There’s something truly magical about a bite-sized cookie dotted with bright, festive sprinkles that instantly lifts your holiday spirit. This Festive Shortbread Bites Recipe is a simple, buttery delight that’s as fun to make as it is to eat. Trust me, these little gems disappear faster than you’d expect!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
From the moment I baked these shortbread bites, I knew they’d be a staple in my holiday baking. The balance of rich butter and sweet sprinkles is irresistible, and the ease of making them means you’ll want to pull them out for any festive occasion.
- Quick and Easy: The dough comes together fast, making this a perfect last-minute treat.
- Customizable Fun: You can swap sprinkles for any celebration, giving it year-round appeal.
- Perfect Bite Size: Small squares make sharing and snacking effortless and mess-free.
- Buttery Flavor: The classic shortbread taste is rich without being overwhelming.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Every ingredient in this recipe plays a key role in creating that tender, crumbly texture and classic flavor we love in shortbread. Knowing why each one matters helps you shop smart and tweak the recipe with confidence.
- Unsalted Butter: The star of the show! Using unsalted lets you control the saltiness perfectly and gives that rich, creamy texture.
- Powdered Sugar: This melts smoothly into the butter, making the dough silky without any grit.
- Almond Extract: Adds a subtle, warm nuttiness that complements the butter beautifully—but vanilla is a great substitute if that’s your go-to flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure while keeping the texture tender; don’t forget to scoop and level to avoid dry, crumbly dough.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances all the flavors, balancing the sweetness and butteriness perfectly.
- Christmas Colored Nonpareils: These festive sprinkles add fun pops of color and a slight crunch that make these bites extra joyful.
Make It Your Way
I love making these shortbread bites exactly as the recipe states, but it’s so easy to put your own spin on it. Whether you switch the extract, pick new sprinkles, or add a touch of chocolate, you’ll find it fun to keep things fresh and personal.
- Variation: One holiday, I swapped almond extract for vanilla and doubled the sprinkles — it became a huge crowd-pleaser with a softer, sweeter flavor.
- Dietary Swap: Try using gluten-free flour for friends with dietary restrictions; just be gentle kneading as GF flour behaves differently.
- Seasonal Sprinkles: I like to use blue and silver sprinkles for winter parties and pastel colors for spring celebrations—easy way to match the theme.
- Chocolate Addition: Mix mini chocolate chips into the dough for a cozy twist that everyone raves about.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Festive Shortbread Bites Recipe
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar
Start by beating your softened butter, powdered sugar, and almond extract until creamy and smooth. I always scrape down the bowl a couple of times so everything blends beautifully — this step ensures a velvety base for the dough.
Step 2: Gently Incorporate the Flour and Salt
This is where patience is key. Slowly add the flour and salt, beating just until dough starts to come together. Overmixing here can lead to tough cookies, so I like to switch to folding with a spatula when the dough firms up.
Step 3: Stir in the Sprinkles and Chill
This is the joyful part—fold in those colorful Christmas sprinkles for that festive look. Knead the dough gently into a ball, press it evenly into your lined baking dish, and then pop it into the fridge for about 20 minutes. The chilling step helps the dough firm up, making it much easier to cut cleanly.
Step 4: Slice and Bake
Use the plastic wrap or parchment to lift the chilled dough onto a cutting board, then slice into ½-inch squares. Place the squares on ungreased cookie sheets with a little space in between. Bake at 325°F for 10-12 minutes — keep a close eye as these bites can brown quickly. You want a slight golden edge without over-baking.
Top Tip
I’ve made these Festive Shortbread Bites Recipe more times than I can count, and a few tricks make all the difference between just okay and truly melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
- Proper Butter Softening: Don’t rush the butter—soften it by leaving it out for about an hour, but keep it from melting or becoming oily to get that ideal texture.
- Flour Handling: Scooping and leveling your flour prevents dryness or crumble, balancing the dough perfectly every time.
- Chilling Time: Chilling isn’t just a suggestion—it really helps you get clean, sharp squares without the dough sticking or breaking.
- Watch Your Bake: Oven temperatures vary! I start checking these at 10 minutes to catch that sweet spot where edges are just golden and centers are soft.
How to Serve Festive Shortbread Bites Recipe
Garnishes
I usually add a light dusting of powdered sugar right after baking for a snowy touch. Sometimes, if I’m feeling extra festive, I brush the tops with a little melted white chocolate and sprinkle just a few more nonpareils on top. It’s an easy way to amp up presentation without much fuss.
