Dairy-Free Shortbread Cookies Recipe (Naturally Vegan, Too!)

For years, I’ve been wanting to see how dairy-free butter alternatives compare in baking. And I finally got around to it. For the test, I chose the most butter-reliant recipe I could think of. I made dairy-free shortbread cookies. You can read how several plant-based butters compared to one another and to dairy butter in my Dairy-Free Butter Comparison post. But the recipe I used for testing is below!

This basic dairy-free shortbread is adapted from Ina Garten’s recipe. Since so few ingredients are used, your end result (spread, texture, and taste) will depend almost entirely on the dairy-free butter you use. This is a classic, time-tested formula with very few variables.

Special Diet Notes: Shortbread Cookies

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, optionally soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.

Classic Dairy-Free Shortbread Cookies

Author: Alisa Fleming

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Scottish

1 ½ cups dairy-free buttery sticks (see Butter Note below), brought to room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
3½ cups all-purpose flour

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a mixing bowl, beat or whisk the buttery sticks, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla until combine.
Sift in the flour. Mix or stir until combined. The dough will be crumbly. Work it with your hands to bring it together into a ball.
Flatten the dough slightly, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough out to ½-inch thickness, and cut into 3×1-inch rectangles, or with cookie cutters.
Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the tops with sugar, if desired.
Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, or freeze to enjoy later.

Butter Note: I like Country Crock Buttery Sticks best for this recipe. Earth Balance Buttery Sticks are another good option. I use salted buttery sticks. If using unsalted, add ¼ teaspoon salt to the recipe. See my Butter Comparison Post to see how several different dairy-free butters compared in this recipe.

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