Fruitcake Shortbread Cookies
These festive Fruitcake Shortbread Cookies are buttery slice-and-bake treats packed with candied fruit, nuts, and holiday cheer!
A Quick Look at the Recipe
🍽️ Recipe Name: Fruitcake Shortbread Cookies
⏱️ Ready In: About 30 minutes prep + 4 hours chilling + 8–10 minutes baking
👨👩👧👦 Serves: About 36 cookies
🔥 Calories: Approximately 180–200 per cookie (varies with size and mix-ins)
🥩 Main Ingredients: Butter, brown sugar, flour, glacée cherries, dried cranberries, candied ginger & orange peel, walnuts
🥛 Dietary Info: Contains dairy and nuts; can be made nut-free by omitting walnuts
⭐ Difficulty: Easy
Summarise and save this recipe for later
Fruitcake Shortbread Cookies are the perfect holiday treat for anyone who loves the flavours of classic Christmas fruitcake but wants something lighter and easier. These buttery slice-and-bake cookies are filled with red and green glacée cherries, dried cranberries, candied ginger, orange peel, and crunchy walnuts. They’re simple to make ahead, bake beautifully, and add a festive pop of colour to any holiday cookie tray.
These cookies are perfect for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or gifting to friends and neighbours. Since the dough can be prepared in advance and frozen, they’re also an excellent choice for make-ahead holiday baking – just slice and bake whenever you need a fresh batch.
Recipe Highlights – Why This Recipe Works
- Classic holiday flavour – Buttery, crumbly shortbread inspired by traditional fruitcake.
- Festive mix-ins – Red and green glacée cherries, dried cranberries, candied ginger, and orange peel.
- Slice-and-bake ease – Simple dough that bakes straight from the fridge or freezer.
- Make-ahead friendly – Prepare and chill or freeze the dough in advance.
- Perfect for sharing – Ideal for cookie trays, gifting, and holiday gatherings.
- Customisable – Keep the walnuts for crunch or leave them out for a nut-free option.
Tips for Best Results
- Chill the dough thoroughly – Overnight is ideal. This ensures the cookies slice neatly and bake without spreading.
- Chop ingredients finely – Smaller pieces of candied fruit and nuts prevent crumbling and give more even flavour in each bite.
- Line baking sheets – Use parchment paper for even baking and easy cleanup.
- Check for doneness – Cookies are ready when the tops look set and lose their shine. Avoid overbaking for the best buttery texture.
- Cool before storing – Let cookies cool completely on a wire rack before placing in tins or containers to keep them crisp.
- Freezer-friendly – Both the dough logs and baked cookies freeze well. Wrap logs tightly and freeze for up to 3 months; slice and bake straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Glacée cherries – Use both red and green for a festive pop of colour. If unavailable, swap with more dried cranberries or another dried fruit.
- Dried cranberries – Can be replaced with raisins, golden raisins, or chopped dried apricots for a different flavour.
- Candied orange peel & ginger – These give the cookies a fruitcake flavour. If you prefer a milder taste, you can reduce the amount or use just one.
- Walnuts – Pecans or almonds make great alternatives. For a nut-free version, simply omit them.
- Spices – A pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice can be added to the dough for extra warmth and holiday flavour.
Looking for More Christmas Cookies?
Check out more of my favourite Christmas cookie recipes!
Buttery cherry snowball cookies with a sweet candied cherry centre, rolled in snowy icing sugar—perfect for a festive treat!
Festive pressed Christmas cookies with a buttery texture and vibrant colours, perfect for gifting, sharing, or holiday cookie exchanges!
Soft, spiced Molasses Stamped Cookies with intricate designs are a festive holiday treat, perfect for gifting, parties, or cookie exchanges!
Fruitcake Shortbread Cookies
Yields: 72 cookies | Prep time: 20 minutes | Chill time: 4 hours | Cook time: 8–10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt, sifted
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- ¼ cup red glacée cherries, chopped
- ¼ cup green glacée cherries, chopped
- ¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped
- ¼ cup candied orange peel, chopped
- 2 tablespoons candied ginger, finely chopped
- ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
Directions:
- Cream butter & sugar. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract. (Image 1)
- Add dry ingredients. Gradually beat in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms. (Image 2)
- Mix in fruit & nuts. Stir in the cherries, cranberries, orange peel, ginger, and walnuts until evenly distributed. (Image 3)
- Shape the dough. Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a squared-off log, about 8 inches long. (Image 4)
- Chill. Wrap each log tightly in wax paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours), until firm.
- Bake. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice logs into ¼-inch thick cookies (Image 5) and place 1 inch apart on the sheets. (Image 6) Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until set and no longer shiny on top.
- Cool. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Fruitcake Shortbread Cookies
These festive Fruitcake Shortbread Cookies are buttery slice-and-bake treats packed with candied fruit, nuts, and holiday cheer!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt, sifted
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- ¼ cup red glacée cherries, chopped
- ¼ cup green glacée cherries, chopped
- ¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped
- ¼ cup candied orange peel, chopped
- 2 tablespoons candied ginger, finely chopped
- ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add in the sifted flour and salt, mixing just until a soft dough forms.
- Stir in the red and green cherries, cranberries, orange peel, ginger, and walnuts until evenly distributed.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean surface. Divide into two equal portions and shape each into a squared-off log (about 8 inches long).
- Wrap each log tightly in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours), until firm.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice each log into ¼-inch thick cookies and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until cookies are set and no longer shiny on top.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
36Serving Size:
2 CookiesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 115Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 9mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 7gProtein: 1g
This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although frugalmomeh.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
