Nothing quite says cozy and festive like bite-sized treats that melt in your mouth, and this Christmas Shortbread Bites Recipe is just that. These little morsels are buttery, crumbly, and sprinkled with vibrant holiday colors that instantly lift your spirits with every nibble.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I’ve made these Christmas shortbread bites every year since I discovered how simple and festive they are. They’re not only easy to whip up, but every batch packs that perfect buttery texture with a hint of almond that just feels like the holidays on your tongue.
- Perfectly Buttery Texture: The blend of softened butter and powdered sugar creates that classic melt-in-your-mouth shortbread you’ll crave.
- Festive and Fun: The Christmas-colored nonpareils add a cheerful pop of color, turning a simple dessert into an eye-catching holiday treat.
- Easy to Make: Less than an hour from start to finish, no fancy techniques required, making it great even for last-minute baking.
- Customizable: You can tweak the extracts or sprinkles to suit your taste or whatever occasion you’re celebrating.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Each ingredient in this Christmas Shortbread Bites Recipe plays a simple but important role, coming together to build a tender, crisp bite that’s lightly sweet with just the right hint of festive flair.
- Unsalted butter: The backbone of texture and flavor, softened so it blends smoothly, giving that rich, buttery mouthfeel.
- Powdered sugar: Provides sweetness with a finer texture than granulated sugar, ensuring a silky dough.
- Almond extract: Adds a subtle, nutty aroma that elevates the flavor beyond your typical shortbread.
- All-purpose flour: Gives structure to the dough—make sure to measure carefully for the best results.
- Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the buttery notes; skip if using salted butter.
- Christmas colored nonpareils: These tiny sprinkles bring that classic holiday cheer and a fun crunch to every bite.
Make It Your Way
I love playing around with this Christmas Shortbread Bites Recipe depending on my mood or occasion. Sometimes I swap almond for vanilla extract, or toss in extra sprinkles for that playful crunch. You should definitely try making it your own—it’s so forgiving!
- Variation: My favorite tweak is to sprinkle an additional handful of nonpareils right on top before baking—it gives an extra festive burst of color and crunch that guests always ask about.
- Dietary tweak: If you’re going dairy-free, try substituting a vegan butter alternative—but just be aware the texture might be a touch different, so keep an eye on baking time.
- Seasonal swaps: Use different sprinkle colors to match any holiday or party theme—blue for Hanukkah, pink for Valentine’s, or even gold for a New Year’s celebration.
- Skip chilling: Short on time? You can cut and bake the dough immediately, though chilling helps keep the shape neater and makes cutting easier.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Shortbread Bites Recipe
Step 1: Creaming the Butter and Sugar to Perfection
Start by beating your softened butter, powdered sugar, and almond extract until everything is smooth and creamy. I like to scrape down the bowl frequently here—this guarantees every bit of butter gets whipped fluffy, which means a lighter bite in the end.
Step 2: Gently Incorporating the Flour and Salt
This part calls for patience. Slowly add your flour and salt bit by bit, beating just until the dough starts to come together. Overmixing can make the shortbread tough, so keep it gentle to maintain that tender crumble we’re after.
Step 3: Stir in the Festive Sprinkles
Now, fold in those joyful Christmas-colored nonpareils. I usually reserve some to sprinkle on top later. This is where the magic happens—you get that sprinkle sweetness and that delightful little pop of color in every bite.
Step 4: Chilling and Cutting Your Dough
After forming the dough into a ball and pressing it evenly into your lined pan, pop it into the fridge for about 20 minutes. This chill time makes it easier to lift the dough out and slice it into perfect half-inch squares. Trust me, it’s worth the wait!
Step 5: Baking to a Perfect Golden Brown
Arrange your cut squares on an ungreased cookie sheet with a little space between each. Bake at 325°F for about 10 to 12 minutes, but watch closely—the edges can brown quickly. When they just start to turn golden, take them out for that ideal shortbread texture.
Top Tip
After baking these Christmas Shortbread Bites Recipe treats several times, I’ve honed a few tips that make all the difference between “good” and “wow” in your final batch.
- Softened Butter is Key: Don’t rush this step. Butter should be soft enough to press a finger into without melting, but never melted—that ensures the dough comes together perfectly.
- Measure Flour Carefully: I scoop my flour with a tablespoon into the measuring cup and level it off with a butter knife—this keeps the flour from packing down and keeps your shortbread tender.
- Chill Your Dough: It’s tempting to skip this, but cooling the dough makes cutting so much cleaner, and the bites hold their shape instead of spreading.
