by 
These Shortbread Christmas Cookies are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Dipped in chocolate or a vanilla glaze and sprinkled with festive candy sprinkles.
Perfect for adding to your Christmas cookie tray!
It's all in the sprinkles
These shortbread cookies are just everyday cookies. But add a few red, green, and white sprinkles and you have a Christmas cookie!
They are a delicious little cookies finished with a quick dip in a chocolate or vanilla glaze and then covered in festive sprinkles. Feel free to match the sprinkles to any holiday or occasion.
The cookies themselves are made with just four simple ingredients and no eggs are added.
Shortbread-dipped cookies are perfect for adding to a holiday cookie tray or for sharing with friends and neighbors.
If you're making a holiday cookie tray, you might consider all my delicious Christmas cookies!
These Christmas Shortbread Cookies are the first in my cookie series I'm calling The Ten Days of Christmas Cookies.
You'll also want to check out my existing Christmas cookie recipes! There's something for everyone!
- Cranberry Swirl Cookies
- Raspberry Bow Tie Cookies
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Pecan Snowball Cookies
- Chocolate Meringues
Key ingredients
- Flour - I use regular all-purpose flour
- Powdered Sugar - Makes these cookies melt in your mouth delicious. If your powdered sugar is lumpy, be certain to sift it first.
- Butter - I use salted butter. If you use unsalted butter, you will want to add a bit of salt to your cookie dough.
- Vanilla - Make certain you are using pure vanilla extract
For dipping the cookies
- Colorful sprinkles - use any color or style you prefer
- Chocolate melting wafers - I used milk chocolate, but dark chocolate would be delicious too! I like to use Ghirardelli chocolate wafers, found in most baking sections.
- Vanilla glaze - easily made with powdered sugar, vanilla and a bit of milk or cream
Tip
Use any color of sprinkles for different holidays or occasions.
Step by step directions
- Cream butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy
- Add vanilla
- Stir in flour. The mixture will be dry and crumbly.
- Place mixture on a lightly floured surface and form into a round
- Roll out to ¼ inch thick and then cut out into 2-inch rounds
- Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet and refrigerated for 30 minutes
- Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes, just until they begin to brown
- Remove cookies to a cookie rack and allow them to fully cool before adding glaze
- For the chocolate glaze, melt chocolate wafers in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until fully melted. Stir after each interval.
- For the vanilla glaze, combine powdered sugar, corn syrup, cream and vanilla together. Stir until smooth. Add additional cream until the glaze is runny.
- Dip each cookie halfway into one of the glazes. Allow excess glaze to drip off.
- Immediately add sprinkles
Recipe tips
- Chilling the cookies prior to baking helps the cookies keep their shape
- Allow cookies to fully cool prior to dipping
- Place dipped cookies on a baking rack on a cookie sheet to help catch all the drips and excess sprinkles
- Store cookies in a single layer, separated by waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, these cookies can be frozen with the dip and sprinkles or without. Allow cookies to fully cool then place in a single layer in a freezer container. Separate layers with waxed paper. For best results, use within one month.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my delicious cookie recipes!
Shortbread Christmas Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheet
- Round Cutters
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup butter
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ¾ cup flour
Chocolate
- 6 ounces chocolate melting pieces
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- sprinkles
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Cream butter and sugar together. Add vanilla and mix.1 cup butter, ¾ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Stir in flour. The mixture will be crumbly.1 ¾ cup flour
- Place cookie dough on a lightly floured surface and form into a disc. Roll out with a rolling pin until ¼ - ½ inch thick.
- Use a 2 inch round cookie cutter and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
- Chill cookies for 30 minutes on cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 10-12 minutes until they are just beginning to brown slightly.
- Allow cookies to fully cool on a baking rack.
Glaze
- For the chocolate glaze, melt chocolate wafers in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until fully melted. Stir after each interval.6 ounces chocolate melting pieces
- For the vanilla glaze, combine powdered sugar, corn syrup, cream and vanilla together. Stir until smooth. Add additional cream until the glaze is runny.1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon corn syrup, 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Dip each cookie halfway into one of the glazes. Allow excess glaze to drip off.
- Immediately add sprinkles
Notes
- Chilling the cookies prior to baking helps the cookies keep their shape
- Allow cookies to fully cool prior to dipping
- Place dipped cookies on a baking rack on a cookie sheet to help catch all the drips and excess sprinkles
- Store cookies in a single layer, separated by waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
David @ Spiced says
Forget the holiday cookie tray - there's no way these cookies will last that long! I do love shortbread cookies, and the chocolate + festive sprinkles are perfect for the season. I'm thinking these will magically disappear long before the cookie tray is complete!
Kathy says
It's always a risk! I think making a double batch may solve that issue and then there may be plenty! 😉