Walker's Scottish Shortbread Cookies Recipe (2024)

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If you love Walker’s Scottish Shortbread cookies, you’ll definitely want to make this homemade version!

Walker's Scottish Shortbread Cookies Recipe (1)

This Walker’s Scottish Shortbread Cookies recipe is a keeper–perfect for holidays! Whether you serve them with hot tea, coffee, or a scoop of ice cream, these buttery melt-in-your-mouth cookies are a dream come true!

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Scottish shortbread is known for both its simplicity and delightful, slightly crumbly texture. Rich and buttery, these cookies have just the right amount of sweetness.

Shortbread is set apart from many other baked goods in that it does not contain any leavening agents, such as baking powder, baking soda, or yeast.

Often served during special occasions such as Christmas or Hogmanay festivities in Scotland, the traditional Scottish shortbread cookie is a holiday favorite in many families.

There are a few brands of Scottish shortbread cookies that are exported to other countries, and one such favorite that is sold in America is Walker’s Scottish Shortbread Cookies.

Walker’s shortbread fingers only contain four ingredients, so it’s quite simple to make a copycat version at home! All you’ll need is flour, sugar, butter, and salt to prepare the cookie dough.

I sometimes add a dash of vanilla extract to my homemade shortbread recipe, but that is entirely optional.

These Scottish dream cookies are sure to become a tradition in your family!

More Holiday Dessert Recipes:

  • Easy Golden Syrup Cake
  • Nutella Thumbprint Cookies
  • Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
  • Swedish Dream Cookies
  • Easy Biscoff Fudge
  • Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
  • Stroopwafel Cake
  • Gingerbread Loaf
  • Eggnog Bundt Cake
  • Chocolate Orange Cake
  • German Muffins
Walker's Scottish Shortbread Cookies Recipe (2)

What’s the Difference Between Butter Cookies and Shortbread?

The difference lies in the amount of butter and sugar in each recipe. They are often baked at differing temperatures, too.

Typically, butter cookies have more sugar and are not as crumbly as shortbread.

How to Make Copycat Walker’s Scottish Shortbread Cookies

Whether you’re serving these cookies for Christmas, New Year’s Eve, for National Shortbread Day (yes, it’s a thing–on January 6) or simply for an afternoon cup of tea, it’s really easy to make this delightful treat!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

  • Butter
  • Confectioner’s Sugar
  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Salt (if using unsalted butter)
  • Vanilla Extract (optional)

How to Make It:

(Full Printable Recipe is available below)

Prepare a baking dish or pan. First, you’ll line an 8×8″ baking dish with parchment paper.

Make the dough. Next, you’ll prepare the dough by using an electric mixer to beat together the softened butter and confectioner’s sugar. Alternatively, you can use a food processor for preparing the dough.

Add the vanilla extract, if using. Gradually add in the dry ingredients of flour and salt, if using, mixing just until a soft dough forms.

Bake the shortbread. Last, press dough gently into the prepared baking pan, flattening it across the top as much as possible.

Use the tines of a fork to prick the shortbread dough to help prevent bubbling during baking. Bake at 350F for about 25-30 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to turn pale golden brown.

Remove from oven and use a bench scraper or knife to cut into rectangular-shaped cookies. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Walker's Scottish Shortbread Cookies Recipe (3)

Notes and Adaptations:

  • Some people prefer to chill their dough before baking, as that allows the gluten to relax a bit more. I personally do not chill the dough, and instead work with room temperature dough, but you are welcome to do so if you prefer. Simply use cling wrap to wrap it well and place it in the fridge.
  • Using confectioner’s sugar (AKA powdered sugar) gives that melt-in-your-mouth texture better than granulated white sugar or brown sugar, so that’s my preference here.
  • Some bakers add rice flour to their shortbread to give it that “sandy” texture. I am not a fan of that grittier texture, so I stick to all-purpose wheat flour.
  • If you desire thinner cookies, you can roll the dough out and use cookie cutters for fun holiday shapes. These will bake on a sheet pan for a shorter amount of time, so watch them closely.
  • These would also be delicious dipped in melted chocolate! I may try that next time–I love using Ghirardelli melting chocolate wafers for dipping.
  • Serve these as a sweet finish to Scotch pies, if you’d like.
Walker's Scottish Shortbread Cookies Recipe (4)

Recommended Equipment:

Yield: 18 Cookies

Walkers Scottish Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Walker's Scottish Shortbread Cookies Recipe (5)

Delightfully tender and buttery, these Scottish shortbread cookies are the perfect holiday treat.

Prep Time5 minutes

Cook Time25 minutes

Total Time30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

  1. Line an 8x8" baking dish with parchment paper so it hangs over the edges. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and confectioner's sugar until smooth.
  3. If desired, add vanilla extract.
  4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour and salt, if using, mixing just until a soft dough forms.
  5. Press the dough into the prepared pan, flattening it across the top as much as possible. Use the tines of a fork to prick the dough.
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until edges are just starting to turn golden-brown. The center may still be a little shiny.
  7. Remove from oven and use a bench scraper to carefully cut into rectangles.
  8. Cool completely before serving.

