These super easy melt in mouth Whole Wheat Shortbread Cookies are a show stopper. They are light textured whole grain shortbread made without using refined sugar. Enjoy these 4-ingredient whole wheat shortbread during festival time or any other special occasion.
What is a Shortbread
Shortbread are also called Scottish cookies as they first originated in Scotland. Traditionally, they are made of mainly 3-ingredients – sugar, butter, and all-purpose flour in the ratio of 1:2:3. Nowadays, lots of variations came in and different fruit flavours or choco chips are added to these cookies to make them more attractive.
About Whole Wheat Shortbread Cookies
Here, I am sharing with you a recipe for Whole Wheat Shortbread Cookies where we used wholesome whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. These cookies are also refined sugar-free made without eggs and leavening agent. No chemicals or preservative are used here. These whole wheat shortbread are perfect for even little kids.
Shortbread cookies are also known as butter cookies. These whole wheat shortbread cookies are healthier than traditional shortbread cookies as they are also low in sugar content and made with the goodness of whole wheat flour.
You can pack these cookies in the kid’s tiffin for snacks or serve them as a afterschool snack. These can be served with a hot cup of tea or coffee in the evening time or are good for gifting purposes too.
Some More Eggless Cookies You Would Like toTry
These eggless and sugar-free Shortbread cookies are easy to prepare and don’t take much time in the whole process.
Once you make the dough you should refrigerate it for at least 1-2 hours before baking. Making these whole wheat shortbread cookies does need any special equipment. You can just use a hand whisker to beat the butter and sugar mixture. But if you have an electric hand beater at home that makes the job easier.
Beating butter and sugar together till they become light and fluffy is a very important step to make these cookies light in texture.
I divide the dough into two square-shaped logs and refrigerate. After that cut it into 1/4th inch slices. It is an easy way to make these cookies. But you want you can also roll the chilled dough and cut it into a different shape using shape cutters to make shaped cookies.
Whole Wheat Shortbread Ingredients
This whole wheat shortbread recipe need just four ingredients- whole wheat flour, unsalted butter, khandsari sugar (desi khand) and corn flour.
Flour- here, I used regular whole wheat flour for making these cookies. For the best result, you can choose freshly milled wheat flour but if not available market bought packed flour is also a good option.
Fat- fresh homemade unsalted butter is used. It can be replaced with market bought but use unsalted for best results.
Sweetwner– white refined sugar is replaced with khandsari sugar. It also gives the same light colour to the cookies as refined sugar. If you use jaggery powder, both colour and texture of cookies are changed.
Cornflour– to give a crumbly crispy texture to these cookies only a small quantity of cornflour is used.
I also added a few drops vanilla essence to enhance their flavour. Although, It is totally optional. You can add any other flavours like butterscotch, lime, coconut, almond, chocolate, etc. according to your taste.
Let’s see how to make these Scottish shortbread cookies made with whole wheat flour. Follow the instructions below.
Whole Wheat Flour Shortbread Recipe- Step by Step Preparation
1.First, in a grinder jar, add khandsari sugar and cornflour. Grind them into a very fine powder.
2. Now take a mixing bowl, add room temperature butter and beat it for 2-3 minutes till it is light and fluffy.
3. Add sugar cornflour mixture and beat again for 2-3 minutes till it is more fluffy and airy.
4. Now add vanilla essence and butter scotch essence and mix them well into the butter sugar mixture.
5. Put a sieve and sift wheat flour. Mix it with the help of a spatula.
6. Now using hands combine the mixture and make a soft dough.
7. Divide the dough into two parts and shape them into 2 square logs.
8. Place these logs in a plastic wrap and refrigerate them for 1-2 hours.
9. After 2 hours, take out the logs and cut them into ¼-inch thick square pieces.
10. Preheat the oven @160 degrees Celsius for about 12-15 minutes.
11. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
12. Now bake them in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes.
13. They become lightly brown on the corner and light coloured in the middle.
14. Take them out from the oven and let them cool on the tray for 1-2 minutes and then transfer to the wire rack till they cool completely.