- Watch the Browning: Keep a close eye in the last few minutes—you want a slight golden edge without going too dark or you’ll lose that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
How to Serve Christmas Shortbread Bites Recipe
Garnishes
I love sprinkling a few extra nonpareils on top before baking for that playful, colorful crunch. Sometimes I dust the cooled bites lightly with powdered sugar for an extra snowy look that guests always compliment.
Side Dishes
These shortbread bites pair beautifully with a warm cup of tea or coffee, or even alongside rich hot chocolate when you want to turn up the cozy factor. They’re great as part of a holiday cookie platter, too.
Creative Ways to Present
For parties, I arrange them in festive shapes on a pretty platter—a Christmas tree shape sprinkled with green and red nonpareils looks adorable. I’ve also wrapped small batches in clear holiday cellophane tied with ribbon to give as sweet homemade gifts.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I keep leftover shortbread bites in an airtight container at room temperature, and they stay fresh and crumbly for up to 5 days. It’s amazing how they maintain their flavor and texture without drying out.
Freezing
These bites freeze really well! I like to freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet first, then transfer to a freezer bag so they don’t stick together. They last up to 3 months this way and thaw quickly on the counter.
Reheating
If you want to refresh frozen or stored leftovers, I pop a few on a baking sheet and warm them very briefly in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes. It brings back that fresh-baked softness without drying them out.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! Vanilla extract works beautifully and gives the bites a softer, classic flavor. I usually bump up the amount slightly if using vanilla to about ½ teaspoon for an 8×8 pan.
I recommend Christmas-colored nonpareils as they melt into the dough slightly while keeping their color. Avoid big chunky sprinkles or those that bleed color too much. I’ve included links to my favorite festive sprinkles in the notes for easy shopping.
You can, but chilling helps the dough firm up, making it easier to cut neat squares. If you’re in a hurry, cut and bake immediately just be aware the dough might spread more during baking.
I scoop my flour with a tablespoon into the measuring cup then level it off with a butter knife—this stops the flour from packing down and keeps the cookies tender and consistent batch to batch.
Final Thoughts
This Christmas Shortbread Bites Recipe has become a staple in my holiday baking because it’s effortless, customizable, and tastes like a warm holiday hug in every bite. I’m excited for you to try it out and make it part of your family tradition—you’re going to love how these little bites bring that perfect festive cheer to your table.
Print
Christmas 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
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delight in festive Christmas Shortbread Bites featuring buttery, tender cookies dotted with colorful Christmas nonpareil sprinkles. These easy-to-make shortbread squares are perfect for holiday celebrations and gift-giving, offering a classic almond flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
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
Decoration
- 3 teaspoons Christmas colored nonpareils
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Heat oven to 325°F. Line an 8 or 9-inch baking dish with plastic wrap or parchment paper and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine softened butter, powdered sugar, and almond extract. Beat until creamy, scraping the bowl often. Then turn off the mixer.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Very gently add all-purpose flour and kosher salt a little at a time. Beat until the mixture begins to form a dough. Be patient during this process to ensure proper texture.
- Incorporate Sprinkles: Stir in the Christmas colored nonpareils gently to evenly distribute the sprinkles throughout the dough.
- Knead and Chill Dough: Knead the dough a few times until it forms a ball. Place the dough evenly into the prepared pan and gently press throughout. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm up the dough.
- Cut Dough into Squares: Remove dough from the pan using plastic wrap or parchment paper. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into ½-inch squares. Carefully separate squares and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned. Monitor closely as shortbread can brown quickly to avoid burning.
Notes
- Almond extract can be swapped for ½ teaspoon vanilla extract if preferred, especially when using an 8x8-inch pan.
- If using salted butter, omit the kosher salt in the recipe to prevent over-salting.
- To double the recipe for a 9x13-inch baking dish, double all ingredient amounts accordingly.
- Add extra sprinkles on top of the dough before baking for more festive color and texture.
- Use the scoop and level method when measuring flour for consistent baking results.
- Customize sprinkle colors to suit different holidays or occasions such as blue for Hanukkah or red and pink for Valentine’s Day.
- For a chocolate twist, try using a chocolate chip shortbread recipe instead to make bite-size chocolate chip cookies.
- If short on time, you can skip chilling the dough, but chilled dough is easier to cut and handle.
- Refer to the blog post for additional tips and tricks to perfect your shortbread bites.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini cookie
- Calories: 35 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 10 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 0.2 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
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