Jam-Filled Shortbread Cookies Recipe

These jam-filled shortbread cookies combine buttery, sturdy shortbread with a bright jam center. The dough is easy to make, rolls out smoothly, and holds its shape when baked — ideal for cutting into shapes and sandwiching with your favourite jam.

The secret to excellent jam shortbread cookies is a cookie that is rich and buttery but not overly sweet. This recipe produces a sturdy, tender cookie that is perfect for either plain cutouts or sandwich cookies filled with jam. The dough rolls out well and keeps its edges and details in the oven, so you can create neat shapes and small windows for a pretty finish.

This version is adapted from Oh Sweet Day by Fanny Lam. If you prefer a richer, more crumbly shortbread for pan baking, consider recipes designed specifically for pan shortbread rather than rolled cutouts.

What You Need To Make Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

• Unsalted butter – recipe uses unsalted so you can control the salt. If you use salted butter, reduce or omit added salt.
• Icing (powdered) sugar – makes a more tender shortbread than granulated sugar.
• Vanilla extract – optional but recommended to deepen the flavour.
• Salt – enhances flavour; use a fine kosher salt or table salt but reduce table salt to about half if substituting.
• All-purpose flour – bleached or unbleached will work.
• Thick jam – choose a smooth, thick jam without large chunks so the cookies are easier to sandwich together.

Exact ingredient amounts are listed in the recipe section below. While traditional shortbread sometimes omits vanilla, adding a little vanilla extract balances the butter and sugar and gives a pleasant depth.

Filling Options

These shortbread cookies are sturdy enough to hold a filling but still tender. Popular fillings include:

• Raspberry or strawberry jam (choose a thick, seedless jam for a neater sandwich)
• Apricot or orange marmalade for a bright citrus note
• Lemon curd or other fruit curds for a tart contrast
• Thick chocolate ganache — chill and pipe or spoon a firm ganache for best results
• Maple butter or maple cream for a richer, autumnal filling

Note: fillings that are very moist or runny can soften the cookies over time. To keep cookies crisp, store baked cutouts in an airtight container at room temperature and fill just before serving when possible. Many curds and some jams require refrigeration after a short time, so factor that in for storage and serving.

Rolled Shortbread Cookie Ingredient Ratio

This recipe follows a rolled shortbread ratio that is roughly 4:1:4 by weight for butter:icing sugar:flour — meaning nearly equal weights of butter and flour and a smaller portion of powdered sugar. Rolled shortbread cutouts often need more fat relative to sugar than pan shortbread, which is typically closer to a 1:2:3 sugar:butter:flour ratio by weight.

How To Make Shortbread Cookies With Jam

The dough benefits from chilling for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour, or even overnight. A well-chilled dough is easier to roll and cut and helps maintain clean shapes when baked.

1. Make the dough: Beat the softened butter with the icing sugar until light and smooth. Add vanilla and salt, then sift in the flour and mix on low speed until a coherent dough forms.
2. Chill: Divide the dough in two, shape each portion into a flat disk, wrap, and refrigerate until firm (30 minutes to overnight). Well-chilled dough is much easier to roll and cut.
3. Roll and cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Cut circles (about 2 inches / 5 cm) or your preferred shape. For sandwich cookies, cut a small window (star, heart, or other tiny shape) from the centre of half the cookies to create a decorative top.
4. Bake: Arrange cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving space between. Bake at 325°F (165°C) for about 15–18 minutes, until just set and only lightly coloured at the edges. Let cool completely.
5. Assemble: Spoon about a teaspoon of jam onto a whole cookie, then top with a cookie that has the centre cut-out. Dust the tops with a light sprinkle of icing sugar for a finished look.

Tip: These cut-out shortbread cookies bake without much puffing or distortion. If your cookies spread or details blur, the dough is likely too warm — chill it longer before rolling.

Other Shortbread Cookies

If you enjoy baking shortbread, try variations such as lemon shortbread, chocolate shortbread, alfajores, or maple cream cookies for different textures and fillings. Each variation highlights how small changes in ratios or fillings alter the final cookie.

If you try this jam-filled shortbread cookie recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment to share how it turned out — feedback helps improve future recipes.

Recipe: Jam Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 230 grams unsalted butter, softened
• 63 grams icing (powdered) sugar
• 5 mL pure vanilla extract (optional)
• 250 grams all-purpose flour
• 2.5 mL fine kosher salt (or 1.25 mL table salt)
• 125 mL thick strawberry or raspberry jam
• Icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or by hand), beat the butter and icing sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4–5 minutes. Mix in the vanilla.
2. Sift in the flour and salt, then mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Do not overwork the dough.
3. Gather the dough, divide into two portions, and flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until firm.
4. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out circles about 2 inches in diameter. Use a small cutter to cut windows in half the circles if making sandwich cookies.
6. Arrange cookies on prepared sheets and bake 15–18 minutes, until just set and very lightly browned at the edges. Cool completely on a wire rack.
7. To assemble, place about 1 teaspoon of jam on a full cookie and top with a windowed cookie. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Notes

• Recipe yields about 40 cutouts, or approximately 20 sandwich cookies when filled.
• If using salted butter, reduce or omit the added salt. If substituting table salt for kosher salt, use about half the stated amount.
• Store unfilled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Fill cookies shortly before serving for best texture.

Nutrition (approx. per cookie)

• Calories: 158 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 17 g
• Fat: 9 g
• Protein: 1 g