Soft Vanilla Shortbread Cookies (with Vanilla Bean)

These buttery and tender Vanilla Shortbread Cookies are amazing. This recipe is based on my classic shortbread cookie recipe and is made extra special by adding a whole vanilla bean and salted butter. The edges of the cookies are coated with turbinado sugar for a happy little crunch. If you love the flavor of vanilla you'll love these mouthwatering cookies.

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I love the spell and taste of vanilla and I had fun working on these buttery salty vanilla shortbread cookies. One of the things I discovered during the recipe testing is how well salt pairs with vanilla by giving the cookie a more savory flavor that boosts the vanilla flavor.

The basic shortbread cookie recipe for these cookies is so good that I use it as the base for some of my most popular cookies: Cranberry and Pistachio Shortbread Cookie and Lemon Shortbread Cookies.

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

These vanilla bean shortbread cookies are going to be your new favorite and impress your friends and family at your next get-together. Here's why you'll absolutely love them:

• Pure Vanilla Flavor: Real vanilla bean takes center stage, infusing each bite with its sweet, fragrant warmth.
• Classic, Buttery Goodness: Made with plenty of butter, these cookies have an amazing melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich flavor that will have you craving more.
• Easy to Make: These cookies come together quickly with simple ingredients.

And if you came to this recipe because you love vanilla try these two delicious recipes:

• Vanilla Bundt Cake with Vanilla Glaze
• Moist and Fluffy Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Vanilla Shortbread Cookie Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need for these amazing and delicious shortbread cookies:

• Salted Butter: Butter adds flavor and produces a nice tender cookie. I used salted butter in this recipe because the combination of vanilla and salt is wonderful. Use room-temperature butter for the best texture and to ensure the dough comes together. If you prefer you can use unsalted butter in this recipe.
• Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar produces nice crisp edges and helps with the light browning on the bottom edge of the cookie.
• Vanilla Bean: The recipe uses one whole vanilla bean for the best vanilla flavor possible. If you can't get hold of a vanilla bean substitute 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste.
• Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: The flour provides structure for the cookie. Do not use cake flour as that will make the cookie too delicate.
• Egg Yolk: The egg yolk adds tenderness to the cookie, making them softer.
• Flaky Sea Salt: Sprinkle this salt on top for an extra pop of saltiness.

These cookies have a 3-2-1 ratio which refers to the ratio between flour, butter, and sugar - 12 ounces of flour, 8 ounces of butter, and 4 ounces of sugar. This ratio ensures that the cookies won't spread and will hold their shape.

Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to Make Vanilla Shortbread Cookies

If you love a salty-sweet combination you will love these incredible shortbread cookies.

Step 1: Place the sugar in medium-sized bowl. With a sharp knife split a whole vanilla bean in half and use the sharp side of the blade to scrape the seeds from the bean. Place the seeds in the sugar and use your fingers to rub the vanilla bean seeds into the sugar.

Step 2: Sift the flour into a large bowl.

Step 3: Place the vanilla-sugar mixture and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium speed with the paddle attachment until the ingredients are combined and the mixture is creamy.

Step 4: Add the egg yolk and mix on medium speed until the egg yolk is incorporated. 

Step 5: Add the flour to the sugar-butter mixture and mix on medium-low speed until the flour is mixed in and the dough starts to come together.  Increase to medium speed and mix until the dough comes together in large clumps.

Step 6: Pour the shortbread dough onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to lightly knead the dough until it forms a uniform mass. 

Step 7: Divide the dough into two equal portions and roll them into 1-1/2 inch logs that are about 7 inches long each.

Step 8: Wrap each one in wax paper or plastic wrap that is at least 7 inches longer than the log. Roll the dough log back and forth a few times to even it out and make it rough.

Step 9: Chill the cookie dough logs for at least one (1) hour and up to two days. You can also freeze the cookie logs for up to 2 months. When ready to make the cookies set them on the counter to thaw out for 30 minutes before slicing.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. If you only have one cookie sheet, make sure the cookie sheet is completely cooled before baking the next batch of cookies.

Step 10: Brush the entire log with the egg white and then sprinkle the log with the turbinado sugar, rotating it to ensure you cover the entire log.

Step 11: When the dough is completely covered slice the dough into 1/2-inch rounds. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet 1-1/2 inches apart.

Step 12: Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet 1-1/2 inches apart.

Step 13: Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes. The bottoms of the cookie will be a light golden brown so check the bottom of one of the cookies after 16 minutes.

Since every oven is different I recommend doing a test bake of one cookie to see how long it takes to bake in your oven.

Step 14: Remove the cookies from the oven, allow them to cool briefly on the baking pan then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

How to Store Shortbread Cookies

Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Shortbread cookies keep remarkably well, so they can be enjoyed for a long period of time. These cookies also ship well if you want to send them to friends and family. 

How to Freeze Unbaked Shortbread Cookies

Freezing unbaked shortbread cookie dough is a fantastic way to have fresh-baked cookies on demand. The cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months after cutting out the shapes.  Here's how to do it:

Flash Freeze: Place the log of dough (wrapped in the parchment or wax paper) on baking sheet and freeze for an hour, or until firm.

Package in Airtight Container: Transfer the frozen dough to a freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty, zip-lock freezer bag.

Label and Store: Label the container with the date to keep track of when you stored the cookies. Shortbread dough freezes well for up to 3 months.

