Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (2024)

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Hazelnut shortbread cookies recipe - perfect for the Holidays! These Christmas cookies have a perfect texture - crumbly and buttery, they just melt in your mouth.

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (1)

This recipe is ridiculously easy: only 5 ingredients. The hazelnut cookies are phenomenal! You'd be thinking you're eating a very special cookie, and not something that you just whipped up in 20 minutes. Of course, in a large part, we have to thank hazelnuts for the deliciousness of this recipe - they really make these shortbread cookies so ... what's the word? ... hazelnutty. Dusted with powdered sugar they become perfection.

Your Christmas cookie tray is not complete without these hazelnut cookies. It is also not complete without pecan shortbread cookies, or amaretto shortbread cookies, or cranberry noels.

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (2)

The cookies have the consistency of crumbly, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread, with a distinctive hazelnut flavor. Perfect to serve as a little dessert alongside a cup of coffee, tea, or a glass of milk. It's a highly unassuming cookie, very easy to make - just make sure to chill the dough before baking, and you should be all set. Also, the cookie dough wrapped in plastic wrap can be kept frozen up to a month.

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (3)

4.70 from 96 votes

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe

These hazelnut shortbread cookies are perfect for your Christmas cookie box. The cookies have the consistency of crumbly, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread, with a distinctive hazelnut flavor.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 30 cookies

Calories per serving 63 kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Toast raw hazelnuts at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-7 minutes until fragrant. Cool the nuts to room temperature, then husk them by rubbing a handful of hazelnuts between your hands. This should do a pretty good job of getting rid of most of the skins. Some will remain – that’s OK.

  • To make finely ground nuts, place toasted and husked hazelnuts and ¼ cup sugar into food processor and process until finely ground.

  • Add ¾ cup and 2 tablespoons of flour and a pinch of salt to the food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and process until dough forms, scraping the sides of the food processor bowl with spatula if necessary. The dough will be soft.

  • On a flour-dusted surface, roll dough into 2 logs, each about 1 inch wide. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and place wrapped cookie dough in the freezer for 30 minutes, then in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

  • Preheat oven to 325 Fahrenheit.

  • After cookie dough has been in the freezer and in the refrigerator, unwrap plastic and slice each log into thin cookie slices.

  • Place cookie slices on a parchment-lined ungreased baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.

  • Bake for about 12-15 minutes, don’t let the cookies get brown.

  • Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, after that transfer cookies to wire rack to continue cooling. Using sifter, sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar.

  • Store cookies in airtight container – they can last about 2 weeks.

Notes

The recipe is adapted from Epicurious

Nutrition

Nutrition Information

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Amount per Serving

Calories

63

% Daily Value*

Fat

4

g

6

%

Cholesterol

8

mg

3

%

Potassium

16

mg

%

Carbohydrates

5

g

2

%

Sugar

2

g

2

%

Vitamin A

95

IU

2

%

Vitamin C

0.2

mg

%

Calcium

4

mg

%

Iron

0.3

mg

2

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclaimer:

The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Keyword hazelnut cookies, holiday shortbread cookies, shortbread cookies

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (4)Larry

    “They can last for a week.”
    Are you kidding?
    In my house these last a day at the most.
    Thank you for the great recipe.

    Reply

    • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (5)Julia

      Ha-ha-ha! Larry, you made me laugh really hard!

      Reply

  2. Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (6)Martine

    These were easy to make and they were delicious.
    Merci beaucoup Julia

    Reply

    • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (7)Julia

      Martine, so glad you loved these cookies! 🙂

      Reply

  3. Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (8)Kat

    Hi, could I use spelt flour instead of all-purpose?

    Reply

    • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (9)Julia

      Kat, yes you can - without changing quantities!

      Reply

      • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (10)Kat

        Great, thank you!

        Reply

        • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (11)Julia

          Enjoy!

          Reply

  4. Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (12)Ian

    Made in Vitamix and froze dough for 20 minutes. Whipped these up for a late night craving. Super good. Will make again.

    Reply

    • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (13)Julia

      Ian, I am so glad the recipe was success!

      Reply

      • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (14)Christie Hume

        Hi,
        I purchased hazelnut meal instead. Can this be used measuring 2oz of meal and no other adjustments? This recipe looks so yummy.

        Reply

        • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (15)Julia

          Christie, I think that should work!

          Reply

        • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (16)Desirae

          Hi! I also have a bunch of ground hazelnut meal. Did this work in the recipe?

          Reply

  5. Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (17)Michelle

    These did not work for me. I've made a lot of shortbread and worked with tricky doughs, but this was a disaster. No matter how cold the dough was, it crumbled while cutting.

    Reply

  6. Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (18)Trish

    Will love to make this recipe …
    I was wondering what’s the amount of butter in cups? Please HELP ME !

    Reply

    • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (19)Julia

      4 oz of butter is 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons or 1 stick of butter. Hope this helps and enjoy the recipe, it's delicious!

      Reply

    • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (20)Holly

      I made these and found out that one stick of butter is 4 ounces

      Reply

  7. Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (21)Emily

    Hi! Could I use a blender instead of a food processor for this recipe? It looks delicious!

