This incredible Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookie recipe is based on my buttery classic shortbread cookie recipe, but uses dark brown sugar instead of granulated sugar. The molasses in the dark brown sugar produces a wonderful blend of toffee and caramel, making these cookies so good they'll disappear fast. They’re soft and tender, and if you like your cookies a little salty, sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt. My foolproof recipe uses a classic slice-and-bake method, so they’re easy and reliable to make plus they’re an ideal recipe for beginner bakers. They're also great for shipping as a gift, or baking for Christmas.
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Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Brown Sugar Version of Classic Shortbread Cookies
- Brown Sugar Shortbread Ingredients
- How to Make Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies
- How to Serve and Store These Cookies
- How to Freeze Unbaked Shortbread Cookie Dough
- How to Freeze Baked Cookies
- More Shortbread Cookies to Bake
- Tips for Making Good Shortbread
- If You Like This Recipe, Try These Recipes
- Slice and Bake Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies
Why You’ll Love This Brown Sugar Version of Classic Shortbread Cookies
What’s amazing about these brown sugar shortbread cookies is the brown sugar naturally adds a wonderfully warm, caramel-like flavor to the final cookie. They’re just as easy to make as my original version, but that extra depth from the brown sugar takes them to another level!
During testing, I tried both light and dark brown sugar, and while both work beautifully, there’s a subtle difference in taste. With dark brown sugar, the cookies have a deeper molasses flavor and are less sweet than the light brown sugar version, while light brown sugar gives a slightly lighter, more caramel-forward taste. Both types of brown sugar work, but I prefer the dark brown sugar.
I love that this is an accessible, easy shortbread cookie recipe for beginners. The dough comes together effortlessly, and the slice-and-bake method is straightforward to follow. My advice for this recipe is that precision is key. When recipes are simple like this, perfecting the ingredient measurements is important for the best results.
The signature mark of my shortbread cookie recipes is that they hold their shape. My no-spread shortbread gives you perfectly round, even cookies that look gorgeous on any plate. Around the holidays, if you want to experiment with cutting these cookies into different themed shapes, this dough will work very well.
P.S.: If you love these cookies, you’ll truly enjoy my Pecan Brown Sugar Cookies, too!
Brown Sugar Shortbread Ingredients
This brown sugar shortbread recipe is made with 6 simple ingredients and each plays a key role in the texture and flavor.
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: This gives the cookies their classic, crumbly shortbread texture and structure.
- Dark Brown Sugar: You can use either dark brown or light brown sugar in my brown sugar shortbread recipe, but I recommend dark brown sugar for the best flavor. They will produce a slight difference in flavor: rich caramel and vanilla notes from light brown sugar or a more robust molasses flavor from dark brown sugar.
- Unsalted Butter: You want the butter to be at room temperature so that it will cream evenly with the sugar. Salted butter also works in this recipe and pairs well with the caramel flavor of the brown sugar.
- Kosher Salt: I love a slightly salty shortbread cookie, which is why my cookies contain more salt than similar recipes. Feel free to reduce the salt.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: This is a great flavor pairing for brown sugar. You can also use pure vanilla extract.
- Ground Nutmeg: This is an optional addition to give the cookies a warm, spiced flavor. I wouldn’t add more than a ¼ teaspoon. Don’t use too much or it will overpower the caramel and molasses notes of the brown sugar.
- Turbinado Sugar: The outside of the cookie is coated with turbinado or raw sugar (or other coarse sugar). It gives the edges of the cookie a nice little crunch when they’re baked.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies
For the best results weigh the ingredients and have fun making these shortbread cookies. They are so delicious.
Step 1: Place brown sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla bean paste in a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is combined and smooth.
Step 2: Mix the ingredients until creamy
Step 3: Add all of the flour and mix on low speed until just combined
Step 4: Mix on medium until the dough comes together in large, soft pieces that are easy to handle.
Step 5: Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Lightly flour your work surface. Place one piece on the floured surface, press it into a rough rectangle about 1 inch thick, then gently roll it into a log.
Step 6: Wrap each cookie dough log in wax paper and twist the ends of the wax paper like a candy wrapper to secure the log.
Step 7: Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. This helps the cookies hold their shape when baking.
Step 8: Remove one cookie dough log from the fridge. Unwrap the cookie dough and leave it on the wax paper. Sprinkle then lightly press the brown sugar onto the surface of the log.
Step 9 : Use a ruler to mark the log every 1/2-inch for cutting. With a very sharp knife slice the dough into even rounds. You can place up to 12 cookie rounds on one cookie sheet.
Step 10: Bake the cookies until lightly golden brown. Cool the cookies for about 5 minutes then move them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
How to Serve and Store These Cookies
The cookies are magic while they’re still slightly warm from the oven. The subtle caramel flavor of these Brown sugar shortbread cookies is a perfect accompaniment for a cup of strong black tea like Assam or Earl Grey. They’re also extra tasty with your morning cup of coffee. If you like to dunk your cookies in your hot drinks, this is the cookie to do it with!
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container. They will keep for up to 10 7 days.
How to Freeze Unbaked Shortbread Cookie Dough
Want to freeze this shortbread dough for later? No problem! Here are the steps for freezing the dough.
