130 shortbread crust recipes

Classic walnut-crusted thumbprint cookies with tender shortbread base and jewel-toned jelly centers perfect for cookie swaps and holiday gift boxes.

Buttery shortbread bites rolled in paprika, cayenne, curry powder, and cumin. A savory, spice-crusted appetizer that's totally unexpected and completely addictive.

Lemon coconut squares with a buttery shortbread crust and a tangy lemon-coconut custard filling. Bright, chewy, and dusted with powdered sugar.

A from-scratch cheesecake with a buttery lemon shortbread crust, rich cream cheese filling, and homemade tart cherry sauce. This is the cheesecake you make when you mean business.

Chocolate pecan pie bars with a buttery shortbread crust and a gooey corn syrup filling loaded with chopped pecans and chocolate morsels. All the flavor of pecan pie, no pie dish needed.

Butter pecan pie crust: a four-ingredient shortbread-style crust with chopped pecans pressed into a 9-inch pie plate. Press in, bake 15 minutes, fill with cheesecake, custard, or icebox pie filling.

Zesty fig and date pastry bars with walnuts, orange juice, and lemon zest on a buttery shortbread crust with a crisscross lattice top. A bright, old-school cookie bar.

Shortbread cookie crust layered with chocolate ganache and fresh strawberries glazed with strawberry jam creates a stunning no-bake pie with three distinct layers.

Three-layer apple torte: buttery shortbread crust, sweetened cream cheese filling, cinnamon-sugar apples, and slivered almonds. German-style baked in a springform.

Cranberry orange tart with a buttery almond shortbread crust and glistening marmalade-glazed cranberry filling. A stunning make-ahead holiday dessert that chills overnight.

Best Sex in a Pan is a retro layered icebox dessert with a walnut shortbread crust, sweet cream cheese filling, vanilla and chocolate pudding stripes, and a Cool Whip topping finished with shaved chocolate.

White chocolate fruit tart with a buttery shortbread crust, creamy white chip and cream cheese filling, and glazed fresh fruit on top. A stunning no-fuss dessert.

Layered blueberry dessert with a baked pecan shortbread crust, fluffy cream cheese and whipped topping filling, and glossy blueberry pie filling on top. A potluck favorite that chills in the fridge and slices into neat squares.

Chocolate maple nut bars with a shortbread crust, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and a gooey maple-sweetened condensed milk nut topping. Rich and chewy.

Chewy toffee almond bars with an oat and brown sugar shortbread crust topped with a buttery caramel almond layer. A batch makes 48 bite-sized treats.

Cinnamon-apple cheesecake with a shortbread crust, creamy filling, overlapping apple slices on top, and a warm orange marmalade glaze. A fall cheesecake that's more fruit tart than dense New York style.