Shortbread and sugar cookies are often confused for one another, thanks to their perfect sweetness and satisfying crispness. There are a few differences in ingredients, taste, texture and traditional decorations.
Ingredients
Sugar cookies often have many ingredients, including eggs, vanilla, salt and a leavening agent such as baking powder or baking soda. Traditional shortbread has four ingredients at most: sugar, butter, flour and sometimes vanilla.
Process
Shortbread and sugar cookies are often chilled and then rolled and cut with cookie cutters. But sugar cookies can also be made in the style of a drop cookie without being rolled out.
Texture and Taste
Shortbread is almost always thicker and denser than a sugar cookie. It also contains more butter, so the taste is richer.
Baking Time
Baking times don’t differ much, but shortbread is often baked longer than sugar cookies by 2 to 5 minutes.
Decorations
Shortbread is usually eaten plain and left undecorated because of its rich flavor, while bakers often frost and decorate sugar cookies with sprinkles or granulated sugar.