These simple 6-ingredient brown sugar shortbread cookies are a sweet, flavorful take on traditional shortbread. Made in 1 bowl without eggs or leavening, this buttery shortbread is soft yet dense with crisp, crumbly edges. We’ll use the simple slice-and-bake method, which helps guarantee thick cookies. No rolling pin required!
Brown Sugar Shortbread Is Back & Better
I used to have a recipe for brown sugar shortbread cookies on my site, but removed it because readers were reporting that their cookies always overspread. But there must have been something about those cookies that many liked, because it is the most frequently requested “old recipe” I get asked for!
So my team and I decided to give the recipe another try, and see if we could solve the overspreading problem and improve this recipe. After a few test batches, we determined that reducing the amounts of butter and sugar made the biggest difference. I’m happy to report that this recipe for brown sugar shortbread cookies is BACK, and truly better than ever!
Some of my other favorites include these flavored cherry almond shortbread, pecan shortbread, lemon shortbread, & chocolate pistachio shortbread.
Why You’ll Be Glad This Cookie Recipe Is Making a Comeback
- A 1-bowl cookie recipe
- Only 6 ingredients total
- Brown sugar flavor with a shortbread texture
- Thick, dense, and buttery with crisp/crumbly edges
- Coated in sparkly, sweet, crunchy coarse sugar
- Easy slice-and-bake style
- Great make-ahead cookie recipe
Just 5 Ingredients for Brown Sugar Shortbread Dough
Shortbread cookies don’t require eggs or leavening agents, which makes the ingredient list super short! All you need for the dough is:
You’ll also need a coarse sugar, such as coarse sparkling sugar or turbinado sugar (like Sugar in the Raw), to roll the cookie dough logs in. This gives the edges of your cookies a dazzling sparkle, as well as a sweet crunch.
How to Make Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies
Make the cookie dough in 1 bowl. Beat butter and sugar together until very creamy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the dry ingredients. The dough will be very crumbly, and you will probably need to finish bringing it together with your hands.
This is what it will look like:
Pour it out onto a work surface, and squeeze the dough together with your hands until it forms a thick dough. If it’s still too crumbly and not sticking together, try getting your hands wet or sprinkling a few drops of water onto the dough. That should do the trick!
Roll into logs. Divide the dough in half on a floured work surface. Do your best to roll each half into a log.
Roll the logs into coarse sugar. This sparkly coating makes for pretty cookies, but also gives the most fantastic sweet crunch—you’ll love the texture addition! You can use coarse sparkling sugar or something like Sugar In The Raw.
Chill the logs. Wrap each log in plastic wrap, then chill for at least 4 hours. A long chill time is mandatory for these “icebox”-style cookies.
Slice & bake. Slice each log into about 12 cookies, arrange on cookie sheets, and bake.
A Great Make-Ahead Cookie Recipe
Slice-and-bake, aka icebox, cookies are particularly suited to making ahead of time because the dough logs need to chill for at least 4 hours minimum, but can also hang out in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
So make the dough in advance, and then when you’re ready for fresh-baked cookies, simply pull one of the dough logs out, slice, and bake!
Planning to make a lot of cookies at the holidays, and want to get ahead? Make several batches of slice-and-bake cookie dough and freeze the dough logs for up to 3 months..
Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add the flour and salt and beat on low speed until incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat until the dough comes together. If the dough is too crumbly and won’t come together after a couple minutes of beating, stop the mixer, pour the dough crumbles on a work surface, and use your hands to bring it together. (I often have to do this, so don’t worry.) You can also try sprinkling the dough with a few drops of water and then beat again; or get your hands wet, then press the dough clumps together tightly until it forms one large clump of thick dough.
- With lightly floured hands, divide the dough in two. (If you want to be precise, the dough should weigh about 650g, so each half will be about 325g.) Roll and shape each piece of dough into an 8-inch log.
- Pour coarse sugar onto a large plate. One at a time, roll the logs in the sugar until the exterior is fully coated.
- Tightly wrap the logs in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 5 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough. I always chill mine overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Remove logs from the refrigerator. Slice each log into 12 equally thick cookies and place cookies on baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 14–16 minutes, or until set and lightly browned around the edges. Do not over-bake. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
- Cover and store leftover cookies at room temperature for up to 1 week. After day 1, the cookies will taste crunchier.
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