Walnut Shortbread

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

If you’ve made my classic shortbread, you already know how simple and satisfying that traditional recipe can be.

This walnut shortbread takes that same buttery foundation and layers on even more flavor and texture with just a handful of pantry staples.

Finely ground walnuts give the dough a rich nuttiness while also making the cookies even more “short”—that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness shortbread is known for.

For an extra touch of indulgence, I like to dip them in a bit of chocolate. The result is a cookie that feels both familiar and a little bit special.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredient notes

• Unsalted Butter should be room temperature, which is about 70°F (21°C). The butter should be pliable but not soft and melty. If you use salted butter eliminate the salt listed in the recipe.
• Walnuts will make the texture of the cookies even “shorter”. That is, less gluten development for an ultra tender crumb that melts in your mouth.
• Brown sugar adds a rich molasses flavor to the cookie that pairs perfectly with the walnut flavor.
• All Purpose Flour: AP flour has the right amount of protein to keep the cookies from spreading too much or becoming tough and dry.
• Chocolate – I prefer dark chocolate for this recipe, but you can certainly use milk or white chocolate if you’d like.

How to Make Walnut Shortbread Cookies

See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.

• Grind the walnuts with the flour.
• Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. You’re not trying to add a lot of air at this point. Shortbread should be pleasantly “dense”, not airy.
• Add the flour mixture.
• The dough will look crumbly but will come together.

• Finish kneading together the dough either in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface.
• Form the dough into a rectangle.
• On a piece of parchment paper, roll the dough to 12″x8″. Score 1″ segments along the 8″ side.
• Score in 3″ segments along the 12″ side.

• Slide the dough onto a quarter or half sheet pan. Poke each cookie 3x with a fork. Chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
• Bake until the center of the dough is set and the edges are lightly browned.
• Let the cookies cool completely in the pan. Then use the paper to slide the slab onto a cutting board. Cut along the score lines.
• Dip one end of each cookie in melted chocolate. Set the cookies onto a parchment lined pan until the chocolate is set.

Tips for Perfect Walnut Shortbread

• Grind the walnuts with the flour. This prevents the walnuts from turning into a paste.
• Chill the dough before baking to prevent over-spreading.
• Watch the baking time. Bake just until the center of the dough is set. A pale surface with lightly golden edges is ideal.
• Cool the cookies completely before cutting. The cookies are so tender, if you try to move or cut them before they’re completely cool they may crack.
• Let chocolate set completely before storing or stacking. You can slide the pan with the dipped cookies into the refrigerator to speed up the process.