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These Funfetti Shortbread Bites are the perfect holiday treat! Buttery shortbread cookie bites that melt-in-your-mouth and decorated with Christmas sprinkles.
Easy Holiday Shortbread Bites
If you’re making Christmas cookies this year, then add this recipe to the list! With just five ingredients, they are easy to make, delicious and totally festive. They are a top contender for favorite holiday treats right along with Hot Cocoa Cookies, Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies, Peanut Butter Balls and Rocky Road Fudge.
These Funfetti Shortbread Bites also make a great addition to your Christmas cookie trays and and are an awesome gift idea. Simply place these bites into a jar, or tin or box and add a festive decoration or ribbon!
Ingredients You’ll Need
5-ingredients is all you need!
- Butter– You will use cold salted butter and dice into small pieces. If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the flour.
- Sugar– Granulated sugar is used to sweeten the shortbread.
- Flour– All-purpose flour is used in this recipe.
- Almond extract– Use pure almond extract.
- Sprinkles– We used Christmas Blend Nonpareils sprinkles but any small sprinkles will work.
How To Make Shortbread Bites
Preparing the shortbread cookie dough is super simple. Allow extra time for chilling.
- Prepare a 13 x 9″ baking dish with parchment paper.
- Combine the shortbread cookie ingredients
- Fold in 2 1/2 tablespoons of sprinkles.
- Press dough flat into an even layer in the prepared baking pan.
- Chill in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Remove chilled dough from dish and cut with a large sharp knife into 1/2″ squares.
- Transfer 1/3 of the squares to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake 8-12 minutes while keeping the remaining squares chilled until ready to bake.
- Repeat the baking process with the remaining squares and allow them to cool on the baking sheet.
Tips and Tricks
- Butter. It is important to use cold butter that is diced into smaller pieces for this recipe. Room temperature butter will not yield good results.
- Dough. If your dough seems to be crumbly when mixing, add a few tablespoons of milk until the dough becomes workable.
- Chilling. Also, it’s important to note that before baking, these shortbread bites go into the fridge first. While each batch bakes, keep the remaining dough in the fridge so it doesn’t start to reach room temperature. These will get gooey and sticky pretty quick if left out.
- Seasonal. These can quickly change from Christmas cookies to Valentine’s Day cookies or to Easter cookies. Just change the sprinkles!
Storing Shortbread Bites
Store these shortbread bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. These cookies will freeze well in freezer bags for up to 1 month.
Other Great Shortbread Recipes
- Cherry Shortbread Cookies
- Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
- Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- Shortbread Cookies
Add as Google Trusted SourceHoliday Shortbread Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, cold and diced
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sprinkles, divided
Instructions
- Grease a 13×9″ baking dish and line with parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer until combined.
- Add in almond extract and stir until incorporated.
- With mixer set on low speed slowly add in flour and mix until combined . It will take some mixing and may appear dry and crumbly at first but it will start to come together. Add a teaspoon or two of milk to help consistency if needed.
- Fold in 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of sprinkles.
- Press dough flat and even into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining sprinkles over the top (feel free to add more than the 1/2 tablespoon remaining).
- Press them in to the top gently and chill in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Remove chilled dough from dish and cut into 1/2″ squares.
- Transfer 1/3 of the squares to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake 8-12 minutes while keeping the remaining squares chilled til ready to bake.
- Repeat the baking process with the remaining squares and allow them to cool on the baking sheet.
- Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Made these and mixed a long while til the dough was dough like…you’re right it will happen. So yummy and tender. ♥️
Mine completely crumbled…followed the directions, what do you think went wrong?
Hi Patti. Sorry to hear this. You can add a little milk if you can’t get the dough combined before putting it in the dish. Once chilled the dough should not crumble when you cut it.
My dough was way too crumbly. I followed recipe exactly right. How can I avoid this next time? I had to end up throwing the whole batch in the oven because there was no way for me to gut into smaller bites
Hi Alyssa. The mixing can take awhile. Make sure you butter is cold and you may want to try adding a few teaspoons of milk to the dough if you feel its too crumbly to cut.
These taste soooo good, but my cookie crumbles too much. Any suggestions?
These look so yum! Can the dough be frozen prior to baking?
Hi Emily. Yes you can freeze this dough. Either in the pan or a ball or roll.
Thanks for the help
Looks good
I’m going to try cherry extract
These get even better if you can let them sit for a couple weeks in an airtight container. Of course, you’ll have to hide the container!
These look so cute I have to try them. And I seldom bake cookies.
Can I use something besides almond extract? Husband is allergic
Yes, use vanilla.
Wonder if peppermint might work … at least for xmas treats 😀
Our grandson has the peanut and tree nut allergy and I read that many chefs use the imitation extract. I got a bottle just to be safe.