Rosemary Shortbread

By Melissa Clark

Updated Sept. 10, 2025

Rosemary Shortbread
Lisa Nicklin for The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes, plus cooling
Rating
5(2,539)
Comments
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This basic, buttery shortbread practically begs that you customize it to suit your own tastes or pantry supplies. The dough, which comes together quickly in a food processor, is already enhanced with rosemary, but nuts, seeds, citrus zest, spices, vanilla or minced dried fruit — or a combination of some of these — all make fine additions. Scale it up, scale it down. Add more salt, or use less. As long as you maintain the butter-flour ratio (one stick of butter for every cup of flour), you are free to play around. But the shortbread is delicious all on its own: tender, rich, crumbly, irresistible.

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Ingredients

Yield:One 8- or 9-inch shortbread
  • 2cups all-purpose flour
  • ⅔cup granulated sugar
  • 1tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 1cup (2 sticks) unsalted cold butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 to 2teaspoons rosemary, chestnut or other dark, full-flavored honey (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, rosemary and salt. Add butter, and honey if desired, and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some crumbs start to come together, but don't overprocess. Dough should not be smooth.

  2. Step 2

    Press dough into an ungreased 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan or 9-inch pie pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes for 9-inch pan, 45 to 50 minutes for 8-inch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares, bars or wedges while still warm.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,539 user ratings
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Comments

Gerry

Wow! Just made two batches of these. One with the recipe as written and a second with finely diced preserved lemon about (1 tablespoon) instead of rosemary. Gilded the rosemary version with a sprinkle of smoked Maldon sea salt flakes. Used a 15" x 5" oblong tart pan with removable sides resulting in 36 perfect slices per batch. Plan on keeping those that survive kitchen marauders in a tin to serve after dinner with soft blue cheese. Thank you for a winner.

Stef

These were absolutely perfect. I will be making these again and again. Make sure to cut while they're warm, but then take them out of the pan once they've cooled. Otherwise they'll crumble.

Outstanding, beautifully balanced - just one thing...

Made almost exactly per the ingredient list (used 2 tsp maple syrup instead of 1-2 tsp honey), and followed suggestion in the headnote to add vanilla extract. They were perfect! Buttery, a little salty, with wonderful texture and a perfectly balanced and clear rosemary flavor.

One crucial tweak needed: Grease the pan and/or use parchment paper. These stuck when using an ungreased pan as directed.

Margo.

These lived up to the hype. Most of all, it’s a very very good recipe to follow for a buttery tender shortbread base, although I also ended up liking the rosemary flavor a lot. I think these will be making an appearance in my 2025 cookie boxes, though I might consider following other comments on orange and chocolate or preserved lemon flavorings. Here are my notes: — The flavor is rosemary forward, do not add more than one tablespoon — Salt was one rounded teaspoon of diamond crystal — Use Kerry gold butter. You taste it. My butter happened to be frozen so the dough never came together in the food processor, baked out beautifully nonetheless — Pricking with a fork sounded fussy so I skipped it — 8x8” pan, baked 45 minutes, cut into 32 mini rectangles. Each bite is rich and unctuous

magoo

Made these last night and they were well received by our friends! These make a great gift to bring to a dinner party and perfect for morning coffee!

SStoyc

Absolutely delicious. Thanks for all the helpful comments. I added lemon zest and used maple syrup instead of honey. Yum.

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