Easy 3-Ingredient Butter Cookies Recipe
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As Leonardo Da Vinci once said, “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” and nothing could be truer of these 3 Ingredient Butter Cookies. It’s hard to believe that so much rich flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture could come from such modest beginnings. You just have to taste it to believe it!
I originally published this recipe in 2020 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.
If you’ve ever been a lucky recipient of a blue tin of Danish butter cookies around the holidays, you know how wonderful they are. Imagine a snappier, crunchier version of my Spanish patisetas. In other words, crisp, crumbly, rich, buttery perfection. Better yet, they’re made with just 3 ingredients and no eggs, making them wonderfully affordable.
Why You’ll Love These 3 Ingredient Cookies
- After amassing over 6.4 million views and more than 136,000 likes, my 3-ingredient butter cookies video easily makes The Cooking Foodie Hall of Fame. Subscribers just can’t get enough!
- Starting with minimal ingredients (just three!!) ensures that even newbies can nail this recipe. Plus, with just 20 minutes of active kitchen time, they’re easy enough to make whenever a craving calls.
- While I think simplicity is their superpower, these no-egg butter cookies are also customizable. Roll them out to cut into shapes, or pipe them freehand to save time. Keep them plain, or add flavoring extracts to make them pop. Or, make easy adjustments to make them dairy-free, vegan, or gluten-free!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Unsalted Butter – Since this is the primary flavoring for our cookies, it’s a good spot to splurge. Opt for organic, grass-fed, cultured and/or European-style butter for the best flavor. You’re also welcome to use salted butter if you like!
- All-Purpose Flour – Also known as “plain flour.”
- Powdered Sugar – The starch in powdered sugar helps contribute to the crumbly texture of these butter cookies. If you’re fresh out, blend 1 cup of white sugar with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a food processor until light and fluffy.
- Vanilla Extract, Salt & Granulated Sugar – These optional additions are not necessary, but do add a little something extra. Vanilla adds sweet, aromatic warmth. Salt enlivens the flavor of the butter. And granulated sugar is great for coating your cookies in a sparkly cloak!
This is just a short review of the ingredients; for the complete recipe, including quantities, scroll down to the recipe card 👇
All About Butter Cookies
Butter cookies trace back to Europe in the 19th century, though many countries have their own take on this melt-in-your-mouth treat. The most famous versions likely come from Denmark, where “Danish butter cookies” (also known as brysselkex in Sweden) became a holiday staple. Those iconic blue tins you see every Christmas? Those are butter cookies!
Across Europe, you’ll find similar cookies by different names, Scottish shortbread, French sablés, German Butterplätzchen, Spanish patisetas and Italian butter biscuits are just a few. Despite the variations, the foundation is the same: butter, sugar, and flour. Some recipes include eggs for tenderness or vanilla for aroma, but traditional versions are truly 3 ingredient cookies.
Butter cookies are traditionally made during the winter holidays, especially Christmas. Some cultures also prepare them for Easter or weddings, decorating them with nuts, glaze, or chocolate for a special touch. Their simplicity makes it easy to make multiple batches for multiple cookie plates and their long shelf life makes them perfect for mailing.
How to Make 3 Ingredient Butter Cookies with No Egg
Watch the full video recipe to learn how to make the BEST 3 Ingredient Cookies recipe around.
Prefer the written recipe? Scroll down to the recipe box 👇
How to Shape Butter Cookies
These butter cookies are super easy to shape, you have two simple options:
- Slice-and-Bake: Roll the dough into a log, wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze for about 30 minutes. Slice into ¼-inch (½ cm) rounds and bake.
- Cut-Out Cookies: Chill the dough for 1 hour, then roll it out to ¼-inch (½ cm) thick. Cut into your favorite shapes using cookie cutters.
Both methods give you perfectly buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies!
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
Butter cookies are endlessly adaptable! Once you’ve mastered the classic 3-ingredient version, try one of these easy twists to suit your tastes or dietary needs:
- Gluten-Free – Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. For the best texture, choose one that includes xanthan gum to help the dough hold together without crumbling and give the dough an extra 30 minutes to rest.
- Dairy-Free/Vegan – Use a high-quality vegan butter or plant-based margarine made for baking. Look for one with at least 80% fat (similar to real butter) for that same tender, buttery texture.
- Add-Ins – Mix things up by stirring in finely chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, citrus zest, crushed freeze-dried berries, or even a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom. And don’t forget about different flavoring extracts! Vanilla is classic, but almond, lemon or maple would all make great choices. (Just remember that not all extracts have the same potency, so add half as much to start.)
- Coated or Dipped – Dress them up after baking! Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar for a snowball effect or coat them in crunchy turbinado sugar or sanding sugar for sparkle. You can also drizzle or dip half of each cookie in dark, white, or milk chocolate for a pretty, bakery-style finish.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Use good butter. Since butter is the star ingredient, choose a high-quality, unsalted butter with at least 80% butterfat.
- Soften butter properly. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30–45 minutes before mixing. Over-softened or melted butter can cause cookies to spread too much.
- Cream well, but don’t overmix. Beat the butter and sugar just until light and fluffy. Over-mixing can incorporate too much air, leading to fragile cookies that crumble or lose shape.
- Chill the dough. Even 20-30 minutes in the fridge helps the dough firm up, making it easier to roll, shape, and cut without sticking or spreading in the oven.
- Shape evenly. Uniform cookies bake evenly, so use a scoop or roll the dough into equal-sized balls. If using cookie cutters, dip them in flour for clean edges. If piping, use a mat with stenciled circles.
