Description
These Easter Shortbread Cookie Bites are buttery, festive treats perfect for spring celebrations. Soft, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread dough is studded with pastel-colored sprinkles or chopped Easter candy for a playful pop of color and sweetness. Easy to make and perfect for sharing, these cookies bring a cheerful touch to your dessert table.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Mix-ins
- ½ cup pastel-colored sprinkles or chopped Easter candy (such as mini eggs or M&M’s)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and powdered sugar together until the mixture is light, creamy, and fluffy, which creates the perfect base for tender shortbread.
- Add Vanilla: Stir in the vanilla extract evenly to infuse the dough with sweet, aromatic flavor.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the all-purpose flour and salt to the creamed mixture. Mix gently until the dough just comes together, being careful not to overwork it for tender cookies.
- Fold in Candy: Gently fold in the pastel-colored sprinkles or chopped Easter candy so they’re evenly distributed without melting or bleeding color into the dough.
- Shape Cookies: Roll the dough into small 1-inch balls and arrange them on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart to allow room for baking.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are just lightly golden, indicating they’re perfectly baked but still tender.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For extra festive flair, drizzle melted white chocolate over the cooled cookies and top with additional sprinkles.
- The dough can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage, making this recipe convenient for planning ahead.
- Handle the dough gently to keep the cookies tender and crumbly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie bite
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 25mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
