These mini Christmas Shortbread Cookies are colorful bite sized shortbread cookies. They melt in your mouth and are such a fun holiday cookie.
![A tray of Christmas shortbread cookies, they are holiday colored, red, green, and white with sprinkles.](https://i2.wp.com/lmld.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Christmas-Shortbread-Cookie-Bites-1-819x1024.jpg)
These buttery treats are the perfect bite sized treats, and will quickly become a new holiday tradition for your family.
These would be so fun for a cookie exchange, holiday party platter, or an edible gift for Christmas time!
Why these are the best Christmas Shortbread Bites
- Buttery flavor. These cookies have a nice sweet buttery flavor. They are rich, and irresistible, melt in your mouth treats.
- Perfect Gifts. Package these little bites up in festive tins, boxes, or cellophane bags – such a great homemade gift to spread joy to your friends, and neighbors.
![A pan of mini Christmas shortbread cookies. They are Christmas colored, red, white, and green.](https://i2.wp.com/lmld.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Christmas-Shortbread-Cookie-Bites-3-745x1024.jpg)
Christmas Shortbread Cookies Ingredients :
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Christmas Shortbread Cookie Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- salted butter – this recipe doesn’t have added salt, so if you use unsalted butter you may want to add a pinch of salt.
- powdered sugar – sweetens the shortbread, and gives it that melt in your mouth texture.
- vanilla extract and almond extract – this adds flavor
- all purpose flour – forms the base of the dough, giving the structure of the cookies
- red and green food coloring – use gel food coloring for richer colors
- holiday nonpareil sprinkles
![An overhead photo of the ingredients needed to make Christmas shortbread cookie bites with labels on them.](https://i1.wp.com/lmld.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Christmas-Shortbread-Cookie-Bites-ingredients-819x1024.jpg)
How to make Holiday Shortbread Bites
- Add the butter, powdered sugar, and extracts to a large bowl with an electric mixer (use the bowl of a stand mixer, or a bowl with a hand mixer) and combine them for a couple minutes to cream them together.
- Add in the flour and mix it to together to make a dough. It will have a crumbly texture.
- Separate the cookie dough into 3 separate bowls. Add green food coloring into one bowl, red food coloring to another, and the sprinkles to the last one.
- Mix the colors and sprinkles into the dough with your hands.
- Form each of the doughs into thin logs, and wrap them in plastic wrap. Smooth the edges of the log into a square shape. Place on a tray and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
- Bake. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough and slice the shortbread dough into 1/3 inch pieces. Place them on the sheet and use a toothpick to make a circle in the center of each cookie. Bake the cookies until the edges are very lightly golden brown. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, and enjoy!
![A collage of 6 photos showing how to make Christmas Shortbread Bites.](https://i1.wp.com/lmld.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Christmas-Shortbread-Cookie-Bites-steps-547x1024.jpg)
Shortbread Cookie Bite Tips and Tricks:
- New flavors. Try adding whatever extract flavors you like to the cookies. Leave out almond, if you don’t like it – add peppermint, maple, cake batter, etc.
- Different shapes. You can shape these into circles or triangles in the logs instead of square. You could also roll the dough out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to be 1/3 inch thick and use small festive cookie cutters to add to the holiday charm.
- Other occasions. Instead of red, white, and green for Christmas you could make these cookies for any occasion and make them into other colors or with other festive sprinkles.
![An overhead photo of a pile of Christmas Shortbread Cookie bites, some are red, some are green, and some have sprinkles.](https://i2.wp.com/lmld.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Christmas-Shortbread-Cookie-Bites-4-745x1024.jpg)
How to store shortbread bite cookies?
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
You can also store the unbaked dough in the fridge for up to 1 week. Or freeze it wrapped in plastic wrap, then in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Thaw the frozen dough in the fridge overnight then use as directed.
![A stack of 3 mini christmas shortbread cookie bites. One is green, one is red, and one is white with sprinkles.](https://i2.wp.com/lmld.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Christmas-Shortbread-Cookie-Bites-6-819x1024.jpg)
These Christmas shortbread bites are such a fun indulgent treat during the holiday season. They’re delicious buttery cookies, for a holiday party, or to gift to your neighbors to spread the cheer.
More Christmas cookie recipes:
- Christmas Tree Cookies
- Santa Cookies
- Reindeer Cookies
- White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Gingerdoodle Cookies
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![A tray of Christmas shortbread cookies, they are holiday colored, red, green, and white with sprinkles.](https://i1.wp.com/lmld.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Christmas-Shortbread-Cookie-Bites-1.jpg)
Christmas Shortbread Cookie Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- red and green gel food coloring
- 1 TBS sprinkles
Instructions
- Add the butter, powdered sugar, and extracts to a large bowl and cream them together, using a stand mixer, or hand mixer.
- Add in the flour, and stir it into the wet ingredients, the dough will be crumbly.
- Separate the dough into 3 bowls.
- Add green food coloring to one bowl, red to another, and the sprinkles to the last.
- Use your hands to incorporate the food coloring and sprinkles into each bowl of dough.
- Once the dough comes together, form each section into a thin log.
- Wrap the log in plastic wrap. Smooth the sides of the logs to make the square shape.
- Stick them in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Unwrap the dough logs and slice them into 1/3inch pieces. Place the pieces onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Use a toothpick to make a circle in the middle of each cookie.
- Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden.
- Let the cookies cool, then enjoy!
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