These easy-to-make crispy vanilla bean shortbread cookies are flavored with vanilla bean seeds inside and out and make a wonderful winter and Holiday season treat. The icing is made with heavy cream for extra richness.
For more delicious Holiday cookies, also check out these spiced raspberry Linzer cookies and these chocolate Linzer cookies!
I have often wondered who came up with the idea to associate vanilla with plain. It’s a really puzzling concept because there is nothing plain about vanilla seeds; their unique flavor and aroma is about as complex as it gets and is the result of a combination of several hundred different chemical compounds. And it is, of course, delicious. I mean, who doesn’t like vanilla?
When I use vanilla I generally reach for the bottle of extract but to add some sophistication (in the form of visible black flecks of vanilla seeds) to these Christmas cookies here I used vanilla bean paste for both the dough and the icing.
Even though both the cookies and the icing are very simple, they are very flavorful and make a great Holiday season treat.
Jump to:
Cookie dough ingredients:
Icing ingredients:
How to make the cookies:
See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!
Step 1. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Step 2. Add butter and sugar to a small mixing bowl.
Step 3. Whip together until creamy, then whip in vanilla bean paste.
Step 4. Whip in the dry ingredients.
Step 5. Bring the dough together by hand, form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill.
Step 6. Roll out the dough, cut out the cookies, bake, then let cool.
Step 7. Add powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste and cream to a bowl.
Step 8. Whisk together and spread onto the cooled cookies using the back of a small spoon.
How to store the cookies:
You can leave the cookies sitting out at room temperature for several hours. If you want to keep them longer, I recommend transferring them into a freezer bag and freezing them. To thaw, simply let them sit on the kitchen counter for about 15 minutes.
Recipe notes and tips:
- You want to roll out the cookie dough without adding additional flour and to do that I recommend rolling it between two sheets of plastic wrap.
- Instead of using vanilla paste, you can also scrape the seeds out of a vanilla bean instead (slice it open lengthwise and scrape out of the seeds with a paring knife). For the cookie dough: use the seeds of half a vanilla bean instead of ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste. For the icing: use the seeds of ⅓ of a vanilla bean instead of ¾ teaspoon vanilla bean paste.
- You can make the dough up to 1 week ahead and keep in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, take the dough disk out of the fridge and let it warm up on the counter until soft enough to roll out easily (about 30 minutes).
About vanilla:
Vanilla bean paste is a syrupy mix of vanilla bean seeds and concentrated vanilla extract that is sold in small bottles.
Store the bottle at room temperature, in a cool, dark area. Don’t put it in the fridge or the freezer.
Store vanilla beans in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dark area, such as your food pantry.
Yes! Use the same amount of extract as you would of vanilla bean paste. I.e. ½ tablespoon for the cookie dough and ¾ teaspoon for the icing.
More delicious cookie recipes:
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Full Printable Recipe
Crispy Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies
Equipment:
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- standing mixer or handheld mixer
- plastic wrap
- rolling pin
- cookie cutter
- cookie sheet or baking sheet
- parchment paper or baking mat
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or the seeds of half a vanilla bean)
For the icing:
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or the seeds of one third of a vanilla bean)
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1-3 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions:
For the cookies:
- Whisk flour and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Whip butter and sugar until well combined and creamy.
- Whip in the vanilla bean paste.
- Whip in the dry ingredients and keep whipping until the dough starts to clump together.
- Bring the dough together by hand, shape into a disk, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Roll out the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and cut out the cookies. (After the first round of cutting out the cookies, you can gather the scraps and roll them out again).
- Bake the cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat until they are lightly browned (12 – 15 minutes).
- Let the cookies cool.
For the icing:
- Whisk powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste and heavy cream together. Start with 1 tablespoon of cream, then add more until you have a spreadable but not runny consistency.
- Spoon the icing onto the cookies and let dry.
Notes:
Nutrition Information (Estimated):
Nutrition values provided on this website are generated from a nutrition database and are estimates only. The accuracy of the nutrition information for any recipe on this website is not guaranteed. Nutrition values can vary quite a lot depending on which brands are used.
sue|theviewfromgreatisland
I’m crazy for vanilla, I have a Pinterest board dedicated to it, and I hoard vanilla beans! These cookies have my name written all over them :)
Nicole B.
Isn’t it great stuff indeed? Btw, I love your Pinterest boards, they are so helpful because they are so specific! :)
Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen
Those cookies look amazing! Thank for dropping by my blog Nicole. It’s so nice to meet you.
Nicole B.
Thank you, Peachy! So nice to meet you too! :)
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl
These are so beautiful and festive, Nicole! I bet they’re as every bit as delicious as they look!
Nicole B.
They are! :) Thank you so much, Marissa!
Bam's Kitchen
Beautiful Nicole. Elegant and delicious. I love how the icing forms a natural design on the cookies. As a matter of fact, I have cookie making on the list of things to do this week and will have to give your recipe a try. Happy Holidays to you!
Nicole B.
And to you as well, Bobbi! :)