This Raspberry Shortbread cookie recipe delivers the most buttery shortbread cookies, with a sweet raspberry jam filling.

The dough is mixed with freeze-dried raspberries, which add up to the raspberry flavor, and give beautiful red dots and streaks. It’s the perfect sweet treat for Valentine’s day!

What is the difference between shortbread cookies and regular cookies?

Shortbread cookies are denser than sugar cookies. They have a shorter ingredient list and don’t have any leavening agent (baking soda or baking powder), as opposed to sugar cookies.

Why do you put shortbread in the fridge before baking?

The cold temperature helps solidify the butter, which in turn helps the cookies keep their shape and not spread as much. So if you want your little hearts to keep their shape, don’t skip this step!

Should butter be soft or cold for shortbread?

When mixing your ingredients, butter should be at room temperature so it evenly mixes with the rest of the ingredients.

When cookies go into the oven, butter -mixed with the rest of the ingredients, as shortbread cookie dough- should be cold to help the cookies keep their shape.

Ingredients you’ll need for these Raspberry Shortbread Cookies

You’ll need some basic ingredients to make these cookies:

• Freeze-dried raspberries. Measured then roughly crushed, not as raspberry powder
• Unsalted butter. Helps giving a soft and delicious cookie, with all the buttery flavor
• Confectioners’ sugar. I use powdered sugar instead of regular sugar because it gives a softer texture to your cookies
• Vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract for better results
• Salt. Enhances all of the flavors
• All-purpose flour. Will hold all of the ingredients together
• Raspberry preserves. You can use either seedless raspberry jam or with seeds

Take a look at the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete recipe.

How to make this Raspberry shortbread cookie recipe

Start by placing the freeze-dried raspberries in a closed bag, and smashing them with your hand until you have the raspberries in very small chunks (not raspberry powder!). Set aside.

Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper, and pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start beating the butter and sugar in a large bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer and a mixing bowl) in medium speed for 1.5 minutes. Add vanilla extract, scrape the sides of the bowl and mix.

Add the flour and salt, mixing in low speed; increase speed to medium and beat until everything is well incorporated, and large crumbles form.

Dust your roller pin and lightly your surface (not much flour) and roll the dough 1/6″ thickness . If your dough is too soft, cover and refrigerate until hard enough to handle. Use a square cookie cutter of around 1 3/4″ to shape dough and cut your cookies. Then, use a mini heart cookie cutter of around 1/2″ to cut a heart in the centers of half of the cookies. With the help of a spatula, lift your cookies, remove the heart center (when applicable) and place in the prepared cookie sheet. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Bake the first batch of cookies, 1.5″ apart from each other, in the middle wire rack of your preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges start to turn a light golden brown, one cookie tray at a time. In the meantime, leave the rest of the unbaked cookies in the fridge. Cookies will look puffy, but will get to a normal size after they cool down.

Remove the first batch from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes in the cookie sheet, while the second batch is in the oven. After 10 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack while the second batch is cooling on the cookie sheet. Repeat until all cookies are baked and completely cooled.

Spoon 1 teaspoon of raspberry filling into the bottom raspberry cookie, and place the top cookie (the one with the heart) on top. You can add a tiny bit of additional jam to fill the heart a bit more if necessary.

Expert tips for the best Raspberry shortbread cookies

• Room temperature butter should be cold to touch, and when you press it with your finger, you make a small indentation. You finger should not sink all the way through.
• Flour and powdered sugar should be measured using a spoon, scooping the flour or sugar into your measuring cup without compacting it, then using the back of a knife to level it
• Do not use much flour when rolling your dough, or cookies could turn out dry
• If dough is too soft to handle, place in the fridge until it hardens enough to roll. You can also roll the dough in between 2 sheets of parchment paper.
• If you don’t have enough space in your fridge, you can place all of your cookies close together in the baking sheet when refrigerating, then spreading them 1.5″ inches apart before baking them

How to store your shortbread cookies

Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and away from any heat sources for 2 days, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Here’s a video of this Raspberry Shortbread Cookie recipe so you can see up-close this dessert.

Take a look at the links below for more Cookie recipes, or click here for more Valentine’s dessert inspiration.

Soft Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

Funfetti Sandwich cookies with Raspberry Filling

Smores Cookies

Sugar Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese frosting

Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you make this recipe, please be sure to give it a star rating and leave a comment below!