Classic Vegan Shortbread
Last Updated on November 9, 2022 by Annie
Soft, melt-in-your-mouth buttery vegan shortbread cookies are a holiday baking must. Made with 6, pantry-staple ingredients, this classic shortbread recipe comes together in under an hour for a deliciously sweet treat everyone will enjoy!
You know that feeling you get when you find yourself singing the same part of a song over and over? That’s the feeling I got when I binged Ted Lasso. But instead of a song or even something they said in the show getting stuck in my head, the craving for shortbread kept coming up.
I would watch as Rebecca opened that tiny pink box and savor every last bite of the classic little shortbread squares Ted gave her and I would find myself wishing there were a tiny pink box with a dairy-free shortbread treat in my kitchen. It took far too long to succumb to the craving for shortbread but it was worth the wait.
These vegan shortbread squares absolutely melt in your mouth delicious. Buttery soft, without any actual butter, this shortbread recipe is a must-bake treat!
Why we LOVE this Vegan Shortbread Recipe
As if I need any reasons to pop into the kitchen and whip up some cookies, here are just a few of the top reasons I love this shortbread recipe.
- 6 ingredients. There are few things I love more than a recipe that uses just 5 ingredients or less.
- Vegan. Just swap a traditional butter for a plant-based one and you have yourself a buttery vegan cookie.
- Pantry staple recipe. Each of the ingredients are basic pantry staple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
How to Make Classic Vegan Shortbread
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Plant-based butter– Helps make these shortbread cookies buttery soft but also dairy-free.
- Sugar– A blend of powdered sugar and granulated sugar help sweeten these shortbread cookies without over sweetening them.
- Flour– To give structure to the tender cookies.
- Salt– Helps bring out the flavor in these simple shortbread cookies.
- Vanilla– For some added flavor!
Step-By-Step Directions
- Prep for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Cream plant-butter and sugar: In the base of a stand mixer, or with hand beaters, cream together vegan butter and sugar.
- Flavor up: Next add vanilla.
- Mix in dry ingredients: Slowly spoon in flour and salt until combined.
- Shape and bake: Press into the prepared baking pan and prick the top with a toothpick.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Poke top: Remove from the oven and re-prick with a toothpick.
- Finish baking: Return to the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes until lightly browned.
- Cool and cut: Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Here are just a few kitchen tools I find helpful while making these simple vegan shortbread cookies.
- Square Baking Pan– I love the sharp edges this pan gives all my baked goods.
- Rubber spatula– From scraping the sides to pressing the shortbread into the pan, this rubber spatula does it all.
Dairy-Free Changes to Classic Shortbread
With just one simple swap you can have not only dairy-free, but also vegan, shortbread.
- Plant-based butter– I used Country Crock Plant Butter to keep this buttery shortbread vegan.
How to Smooth Out the Dough
This is probably the hardest part of making this classic shortbread recipe. My biggest tip for smoothing out the dough is to keep and use the plant-butter wrappers.
Use the wrappers to help press the dough into the pan without getting it stuck on your fingers, a knife, or the spatula. It might take a little time an a few rounds of pressing the wrapper onto the shortbread dough to get it smooth and level.
Storing and Serving Suggestions
For both short-term and long-term storage, check out these suggestions below.
- Storing: Once cooked and cooled, these vegan shortbread cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- Freezing: For longer storage, keep these shortbread cookies in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Remove from freezer and allow to thaw to room temperature before diving into.
You can also dish out this shortbread in a number of different ways.
- With afternoon tea
- Alongside your morning cup of coffee
- Keep the shortbread plain or drizzle with dairy-free chocolate
- Package it up and send it out in your next holiday cookie box
More Vegan Recipes to Bake Next
- Lemon Vegan Shortbread
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Glaze
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Vegan Rocky Road Brownies
If you tried this classic vegan shortbread recipe feel free to leave a comment below, I would love to hear how it went! You can also snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy to share all your life after dairy adventures!
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Classic Vegan Shortbread
These simple vegan shortbread cookies made with six pantry staple ingredients come together in under an hour for a sweet and simple holiday treat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Vegan Butter
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- ¼ cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 2 cups Flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
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In the base of a stand mixer, or with hand beaters, cream together 1 cup vegan butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ¼ cup powdered sugar.
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Next add 2 teaspoons vanilla.
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In a small bowl mix together 2 cups flour and ½ teaspoon salt.
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Mixing on low, slowly spoon in flour mixture until combined.
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Press the dough into the prepared baking pan and prick with a toothpick.
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Bake 25 minutes.
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Remove from the oven and prick with a toothpick again.
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Return to the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes until lightly browned.
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.
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