Browned Butter Shortbread Recipe | Homemade Holiday Dessert (2024)

Browned Butter Shortbread is one of my favorite holiday cookies. My version is a thick shortbread that’s cut into wedges and dipped in chocolate, with coarse sugar and flaked sea salt sprinkled on top! It’s so tasty!

Browned Butter Shortbread Recipe

I don’t know why, but I only tend to make shortbread around the holidays. It’s really a tragedy. It’s certainly not the most exciting or photogenic cookie, but dare I say that I find comfort in its brown, plainness?

I mean all the best food is brown, isn’t it?

So while these might not be the stunner of your cookie platter, I will tell you, if you’re into shortbread (duh) you need to try this recipe. It’s the perfect combination of buttery, crumb-y (but not too crumb-y), melt in your mouth texture that you look for in shortbread. Plus, I dip mine in chocolate, and sprinkle it with both coarse sugar AND flaked sea salt, because why not.

I have a few tricks up my sleeve to making great shortbread, so let’s chat!

How to Make The Best Shortbread

So, first, I make my shortbread with browned butter. You certainly don’t have to, but I urge you to give it a try; it adds a rich, deeper flavor to your shortbread.The thing about this recipe that is slightly annoying is that after you brown the butter, you need to bring it back to a solid state. You can do this two ways…first you can chill it in the fridge until it’s solid and then set it on the counter until it comes back to room temperature, OR you can allow it to come back to a solid state all at room temperature. Of course chilling it in the fridge is the quicker of the two methods, but it’s completely your call.

Once the butter is browned and at room temperature you can go ahead and make your cookie dough. The cookie dough is ridiculously good on its own. I may have sampled a few spoonfuls.

Second, I like to bake my shortbread in a 10-inch springform pan…this way I can remove the sides of the pan and cut it into pretty wedges. Plus, I like my shortbread on the thicker side. So yes, you can ABSOLUTELY make this recipe in a 9×13 pan… but it won’t be as thick as mine and you will need to adjust the bake time down a bit.

Thirds, when your shortbread has baked, let it cool for about 10 minutes or so, remove the edges of the pan and cut it when it’s warm. I know this might seem strange, but cooled shortbread is firm, and if you slice it warm it’s not only easier, but your slices will be perfect!

And finally, once it’s completely cooled I like to melt some chocolate…

…and dip the edges! Not only is it tasty, but it gives you a great place to pretty-up your shortbread! You could add sprinkles…but I add coarse sugar and flaked sea salt to mine. It gives the edges a salty/sweet combo that is super yum!

Don’t let the simpleness of this cookie fool you…there is a ton of flavor going on here.

Enjoy!

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