Easy Shortbread Cookie Recipe: Freshly Milled Flour

A good shortbread cookie recipe pairs well with many things. Whether it’s chocolate, fruit, coffee, or anything else you can imagine, this simple cookie is the perfect treat. While I enjoy them most in the fall and winter, especially during the holidays dipped in chocolate, they are great for any time of year!

Shortbread cookies are extremely simple to make and require ingredients that you most likely already have on hand. Made with high quality ingredients, these are my go-to simple treat to make for a party, event, or even just an afternoon snack.

I originally shared this recipe back in 2024, and today I am updating it with new photos as well as some tips and tricks I’ve learned for making the very best cookies!

Shortbread cookies are one of my favorite treats because they are so easy to make and pair nicely with a variety of warm beverages which makes them great with breakfast or an afternoon cup of coffee or tea. I also really enjoy making them during the holiday season when I will dip them in melted chocolate for the bitter-sweet flavor combo. Whichever way you decide to enjoy them, they will not disappoint!

To make shortbread cookies, you only need three simple ingredients: flour, butter, and sugar. While these may not sound like the healthiest of ingredients, high quality ingredient sourcing can make all the difference in the nutrient profile and density of your food. 

Nutrient Dense Easy Shortbread Cookie Ingredients:

Flour: I use 100% freshly milled organic whole grain flour in this recipe. By grinding your own flour fresh, there are several vitamins and minerals that are preserved. Flour that sits on the shelves for months at a time is filled with preservatives and does not retain its natural nutrient status. Vitamins B and E are naturally found in the outer portion of whole grains and are found abundantly in freshly milled grain. Additionally, minerals such as magnesium, iron, copper, and others can also be found in a freshly milled grain. 

Most importantly, I just love the depth of flavor that fresh milled flour adds to the cookie. By choosing different types of grains, it can change the flavor of the cookie just slightly. I love the combination of spelt and khorasan as this gives them a rich nuttier flavor.

Butter: Butter is a health food. I’ll say it again…BUTTER IS A HEALTH FOOD! Butter is packed with a number of nutrients and healthy fats that your body needs to operate optimally. Check out this list of just a few of its many benefits:

• Vitamin A for thyroid & adrenal health (responsible for ensuring cardiovascular health). It also works as an antioxidant!
• One of the best if not THE best source of vitamins A, D, K, and E. All of these are fat soluble vitamins meaning fat is needed to absorb them. No matter how many vitamins we ingest, they won’t be absorbed as well without fat. Therefore, consuming these vitamins through butter is the best way to absorb them!
• Butter contains vitamin K2 which is found in very few other sources. Vitamin K2 is responsible for preventing tooth and bone decay, reversing arterial calcification, used as a therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, preventing prostate cancer, and the treatment of leukemia and lung cancer.
• Contains lauric acid which is used to treat a variety of viral, fungal, and bacterial infections.

Sugar: Traditional sugar has gotten a bad reputation but there are natural alternatives that contain more nutrients than white sugar which basically just contains one nutrient. For this recipe, I use rapadura also known as sucanat. Rapadura is cane sugar syrup that has been boiled and cooled to create a sugar texture. This process preserves vitamins and minerals including many of the  B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, and potassium to name a few. 

Unrefined sugars come with nutrients that can actually nourish your body. While being mindful of sugar consumption is important, there is no need to shy away completely from minimally processed sugars from natural sources. 

You could also try substituting honey or maple syrup although this will give the cookies a softer texture rather than a crispy coffee cookie. Either is great depending on what you’re going for. 

How to Make Easy Shortbread Cookies With Freshly Milled Flour

Ingredients:

280-350 grams Freshly Milled Flour: The amount of flour you use depends highly on what type of flour your milling. Since fresh-milled flour acts differently from all-purpose flour, you will need different amounts depending on the type of grain. My favorite blend is 50% khorasan, 50% Spelt because this gives the cookie a richer, nuttier flavor. When using flours with stronger gluten formation (think hard red or hard white wheat, khorasan, and even spelt), it is best to use 280g of flour. If using a grain with weaker gluten formation like soft white wheat, up the flour to 350g.

1 cup Butter: room temp or softened

½ cup Rapadura: regular sugar works fine too

1 tsp Vanilla: I like to make mine homemade.

½ tsp Salt: A pinch of salt brings out all the other flavors!

Instructions:

1. Mill the flour.
2. Add butter, rapadura, vanilla and salt. Mix until combined. Room temperature butter works best, but you can also melt it gently on the stove top to soften it. 
3. Shape mixture into a log and wrap in parchment paper or a towel. Let sit in fridge for at least 30 minutes (will likely need an hour or 2 if you are using softened butter). The log should be hardened, so that it is easy to slice through with a knife. 
4. Once the mixture has cooled, use a knife to slice the log into ¼ thick slices and place on a baking sheet.
5. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown on the edges.
6. Dip in chocolate or serve alongside fruit or a cup of milk or coffee and enjoy!

More Slow Food Recipes You Might Enjoy…

5 Non-Alcoholic Warm Beverages

Gluten Free Sourdough Fresh Milled Oven Pancake

Easy French Toast Bake Casserole

Easy Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies are a really easy treat that pairs well with everything from fruit to chocolate and coffee to milk. They are my go-to cookie recipe year round!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Baked Goods

Servings 2 dozen cookies

Calories 100 kcal

Equipment

• Baking Sheet

Ingredients

  

• 280-350 grams Freshly Milled Flour* see the note below for information about flour variations
• 1 cup Butter (softened) 2 sticks
• 1/2 cup Rapadura or Sucanut
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Instructions

 

• Mill the flour*
• Add butter, rapadura, vanilla and salt. Mix until combined. Room temperature butter works best, but you can also melt it gently on the stove top to soften it. 
• Shape mixture into a log and wrap in parchment paper or a towel. Let sit in fridge for at least 30 minutes (will likely need an hour or 2 if you are using softened butter). The log should be hardened, so that it is easy to slice through with a knife.
• Once the mixture has cooled, use a knife to slice the log into ¼ thick slices and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake at 325 for 15-18 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown on the edges.

Notes

*The amount of flour you use depends highly on what type of flour your milling. Since fresh-milled flour acts differently from all-purpose flour, you will need different amounts depending on the type of grain. My favorite blend is 50% khorasan, 50% Spelt since this gives the cookie a richer, nuttier flavor. When using flours with stronger gluten formation (think hard red or hard white wheat, khorasan, and even spelt), it is best to use 280g of flour. If using a grain with weaker gluten formation like soft white wheat, up the flour to 350g.

1. Mill the flour. 
2. Add butter, rapadura, vanilla and salt. Mix until combined. Room temperature butter works best, but you can also melt it gently on the stove top to soften it. 
3. Shape mixture into a log and wrap in parchment paper or a towel. Let sit in fridge for at least 30 minutes (will likely need an hour or 2 if you are using softened butter). The log should be hardened, so that it is easy to slice through with a knife. 
4. Once the mixture has cooled, use a knife to slice the log into ¼ thick slices and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 for 15-18 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown on the edges.

Keyword Freezer Friendly, Fresh Milled Flour