
Are you looking for a quick sweet treat for Halloween or any party? These chocolate drizzled vanilla shortbread cookies are the perfect quick cut out cookies for any occasion! This is a super simple, basic recipe for quick shortbread cookies that you can completely customize.
It is the quickest cookie recipe. You can make the dough in like 5 minutes. Once you make the dough, chill for at least 30 minutes or until you're ready to roll them out.
Tip: If you are chilling the dough for more than 30 minutes, make sure you leave the dough out until the dough is workable again. If you leave the dough overnight (like I have done before), you will need to leave the dough for at least an hour to become malleable.
5 Ingredient Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
- All purpose flour
- Sugar
- Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt

Small Batch Recipe
The great thing about this recipe is that its for a small batch of cookies. I only made 10 cookies because I was using large cookie cutters. You can of course easily double or triple this recipe as needed, but if you looking for just a few cookies these measurements are perfect for you!
I always run into the problem where the recipe looks so good, but then I want to either try a recipe before sharing them or I just want to make something for myself! But then I get turned off because I don't need 3 dozen cookies for myself!!!
Decorations!
Now on the even more fun stuff! My kids (like all kids) love sprinkles so we just had to add sprinkles to these. Since we were going for a Halloween theme this month, we did a quick chocolate drizzle and covered them in orange and black sprinkles.
The chocolate drizzle was just melted milk chocolate over a double boiler. Then I spooned the chocolate into a sandwich baggie and cut the corner to create the quickest disposal piping bag!
Put the cookies back on the cooling rack while the chocolate sets. Such festive chocolate drizzled vanilla shortbread cookies!
Note: If decorating with chocolate and you're trying to get the chocolate to set faster. Place the decorated cookies in the fridge or freezer.
For more sweet treats for Halloween or any special occasion!
📖 Recipe

Chocolate Drizzled Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour plus more for rolling out
- ½ cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Decoration
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
- In a bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium high speed until combined.
- Add vanilla extract, mix until combined.
- Add in flour and salt, mix on low speed until dough combines.
- Lay a square of plastic wrap to wrap the dough in. Lightly flour the center of the plastic wrap and scrap the dough out on to the plastic wrap. Wrap the plastic around the dough. Shape the dough into a flat disk, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll out dough to about ½ inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut out the shapes from the dough. Line up the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Space the cookies about an inch apart.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. The time will depend on the size of your cookies. The smaller your cookies, the less bake time you will need.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- If decorating cookies with chocolate: Place cookies on parchment paper. Melt chocolate chips over a double boiler until smooth. Pipe chocolate into a small ziploc bag, cut a small corner and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. Add sprinkles if using. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the chocolate to set.
Nutrition
Adapted from Ina's shortbread recipe
Marita
These look great! I love shortbread and the decorations are perfect for any Halloween Party x
Jill Patel
Thanks Marita! Yea love the buttery sweet taste of shortbread and how its so versatile too!