You can easily make delicious vanilla shortbread cookies with few ingredients! These crispy slice-and-bake cookies are so yummy with white chocolate!
Today, I want to share my easy shortbread vanilla cookies. This is my Easy Cinnamon Cookies’ vanilla version in slice and bake form.
If you like cakey, puffy vanilla cookies, you can make my vanilla cake-like cookies.
But today’s post is about buttery and crispy vanilla cookies.
You’ll need only 4 ingredients: flour, butter, sugar and vanilla. I mix all the ingredients, divide the dough in half, make logs out of them, keep them almost 40 minutes in the freezer until they are firm and then bake for 12-14 minutes.
If you don’t want to keep them in the freezer and want to bake immediately, instead of slice-and-bake, you can make these cookies just like my easy cinnamon cookies; roll the dough into balls, flatten the balls and give shape with a fork, or just flatten the balls.
I strongly suggest you dip these cookies into melted white chocolate-so YUMMY!
Below you can see how I make my easy vanilla cookies with my stand mixer. (You can check my almond shortbread cookies to make it without a mixer.)
How to Make Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
First, I put the cubed butter in the bowl of my stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until it is soft.
Then I add the sugar and beat until the butter and sugar mixture is light and fluffy. After butter and sugar are creamed well, I add the vanilla and mix. Finally, I add in the flour and mix until totally combined.
During these processes, when needed, I stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl again. The dough looks like crumbles but I use my hand to bring the dough together.
Then I take the dough from the bowl and divide it in two and make logs out of them. I give rectangular shape and cover with plastic film.
After that, my niece helps me-rolling and making logs out of the doughs with her little hands 
( She also takes some of the pictures for this post :)) I keep the logs in the freezer for 40 minutes until they are firm. Alternatively, you can keep them in the fridge 4-5 hours until they are firm enough.
When the doughs are firm, I take them from the freezer. Then I cut them with a sharp knife into approximately 0.4 inch (1cm) thick slices.
I bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are lightly brown. I let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. The cookies become firm as they cool.
Finally, I dip some of the cookies into the melted white chocolate which goes very well with these vanilla cookies. Enjoy!
Other Shortbread Cookies You May Enjoy!
You should also try Turkish Halva if you like shortbread cookies. The texture is totally different but they remind me of each other.
You should also check my melting moments recipe that is as delicious as these vanilla cookies!
YOU CAN CLICK HERE AND SAVE THIS RECIPE TO YOUR PINTEREST BOARD!
Easy Slice-and-Bake Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 280 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour (dip and sweep)*
- 185 g (¾ cup and 1 tablespoon) butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
- 105 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 150 g (5 oz) white chocolate, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Mixer method: Place the butter in a large bowl and beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until it is soft with a hand-held mixer or with paddle attachment if using a stand-mixer. Add the sugar and cream/beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with rubber spatula when needed to be sure they are all mixed.
- Add the vanilla and mix.
- Add in flour mixture in 2-3 batches until it is totally incorporated.
- Alternative no machine method: Place the flour and sugar in a medium bowl and mix well. Add the vanilla extract and mix with a spoon. Add the butter. Using a fork, cut the butter into flour mixture or rub butter and flour mixture with your fingertips. Finally use your hands to bring the dough together.
- Divide the dough in half and place each on a plastic film. Give a rectangular shape to each and cover with plastic film. Start to roll the doughs into approximately 5,5 inches (14 cm) long logs. Keep them in the freezer for 40 minutes, or 4-5 hours in the fridge until they are firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F(177C°). Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Take the doughs from the freezer/refrigerator and cut the logs into 0.4 inch(1cm)thick slices. Place them on the baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. They will become firm as they cool.
- If you want, you can dip the cookies into the melted white chocolate. Melt the chocolate over bain-marie. Place the chopped chocolate into a heat proof bowl that sits over a pan of simmering water. Stir often. Dip cookies into the melted white chocolate.
Notes
Nutrition
Cheryl
There is no cream listed in the ingredients, but in the mixing instructions it says to add sugar and cream after mixing the butter??
Meymi
Hi Cheryl! There is no cream. Creaming is the method: butter and sugar are beaten together until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Please check the step by step pictures. Hope this helps 🙂
Sone
How come mine turned out too crumbled to Mold into a log?
Meymi
Hi, Sone! Did you use grams to measure? If not, it is either you used more flour or less butter than the recipe states. You can add some butter and check the consistency. If you add the right amount of butter, the dough will come together. I hope you enjoy! 🙂
Kelly Phillips
Can I freeze these a few days prior to baking?
Meymi
Yes, you can!
Stacy
Ate these pretty small? I got essentially butter sized square loafs hehe. A little bigger I suppose.
Meymi
Hi, Stacy! Actually, they are not too small. Finished cookies should be at least 2inch (5cm) long.
Alex
I just stuck mine in the freezer and they are looking great! Great recipe and the photos were very helpful! Can I keep them in the freezer for several months?
Meymi
Hi Alex! I am so glad you liked these cookies. You can freeze up to 3 months. Thank you for your comment. Enjoy!
Liz
These look so simple and elegant! I love how you dipped them in white chocolate- such a special touch!
Meymi
Thank you, Liz!
Susan S.
I’m a shortbread cookie lover and this recipe works for me but my granddaughter has a dairy allergy and we use a plant based butter alternate called Melt for her. Do you think I would get similar results if I swap out butter for Melt? Just asking before I try. Would rather not waste it if someone knows up front if it will or won’t work.
Thanks for the great recipe.
Meymi
Hi Susan, I am so glad you enjoyed these cookies. I haven’t tried with Melt but I just checked their site and it says you can use 1:1 ratio without any revision. If you try it with Melt, please let me know. Thank you!