- Wrap the cookie dough logs in wax paper and chill in the fridge for 1 hour until firm.
- Then, place the wrapped logs in a freezer bag, squeeze out all the air, and seal the bag securely. Freeze the logs flat, as this will help the logs maintain their shape and prevent them from getting squished by other items in your freezer.
- Label the freezer bag with the date to remind yourself of when they went into the freezer. Shortbread cookie dough can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to Freeze Baked Cookies
If you have leftover cookies (rare, but it happens) freezing them is a great way to keep them fresh and enjoy them for longer.
- Cool Completely: Completely cool the baked cookies before freezing. Freezing warm cookies can cause condensation which leads to ice forming on the cookies. Let them sit on a wire rack for at least an hour if you're freezing them right away.
- Flash Freeze: Place the baked cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer and freeze for an hour, or until firm.
- Package in a Container: Put the cookies in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Add a layer of parchment or wax paper between the layers of cookies if you're stacking them in a container or bag to keep them from sticking.
- Label and Store: Label the container with the date to keep track of when you stored the cookies. Baked shortbread cookies freeze well for up to 2 months.
- Thawing the Cookies: Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
More Shortbread Cookies to Bake
Shortbread is so versatile and can be infused with endless amazing flavors. Here are some of my favorites.
- Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Peppermint Shortbread Cookies
- Soft Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
Tips for Making Good Shortbread
Shortbread cookies are easy to make and perfect when you want a little something sweet. But because they have so few ingredients, they’re also easy to mess up. Here are my tips for making delicious shortbread cookies:
- Use great-tasting butter. The butter shines through in these cookies so you want to make sure the butter tastes good. My favorites are Kerrygold and Tillamook.
- Weigh your ingredients. I know, but these cookies rely on a 3-2-1 ratio to get that perfect texture and keep their shape. And when you’re spending $6 a pound for butter, a kitchen scale is a good investment to ensure you get it right.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make your shortbread cookies tough.
- Chill the dough. The great thing about this shortbread cookie recipe is that they don’t require a long chill time to achieve that perfect shape.
- Have fun! If you have fun baking these cookies, you and your friends will love eating them.
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If You Like This Recipe, Try These Recipes
Slice and Bake Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (114 grams) dark brown sugar light brown sugar can also be used
- 8 ounces (227 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 12 ounces (340 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
Topping
- 2 tablespoons raw cane sugar or turbinado sugar
Instructions
Make the Cookies
- Measure out all the ingredients before you start mixing them together.
- Place the brown sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla bean paste in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until the mixture is thoroughly combined and smooth about 2 minutes.
- Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl, and add all the flour at once. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix until all the flour is just combined. The dough will be crumbly at this point. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until the dough has come together into large pieces. The dough should be soft and easy to handle.
- Divide the dough into two pieces, each weighing about 340 grams. Lightly flour a clean working surface. The flour will prevent the dough from sticking as you shape it. Place one portion of the dough on the floured surface and gently press it into a rough rectangular shape, about 1 inch thick. Now, with your hands, start to gently roll the dough back and forth, applying even pressure. As you roll, the dough will begin to lengthen and form a log shape.
- Continue rolling and shaping the dough until it forms a smooth, uniform log about 1-1/2 in diameter. If the dough starts to crack, don't worry! Just gently press it back together. Once you're happy with the shape of your log, wrap it in wax paper.
- Cut a sheet of wax paper that is long enough to wrap around the log with a little extra for overlapping. Place the log 2 inches from the long edge of the wax paper. Bring the long edge of the paper together over the top of the dough and smooth it so there are no gaps. Roll the log in the wax paper. You may need to occasionally stop and pull the wax paper tight if any gaps form. Twist the ends of the wax paper like a candy wrapper to secure the log. Repeat this process with the second portion of dough. Now your dough logs are ready for chilling
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and for up to 2 days. Chilling the dough will help the cookies hold their shape when baking.
Bake the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line a half baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove one log of cookie dough from the refrigerator. Unwrap the cookie dough and leave it on the wax paper. Sprinkle, the lightly press the sugar into the surface of the log.
- Use a ruler to mark the log every 1/2-inch for cutting the cookie log. Slice the dough into rounds. Please up to 12 cookie rounds on a prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 17-20 minutes. The bottom of the cookies will be lightly golden brown.
- Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving them to a cookie rack to completely cool.
- At this point the cookies are ready to eat.
Storage
- Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
How to Freeze Unbaked Cookie Dough
- Once your cookie dough logs are securely wrapped in wax paper, you can freeze them to bake later. First, chill them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour so the log is firm.
- Place the wrapped logs in a large freezer bag or airtight container. This freezer bag will help prevent freezer burn and keep your dough fresh. Make sure to squeeze out as much air as possible from the freezer bag before sealing it tightly. Lay the bag flat in the freezer. This will help the logs maintain their shape and prevent them from getting squished by other items in your freezer.
- Shortbread cookie dough can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake, take a log out of the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight until it's firm but pliable enough to slice. Slice and bake according to the recipe instructions. Add a minute or two to the baking time to account for the dough being chilled.
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