15. Once the shortbread are cooled, store them in an air-tight container at room temperature. They stay good for about 15-20 days.
Serving Suggestions
These simple and elegant whole wheat flour shortbread cookies can be served with tea or coffee, packed in the kid’s tiffin for snack time. They are also a good option to gift your friends and family.
Tips and Tricks
- Use unsalted room temperature butter to get the good results.
- Beating of butter and sugar is very important; beat them till they becomes light and fluffy to get the right texture of the cookies.
- Don’t knead, just combine the mixture to form a soft dough.
- Dough should be refrigerated for at least 1-2 hours before baking. If you are in a hurry freeze them for 30-40 minutes.
- You can add any flavour of your choice to these cookies to make them more flavourful.
- You can also make dough in large quantity and freeze them for later use. They stay good in the freezer up to 2-3 months. Just defrost the dough before you start rolling out.
Recipe Card
Easy Whole Wheat Shortbread Cookies – No Refined Sugar
Ingredients
- 160 gm whole wheat flour
- 100 gm butter
- 2 tbsp corn flour
- 65 gm khandsari sugar (desi khand)
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
Instructions
- First, in a grinder jar, add khandsari sugar and cornflour. Grind them into a very fine powder.
- Now take a mixing bowl, add room temperature butter and beat it for 2-3 minutes till it is light and fluffy.
- Add sugar cornflour mixture and beat again for 2-3 minutes till it is more fluffy and airy.
- Now add vanilla essence and butter scotch essence and mix them well into the butter sugar mixture.
- Put a sieve and sift wheat flour. Mix it with the help of a spatula.
- Now using hands combine the mixture and make a soft dough.
- Divide the dough into two parts and shape them into 2 square logs.
- Place these logs in a plastic wrap and refrigerate them for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven @160 degrees Celsius for about 12-15 minutes.
- After 2 hours, take out the logs and cut them into ¼-inch thick square pieces.
- Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Now bake them in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes.
- They become lightly brown on the corner and light coloured in the middle.
- Take them out from the oven and let them cool on the tray for 1-2 minutes and then transfer to the wire rack till they cool completely.
- Once they cooled, store them in an air-tight container at room temperature. They stay good for about 15-20 days.
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FAQs
Difference Between Scottish Shortbread and Regular Shortbread?
Scottish shortbread is a type of traditional shortbread cookies that mainly contains only three main ingredients: butter, sugar, and flour. They have a rich, buttery flavor and a crumbly texture. “Regular” shortbread may refer to variations with additional ingredients like rice flour or cornstarch, creating a softer texture.
Difference Between a Biscuit and Shortbread?
The main difference is the ingredients and texture. Biscuits are made using baking powder or soda, which gives them a fluffier and lighter texture. Shortbread, on the other hand, is denser and crumbly due to its high butter content and the absence of leavening agents.
Why is My Shortbread Not Crispy?
Shortbread may not be crispy due to a few reasons. Overmixing the dough or using too much liquid can make it soft. Additionally, not baking it long enough or at a low temperature might result in a softer texture. Ensuring proper measurements, avoiding excess moisture, and baking until golden can help achieve a crispy texture.
Can You Use Whole Wheat Flour for Shortbread Cookies?
Yes, you can make shortbread with whole wheat flour. In fact, using whole wheat flour is a healthier alternative that adds a nutty flavor and some extra nutrients to your shortbread. We can simply substitute whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour in your shortbread recipe. Keep in mind that the texture might be slightly different, as whole wheat flour tends to be denser, but it can still yield delicious and wholesome whole wheat shortbread cookies. Adding a small amount of cornstarch can help maintain a desirable texture.
Try out this easy to make 4-ingredient whole wheat shortbread recipe at home. If you like the recipe share it with your friends and family and don’t forget to give us a 5 star rating. How it works for you, take a picture and tag it #healthicallykitchen on Instagram. Or, save it for later on Pinterest. I love to see them. Happy cooking!
