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This Easy Chocolate Shortbread Cookies recipe makes delicious, buttery crisp shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate – one amazing cookie.
Love shortbread? We have anything from Billionaire Shortbread to fruity tarts with a shortbread base.
Shortbread cookies aren’t just for the holidays. These delicious, sweet treats have a superb texture and just melt in your mouth. They’re perfect with a cup of coffee or tea, but let me tell you – make them, and you’ll be snacking all day!
Why This Recipe Works
- The bittersweet chocolate mixed with the rich vanilla cookie gives them the perfect balance between sweet and buttery.
- Brown sugar lends notes of caramel and keeps the shortbread from being too sweet.
- Using vanilla adds an extra depth of flavor
- Using both salted and unsalted butter offers both flavor and richness.
This recipe is super easy to make and comes together with just a few ingredients you probably have in your pantry! They have a light, buttery flavor with just the right amount of sweetness and are impossible to resist.
Making Perfectly Formed Cookies
To make these cookies, I used the Cake Boss Molded Braid Cookie Pan (which isn’t available in the US anymore), but this pan would work just as well. (#paidlink).
I just love the professional finish a cookie pan gives these beautiful cookies.
Alternatively, you can roll out the dough and cut out rounds. Then just dip half the baked cookie into chocolate for a more home-baked look.
How To Make Shortbread Cookies
Using a food processor or mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, and brown sugar vigorously until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Beating the butter and sugar together really well is an important step as it ensures the shortbread is light, crisp, and holds together.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour and salt.
Add it to the butter mixture and mix until blended (forming large clumps).
If using a cookie pan like mine, using floured hands press the mixture evenly into the cookie pan (filling each section a little over halfway). If using a cookie cutter, roll the dough out on a well-floured surface to 1/4- to 1/2-inch thickness (depending on how thick you like your cookies) and use a cutter to make shapes.
Bake until they’re light golden brown. Remove them from the pan when ready and place them on a cooling rack until cool.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals (mixing in between) until smooth (for more information on how to properly melt chocolate, see my guide on How to Melt Chocolate).
Dip each cooled cookie into the melted chocolate.
Leave on a cooling rack to set before serving.
Tips For Perfect Shortbread
- Using a mixer. Avoid overmixing as it makes a tough cookie. When in doubt, mix the flour into the dough until it resembles large breadcrumbs then squeeze together with your hand to finish forming the dough.
- If using a food processor, pulse the butter and flour together until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, then pulse a little more. When you see it starting to clump up, you’re good to go. The dough will be very crumbly at this stage. But if you squeeze a handful, it should hold together.
- The dough can be made well in advance. It keeps in the fridge stored in an airtight container for about a week in the and a month in the freezer.
- To Make the cookie dough in one bowl, beat butter and sugars together until very creamy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the dry ingredients. Cookie dough will be thick.
- Roll into logs for an easy variation, then wrap and chill the dough. Cut the chilled dough into slices to form round cookies.
Other Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
FAQs
Can you freeze shortbread cookies?
Yes, they freeze well in an airtight container for up to three months.
How do you store shortbread?
Store in an airtight container or cookie jar for up to a week.
Rate This Recipe
Recipe
Easy Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 oz unslated butter ((½ cup/1 stick) cut into cubes)
- 4 oz salted butter ((½ cup/1 stick) cut into cubes)
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/160C.
- Grease a Molded Braid Cookie Pan or if using the rolled method, place parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
- Using a food processor or mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and brown sugar vigorously until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. It’s an important step to beat the butter and sugar well together when making shortbread as this ensures the shortbread is light, crisp and will hold together.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour and salt. Then add the the butter mixture and mix until it forms large clumps.
- If using a cookie pan like mine, using floured hands press the mixture evenly into the cookie pan (filling each section a little over halfway). If using a cookie cutter, roll the dough out on a well-floured surface to¼- to ½-inch thickness (depending on how thick you like your cookies) and use a cutter to make shapes.
- Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan (filling each section a little over halfway).
- Bake 10 -12 minutes (depending on the method you use) or until the cookies are light golden.
- Cool 5 minutes before transfering to a cooling rack to cool. enough to handle.
- Place the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 30-second intervals (mixing in between) until melted and smooth. Then dip each cooled cookies into the melted chocolate and leave on a cooling rack to set before serving
Tips
- Using a mixer. Avoid overmixing as it makes a tough cookie. When in doubt, mix the flour into the dough until it resembles large breadcrumbs then squeeze together with your hand to finish forming the dough.
- If using a food processor, pulse the butter and flour together until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, then pulse a little more. When you see it starting to clump up, you’re good to go. The dough will be very crumbly at this stage. But if you squeeze a handful, it should hold together.
- The dough can be made well in advance. It keeps in the fridge stored in an airtight container for about a week in the and a month in the freezer.
- To Make the cookie dough in one bowl, beat butter and sugars together until very creamy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the dry ingredients. Cookie dough will be thick.
- Roll into logs for an easy variation, then wrap and chill the dough. Cut the chilled dough into slices to form round cookies.
Save to favoritesYour saved recipes will be right here waiting for you every time you visit, so you can easily find and make the meals you love.Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in 2017, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, and tips in 2020.
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