Chocolate shortbread cookies are classic, buttery shortbread cookies filled with rich chocolate flavor. Top these chocolate shortbread biscuits with a crunchy, sparkly sugar coating or dip them in melted chocolate. They’re the perfect, easy to make, sweet, but not too sweet, chocolate cookie.
Jump to:
Why Should You Make This Recipe
There are few things I love more than a classic cookie made with chocolate. My Triple Chocolate Cookies, Chocolate Sugar Cookies, Brownie Cookies, Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies, Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookies, Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies are few of my favorite cocoa cookie recipes from the blog. I am so excited to add these cocoa shortbread cookies to the mix. I know you’ll love them just as much as I do because:
- You love fun variations on classic cookies. These chocolate filled shortbread cookies are a fun twist on the classic buttery shortbread you know and love.
- Layers of flavor and texture. These chocolate shortcake cookies have a nice firm, but soft, buttery bite with tons of rich chocolate flavor. For a more classic shortbread texture, roll or top the cookies with sugar. For even more chocolate flavor, fold chocolate chunks into the dough or dip the shortbread into melted chocolate.
Ingredients
This chocolate butter cookie recipe requires only a handful of pantry basics to make. Here’s what you’ll need.
Gather butter, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, an egg yolk, Dutch processed cocoa powder and flour.
Substitutions
Here are my recommended substitutions to make these wonderfully easy cocoa shortbread cookies.
- Unsalted Butter: Vegan butter or plant based can also be used in place of regular unsalted butter in this recipe.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar gives these shortbread chocolate cookies a soft, tender crumb. Feel free to use ¾ cup (150 g) super fine or granulated sugar. This recipe hasn’t been tested using alternative sugars. However, I love using maple sugar as a refined sugar free option in my other cookie recipes.
- Egg Yolk: Add an egg yolk to the dough gives these cocoa shortbread cookies a bit of extra chewiness. Feel free to leave this ingredient out if you want a crunchier bite to the cookie.
- Vanilla Extract: This gives a lovely background flavor to these cookies. Feel free to omit if you don’t have any on hand.
- Cocoa Powder: Any type of unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch processed cocoa powder will work well in this fudgy brownie recipe. However, I love using dutch process cocoa powder for its mellow, but intensely chocolate-y flavor.
- All purpose flour: To make these chocolate and shortbread cookies gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure based off weight in grams (240 g) versus cup for cup.
Variations
- Slice and Bake Option: Prepare the cookie dough according to the recipe directions. Rather than rolling out the dough into a disk. Gather the dough and roll the dough into a log. Wrap the chocolate shortbread dough log in plastic wrap to chill in the fridge until solid enough to slice into cookies. This takes about 2 hours. If you would like to roll the dough in sanding sugar, do so before wrapping the cookie dough log in plastic wrap. Slice the cookies into ½ inch rounds, placed 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 12 - 14 minutes. Cool the cookies on the hot pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Chocolate Chip Chocolate Shortbread Cookies: Prepare the cookie dough as written int he recipe. Add ½ - ¾ cup chocolate chips or small chocolate chunks to the cookie dough right after mixing in the flour. Prepare the rest of the recipe as written.
- Chocolate Drizzle or Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies: Melt 4 - 8 oz. chocolate over low heat on the stove or in 20 second increments in the microwave. Dip fully cooled shortbread cookies into the chocolate or simply drizzle the chocolate onto the cooled cookies.
How To Make
Learn how to make chocolate shortbread cookies in a few easy steps.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and powdered sugar together on medium speed until fluffy and well combined, about 3 - 4 minutes. On low speed, cream in the vanilla extract followed by the egg yolk, salt and cocoa powder. Mix the ingredients together until well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl as needed. On the lowest speed setting, mix the in the flour until just combined.
- Transfer the cookie dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap or another sheet of parchment paper. Roll out the shortbread chocolate cookie dough into a disk about ¼ inch thick. Don’t worry about the shape. Transfer the covered shortbread cookie sheet to the fridge to chill until firm, about 1 - 2 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) for about 30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a small, 2 or 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter, cut rounds of the cocoa shortbread cookie dough. Press the rounds into sanding sugar if you would like to coat the tops of the cookies in sugar. Transfer the rounds onto the lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Gather, re-roll and chill the remaining cookie dough until it’s time to cut out and bake another batch.
