Chocolate Shortbread Cookies are chocolaty, buttery and are perfect for rolling out and cutting into shapes. A simple, six ingredient, cookie that quickly disappears!
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
These might be fighting words, but I will take a shortbread cookie over a sugar cookie any day.
Chocolate dipped shortbread cookies or dark chocolate stars are two classic examples of shortbread, but these rich, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate shortbread cookies are vying for my favorite cookie pick.
With only six ingredients, they are super simple to make and they roll out beautifully. They hold their shape when you bake them and are a dream to work with.
I left this batch plain but you can also dip them in more chocolate – white, dark, or milk – and top them with sprinkles.
When I originally posted these in 2012, we decorated them with canned frosting.
Any option will work, but I promise they’re delicious as is.
Helpful Tools
- Mixing Bowls – I like these with the grippy bottoms.
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer – I have used both for these cookies and do prefer using the stand mixer for these, but either will work just fine.
- Rolling Pin – For rolling out the dough.
- Baking Sheet – I prefer lipped baking sheets so nothing slides off. From experience.
- Cookie Cutters – I used holiday shapes.
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- BUTTER – You’ll need two sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature.
- POWDERED SUGAR – Also sometimes called confectioners’ sugar.
- VANILLA EXTRACT – With only a few ingredients, you need high quality ingredients. Try to use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation. You can buy it in bulk at Sam’s or Costco or even make your own in the instant pot.
- COCOA POWDER – I use Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder which is a blend of natural and dutched cocoas.
- FLOUR – All purpose white flour is what I use. I haven’t tested others.
- SALT – Kosher salt for balance.
How to make Chocolate Shortbread
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- STEP ONE: Cream the butter with your mixer until smooth. Add in the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add in the vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Slowly add in the cocoa powder, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the salt.
- STEP TWO: Slowly add in the flour, making sure to mix until fully incorporated, but not to overmix.
- STEP THREE: Divide the dough in half and place half onto a board (or your counter) lined with parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the dough and use a rolling pin to evenly roll to 1/4 inch thick. Set aside. Repeat the steps with the other half of the dough.
- STEP FOUR: Place both slabs of dough, still sandwiched inside the parchment paper, on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- STEP FIVE: After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 and line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Either cut out the dough into rectangles or use cookie cutters to make shapes. Place them evenly spaced apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
- STEP SIX: Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove from oven and let set before removing from pan. If decorating, let them cool completely.
Storage & Leftovers
Can I freeze them?
Shortbread cookies can be frozen as dough or after they’ve been baked.
If freezing the dough, wrap it tightly, usually in a log or a discs, and store it for up to 3 months. When ready to use it, move it to the fridge to thaw overnight then roll out & use as usual.
Can I prep them ahead of time?
The prepared dough can stay covered in the fridge for up to 3 days or wrap in plastic and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
FAQs
What’s the difference between a shortbread cookie and a sugar cookie?
Though similar, the main difference in these two cookies is the ingredients. Shortbread cookies do not have eggs – sugar cookies typically do. Shortbread cookies generally have more butter, making them tender and crumbly, while a sugar cookie is sweeter and sometimes chewy.
How many cookies does this make?
How many cookies this recipe makes will depend on the size and shapes you choose to make them. Mine (doing the gingerbread men and snowmen) made 30 cookies.
Need more Christmas cookies? Try these:
Molasses Cookies
Ginger Snaps
30+ Classic Christmas Cookies
Sugar Cookie Bars
Reindeer Cookies
Italian Sugar Cookies
Millionaire Shortbread Bars
Click here to view my entire collection of cookies.
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temp (2 sticks)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder I use Hershey's Special Dark
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt scant
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
Instructions
- In a stand mixer or mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer until smooth.1 cup unsalted butter
- Add the sugar and beat until fluffy.1 cup powdered sugar
- Add in the vanilla and mix.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Slowly add in the cocoa. Mix and scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Add salt and mix.1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Slowly add the flour and mix until incorporated. Take care to not over mix.1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- Put half of the dough on a piece of parchment paper. Lay another piece of parchment on top. Use a rolling pin to flatten evenly to 1/4 inch thick.
- Repeat these same steps with the other half of the dough using two new sheets of parchment paper.
- Place both slabs of rolled out dough, still inside of the parchment paper, on a baking sheet and pop in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line your cookie sheets with silicone mats.
- Cut the cookies with whatever cookie cutters you like & place evenly spaced apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 min, rotating pans halfway through. Let sit on baking sheets 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Let cool completely before decorating.
Notes
- Chill prepared dough for at least 1 hour before baking.
- Dough can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- For longer storage, freeze tightly wrapped dough for up to 1 month.
- Makes about 24–30 cookies, depending on cutter size.
- If dough softens during cutting, chill the cookie sheets for up to 30 minutes to firm it up.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag me on Instagram @melissa_pplates so I can see!Did You Make This?
If you made this recipe, I’d love to know how it went in the comments section below.
You can also tag me on Instagram – @melissa_ppplates or share a pic in the Persnickety Plates Community Facebook group. I love seeing what you’ve tried!
Originally published December 31, 2012
These cookies look delicious. I love the recipe. I have a link party called Wednesdays Adorned From Above Blog Hop and would love to have you share this and any other posts with everyone. It runs from Wednesday through midnight Sunday. Here is the link to the party.
http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2013/01/week-in-review-and-wednesdays-adorned.html
Debi @ Adorned From Above
I made these cookies today but they came out a bit too crumbly for me. I prefer a more sturdy cookie that doesn’t crumble in my hand while eating. Will probably try adding a little bit more flour next time.
Well, shortbread is crumbly, but mine never crumble in my hand.
Very crumbly. Had to hand work the last 1/4 cup flour in which may have caused it to be overworked. Got really dry after the cocoa powder added. Will try again with less of that. The ones I baked in a stone that were thicker were more sturdy.
Hmm, it is a dry dough, as all shortbreads are, but it should have come together like the pictures, it shouldn’t have been crumbly. I’m wondering if you didn’t work it enough?