These are the best walnut shortbread!! Shortbread is one of those cookies that sounds simple, but can either be completely buttery and melt in your mouth, or dry, crumbly, and a little boring. This shortbread recipe was developed to make sure every slice bakes up crisp, tender, and full of flavor!
As a pastry chef, I know shortbread is all about the details. Since there are only 4 ingredients, every one of them really matters. Powdered sugar gives the cookies that delicate, melt in your mouth texture, toasted walnuts add deep nutty flavor, and a little orange zest makes the whole cookie taste brighter and more special without overpowering the butter. The dough is rolled into logs, chilled, sliced, and baked, so it is easy enough for everyday baking but still feels beautiful enough for holidays, gifting, or a Christmas cookie box.
Baking for the holidays? Check out my pie crust with lard, no bake gingerbread cheesecake, and cranberry chocolate cake!
Why You'll Love This Walnut Shortbread Recipe
- Super easy slice and bake cookies: The dough is shaped into logs, chilled, sliced, and baked. It is simple, low effort, and perfect for making ahead. Seriously only 10 minutes of prep!!
- Melt in your mouth texture: Powdered sugar helps create a tender, delicate shortbread texture that feels light, crisp, and buttery.
- Great for gifting: These cookies look beautiful, store well, and feel special without being fussy.
- Make ahead friendly: The dough can be chilled or frozen, so you can bake fresh cookies whenever you want.
Baking Tips
- Using a kitchen scale is a total game changer for baking. It makes measuring ingredients super precise, so your recipe comes out perfect every single time. Plus, fewer measuring cups means less cleanup, and who doesn’t love that? Invest in one, and you’ll wonder how you ever baked without it!
- I absolutely love baking with fine kosher salt, it gives the perfect balance of flavor. Table salt, on the other hand, can be a bit too harsh, so if you're using it, be sure to cut the amount in half to avoid over salting your treats.
- Always check your oven temperature! Ovens can be sneaky, sometimes running hotter or cooler than what the dial says, and that can really affect how your baked goods turn out. For the most consistent results, I recommend using an oven thermometer to make sure your temps are spot on every time
Ingredients
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar gives shortbread its delicate, melt in your mouth texture. Most powdered sugar contains a little cornstarch, which helps make the cookies crisp, tender, and light instead of dense or chewy.
- Butter: Butter is the main flavor in shortbread, so use a good one. You can use salted or unsalted butter, but I honestly love salted butter here because it adds so much flavor. If using unsalted butter, make sure you do not skip the added salt.
- All purpose flour: Flour gives the cookies structure. For the best results, weigh your flour. If you are not weighing it, use the fluff and spoon method. Fluff the flour first, spoon it into your measuring cup, then level it off. Scooping directly from the bag can pack in too much flour and make the cookies dry.
- Walnuts: The walnuts should be toasted before adding them to the dough. Toasting brings out their flavor and makes the cookies taste much richer. Toast them at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, then let them cool before chopping and adding to the dough.
- Orange zest: Orange zest is optional, but it makes these cookies incredible. It adds brightness and pairs so beautifully with the buttery shortbread and toasted walnuts.
- Salt: Even if you use salted butter, a little extra salt helps balance the sweetness and bring out the walnut and orange flavor. It makes a huge difference.
See recipe card below for quantities.
How to Make Walnut Shortbread Cookies
- The dough needs to chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before baking. Place the butter, orange zest, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Using beaters or the paddle attachment, beat until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Mix together the flour and kosher salt (add ½ teaspoon extra of fine kosher salt if you do not have salted butter) Add to the butter mixture. Mix until the dough is shaggy. Add the chopped walnuts, mix until well combined and a dough forms.
- Place a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter, or parchment paper, place half of the dough on top. Repeat with the other half. Form the dough into 8 inch logs, roll it a bit to make it round. Wrap it tightly. You can place the logs in tall glasses to prevent the round log from getting a dent on the bottom to maintain the round shape. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until thoroughly cold.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the log into ⅓ of an inch discs. Slice the log cleanly with a sharp knife using a straight downward motion. Avoid using a serrated knife, which can tear the dough. You should get 35 cookies. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake one sheet at a time, and keep the remaining dough discs or log in the refrigerator until ready to bake. You don’t want them warming up.
Hint: Wrap the dough logs in parchment paper instead of plastic wrap. It helps keep the surface smooth and prevents little indents from forming in the dough.
Shortbread Cookies with Walnuts Pro Tips
- Use toasted walnuts: Do not add raw walnuts if you can avoid it. Toasting the walnuts deepens their flavor and makes the shortbread with walnuts taste so much better.
- Rub the orange zest into the sugar: Before adding the butter, rub the orange zest into the powdered sugar with your fingers. This helps release the oils from the zest and makes the orange flavor more fragrant throughout the dough.