4. Bake the cookies for 12 - 14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set and the centers look slightly puffed up. The tops of the cookies will go from having a glossy sheen to a more matte appearance. Cool the cookies on the hot baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to fully set. While the cookies are still hot from the oven, feel free to sprinkle more sugar on top for a more pronounced sugar topping.
How To Make Ahead, Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Make Ahead: The shortbread chocolate cookie dough can easily be made ahead of time. Prepare the dough as written in the recipe. Store the dough covered in the fridge up to 1 - 2 days before baking. I recommend preparing the dough through to the rolling out stage. Cover the dough sheet with plastic wrap and store inside a gallon ziplock bag.
- Store Baked Cookies: Place the cookies in an airtight container to store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freeze and Thaw Cookie Dough: Prepare the cookie dough to the rolling stage or the cut out stage. If you plan on freezing the cookie dough from the cut out stage, flash freeze the cookie rounds by laying them on a parchment lined baking sheet and freezing until frozen, about 20 - 30 minutes. Transfer the cookie dough sheet or rounds to an airtight, freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge before baking. The frozen cookie dough can also be baked straight from the freezer. Just make sure to add about 2 - 3 more minutes to the baking time.
M's Expert Tips
- Measure the flour properly: I highly recommend using a food scale to get perfectly measured ingredients every time.
- Keep the cookie rounds cold. The shortbread dough should be kept chilled in the fridge until it’s time to cut out the cookie rounds and bake. The colder the cookie, the better the dough holds the shape.
- Gather and re-roll the chocolate shortbread dough. Since these chocolate filled shortbread cookies are cut out cookies, there will be excess dough after each round of cutting out the cookie dough. Gather, re-roll and chill the leftover dough until you are ready to bake the next batch.
- Make them more festive. To make these chocolate shortbread cookies even more delicious, melt chocolate to drizzle on top of or to dip the cookie into. Then top the cookies with colorful sprinkles or with chopped nuts.
FAQs
A few things can cause cookies to spread more than they should. The butter can be too warm. Make sure the butter is softened but still cool to the touch. The cookie dough may be too warm. Chill the dough in the fridge for 1 - 2 hours before baking. If needed, chill the cut-out shortbread cookies for 15 - 20 minutes before baking. The oven can also run hotter or cooler than the control panel says. Double check by using an oven thermometer.
Overworking the dough and adding too much flour are two common mistakes made while making shortbread.
This is optional and more up to your personal preference.
Other Shortbread Recipes To Try
If you try this Chocolate Shortbread Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- parchment paper
- 2 or 2½ in cookie or biscuit cutter
- 2 baking sheets
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened but cool to the touch
- 1¼ cup (150 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (40 g) Dutch processed or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and powdered sugar together on medium speed until fluffy and well combined, about 3 - 4 minutes.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened but cool to the touch, 1¼ cup (150 g) powdered sugar
- On low speed, cream in the vanilla extract followed by the egg yolk, salt and cocoa powder. Mix the ingredients together until well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl as needed. On the lowest speed setting, mix the in the flour until just combined.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg yolk, optional , ½ teaspoon salt , ½ cup (40 g) Dutch processed or unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- Transfer the cookie dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap or another sheet of parchment paper. Roll out the shortbread chocolate cookie dough into a disk about ¼ inch thick. Don’t worry about the shape. Transfer the covered shortbread cookie sheet to the fridge to chill until firm, about 1 - 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) for about 30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a small, 2 or 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter, cut rounds of the cocoa shortbread cookie dough. Press the rounds into sanding sugar if you would like to coat the tops of the cookies in sugar. Transfer the rounds onto the lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Gather, re-roll and chill the remaining cookie dough until it’s time to cut out and bake another batch.
- Bake the cookies for 12 - 14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set and the centers look slightly puffed up. The tops of the cookies will go from having a glossy sheen to a more matte appearance.Cool the cookies on the hot baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to fully set. While the cookies are still hot from the oven, feel free to sprinkle more sugar on top for a more pronounced sugar topping.
Leave a Reply