Simple baking staples plus toasted hazelnuts are combined to make this delicious yet classic cookie recipe. Try these vegan shortbread cookies with hazelnuts for your next cookie swap or holiday party.

This post was updated in October 2019 with more tips and instructions

What’s better than a buttery shortbread cookie?!

Nothing my friends. Kidding, adding toasted hazelnut is totally better.

The subtle taste of toasted hazelnut combined with a shortbread cookie is pure heaven. This shortbread cookie recipe is so delicious and can easily be made vegan, making them a real crowd pleaser everyone can enjoy.

Baking cookies during the holiday season has always been a special tradition growing up. Finding new recipes as well as remaking family favorites, I am a baking machine around Christmas.

Hazelnuts are definitely a more pricey, rare ingredient I use, but I would say these hazelnut shortbread cookies are a good exception (that and this vegan nutella recipe of course!)

Ingredients for vegan shortbread cookies

• Flour
• Brown sugar and cane sugar
• Vegan butter (I like Earth Balance or Miyokos)
• Salt
• Vanilla
• Hazelnuts

How to toast hazelnuts

• Preheat the oven to 375 and toast on a baking sheet for 8 minutes
• Remove from oven and let cool
• Once cooled, roll hazelnuts with the palm of your hand to remove the skins
• Place in a food processor and blend until they resemble a coarse flour

How to make shortbread cookies

• Using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until its nice and fluffy
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients
• Combine dry with wet and mix until dough is formed
• Fold in hazelnuts using hands
• Wrap the dough in plastic and let chill in the fridge for 30 mins

• After the dough is chilled, roll out and cut into shapes
• Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes

Key ingredients in a shortbread cookie recipe:

Flour, sugar, and butter. Start by creaming the butter with the sugar and slowly incorporating flour to create the dough. Like in all baking, there are certain tips and tricks to making a shortbread cookie perfect.

1. Make sure the butter is room temperature before starting. This will ensure your cookies are soft and fluffy.
2. Refrigerate the cookie dough before baking. This will eliminate cookies from spreading when baking since the fat content will be more solid. This is crucial when cutting out shapes in shortbread cookies

This cookie recipe is pretty simple and is great for holiday get-togethers or cookie swap parties. Dust powdered sugar on top for a festive touch, or even decorate with icing for an elegant feel. No matter what you do, these cookies will be a huge hit!

If you tried making these hazelnut shortbread cookies, let me know in the comments below and share a photo using #mindfulavocado. I’d love to hear from you! Want to see more recipes? Let’s get social! CONNECT WITH ME on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest to see what I’m currently cooking up!

Other Christmas cookie Recipes
Soft Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

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This classic shortbread cookie recipe gets an upgrade! Packed with toasted hazelnuts, these cookies are full of flavor. Try this hazelnut shortbread cookie recipe to share with family and friends!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Christmas, Holiday, Vegetarian

Keyword christmas cookies for party, christmas cookies gift, shortbread cookie vegan

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Chill time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 2 dozen

Calories 74kcal

Author Amanda

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1/4 cup cane sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
• powdered sugar for topping (optional)

Tools:

• cookie cutters
• non stick baking sheet (or greased baking sheet)
• food processor
• hand mixer
• rolling pin
• food processor

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place whole hazelnuts on baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool. Turn down oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a large mixing bowl, add room temperature butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until butter and sugar are completely "creamed" or well mixed. It should be light and fluffy.
• In a separate bowl, whisk flour and salt together. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in small increments, mixing in between.
• Remove skins from toasted hazelnuts and place them in a food processor. Pulse until completely grounded (should resemble coarse flour).
• Add hazelnut pieces into the dough and fold in pieces using hands. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
• Remove dough from the fridge and place on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into 1/4 inch thick.
• Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Keep rolling out the excess dough and cutting out shapes until all dough is gone. It should make about 24 cookies.
• Place cookies on non stick baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

• If dough is too dry, meaning it crumbles, try adding 1 teaspoon of water at a time until it forms. Sometimes the butter used does not have enough water content and the dough will be crumbly. 
• Using this recipe for a party? I recommend doubling the recipe!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.4g | Protein: 0.8g | Fat: 4.8g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 3g | Iron: 0.4mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @themindfulavocado or tag #mindfulavocado!

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