17 shortbread recipes

Shortbread pecan rum balls are a no-bake holiday cookie made with crushed shortbread, toasted pecans, dark rum, and dark corn syrup. Five ingredients, twenty minutes, no oven required.

Cape Breton oatmeal shortbread with rolled oats, brown sugar, and vanilla. Crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth Maritime cookies ready in 40 minutes with just 6 ingredients.

Diabetic-friendly shortbread cookies made with reduced-calorie margarine, fructose, and butter flavoring. Just 5 ingredients, 20 minutes, and you've got 24 light, crispy cookies without the sugar spike.

Egg yolk shortbread bakes a richer-than-classic Scottish biscuit with butter, sugar, flour, and a single yolk for extra tenderness and golden color. Fork-marked, two-stage baked for delicate crisp edges.

Maple syrup shortbread bars with a buttery shortbread base topped with a brown sugar, maple syrup, and toasted walnut layer. A two-layer cookie bar that's part shortbread, part praline.

Classic shortbread wedges with almond extract, cornstarch for extra tenderness, and a whole almond pressed into each piece. A buttery, crumbly Scottish-style cookie baked in a round pan.

Butterscotch shortbread cookies made with dark brown sugar and unsalted butter, topped with chopped walnuts or pecans pressed into the dough. Makes 72 bite-sized squares.

Orange shortbread bars with fresh orange zest and cornstarch for a melt-in-your-mouth sandy texture. Score before baking for clean, even cuts.

Egg shortbread cookies with a tender, crumbly texture from butter, sugar, and a whole egg. Blind-baked with pie weights for an even, golden result. Simple 5-ingredient recipe.

Buttery shortbread cookies studded with spiced mincemeat and finished with sweet vanilla glaze. Festive holiday treats that taste like Christmas in every crumbly bite.

Buttery shortbread bites rolled in paprika, cayenne, curry powder, and cumin. A savory, spice-crusted appetizer that's totally unexpected and completely addictive.

Wheat-free shortbread cookies made with rice flour, barley flour, and rice syrup. Just 4 ingredients for a crisp, buttery-style cookie that's dairy-free and vegan-friendly too.

This winning decorated cookie charmed us with its sophisticated look and pleasing chocolate-pepperminty flavor. It's from Deb Bonfiglio of River Hills.

Chocolate peanut butter shortbread baked in a tart pan with a cocoa crust, creamy peanut butter filling, and a chocolate Kiss topped with a whole peanut on every wedge.

Chocolate dipped macadamia nut shortbread cookies made with butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Slice-and-bake rounds dipped in melted chocolate for a Hawaiian-inspired treat.

Sweet buttermilk biscuits with a touch of sugar, made with shortening for a tender, flaky crumb. Six ingredients, patted by hand, and baked golden in 15 minutes.