Buttery Almond Shortbread Cookies with Almond Glaze

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Buttery almond shortbread cookies with sweet almond glaze and toasted almonds. Easy slice-and-bake bars that melt in your mouth every bite.

For more shortbread recipes, make my almond croissant cookies, raspberry thumbprint cookies and snowflake cookies!

almond shortbread cookies on a parchment paper lined serving plate.

These almond shortbread cookies are the most buttery, delicious shortbread cookies you’ll ever make.

They’re are essentially my vanilla shortbread cookies but packed with almond flavor and a buttery almond glaze and sliced almond garnished on top.

They’re lightly sweet, rich without being heavy, and kissed with just enough almond flavor to feel bakery-worthy.

They’re one of the best cookies I’ve ever made. Good thing I have a ton of people to share it with because otherwise, I would’ve eaten the entire pan myself.

The cookies are baked low and slow so that you get that soft center with barely golden edges that shortbread dreams are made of.

Then comes the glaze! It’s silky, sweet, and soaked with almond goodness that settles into every nook and cranny.

A sprinkle of almonds on top adds that perfect little crunch to balance all the buttery softness underneath.

Why You’ll LOVE This Almond Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Key Ingredients
Substitutions and Variations
How To Make Almond Shortbread Cookies
Pro Baking Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Cookie Recipes

Why You’ll LOVE This Almond Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Super simple to make – No chilling the dough, no worrying about rolling out dough and using a cookie cutter. Just simple ingredients, easy assembly, and absolutely perfect for the holiday season!
Perfect texture and buttery flavor! The texture of the cookies are chewy with a nice crunch from the almond pieces while still having that buttery melt in your mouth texture that I just adore!
Delicious almond flavor that’s balanced without being overbearing. These are undoubtedly almond flavor cookies, but it’s enjoyable without being soapy!

Key Ingredients

overhead photo of almond shortbread cookie bars.

(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)

Salted Butter is where the buttery flavor and that tender shortbread texture come from. It adds richness, helps the cookies hold together without being dry, and creates that soft, crumbly bite.
All-Purpose Flour provides structure to the cookies. It balances the softness of the almond flour so the cookies hold their shape while still staying soft and crumbly.
Almond Flour adds rich, nutty flavor and gives the cookies that tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. It also brings a little natural fat, which keeps shortbread from feeling dry (quintessential in a shortbread cookie recipe). Do not confuse this with almond meal!! Almond flour is fine ground almonds while almond meal is a denser, darker, and more textured.
Powdered Sugar makes the dough extra soft and smooth and dissolves easily, giving you a delicate crumb instead of a crunchy bite. It gives shortbread cookies the best texture!
Vanilla Extract & Pure Almond Extract rounds everything out and adds warmth and nuttiness for that cozy, bakery-style flavor. Together, they make these almond cookies taste incredible.
Egg Yolk aren’t in traditional shortbread cookies but it adds richness and fat, which makes the cookies tender and slightly chewy instead of crumbly and dry. It also helps bind the dough without making the cookies feel cake-like.

Substitutions and Variations

For added texture and crunch, you can fold a few chopped almonds into the cookie dough too!
Swap the almond glaze for some melted chocolate if you want a chocolatey spin on this almond cookie recipe.
If you don’t have almond flour, omit it and use 2 cups (240g) of all purpose flour instead 1 3/4 cups (219g).

How To Make Almond Shortbread Cookies

Prep: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

butter and powdered sugar creamed together in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Step 1: Add room temperature butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together on medium speed for 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until just combined, about 20 seconds.

almond shortbread cookie dough in a mixing bowl.

Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – all purpose flour, almond flour, and kosher salt. Pour the flour mixture into the stand mixer bowl and mix until just combined, about 20-30 seconds.

cookie dough pressed into a square baking pan.

Step 4: Add the cookie dough to the prepared pan and flatten into an even layer. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the edges are set and the top of the shortbread is slightly golden brown.

almond glaze mixed together in a mixing bowl with a whisk.

Step 5: While the cookies are baking, make the almond glaze but melting butter in a medium bowl. Add powdered sugar, almond extract, a pinch of kosher salt, and heavy cream and whisk together until combined.

almond shortbread cookie bars in a square baking pan topped with almond glaze and sliced almonds.

Step 6: Allow the shortbread to cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, then pour the almond glaze on top. Sprinkle with almonds. Place into the refrigerator to set for about 1 hour, until the glaze has set. Use a knife to cut into small triangles.

Pro Baking Tips

Use Room temperature butter! Your butter should be soft enough to press an indent, but not oily or melty. Butter that’s too warm will spread and make the crumb greasy instead of tender.

Don’t overmix after adding flour. Once the dry ingredients go in, mix just until no flour pockets remain. Overmixing develops gluten and can make your bars tough instead of delicate.

Use superfine almond flour (not coarse meal). Be sure to use finely-ground almond flour! It melts into the dough and gives that delicate almond crumble. Coarse flour can make the texture gritty instead of lush.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use a hand mixer if I don’t have a stand mixer?

How do I know when the shortbread is done?

The edges should be set and lightly golden, and the top should look just barely baked through. It should not be browning heavily, pale and tender is what we’re going for.

Can I use all almond flour instead of all-purpose flour?

This recipe calls for 1 cup of almond flour. I do not recommend using 100% almond flour as it would throw the recipe off entirely and make the shortbread too soft and crumbly. The all-purpose flour gives structure, while the almond flour adds tenderness and flavor, you need both for the perfect texture.

Why does my butter need to be room temperature?

Cold butter won’t cream properly and can leave you with a dense, crumbly cookie dough. Soft, room-temperature butter is what gives these cookies that dreamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.