These easy Cornstarch Cookies have a tender melt-in-your-mouth texture. Make the easy recipe with just six simple pantry ingredients. They are also known as shortbread, snowball cookies, butter cookies, or melting moments.
These buttery Cornstarch Cookies are perfect for enjoying during the holidays or any time of year!
A cornstarch shortbread cookie is a shortbread cookie that contains cornstarch along with all-purpose flour in the cookie dough.
The cornstarch is used to give these buttery treats a crispy, melt-in-the-mouth texture. It also helps prevent the cookies from becoming too crumbly and breaking apart.
Once you've added cornstarch (cornflour) to these cookies, you're going to want to try it in other cookie recipes to get the incredible texture!
The best part is that you don't need any fancy ingredients or equipment either - just the usual stuff from your pantry and fridge will do nicely!
These melt-in-your-mouth snowball cookies are perfect for a Christmas cookie exchange or for a quick snack with a hot mug of tea.
You can also pack them in your child's lunchbox for a special treat.
If you're feeling really decadent, you can serve them with a scoop of ice cream or add them to a crumble.
In this recipe, we use a mix of cornstarch and flour to give these buttery cookies a tender melt-in-your-mouth texture.
These cookies are also called shortbread, butter cookies, or melting moments.
Bring them to a cookie exchange along with French Sable Cookies, Maple Cream Cookies, and Pignoli Cookies!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
These cookies are buttery and crispy with the help of cornstarch.
Cornstarch Cookies are perfect for a Christmas cookie exchange.
They're made with simple baking ingredients you can find anywhere.
The snowball cookies are perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these meltingly delicious snowball cornflour shortbread cookies.
- Unsalted Butter - I always recommend using unsalted butter in baking recipes. This is because the amount of salt in salted butter can vary, so you may end up with a salty or bland cookie if you use it.
- All-Purpose Flour - You can use either white or whole wheat flour for this recipe - both will work well.
- Cornstarch - You can find cornstarch in the baking aisle of your local supermarket, usually near the flour. It's a great ingredient to have on hand because it gives a crunchy texture to cookies and other baked goods.
- Powdered Sugar - Powdered sugar is sugar that has been ground into a fine powder. It's often used in frostings and glazes, as well as in this recipe for a bit of sweetness and smooth texture.
- Vanilla Extract - A key ingredient in many baking recipes as it adds a light vanilla flavor to the cookies.
- Salt - Just a pinch of salt is needed to balance out the sweetness of the cookies.
Please see the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Wondering how to make this cornstarch cookies recipe? It's easy! Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then, scroll down for the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.
Mix the wet ingredients: In a medium-sized mixing bowl or with an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat until completely combined and smooth, adding the vanilla during the process.
Add the dry ingredients: To the wet ingredients, mix in the flour, cornstarch, and salt until it resembles a crumbly dough.
Knead a few times to bring it together into a ball.
Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or put in the freezer for 15 minutes to allow it to firm it up slightly.
Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and line two cookie sheets with baking parchment paper. Set aside.
Roll the cookies: Place rolled spoonfuls of the chilled dough in balls on the cookie sheets, spacing them at least 1 inch apart.
Bake and serve: Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over the tops for garnish.
Top tips
You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe - it will work either way, just don't add additional salt if using salted butter.
If the dough is too sticky to handle after chilling, you can refrigerate it for an additional 30 minutes before rolling it.
Don't have cornstarch on hand? Use rice flour or tapioca flour instead.
The cookies will set to their crispy texture once they cool completely. If you'd like a softer cookie, eat them when they are freshly baked.
Variations
Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, speculoos (biscoff) or chai spice to the dough for a warmer flavored cookie.
Add ½ cup of chopped dark chocolate or nuts to the dough for a different flavor and texture.
Instead of powdered sugar, try sprinkling the tops of the cookies with melted white chocolate, crushed candy canes, or festive sprinkles.
Change the flavor of the cookie by using almond, coconut, or maple extract instead of vanilla.
Storage
Storing: The cookies will stay fresh for up to 1 week stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freezing: To freeze the unbaked shortbread dough, wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a resealable freezer bag, for up to one month. Bake directly from the freezer for an extra minute or two. Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before serving.
FAQs
To keep cookies from sticking to the baking sheet, line it with aluminum foil or parchment paper. If you don't have either of these, rub a little butter on the pan before placing your cookie dough on it.
More cookie recipes
I hope you love these shortbread cornstarch cookies as much as we do! Check out these other cookie recipes too.
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📖 Recipe
Shortbread Cornstarch Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 grams) butter at room temperature
- ½ cup (60 grams) powdered icing sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (195 grams) all purpose flour (plain flour)
- ½ cup (60 grams) cornstarch (cornflour)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Topping:
- 3 tablespoons powdered icing sugar sifted
Instructions
- Add the butter and sugar to a medium-sized mixing bowl or stand mixer and beat with an electric mixer until well mixed and smooth. Beat in the vanilla.
- Sift in the flour, cornflour and salt and mix to a crumbly dough. Knead a few times to bring it together, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (or put in the freezer for 15 minutes) to firm it up slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line two cookie sheets with baking parchment paper.
- Roll tablespoonfuls of the cookie dough into balls and place onto the cookie sheets, spacing them at least 1 inch apart.
- Place into the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown.
- Allow to cool on the trays for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and sift the remaining powdered sugar over them.
- Store in an airtight container (with wax paper or baking parchment paper between layers) for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Marsha
Great recipe easy peasy, BUT took much longer to cook w
12 minutes
Alisa Infanti
So light they practically melt in your mouth!
patricia
What an easy recipe! I had never seen something like this (cornstarch cookies?) but how wonderful! And bonus: my husband's new favorite!
Caroline
I agree, adding cornstarch does make for a lovely texture - these look so pretty as little dusted cookie balls too.
Maria San Juan
This remind of my childhood. I gotta try this soon. Thanks for sharing!
Jess
I've never used cornstarch in my cookies before but reading through your post it makes so much sense! Thanks for the great tips!