Quick Answer: Our top pick for shortbread on a charcuterie board is Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread (4.5 out of 5). Value: Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies. Butter flavor: Trader Joe's French Galettes. We ranked 6 widely sold options on how they work on a board, published taste tests and awards, ingredients, value and how easy they are to find.
Shortbread is the cracker of the dessert board: buttery, not too sweet and sturdy enough for jam, cheese or a square of dark chocolate. It's also a natural on Christmas cheese boards. Two big taste tests ranked the grocery options, and the classic tartan box came out near the top of both.
How we ranked these: these are researched picks, not a side-by-side tasting. We scored each product on published taste tests and awards, its ingredient list, price and where you can buy it, plus how that style of product behaves on a board. Sources are listed at the end, and the full method is on our buying guides hub. Prices and stock last checked October 2026.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick | Rating |
|---|---|
| Best overall: Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread ($$) | ★★★★½ 4.5 |
| Best value: Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies ($) | ★★★★☆ 4.0 |
| Best butter flavor: Trader Joe's French Galettes ($) | ★★★★½ 4.3 |
The full ranking
| Product | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread ($$) | ★★★★½ 4.5 | Every dessert board |
| 2. Trader Joe's French Galettes ($) | ★★★★½ 4.3 | Butter-forward flavor |
| 3. Royal Dansk Danish Butter Cookies ($) | ★★★★☆ 4.2 | Holiday boards |
| 4. Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies ($) | ★★★★☆ 4.0 | Budget boards |
| 5. Keebler Sandies Shortbread Classic ($) | ★★★★☆ 3.9 | A cheap, classic sleeve |
| 6. 365 Butter Shortbread ($) | ★★★★☆ 3.8 | A real-butter store brand |
1. Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread
★★★★½ 4.5 out of 5 · Best overall · Best for: Every dessert board · $$ mid-range
Tasting Table's winner of 12: firm but very crumbly, and less sweet than Royal Dansk. Daily Meal ranked it 2nd of 10 for its iconic sandy texture.
- Why we like it: Real butter, and a size that holds jam or cheese.
- Keep in mind: Breaks easily, and pricier than mass-market brands.
- Where to buy: Nearly every grocery store, Costco and Target.
2. Trader Joe's French Galettes
★★★★½ 4.3 out of 5 · Best butter flavor · Best for: Butter-forward flavor · $ budget
Tasting Table ranked them 3rd and called them the most butter-forward cookies it tasted, with a short ingredient list. Compact and dense, though a little dry.
- Why we like it: Tastes the most like butter.
- Keep in mind: Only at Trader Joe's.
- Where to buy: Trader Joe's.
3. Royal Dansk Danish Butter Cookies
★★★★☆ 4.2 out of 5 · Best for: Holiday boards · $ budget
Tasting Table's runner-up: rich and buttery with a touch of sweetness, in a variety of shapes.
- Why we like it: The classic blue tin, with shapes that look festive on a board.
- Keep in mind: Sweeter than shortbread.
- Where to buy: Nearly every grocery store, especially at the holidays.
4. Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies
★★★★☆ 4.0 out of 5 · Best value · Best for: Budget boards · $ budget
Daily Meal's winner of 10: crumbly, with a sandy bite, "the tried and true shortbread cookie on the shelves." Tasting Table ranked it 5th and noted it uses oils and artificial flavor instead of butter.
- Why we like it: Cheap and easy to find.
- Keep in mind: No real butter.
- Where to buy: Nearly every grocery store.
5. Keebler Sandies Shortbread Classic
★★★★☆ 3.9 out of 5 · Best for: A cheap, classic sleeve · $ budget
6th in both Tasting Table and Daily Meal: crumbly, with butter in the ingredients and a vanilla note, though the butter flavor is mild.
- Why we like it: Easy-open sleeve, low price.
- Keep in mind: Mild flavor.
- Where to buy: Nearly every grocery store.
6. 365 Butter Shortbread
★★★★☆ 3.8 out of 5 · Best for: A real-butter store brand · $ budget
Daily Meal ranked it 5th for its buttery flavor and sweet-savory balance, but found the texture too moist.
- Why we like it: Real butter at a store-brand price.
- Keep in mind: Softer than classic shortbread.
- Where to buy: Whole Foods.
How the scores break down
Each product is scored 1 to 5 on five things, then weighted: how it works on a board (30%), published taste tests and awards (25%), ingredients (15%), value (15%) and how easy it is to find (15%).
| Product | On the board | Reviews and awards | Ingredients | Value | Easy to find | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4.5 |
| Trader Joe's French Galettes | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4.3 |
| Royal Dansk Danish Butter Cookies | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4.2 |
| Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4.0 |
| Keebler Sandies Shortbread Classic | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3.9 |
| 365 Butter Shortbread | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3.8 |
What to look for on the label
Label check: Butter should be in the first three ingredients. Several cheaper "shortbread" cookies use vegetable oil and butter flavoring instead, which is why they taste flat.
Skip: Sugar-free shortbread. In Tasting Table's test, the sugar-free cookies were dry, mealy or left an aftertaste.
Serving it: lay shortbread next to brie, aged cheddar, blue cheese or mascarpone, with jam, honey or dark chocolate. Plan two or three pieces per guest on a dessert board. See our dessert board guide for the full build.
For what shortbread pairs with and how to serve it, see the shortbread guide. To see every ranked guide, visit our charcuterie buying guides.
Shortbread questions
What is the best store-bought shortbread?
Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread. It won Tasting Table's test and came 2nd at Daily Meal.
What cheese goes with shortbread?
Aged cheddar, brie, blue cheese, mascarpone and Wensleydale with cranberries.
Is Lorna Doone real shortbread?
It's a shortbread-style cookie, but it's made with oils and artificial flavor rather than butter.
How much shortbread for a dessert board?
Two or three pieces per guest alongside other sweets.
Sources
- Tasting Table: 12 Store-Bought Butter And Shortbread Cookies, Ranked
- Daily Meal: 10 Store-Bought Shortbread Cookies Ranked
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