Notes

  • Some people prefer to chill their shortbread dough so the gluten can relax before baking. I personally don't do that, but you are welcome to if you prefer.
  • These would be delightful with the ends dipped in melted chocolate!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

18

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 154Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 146mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

Walker's Scottish Shortbread Cookies Recipe (6)
Walker's Scottish Shortbread Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in Walker shortbread cookies? ›

From the manufacturer
Shortbread FingersGluten-Free Shortbread
Add to CartAdd to Cart
Simple IngredientsButter, Flour, Sugar, SaltFlour blend (rice, potato starch, maize stabilizer: xanthan gum), Butter, Sugar, Salt
Usage RecommendationEveryday SnackingOn the Go Snacking
Made in Scotland
5 more rows

What is the secret to making good shortbread cookies? ›

Tips To Make the Best Shortbread Cookies
  1. Choose High Quality Butter. No matter what brand of butter you buy, if it's real butter, you can rest assured that it's the best. ...
  2. Keep Ingredients Simple. ...
  3. Add Flavor. ...
  4. Don't Overwork. ...
  5. Shape Dough. ...
  6. Chill Before Baking. ...
  7. Bake Until Golden. ...
  8. Add Finishing Touches.

What are common mistakes when making shortbread? ›

The most common mistakes when making shortbread are over-working the dough, and incorporating too much flour. The less you work the dough, the more crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth your shortbread cookies will be.

What is the difference between a shortbread cookie and a Scottish shortbread cookie? ›

As mentioned above, the main differences between the two styles of cookies are butter content and inclusion of leavening agents. These differences result in very different texture and taste experiences. No matter your preference, you can be sure to get a quality product from Walkers Shortbread.

What is traditional Scottish shortbread made from? ›

Shortbread or shortie is a traditional Scottish biscuit usually made from one part white sugar, two parts butter, and three to four parts plain wheat flour.

Are all Walkers Shortbread made in Scotland? ›

ARE ALL THE PRODUCTS MADE IN SCOTLAND? Yes, everything is baked in the Scottish Highlands, either in our home village of Aberlour, or 16 miles away in a small town called Elgin.

What happens if you add too much butter to shortbread cookies? ›

Butter is an emulsifier and it makes cookies tender. It also adds in the crispy-around-the-edges element. Adding too much butter can cause the cookies to be flat and greasy. Adding too little butter can cause the cookies to be tough and crumbly.

What's the difference between Irish shortbread and Scottish shortbread? ›

Irish Shortbread Is Distinct From Scottish Shortbread

As cornstarch is a potent thickener relative to flour, this creates a denser cookie. Whichever version of shortbread you prefer, though, the original -- which is often just called "shortbread" -- came from Scotland.

Should you soften butter for shortbread cookies? ›

Many shortbread recipes start by having you cream softened butter with sugar, incorporating the dough with what former Serious Eats editor Stella Parks describes as “micro pockets of air.” Because air is a poor conductor of heat, “it helps insulate the dough from the hot baking sheet in the oven, slowing the rate at ...

Should you chill shortbread dough before baking? ›

After shaping the cookies, don't rush to the oven! Instead, chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so (overnight is OK, too). A short stay in the fridge will firm up the cookies and solidify the butter. This will help keep them from spreading too much.

Why poke holes in shortbread cookies? ›

The word "bread" comes from "biscuit bread" which was made from leftover bread dough that was sweetened and dried out in the oven to make biscuits. Why do you poke holes in shortbread? The holes allow the moisture to escape during baking and more even heat distribution. This helps dry out and crisp up the cookies.

What happens if you don't poke holes in shortbread? ›

Piercing the shortbread with a fork is not only for decoration, but it's meant for more even baking. Poking holes in the shortbread allows the heat to penetrate the cookie, hence more even baking. Notice I'm using powdered sugar here.

What is the new name for shortbread? ›

ABC Bakers - Did you hear the news?! Shortbread is now Trefoils®! | Facebook.

How to tell when shortbread is done? ›

Since you will be cooking your shortbread in the lower third of the oven, you will get some top browning as the cookie bakes. The surface of the shortbread should be a toasty light brown when it is cooked. It should never appear raw or slightly opaque in the middle.

Why is Scottish shortbread so good? ›

The high butter quantity in shortbread (one part sugar to two parts butter) gives it that delightfully crumbly feel. And also its name. This is because the old meaning of the world “short” reflects this crumbliness and so the name 'shortbread' stuck.

Why are Walker's biscuits so good? ›

Walkers Shortbread is virtually the only company of any size that uses only pure butter in its shortbreads.” The most important quality is the flavour of the finest pure butter. Another crucial factor when it comes to shortbread is being authentically Scottish.

What are the ingredients in Walkers gluten free shortbread? ›

Flour blend, (rice, potato starch, maize, stabilizer: xanthan gum), butter, sugar, salt. Contains: milk. May contain tree nuts.

Are Walkers shortbread cookies good? ›

These taste great and a serving size of two is filling because of all the fat from the butter. I like that it's basically four ingredients -that said -we are paying a dollar for two cookies that are flour, butter sugar, and salt.

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