Easy Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Recipe
on Mar 02, 2018, Updated Aug 22, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Easy Chocolate Shortbread Cookies are perfect for the holidays. Lightly sweetened, crisp, buttery cookies made with just 6 simple ingredients.
Raise your hand if you love shortbread!!! I, for one, love shortbread cookies and today I’m sharing with you one of my favorite recipes for easy chocolate shortbread cookies. I love how crispy, buttery, and melt-in-your mouth these cookies are. They aren’t super sweet either, which means eating them for breakfast with your favorite tea is totally fine in my book.
I like this recipe, too, because instead of having to make pan after pan of drop cookies, you just make one big cookie, score it into wedges, and then cut it while it’s still hot. One giant cookie is always a good idea.
Eat these with your coffee or tea for a mid-afternoon snack because they are so simple without being overly sweet. You are going to make this recipe again and again. If you are craving chocolate, try these recipes too: Flourless Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Lava Cakes, Wacky Chocolate Cobbler or Chocolate Stuffed Eclairs.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Homemade chocolate shortbread cookies offer a deep, buttery chocolate taste that’s irresistible.
- These cookies have a unique, melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s both crisp and tender.
- With easy-to-find ingredients and straightforward steps, anyone can enjoy baking and eating these delightful cookies.
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour—Provides structure and a delicate crumb.
- Cocoa powder —Adds deep, chocolatey flavor.
- Butter —Creates a rich, tender texture.
- Confectioners sugar—Sweetens and ensures a smooth texture.
- Sugar —Adds a slight crunch to the cookies.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Step #1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
Step #2. In a large bowl, beat butter and confectioners sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy . Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture until combined.
Step #3. Press dough into a ball, knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll into a 9-inch circle on parchment paper, transfer to a baking sheet, and crimp edges. Poke holes with a fork and score into 16 wedges. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Step #4. Preheat oven to 300°F. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake for 40 minutes. Cut through the scores while hot, then cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before serving.
Recipe FAQs
These cookies aren’t super sweet, just FYI. Like most classic shortbread cookie recipes, it’s light on sweetness. Just so you know what to expect.
Don’t try to sub other sugars for the confectioners or powdered sugar, that helps create the shortbread texture of the cookie. I also used extra chubby “sparkling” sugar in place of the granulated sugar on the top and I love it. I use it often and it’s fun to have on hand.
Once the cookies are cooked and cooled off they can be properly stored and put in the freezer. You can layer the cookies, but I suggest layering them with parchment paper to keep them from sticking together.
Expert Tips
- Make sure that your butter is softened to room temperature. This helps achieve a smooth, creamy mixture that blends well with the sugar and flour.
- When combining the flour mixture with the butter and sugar, mix just until incorporated. Overmixing can result in tough cookies.
- Knead the dough gently on a floured surface until smooth. The warmth of your hands helps bring the dough together without overworking it.
- Chilling the dough before baking helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and ensures they hold their shape.
- Roll the dough to an even thickness to ensure uniform baking. Aim for about 1/2 inch thick for the perfect shortbread texture.
More Cookie Recipes To Consider
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Easy Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and confectioners sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 to 6 minutes. Scrape the sides as needed – the mixture should be light and fluffy.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Using you hands, press the dough in a ball in the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it until the dough is very smooth, about 3 minutes (the heat from your hands helps the butter to melt a bit and the dough to come together).
- Press the dough into a round disk, place another piece of parchment paper on top, and roll it out into a 9-inch circle, about a 1/2 inch thick.
- Transfer the dough and the parchment paper to a parchment-lined baking sheet (the double layer of parchment helps to absorb some of the extra grease in the cookies).
- Crimp the edges of the circle with your finger and thumb. Use the tines of a fork to poke holes in a circular pattern all over the dough. Then use a small knife to score the dough into 16 wedges (don’t cut all the way through the dough).
- Cover the chocolate shortbread with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes (this helps the cookie to not shrink while baking).
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Sprinkle the shortbread evenly with the granulated sugar. Bake the cookie for 40 minutes.
- When the cookie is done baking, place the baking sheet on a wire rack and use a sharp knife to cut through the scores, separating the wedges, while the cookie is still hot.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and then transfer the shortbread to a wire rack and let it cool before serving, about one hour.
Notes
- Make sure that your butter is softened to room temperature. This helps achieve a smooth, creamy mixture that blends well with the sugar and flour.
- When combining the flour mixture with the butter and sugar, mix just until incorporated. Overmixing can result in tough cookies.
- Knead the dough gently on a floured surface until smooth. The warmth of your hands helps bring the dough together without overworking it.
- Chilling the dough before baking helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and ensures they hold their shape.
- Roll the dough to an even thickness to ensure uniform baking. Aim for about 1/2 inch thick for the perfect shortbread texture.
Can you freeze short bread?
Yep, just make sure that the bag/container is really airtight because any moist freezer air that gets into the container will take the crispiness out of the shortbread.
I love love love shortbread cookie and so exited to have found a chocolate one! It looks amazing and I love the cute little hand grabbing a piece!
Do you bake it with both layers of parchment paper or just the bottom one? It looks wonderful and it’s good to have options for less-sweet treats. I’ll make this for sure!
Use both if you have them!