Side Dishes
These shortbread bites pair beautifully with a warm cup of spiced tea or a rich, dark coffee — perfect for your holiday gatherings. They also complement fruit-infused sparkling water or a cozy hot chocolate if you’re aiming for kid-friendly combos.
Creative Ways to Present
For parties, I arrange them on tiered dessert stands with fresh evergreen sprigs or cinnamon sticks tucked around — it gives a rustic, cozy vibe. Wrapping a small stack in clear treat bags tied with red ribbon also makes a delightful homemade gift any time of the season.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, and they stay fresh for about a week. The shortbread holds its buttery crunch wonderfully when stored away from humidity, so just keep them sealed tight.
Freezing
If I want to get ahead, I freeze the unbaked dough pressed into the pan, wrapped snugly in plastic wrap and foil. When I’m ready, I slice and bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time. Baked cookies also freeze well wrapped in layers separated by parchment paper.
Reheating
To refresh cookies that have lost their initial crispness, I pop them in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes. This brings back that wonderful buttery crunch without drying them out.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! Vanilla extract is a lovely substitute, though almond extract gives a distinct warm nuttiness. If you use vanilla, you might want a slightly larger amount for a similar flavor impact.
Chilling helps the dough firm up, making it much easier to cut into even squares and preventing spreading while baking. However, if you’re short on time, you can skip this step — just be extra gentle when slicing the soft dough.
I recommend using small Christmas-colored nonpareils for the perfect festive look and subtle crunch. Feel free to experiment with different shapes and colors depending on the occasion.
Yes! You can easily double the ingredients and use a 9×13 baking dish. Just keep an eye on the baking time as it might vary slightly with the larger size.
Final Thoughts
This Festive Shortbread Bites Recipe holds a special place in my kitchen because it’s simple, joyful, and always reminds me of cozy holidays with friends and family. I hope you’ll enjoy making and sharing these buttery, colorful treats as much as I do — they’re the kind of recipe you’ll return to year after year.
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Festive Shortbread Bites Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 160 mini cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Christmas Shortbread Bites are buttery, tender cookies speckled with festive colored nonpareils, perfect for holiday celebrations and gifting. The delicate almond extract enhances their flavor, making them a classic seasonal treat that's easy to make and fun to customize with your favorite sprinkles.
Ingredients
Shortbread Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 teaspoons Christmas colored nonpareils (sprinkles)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Heat your oven to 325°F. Line an 8 or 9-inch baking dish with plastic wrap or parchment paper and set it aside.
- Cream Butter Mixture: In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, and almond extract. Beat until creamy, scraping the bowl often to ensure even mixing. Then turn off the mixer.
- Add Flour and Salt: Slowly add the all-purpose flour and kosher salt, a little at a time. Beat gently until the dough begins to form. Be patient as the dough comes together.
- Incorporate Sprinkles: Stir in the Christmas colored nonpareils evenly to distribute the festive colors throughout the dough.
- Knead and Shape Dough: Knead the dough a few times to form a ball. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing it gently with your hands.
- Chill Dough: Place the pan with dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm it up for easier cutting.
- Cut Dough into Squares: Remove the dough from the pan using the plastic wrap or parchment paper as a lift onto a cutting board. Cut the dough into ½-inch squares carefully.
- Arrange Squares on Baking Sheets: Place the cut squares on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them slightly apart to prevent sticking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until the cookies turn slightly browned at the edges. Watch closely as they can brown quickly.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool before serving. Enjoy your festive Christmas Shortbread Bites!
Notes
- You can substitute almond extract with vanilla extract; if using vanilla, use ½ teaspoon for an 8x8-inch pan.
- If using salted butter, omit the added kosher salt in the recipe.
- To make a larger batch in a 9×13-inch pan, simply double all ingredient amounts.
- For extra festive flair, sprinkle additional nonpareils on top of the dough before baking.
- Measure flour by scooping with a tablespoon into the measuring cup and leveling it off with a butter knife for accuracy.
- Customize sprinkles to match different holidays: red and green for Christmas, blue for Hanukkah, red and pink for Valentine’s Day, green for St. Patrick’s Day.
- For a variation, try chocolate chip shortbread by using a chocolate chip recipe instead.
- If short on time, you can skip the chilling step, but chilled dough is easier to cut cleanly.
- See the blog post for additional tips and recipe tricks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini cookie
- Calories: 40 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 15 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0.3 g
- Cholesterol: 7 mg
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