with the darkest color, pipe 5 dollops at the base of the tree, then use an offset spatula to press halfway into each dollop and pull down to smear. Wipe off the icing and move on to the next row.
- The next rows will be 4 dollops dark green, 3 dollops light green, 2 dollops light green, 1 dollop white.
- Finish the decorating by adding edible stars and other sprinkles of choice.Edible sprinkles and stars
Video
Notes
- The discs of dough can be frozen for 3 months, thawed in the fridge, then rolled out.
- The cut and pre-baked cookies can be frozen by flash freezing on a baking pan and then adding to a bag or container to freeze for 2-3 months. They can be baked straight from frozen, but you will need a few extra minutes of bake time.
- The baked cookies can be frozen in a bag or airtight container for 3 months. Uncover and thaw at room temperature, then decorate.
- The full baked, iced, and decorated cookies can be frozen in a zip top bag or airtight container for 3 months (layer between slices of parchment paper). Leave at room temperature (uncovered) to thaw, then eat!
Anne Ly says
Hi!
Thank you so much for sharing this shortbread cookie recipe! I love the texture and the taste of it. I’ve been searching for the perfect shortbread cookie that isn’t too heavy on butter so this a a good compromise between a sugar cookie and a traditional shortbread. I have baked this recipe about half a dozen times. The only thing I must say though, is that the cookies do spread. I do make sure I don’t overmix the butter and sugar and I keep the cookies in the freezer before putting them in the oven. Perhaps the cooking temperature should be increased to 350C ? Most shortbread recipes used 350C. Could this change anything?
Callan Wenner says
Hi Anne, thanks for all of the feedback and for adding these to your rotation! I will give them another test with a few different variables and see if I can get them to keep a true straight edge without any puff at all. I'll be sure to update the recipe with a note once this occurs (and will try to remember to respond to this comment again to let you know).
Callan Wenner says
Hi Anne, just dropping a note to let you know these have been retested with a range of flour, sugar, butter, and baking temperature variables to land on what I believe is a perfect shortbread cutout cookie! I've created a stand-alone post for the cookies, but have also updated everything in this Christmas tree cookie post to reflect the new recipe. I'd love to hear your feedback the next time you get a chance to make these!
Here's the shortbread cutout cookie post: https://thecozyplum.com/shortbread-cutout-cookies/
Pamela says
I was disappointed in these cookies because they did spread. Previous shortbread cookie recipes I’ve made did not spread at all. I also should not have gone with the almond extract because I do not like the flavor and it leaves an aftertaste. I followed the recipe perfectly and have been baking for years.
Callan Wenner says
Hi Pamela, I'm sorry to hear this! Was the butter and sugar creamed too long? Over-aerating can cause spreading. Maybe the dough ended up being too warm by the time they went into the oven? I added a step to freeze or refrigerate, just in case this is a potential issue with anyone else. This is a very traditional shortbread dough ratio and one that I make multiple times a year for decorated cookies so I'm not sure what went awry outside of the above thoughts! Regarding the almond extract, it's definitely a strong flavor, so I would recommend reducing or omitting it in the future if you're not a fan of that flavor profile.
Sophie says
I'm wondering how much the buttercream sets? Like would these be okay to package in cookie boxes or would the buttercream get all mushed? They look so cute! Thanks!
Callan Wenner says
Hi Sophie - the buttercream does harden over on the tops, but stays slightly soft underneath. I've gently placed them in cookie boxes before so they're leaning on each other slightly upright and was careful during transport and they were totally fine. If they need a less delicate transport and need to layer flat, I suggest adding a piece of parchment paper on top, followed by a thin piece of bubble wrap (and continue layering that way).
Paula says
These turned out perfectly, much better than the kind of shortbread that is baked in a pan and then cut apart after baking is finished. I used salted butter and omitted the extra salt; I also rolled to 3/8" thick, and just used a bench scraper to cut them into rectangles, piercing each cookie with a fork before baking for that classic shortbread look. Thank you!
Callan Wenner says
Ahh this is great news! Thanks so much for making them.
Ana says
These cookies are so delicious or in the words of a cookie recipient "fantabulous"! The shortbread is so buttery and the buttercream is heavenly. My only modification was a pinch of salt in the buttercream. The almond flavor throughout is perfectly balanced and not overwhelming. I used a Christmas tree cookie cutter, but recommend using Callan's template to get more even color distribution. A wonderful and festive bake!
The Cozy Plum says
Fantabulous is the best descriptor! Great tips here - thanks so much for sharing and baking!