Ridiculously easy brown sugar shortbread recipe with brown sugar as the star! If you're looking to make shortbread cookies using brown sugar, look no further! This three-ingredient brown sugar shortbread cookies recipe is the one!
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And for more shortbread cookies, try my Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies or my Slice and Bake Christmas Cookies with Cranberries and White Chocolate!
Ridiculously Easy Brown Sugar Shortbread
Today's recipe is a simple 3 ingredient brown sugar shortbread cookies recipe that is SO GOOD! And it's a foolproof recipe -- you'd never guess how easy it is to make. If you're a fan of classic shortbread cookies, you'll definitely want to give these dark brown sugar shortbread cookies a try! They come together so quickly, and chances are you already have all the ingredients on hand!
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Which sugar is best for shortbread?
We're using brown sugar in these cookies, not only because I personally love the flavor it adds to everything, but also because it's such a simple and delicious twist on the classic shortbread recipe. Traditional Scottish shortbread is made from butter, white sugar, and flour, but in this recipe we're swapping in dark brown sugar and adding vanilla.
That combination results in a deliciously buttery, crumbly simple brown sugar cookies recipe that is as simple as it is tasty. The brown sugar and vanilla blend together to create a deeply complex flavor that is almost caramel-like. Absolutely irresistible!
What does brown sugar do to a cookie?
Making shortbread with brown sugar vs white sugar makes a big difference. Because brown sugar contains molasses, it adds a depth of flavor that is mission from regular white granulated sugar.
Also, the molasses in brown sugar adds moisture, which makes these cookies a bit softer and more chewy than traditional shortbread cookies. Finally, brown sugar tastes a bit less sweet than white sugar. So we're adjusting our ratios accordingly to find the right balance of buttery sweetness.
Like traditional shortbread recipes, these are perfect for the holiday season. But it's a simple recipe that works great for any time of year, like my Brown Butter Sugar Cookies!
Ingredients
- dark brown sugar - I prefer dark brown sugar in these shortbread cookies. It amps up the molasses flavor and gives them a deeper color that I love! If you only have light brown sugar that works, too.
- softened butter - I mostly bake with salted butter, and these brown sugar shortbread cookies are no exception! And salted butter has the added bonus of bringing out the flavors in these cookies without the need to add salt. I do recommend using a high-quality butter if you can, since the butter is such a large proportion of this recipe. If you don't have salted butter, feel free to use unsalted butter. Just add ¼ teaspoon of salt in with your flour.
- all-purpose flour - for best results, I recommend picking up a kitchen scale and measuring out 128 grams of flour by weight to make sure that the amount you're using is accurate. Otherwise, try the spoon-and-level method to ensure that you're using the correct amount of flour.
- pure vanilla extract - many shortbread cookies omit vanilla, so it's optional here, but I felt that it would be the perfect complement to the richness of the brown sugar in these shortbread cookies. Just make sure you're using a good-quality pure vanilla extract, since it's a major flavor in this brown sugar shortbread cookies recipe. Or better yet, check out my post on how to make vanilla extract at home with just 2 ingredients!
- turbinado sugar - this is optional, but you can also top your unbaked cookies with a little coarse sugar to add a sweet crunch!
Equipment
This is a pretty simple 3 ingredient cookies recipe, so you won't need too many elaborate tools. However, you will need a few important tools make sure these cookies taste amazing!
First, you'll want to get a 2 or 2.5-inch round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter. Also, I'd recommend using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to mix up the shortbread dough. Or you can use a handheld electric mixer and a large bowl if you don't have a stand mixer.
You'll also need a rolling pin to roll out the dough on your work surface, a large baking sheet and parchment paper to line the baking pan. Here are all the tools you'll need:
What is the secret to making shortbread?
My number one tip is to make sure your butter stays cold throughout the preparation process, and to chill your dough in the freezer while your oven preheats. The colder your brown sugar shortbread cookie dough is when it goes into the oven, but better they'll keep their shape and their buttery, crumbly texture.
Tips and F.A.Q.