- Do not skip the salt: Salt is what makes buttery cookies taste even better. It balances the sweetness and keeps the flavor from tasting flat.
- Chill the dough well: The logs need time to firm up before slicing. This helps the cookies hold their shape and slice cleanly.
- Use a sharp chef’s knife for slicing: Do not use a serrated knife. A serrated knife can drag through the dough and make the cookies crumble or look messy. Use a sharp chef’s knife and cut straight downward.
- Wrap the logs in parchment paper: If you want a smooth, even outside on the dough logs, wrap them tightly in parchment paper before chilling.
- Place the logs in tall glasses while chilling: If you want to prevent a flat dent from forming on the bottom of the dough log, place the wrapped logs upright in tall glasses while they chill. This keeps the shape round and even.
- Let the walnuts cool before adding them: Warm walnuts can soften the butter in the dough, so let them cool completely after toasting.
Variations
- Chocolate dipped german walnut shortbread: Dip half of each baked and cooled cookie in melted dark or semi sweet chocolate.
- Maple walnut shortbread: Add a little maple extract or maple sugar for a cozy maple flavor.
- Cranberry orange walnut shortbread: Add finely chopped dried cranberries for a festive version.
- Cinnamon walnut shortbread: Add a little cinnamon to the dough for a warmer flavor.
- Pecan orange shortbread: Swap the walnuts for toasted pecans.
- Lemon walnut shortbread: Use lemon zest instead of orange zest for a brighter citrus flavor.
Shortbread Walnut Storage
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Make sure the cookies are completely cool before storing so they stay crisp and buttery.
The dough can also be made ahead. Wrap the logs tightly in parchment paper and plastic wrap, then refrigerate for up to 3 days before slicing and baking.
For longer storage, freeze the dough logs for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, let the dough come to room temperature in the refrigerator, then slice and bake as directed.
You can also freeze the baked cookies. Place them in an airtight freezer safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
FAQs about Walnut Shortbread
What should shortbread look like when its done baking?
I like the bottoms to be lightly golden, while the tops should stay pretty pale with just a hint of color around the edges. The key is letting the cookies cool on the baking sheet, where they’ll continue to set without overbaking.
Should shortbread dough be kneaded or not?
No! Kneading develops too much gluten, which can make the cookies tough instead of tender and crumbly. Mix the dough just until it comes together.
More Sweet Treats
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Walnut Shortbread Cookies
Classic Walnut Shortbread Cookies are so buttery and delicious!! Only 4 ingredients, such an amazing traditional Christmas cookie or just a wonderful everyday cookie with tea.
Equipment
- Handheld or stand mixer
- Microplane zester if using orange zest
- Sharp knife
Ingredients
Slice and Bake Shortbread
- 16 tablespoons (220 grams) salted butter room temperature (add an extra ½ teaspoon of fine kosher salt if you do not have salted butter)
- ¾ cup (88 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 large oranges zested (zest only) can also use lemon if desired
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (260 grams) all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine kosher salt
Instructions
- The dough needs to chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before baking.
- Place the butter, orange zest, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl.
- Using beaters or the paddle attachment, beat until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Mix together the flour and kosher salt (add ½ teaspoon extra of fine kosher salt if you do not have salted butter)
- Add to the butter mixture. Mix until the dough is shaggy. Add the chopped walnuts, mix until well combined and a dough forms.
- Place a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter, or parchment paper, place half of the dough on top. Repeat with the other half. Form the dough into 8 inch logs, roll it a bit to make it round. Wrap it tightly.
- You can place the logs in tall glasses to prevent the round log from getting a dent on the bottom to maintain the round shape.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or until thoroughly cold.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the log into ⅓ of an inch discs. Slice the log cleanly with a sharp knife using a straight downward motion. Avoid using a serrated knife, which can tear the dough. You should get 35 cookies.
- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake one sheet at a time, and keep the remaining dough discs or log in the refrigerator until ready to bake. You don’t want them warming up.
- Position it on the center rack of the oven to ensure even baking, avoiding placement too close to the top or bottom. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges are just golden brown.You can go longer if you want them super crispy! Let cool on the baking sheet.
- They will be crisp when completely cooled down.
- See storage in notes below.
Notes
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Make sure the cookies are completely cool before storing so they stay crisp and buttery.
The dough can also be made ahead. Wrap the logs tightly in parchment paper and plastic wrap, then refrigerate for up to 3 days before slicing and baking.
For longer storage, freeze the dough logs for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, let the dough come to room temperature in the refrigerator, then slice and bake as directed.
You can also freeze the german baked cookies. Place them in an airtight freezer safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @stir.taste.smile on social.
Lisa says
My favorite cookies for gifting!!!
Amanda says
mine too!!!