Rosemary shortbread cookies are thick, soft and buttery shortbread cookies made with fresh woodsy rosemary. This sweet and salty rosemary shortbread is easy to make and is the perfect festive and unexpected cookie for the holidays.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
One of my favorite types of cookies to make are soft and buttery shortbread style cookies. My Chocolate Shortbread Cookies, Blood Orange Cookie Bars, Cherry Cookies, Key Lime Cookies and Lavender Cookies are a few of my favorite drop cookie recipes on the blog. These buttery rosemary filled shortbread cookies are another delicious addition I know you’ll because:
- They are quick and easy to make. All you need to do is bring the butter to room temperature, mix everything up in one bowl, press into the prepared pan, bake, slice and enjoy.
- Layers of flavor and texture. From the soft, buttery and slightly crumbly shortbread and to the savory, woodsy aroma of the rosemary, these shortbread bars are a delicious mix of sweet and salty flavor.
Ingredients
This recipe for rosemary shortbread cookies requires only a handful of pantry basics to make. Make sure you have these ingredients ready to go.
Gather sugar, fresh rosemary, salt, butter, honey and flour.
Substitutions
Here are my recommended substitutions to make these wonderfully buttery shortbread rosemary cookies.
- Granulated Sugar: This recipe hasn’t been tested using alternative sugars. However, I love using maple sugar as a refined sugar free option in my other cookie recipes. Maple sugar bakes very similarly to light brown sugar.
- Rosemary: Use fresh rosemary if possible. If you can’t find rosemary, fresh thyme would also work.
- Unsalted Butter: You can use the same amount of salted butter as written in the recipe, but omit the added salt.
- Honey: This is more for flavor. I suggest using the honey if possible. Omit or use the same amount of lemon juice.
- All purpose flour: This recipe hasn’t been tested with an alternative flour. However, if you want to make this recipe gluten free, use a good 1-1 flour and measure by weight (240 g) rather than cups.
Variations
- Lemon Glaze: Top these rosemary cookie bars with an easy lemon glaze. Mix 2 - 3 tablespoons (30 - 45 ml) lemon juice with 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar until smooth and well combined. Glaze the the cookie bars after they have cooled completely and enjoy.
- Honey Glaze: To make a honey glaze, mix 2 - 3 tablespoons (30 - 45 ml) honey with 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar and 1 - 2 teaspoons until smooth and well combined.
- Slice and Bake Rosemary Shortbread Cookies: To make these as slice and bake cookies, simply roll the cookie dough into a log shape. Chill the cookie dough for 1hour. Slice the cookies ¼ inch for crispier cookies and ½ inch for softer cookies. Bake these cookies at 350 F (177 C) for about 8 -10 minutes.
- Rosemary Drop Cookies: To make rosemary these as drop cookies, simply scoop them into 1 inch cookie balls. Roll in sugar if you like and bake them at 350 F (177 C) for 12 -14 minutes or until lightly brown on the edges.
How To Make
Learn how to make rosemary shortbread cookies in a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) for 20 - 30 minutes before baking the shortbread. Line a 8 x8 (20 cm) aluminum pan with parchment paper along the bottom and two sides. Leave a little bit of an overhang to help lift the cookie bars out of the pan after baking. Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters, cream the sugar and fresh rosemary for 1 minute on low to help release the rosemary oils into the sugar. If you would like to add 1-2 tablespoons of lemon or orange zest, add it at the same time as the rosemary. After 1 minute, add the room temperature butter, honey and salt. Cream the butter, sugar, honey, rosemary and salt together on medium speed until well combined. This takes about 2 -3 minutes on medium speed. Add the flour ½ cup at a time, mixing until most of the flour is combined before adding the next ½ cup. Press any excess flour into the dough with a silicone spoon or with clean hands.
- Press the rosemary shortbread into the prepare pan with clean hands. Go slowly, making sure all the dough is pressed in evenly. Use a fork to dock (poke holes into) the shortbread.
