Simple baking staples plus toasted hazelnuts are combined to make this delicious yet classic cookie recipe. Try these hazelnut shortbread cookies for your next cookie swap or holiday party.
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!)
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 dough. Like in all baking, there’s certain tips and tricks to making a shortbread cookie perfect.
- Make sure the butter is room temperature before starting. This will ensure your cookies are soft and fluffy.
- Refrigerate 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!
Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter room temperature (substitute with vegan butter if vegan)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
Tools:
- cookie cutters
- non stick baking sheet (or greased baking sheet)
- food processor
- hand mixer
- rolling pin
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, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until butter and sugar are completely "creamed" or well mixed. Should resemble small sandy clumps
- In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt together. Add flour mixture to butter and sugar in small increments, mixing in between
- Once dough is all mixed, remove from bowl and form into a large ball.
- Remove skins from toasted hazelnuts and place in food processor. Pulse until completely grounded (should resemble course flour).
- Place hazelnut pieces on dough and fold in pieces using hands. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill for 30 minutes
- Remove dough from fridge and place on lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough into 1/4 inch sphere
- Use cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Keep rolling out excess dough and cutting out shapes until all dough is gone. Should make about 24 cookies.
- Place cookies on non stick baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes
- Remove from 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
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Your pictures look insane, they are making me super hungry! I’ve been looking for a tasty holiday recipe, so I think I’ll give this a try!
Thanks so much Courtney!
I am such a food lover! I want to try this out. ☺️☺️
Glad you enjoyed! Shortbread is one of my favorite types of cookies for sure!
As always your photos are AMAZING!!
I have to try these cookies, they look so YAMMM!
You are too kind Neta! I LOVE your photos too! 🙂
WOW your photos are simply gorgeous! And the cookies look so delicious, I love hazelnut shortbread ♥
Thanks so much Natalie! 🙂
These are so delicious! I could eat the whole batch all by myself.
Same here. Thanks, Paige!
I love a good shortbread recipe! These look insane Amanda!
Wow thanks Tessa!