Bake from Frozen: Let the frozen cookie dough sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes until soft enough to slice. Bake the cookies according to the recipe directions.

How to Freeze Baked Shortbread Cookies

If you have leftover cookies (rare, but it happens) freezing them is a great way to keep them fresh and enjoy them longer.

Cool Completely: Completely cool the baked cookies before freezing. Any residual warmth can cause condensation and lead to soggy 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 Airtight Container: Transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. To prevent sticking and crushing, add a layer of parchment or wax paper between the cookies if you're stacking them in a container.

Label and Store: Label the container with the date to keep track of when you stored the cookies. Shortbread cookies freeze well for up to 2 months.

Thawing the Cookies: Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature for about an hour before serving.

By following these steps, you can enjoy your delicious homemade shortbread cookies whenever you crave them!

Pro Tips for Making These Cookies

• Weigh the ingredients. The ratio of flour, butter and sugar are the key to the cookies keeping their shape. Too much flour will result in a dry, crumbly cookie and too little flour will result in a cookie that spreads.
• Use great-tasting butter. The taste of the butter is very prominent once the cookies are baked so make sure your butter tastes great.
• Bake the cookies on parchment paper instead of Silpat. I noticed that the bottom of the cookies flare out just a little bit when baked on Silpat
• When baking multiple batches, don't place unbaked cookies on a warm baking sheet.

If you make this tender and butter vanilla shortbread cookies please leave a rating and a comment below.

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If You Like This Recipe, Try These Recipes

Soft Vanilla Shortbread Cookies (with Vanilla Bean)

5 from 5 votes

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Chilling: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

These buttery and tender Vanilla Shortbread Cookies are amazing. This recipe is based on my classic shortbread cookie recipe and is made extra special by adding a whole vanilla bean and salted butter. The edges of the cookies are coated with turbinado sugar for a little extra crunch.

Yield: 24 cookies

PRINT RECIPE PIN REVIEW SAVE RECIPESaved!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Cheryl Norris

Ingredients

Shortbread Cookie

• ▢ 4 ounces (114 grams) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 vanilla bean (about 6-inches long)
• ▢ 8 ounces (227 grams) salted butter room temperature
• ▢ 1 large (50 grams) egg separated
• ▢ 12 ounces (340 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dusting the work surface

Topping

• ▢ 1 large (30 grams) egg white
• ▢ 1/4 cup (57 grams) turbinado sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons flaky sea salt optional

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Instructions

• Sift the flour into a large bowl, and set it aside. Separate the egg, place the egg yolk in a small bowl. Place the egg white in its own container and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Place the sugar in a small bowl. Lay the vanilla bean flat. Look for the rougher, matte side – this is where the bean naturally splits open and where you want to cut.
• Hold the tip of the bean down with your finger. Using the sharp tip of a paring knife, carefully cut lengthwise down the center of the bean, following the matte side. Don't cut all the way through! Leave the end intact so the bean unfolds like a book.
• Use the blunt back of the paring knife to gently scrape the fragrant vanilla bean seeds from the bean and into the small bowl with the sugar. Use your fingers to rub the vanilla seeds into the sugar until they are distributed throughout the sugar.
• Pour the vanilla-sugar mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the salted butter. Mix on medium speed until the sugar and butter look creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Add the egg yolk and mix on medium speed until the egg yolk is fully incorporated. Add all the flour and mix on medium-low speed just until the dough comes together into large pieces of dough.
• Turn out the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Gently gather the dough into a disk by gently pressing it together and shaping it into a round disk. Divide the dough into two pieces, weighing about 350 grams each.
• Shape each dough half into a 7-inch long by 1-1/2-inch diameter log, by forming it into a short cylinder and then rolling it back and forth with open hands. Move your hands from the center to the outside edges and back again to maintain even thickness. Add additional flour to the surface as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
• Wrap wax paper around the dough log, lengthwise. Then twist each end of the paper into pigtails in opposite directions (one towards you and one away from you) to form a locking mechanism. With each twist, the dough will compress and become smoothed out (think of it like a sausage in a casing). Roll from the center outward until you feel that you have a smooth, cylindrical log.
• Chill the dough for at least 1 hours and up to 2 days.

Baking the Cookies

• Preheat the oven to 325°F degrees. Remove one of the cookie dough logs from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Brush the entire cookie dough log with egg white and sprinkle the dough with turbinado sugar (or raw cane sugar). Press the sugar into the dough as you rotate the log.
• Slice the log with a sharp knife into 1/2-inch rounds and place them on a cookie sheet about 2-inches apart. If using the flaky sea salt, sprinkle a few flakes on the top of each cookie.
• Bake the cookies for about 15-17 minutes. The bottom of the cookie will be light golden brown. If the cookies are brown on top reduce the baking time by 1-2 minutes.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes then use a spatula to move them to a wire rack.

Storage

• Store the cookies in airtight container for up to 2 weeks. The cookies taste even better on the second day.

Notes

Weighing the Ingredients: This recipe is based on the 3-2-1 ratio between the flour, sugar and butter. You’ll have the most success with this cookie by weighing the ingredients.

Salted Butter: Salted butter combines with the vanilla to give these cookies their amazing taste. You can use unsalted butter, but add 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt if using unsalted butter.

Vanilla Beans:  The vanilla bean should be plump, supple, and moist.  1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste can be used in place of 1 vanilla bean.

Nutrition

Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

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