These savoury cheese shortbread biscuits are crisp, buttery, and full of rich, Parmesan flavour with just a hint of heat from black pepper.
They’re incredibly simple to make and work wonderfully as a nibble with drinks, on a cheeseboard, or as a snack alongside soup or salad.
The dough comes together much like a classic shortbread, using just flour and cold butter to create a delicate, crumbly texture.
The trick is to handle the dough as little as possible - rub the butter in until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add just enough water to bring it together without overworking.
Finely grated Parmesan adds savoury depth and a subtle saltiness, while black pepper lifts the flavour with a gentle kick.
You can easily tweak the recipe with different hard cheeses—mature cheddar or a hard goat’s cheese both work well, or add extras like chopped rosemary, mustard powder, or even a pinch of smoked paprika.
Rolling the dough into a log before chilling helps make the biscuits easy to slice into neat, uniform rounds.
Pricking each one with a fork helps them bake evenly and prevents them from puffing up.
Once baked, these cheese shortbread biscuits are crisp and golden with a tender, crisp bite.
They’ll firm up further as they cool, so don’t worry if they feel a little soft straight out of the oven.
These biscuits keep well in an airtight tin for several days and make excellent homemade gifts, especially when bundled up with a little jar of chutney or a wedge of good cheese.
I'd definitely recommend making these shortbreads if you’re hosting guests or just fancy a bit of a savoury snack - they're incredibly addictive!
Read on for the full recipe with detailed instructions and a helpful photograph for every step. And if you have any questions, just leave me a comment. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 250 g plain white flour (all purpose flour) sifted
- 125 g salted butter cold and cubed
- 50 g parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
Instructions
Put the flour and cold, cubed butter in a bowl.
Rub together until you have an even crumb.
Stir in the cheese and pepper.
Add 1 tbsp of cold water and cut through with a cutlery knife. Give a little bit of the mixture a squeeze. If it comes together, it’s ready. If it’s dry and sandy, cut in up to another 1 tbsp water.
Gather up the pieces and knead together only as much as it takes to get a smooth ball of dough.
Roll the dough into a cylinder with a length of 24cm (9.5 inches) and a diameter of 4cm (1.5 inches).
Wrap in greaseproof paper or plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest and chill for 15 minutes.
You can use a kitchen roll tube to help the dough keep its shape, if you like.
While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 170C (150C fan / 340F).
Slice the dough into 1cm (½ inch) cookies.
Place them on a lined baking tray.
Prick each one a few times with a fork.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until they've taken on just a golden colour.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once you've given my recipe a go, I'd love you to come back and leave a comment letting me know how yours turned out.
I'd love to see your videos and pics, too! Just tag me on social media. I'm @emilylearycooks on Twitter and TikTok or @amummytoo on Instagram.
Savoury Cheese Shortbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g plain white flour (all purpose flour) sifted
- 125 g salted butter cold and cubed
- 50 g parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
Instructions
- Put the flour and cold, cubed butter in a bowl and rub together until you have an even crumb.
- Stir in the cheese and pepper.
- Add 1 tbsp of cold water and cut through with a cutlery knife. Give a little bit of the mixture a squeeze. If it comes together, it’s ready. If it’s dry and sandy, cut in up to another 1 tbsp water.
- Gather up the pieces and knead together only as much as it takes to get a smooth ball of dough.
- Roll the dough into a cylinder with a length of 24cm (9.5 inches) and a diameter of 4cm (1.5 inches). Wrap in greaseproof paper or plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest and chill for 15 minutes.
- While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 170C (150C fan / 340F).
- Slice the dough into 1cm (½ inch) cookies.
- Place them on a lined baking tray and prick each one a few times with a fork.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until they've taken on just a golden colour.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
More savoury snack recipes to try
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