3. Bake the rosemary shortbread for 25 - 30 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown. Cool the shortbread rosemary bars in the pan for 30 -45 minutes. Using the excess parchment, gently lift the shortbread out of the pan, slice into your desired number of pieces and enjoy.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Store: These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 - 5 days.
- Freezes: Once the shortbread has baked and has fully cooled to room temperature, place the baked shortbread into an airtight, freezer safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: Transfer your desired amount of frozen rosemary cookies onto a plate to thaw at room temperature for a few hours or heat them in the microwave for 20 - 30 seconds from frozen.
M’s Expert Tips
- Line the pan. Lining the bottom and two sides of the pan with a sheet of parchment paper helps to lift the rosemary cookie bars out of the pan more easily.
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature (soft, but cool to the touch). This results in a soft, tender, delicious and slightly crumbly shortbread cookie.
- Have fun with the flavor. Honey, lemon and orange all pair beautifully with rosemary. Add 1 -2 tablespoons of lemon or orange zest at the same time as the rosemary. Chopped white chocolate would also be amazing with the other flavors of this shortbread recipe. Add 1 cup right after adding the flour. To keep these cookie bars more salty, add some flaky salt to the top after baking. To make them more sweet, add a lemon or honey glaze to the top after cooling.
- Mix the flour until just combined. I like to mix the flour into the sweetened butter just there are a few stray pieces of flour coated butter. Then I mix the rest by hand or with a flexible spatula.
- Dock the cookie dough. This allow the steam to escape more easily and gives the cookies that classic shortbread look.
- Fully preheat the oven. Use an oven thermometer to double check the temperature.
- Evenly press the cookie dough into the pan. To ensure the cookie dough bakes evenly, take the time to press the cookie dough into the pan, checking that the thickness is the same around the entire pan.
- Fully cool the cookie bars. Before topping the bars with a glaze or before cutting the cookie bars.
FAQs
These shortbread cookie bars with rosemary taste like classic buttery shortbread with a savory with a hint of savory and woodsy rosemary. To keep these cookie bars more salty, add some flaky salt to the top. To make them more sweet, add a lemon or honey glaze to the top.
Fresh rosemary has a woodsy, almost pine like scent. Taste wise, rosemary has a nice hint of lemon and mint. Honey, lemon and orange pair really well with rosemary.
To make these as slice and bake cookies, simply roll the cookie dough into a log shape. Chill the cookie dough for 1hour. Slice the cookies ¼ inch for crispier cookies and ½ inch for softer cookies. Bake these cookies at 350 F (177 C) for about 8 -10 minutes. To make rosemary these as drop cookies, simply scoop them into 1 inch cookie balls. Roll in sugar if you like and bake them at 350 F (177 C) for 12 -14 minutes or until lightly brown on the edges.
Other Rosemary Recipes To Try
If you try this Rosemary Shortbread Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M
Rosemary Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- 1 8 x 8 inch (20 cm) aluminum pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) for 20 - 30 minutes before baking the shortbread. Line a 8 x 8 (20 cm) aluminum pan with parchment paper along the bottom and two sides. Leave a little bit of an overhang to help lift the cookie bars out of the pan after baking.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters, cream the sugar and fresh rosemary for 1 minute on low to help release the rosemary oils into the sugar. If you would like to add 1-2 tablespoons of lemon or orange zest, add it at the same time as the rosemary.¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- After 1 minute, add the room temperature butter, honey and salt. Cream the butter, sugar, honey, rosemary and salt together on medium speed until well combined. This takes about 2 -3 minutes on medium speed. Add the flour ½ cup at a time, mixing until most of the flour is combined before adding the next ½ cup. Press any excess flour into the dough with a silicone spoon or with clean hands.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) honey, ½ teaspoon salt , 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- Press the rosemary shortbread into the prepare pan with clean hands. Go slowly, making sure all the dough is pressed in evenly. Use a fork to dock (poke holes into) the shortbread.
- Bake the rosemary shortbread for 25 - 30 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown. Cool the shortbread rosemary bars in the pan for 30 -45 minutes. Using the excess parchment, gently lift the shortbread out of the pan, slice into your desired number of pieces and enjoy.
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