These Fall shortbread cookies make crisp shortbread topped with sprinkles and shortbread cookie balls. Easy and delicious and the perfect cookies for Fall.

Fall cookies with sprinkles and fall cookies with pecans in bowls on the table

This shortbread cookie recipe makes one dough and with that, two types of cookies. You get a crisp shortbread cutout cookie and a melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie ball.

The cookie ball is made from the scraps from the cutout cookies so there is no need to re-roll here.

I really like this method of one dough that makes two cookies because it really saves time when you want a variety of cookies. I also do this at Christmas with my snowball cookies as well.

If you decide you want more of each type of cookie, just make a double batch of these and follow the steps for making the cookies below. If you have tried my salted shortbread , coconut shortbread or my cardamom shortbread cookies, the base shortbread is similar in taste.

Ingredients for these Fall cookies

I really like making shortbread cookies with a mix of powdered sugar and regular granulated sugar. It just makes the perfect crisp shortbread that is just sweet enough but not overly sweet.

How to make

First, you want to cream the butter and sugar together until it is pale and slightly fluffy.

Making fall shortbread cookies — Here is what the shortbread dough looks like before wrapping.

Next, you will mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the dough starts to look lumpy like in the picture above and it holds together when you squeeze it in your hand.

Fall shortbread cookie dough — Shortbread dough comes together after wrapping.

Once the dough has been mixed together you just divide it in half and place it into some plastic wrap so it can chill in the refrigerator. The dough will seem crumbly when you first pull it out of the bowl but it will come together when pressed in the plastic wrap.

Rolling and shaping the Fall cookies

Now this is a shortbread cut-out cookie recipe so you will need to roll the dough out first so you can cut out your favorite Fall shapes in the dough. I have a bunch of Fall cookie cutters but I love Fall leaf cookies the most so that is mainly what I used.

I also had some Fall acorn and turkey cookie cutters so I added a few of those in as well.

For the shortbread cookie balls, you will gather the scraps from the Fall cutout cookies and start to roll them into little balls about the size of a nickel. After that, you will press in a large pecan piece on the top.

I really think this is the best Fall cookie recipe and the best shortbread recipe. You are getting two different shortbread cookies that are so different in texture and taste and all from one cookie dough.

The sugared shortbread cutout cookies are crisp and the shortbread cookie balls will just melt in your mouth.

Decorating these Fall cookies

Now I am all about really simple recipes and in baking that holds true even more. For these shortbread cookies, I used Demerara sugar (coarse sugar) to make some of the cutout cookies into sugared shortbread.

I also use sparkly Fall sprinkles for the other Fall cutout cookies. Like my sprinkle cookies, you want to make sure the sprinkles or sugar go on before baking.

Fall cutout cookies with sprinkles — Shortbread cookies with sprinkles.

The shortbread cookie balls, they are topped with a pecan and rolled in powdered sugar after baking.

Fall cookie balls with pecans — Shortbread cookie balls.

If you want to get even more extravagant than I did and use icing to line your Fall cookies, go for it! I just think the Fall theme conveys enough with some basic Fall color in the sprinkles AND I am not great at icing cookies 🙂

Storing

These fall cookies are stored really well on the counter. You can make them, allow them to cool (and dry if icing) and store them on the counter covered with some plastic wrap or in a container with a lid for one week.

If you would like to freeze the cookies, they do freeze very well. Just place the cooled cookies side by side on a sheet pan covered with plastic wrap and place them in the freezer. Once frozen just place the frozen cookies in a freezer-proof bag and freeze for up to 2 months. You can defrost them on the counter when you are ready to eat them.

More Fall Recipes

If you love these Fall shortbread cookies, you may also like these:

Print Recipe

4.67 from 6 votes

Fall Shortbread Cookies (2 Variations )

Fall shortbread cookies make the best crisp shortbread topped with sprinkles and shortbread cookie balls. These easy Fall cookies are so delicious and such a festive and easy way to celebrate Fall.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Servings: dozen

US Customary - Metric

Author: Melissa Oleary

Equipment

mini cookie cutters

Ingredients

Shortbread

1¼ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

Fall cookie decorating

½ cup whole pecans for the cookie ball garnish
½ cup powdered sugar
½ cup fall sprinkles or coarse sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Whisk together flour and salt in a small bowl.
1¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
In a separate bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer, add butter, vanilla and sugar and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
¾ cup powdered sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, ¼ cup sugar
Reduce speed to low and gradually add in flour, mixing until the dough just comes together, about 2 minutes.
Transfer dough to a clean surface, divide in half and and form into two balls.
Wrap dough balls in plastic wrap and press down into discs about ½ inch thick and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Cut Out Cookies

Take your dough out of the fridge and let it rest on the counter for about 10 minutes to soften a bit.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a ¼-inch thickness. The dough will be a bit dry so you can press any cracks back together if needed.
Use your fall shaped cookie cutter to cut cookies.
Place cookies on parchment lined baking sheets.
Reserve scraps from your cutting out the cookies (do not re-roll).
Sprinkle the Fall sprinkles (or coarse sugar) on to the cookies gently pressing them in.
½ cup fall sprinkles or coarse sugar
Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes for mini cut-out cookies (add a few minutes to regular-sized cut-out cookies), or until just browned around the edges.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookie Balls

Take a large pinch from your scraps of dough and roll it into a ball with your hands.
The ball should be about the size of a nickel. If the dough is too dry, dip your fingers in some water then try rolling the dough again. Don't be afraid to squish the dough to soften the butter it won't ruin the cookie I promise!
Do this with all of the scraps of dough you have left until it is all used up.
Place the cookie balls on a non-lined baking sheet and gently press into the top one pecan.
½ cup whole pecans for the cookie ball garnish
Top the remaining cookie balls with pecans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until the cookie balls start to look brown on edges and bottom.
While they are baking, add ½ cup of powdered sugar to a medium bowl.
½ cup powdered sugar
When the cookies are done baking, remove from the oven and one by one take a cookie off the baking sheet and place into your bowl of powdered sugar rolling it around to coat it well (be careful they are hot!).
Place on a cooling rack to completely cool. Repeat this step for all of the cookie balls.
Enjoy!

Notes

To make ahead of time:

Make the dough and shape into 2 discs and wrap in plastic wrap.

Place in the fridge for up to 2 days.

When ready to use, remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes to soften a bit and then proceed to rolling and cutting out shapes.

Nutrition

About this easy shortbread cookie recipe