    Reply

    • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (22)Amy T

      I used a blender. Didn’t work great bc it sticks in the bottom and hard to scrape up bc it’s a stiff dough. I ended up transferring it to finish in my stand mixer. lol. The food processor is the smartest fastest option.

      Reply

      • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (23)Julia

        Amy, great feedback! Thank you!

        Reply

        • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (24)Jan Scott

          Fantastic recipe, have made it lots of times, just keep logs in the freezer until ready to cook!

          Reply

          • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (25)Julia

            Jan, thank you so much for such a generous comment! Glad you've enjoyed this recipe! 🙂

  8. Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (26)Nancy Raisanen

    One of the best shortbread I've ever made. Now in my recipe box.

    Reply

    • Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (27)Julia

      Hi all

      Anyone have any ideas as to why my biscuit Dough is hard to cut and the biscuit spreads a lot? I am using very chilled dough

      Reply

  9. Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (28)Jan Scott

    Hi, made these and they were so light and buttery and disappeared very quickly. I have a family member who can’t tolerate gluten, could I make using GF flour?

    Reply

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Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to shortbread? ›

Tips To Make the Best Shortbread Cookies
  • 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. ...
  • Keep Ingredients Simple. ...
  • Add Flavor. ...
  • Don't Overwork. ...
  • Shape Dough. ...
  • Chill Before Baking. ...
  • Bake Until Golden. ...
  • 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 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.

Should shortbread cookies be soft or hard? ›

Shortbread should always have a tender, melting texture, but be slightly crisp when you bite into it. It should not generally be damp or wet underneath. A classic shortbread recipe will also only have flour, butter and sugar as the ingredients (in a 3:2:1 ratio) and not egg, which could lead to excess moisture.

Why put egg in shortbread? ›

This unexpected addition will make buttery confections like shortbreads and shortcakes even more tender and flaky. “Biscuits should be crumbly, buttery and sweet,” reads a headnote for a cinnamon sugar-spiced shortbread recipe in the Ritz London Cookbook.

Should butter be cold for shortbread? ›

Should butter be cold or room temperature for making shortbread? Always start with cold butter straight from the refrigerator. This will keep the dough from warming up, making it greasy and difficult to roll out.

When making shortbread, what must you not do? ›

The key with shortbread is not to overhandle it. Make the dough exactly as instructed, but don't mess around making shapes or over rolling the dough - you will end up with delicious but tough biscuits. Stretching and pulling the dough activates the gluten in the flour, making chewy cookies and not crisp ones.

Why do you put fork holes in shortbread? ›

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 is the difference between Scottish shortbread and regular shortbread? ›

Traditional Scottish shortbread is a simple recipe made with sugar, butter, flour, and salt. Other shortbread styles will include leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda, which makes them crisp instead of crumbly like traditional Scottish shortbread.

Should you refrigerate shortbread dough before baking? ›

As Leiths also recommend chilling the dough before baking, although only for 15 minutes, I make another batch of their recipe with soft butter, stick it straight in the oven without passing the fridge, and end up with thinner, crunchier biscuits – presumably because the mixture spreads as the fat melts.

How to tell if shortbread is done? ›

A good way to check to see if the shortbread is baked is to see if they are set - they will be slightly firm around the outside, and may be just beginning to turn golden around the edges. You want to keep them nice and pale so make sure your oven is running at the temperature it says that it is.

Why use unsalted butter in shortbread? ›

Unsalted butter is most commonly called for in baking recipes. Unsalted butter has a very neutral, creamy flavor—a great base for many baked goods. In baking, precise measurements are key for achieving the right flavor and texture. This even extends to small amounts of ingredients like salt.

What is the secret to making good shortbread cookies? ›

Avoid over-mixing the dough. Score the surface for even baking without bubbles or cracks. Chill the shaped dough thoroughly before baking. Cut the shortbread while it is still warm, for smooth, even slices.

Why is my shortbread raw in the middle? ›

If the edges burn and the center is undone, it means the heat didn't have enough time to reach the relatively cool center before the edge was too hot. The temperature gradient depends on the amount of heat from your oven and the size of your cookie - and to some degree on the thermal properties of your cookie sheet.

What texture should shortbread dough be? ›

The dough before cooking will be a creme-yellow colour, have a soft and smooth (slightly floury) kind of texture and as it bakes it will hold the colour. The longer it cooks the darker it will get, sort of caramelising the sugars contained in the dough.

What puts the short in shortbread? ›

Shortbread is so named because of its crumbly texture (from an old meaning of the word "short", as opposed to "long", or stretchy). The cause of this texture is its high fat content, provided by the butter. The short or crumbly texture is a result of the fat inhibiting the formation of long protein (gluten) strands.

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. You'll see lots of shortbread recipes using granulated sugar.

What are the qualities of a good shortbread? ›

Good shortbread is pale, buttery, crunchy, and 'short'. This means it crumbles at every bite, giving that characteristic shortbread texture. It shouldn't be soft or chewy like cookies, and it shouldn't be browned.

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