- Cool completely before storing. Let cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a rack. Once fully cooled, store in an airtight tin to maintain their crisp, buttery texture.
How to Serve
There’s truly no wrong way to enjoy butter cookies. Their rich, buttery flavor and crisp, tender texture make them perfect for just about any occasion. Serve them with a pumpkin spice latte, chai latte, or hot chocolate for an afternoon treat. Or, set out a plate during the holidays alongside other festive favorites like lemon curd thumbprint cookies or snowflake cookies.
They also make wonderful edible gifts, stack a few in a cellophane bag or a decorative tin tied with ribbon for an easy, heartfelt present. For a fancier presentation, dust them with powdered sugar, drizzle with melted chocolate, or sandwich two together with jam or homemade Nutella.
Their buttery flavor also makes them a perfect base for ice cream sandwiches. Just add a scoop of your favorite ice cream between two cookies and freeze for a few minutes to set. For extra pizzazz, roll the outsides in mini chocolate chips or sprinkles!
How to Store Butter Cookies
- Room Temperature – Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. To keep their crisp texture, place a small piece of parchment paper between layers and avoid humid environments. (Or pop a bag of silica in there if you can’t help the humidity!)
- Freezing – Butter cookies freeze beautifully! Once cooled, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months, and thaw at room temperature before serving. You can also freeze unbaked dough logs or shaped cookies for later. Just bake straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the bake time as needed.
- Shipping – These sturdy 3-ingredient butter cookies are some of my favorites for gifting. Pack them snugly in a tin or box with layers of parchment paper between cookies. Fill any empty space with crumpled tissue to prevent shifting, and they’ll arrive in perfect condition.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
Easy 3-Ingredient Butter Cookies Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (230 g) Unsalted Butter softened
- 2 cups (250 g) All-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (85) Powdered sugar
Optional additions:
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Sugar for coating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and powdered sugar together using a hand or stand mixer until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
- Add the flour: Gradually add flour and mix just until a smooth dough forms. If the dough feels too soft or sticky, add 2–3 tablespoons of flour until it’s easier to handle.
Shape the cookies (2 methods):
- Cut-out cookies: Shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll out to ¼-inch (½ cm) thickness and cut into shapes using cookie cutters.
- Slice-and-bake cookies: Roll dough into a log, wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze for 30 minutes. Slice into ¼-inch (½ cm) rounds.
- Bake: Arrange cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool: Let cookies cool on the tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Watch the Video: For a better understanding of the recipe, I always recommend watching the video recipe, which includes a step-by-step guide to help you succeed.
- FAQs: Make sure you read the FAQs for this recipe which are located below the recipe box for additional tips and troubleshooting! For extra tips and variations read the article.
- Butter quality: Use high-quality unsalted butter for the best flavor, it’s the main ingredient here!
- Flavor variations: Add vanilla extract, lemon zest, almond extract, or dip the baked cookies in melted chocolate once cooled.
- Shaping tip: For perfectly round slice-and-bake cookies, roll the dough inside an empty paper towel tube to help keep its shape while chilling.
- Don’t overbake: Remove the cookies when the edges just start turning golden, they’ll continue to firm up as they cool.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
FAQs
While granulated sugar can technically be used, it’s not recommended for this recipe. Powdered sugar is finer and dissolves easily into the butter, resulting in a smoother, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Using granulated sugar could make the cookies more grainy and less tender.
If the dough is too soft, it might be due to the butter being overly softened or warm. To fix this, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of flour or refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before shaping.
Absolutely! You can add vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, or even lemon zest for extra flavor. These add-ins won’t alter the texture but will enhance the taste of the cookies.
Butter cookies and shortbread are similar, but not quite the same. Both are rich, buttery, and crisp, but butter cookies contain more sugar (and sometimes eggs), which makes them sweeter and slightly softer. Shortbread has a higher butter-to-flour ratio and no eggs, giving it a denser, more crumbly texture.
At their most basic, just butter, powdered sugar, and flour!
Butter cookies spread when the butter is too soft or melted, or if there’s too much sugar in the dough. Both cause the fat to melt quickly before the cookies can set. To prevent spreading, use properly softened (not melted) butter, chill the dough before baking, and make sure your oven is fully preheated so the cookies set faster.
Tried half this recipe today and turned out great… I added some vanilla essence and a little milk into it as well… but found it a little too sweet so may reduce the sugar by a hint the next round…
Also if I were to make this for a diabetic person, can you please advice what kind of sugar I should use that would not alter the taste of this cookie… thanks
I’m not a nutritionist or a doctor, but to make them more diabetic-friendly without changing the taste too much, many bakers have good results using erythritol or a monk fruit–erythritol blend. They’re commonly used in baking, don’t spike blood sugar the way regular sugar does, and have a fairly neutral taste compared to other substitutes. I’d recommend a 1:1 sugar replacement and avoiding anything with a strong aftertaste.
That said, everyone responds differently, so it’s always best for someone with diabetes to check what works for them personally or with their healthcare provider.
Thanks so much for replying .. really appreciate your kind advice ….
Stay blessed
They’re perfect and very easy to make. I dipped half of the cookies in melted dark chocolate. They were delicious.
Thank you, thank you. For the first time I’ve read “extra resting time” for gluten free baking. Makes so much sense. Why didn’t I ever think of that? Thank you 🌻
You’re very welcome! I’m so glad that tip helped.