Sugar cookies like these Peppermint White Chocolate Cookies are usually made with eggs, and different ratios of ingredients than shortbread cookies. The resulting cookie is not as crumbly or buttery as these brown sugar shortbread cookies.
Brown sugar is made with molasses, which adds moisture to the final result and gives you a softer, chewier cookie. It also affects the texture and consistency of the dough, meaning it can make cookies spread a bit more in the oven. That's why for these brown sugar shortbread cookies, we're adding a bit more flour to accommodate the brown sugar.
Dark brown sugar contains more molasses, so it'll give your simple brown sugar cookies even more of that rich caramel-like flavor and golden brown color, and makes them a bit softer than light brown sugar would.
Traditionally, shortbread is made with caster sugar, known as superfine sugar in the U.S. Many recipes just use regular granulated white sugar. But for a softer, richer sweetness like what you get with these brown sugar shortbread cookies, you can't beat dark brown sugar!
Absolutely! They freeze very well -- just let them cool completely, then place them in an airtight container to freeze for up to two months. Let them thaw, still in the container, at room temperature before serving.
No worries! You can roll your dough out and shape it into a rectangle (make sure it's about ¼-inch thick). Then you'll use a sharp knife to cut the dough into rectangular pieces. Then just poke holes in the dough and you're ready to bake!
I wanted this brown sugar shortbread recipe to be a somewhat small batch recipe, so that it can be made as an easy afternoon treat or for one or two people. So unlike most cookie recipes, this 3 ingredient brown sugar cookies recipe yields about 12 cookies. If you would like to make more, just double, triple, or quadruple the recipe!
It's so easy -- in the recipe card below, you can select 2x or 3x double or triple the recipe, or hover over the "12" in the servings yield section and move the slider to adjust the ingredients to the exact amount of cookies you'd like to bake!
Sure -- just add in ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon with your flour. Or you can check out my Coffee Cookies for a twist on this 3 ingredient brown sugar cookies recipe made with cinnamon and ground coffee. You'll also love these Old Fashioned Tea Cakes! And if you love M&Ms, you need to try my Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies!
More Delicious Recipes You'll Love
- No Spread Sugar Cookies – No Chill Recipe
- Peppermint White Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Ginger Crinkle Cookies
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
- Christmas Charcuterie Board
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon (84 g) salted butter - room temperature
- ⅓ cup (73 g) dark brown sugar - packed
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract - (optional)
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy and well combined.⅓ cup dark brown sugar, 6 tablespoon salted butter
- Add vanilla (if using) and beat until combined.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Gradually mix in flour until just combined.1 cup all-purpose flour
- Turn mixture out onto a floured surface and knead a few times with your hands to bring the dough into a ball.
- Roll the dough out to ¼-inch thick and cut out cookies with a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Prick cookie rounds with a fork or toothpick.
- Place cookie rounds on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner. Preheat oven to 375°F and place baking sheet in freezer for about 10 minutes to chill while oven preheats.
- Bake in preheated oven 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are lightly brown on the bottom.
- Let cookies cool on pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Last Updated on September 20, 2025 by Chenée Lewis
Mike says
My cookies came out great! Thanks so much for the simple and delicious recipe.
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so glad you liked it!
vicky says
It was my first time and they were great
Chenée Lewis says
Thanks! So glad you liked them!
Denise says
Omg. Easy delicious. I added ginger... soooo good,
Chenée Lewis says
What a great idea!!
Nqobile Felicia Mazibuko says
Great and very simple recipe to follow.
My cookies came out great...had to increase the cooking time a bit.
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Chenée Lewis says
You're so welcome! Thanks for trying them out!
Angela says
These came out great! Not as pretty as yours but they were delicious. The dough was a little crumbly and gave me a hard time when I tried to roll them out, so they came out a little rough looking. I think my mistake was mixing by hand instead of using a mixer. I will try it the other way in future. Thank you for sharing.
Chenée Lewis says
Yay! I would also be careful how you measure your flour because it sounds like you ended up with too much flour in the dough. I recommend using a kitchen scale or the spoon-and-level method to measure it and make sure you don't accidentally add too much. Glad you liked them!