Chocolate Shortbread Cookies don’t last long on a cookie tray. With chocolate stripes and sprinkles, this shortbread is alluring! The ultra chocolaty flavor makes these melt in your mouth cookies an instant favorite.
Why you'll love this recipe
Shortbread flavor has the magical characteristic of improving over time, making it a great shipping cookie. This chocolate shortbread recipe uses powdered sugar for melt-in-your-mouth texture. The rich chocolate flavor comes from both cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
You will want to have plenty of these cookies for all of your holiday snacking and gifting needs! The shortbread stays delicious for up to two weeks, or you can freeze the cookies before baking and bake them as needed.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, chocolate chips, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Gradually add flour mixture and mix just until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough forms.
- Form the shortbread dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- When ready to bake, roll out dough to ¼”- ½” thickness between two sheets of parchment paper. Slice into shapes or use a cookie cutter.
- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1” apart and bake at 325 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. (Cookies firm as they cool).
- Dip each cookie half way in one flavor of chocolate, then place in the refrigerator to set for about 5 minutes.
- Dip the coated edge in the second flavor of chocolate and add sprinkles immediately.
Tips
This chocolate shortbread recipe makes a wonderful dough to work with and can be shaped in a variety of ways.
- The easiest way would be to form the dough into a log shape, chill until firm, then slice into ¼”– ½” discs and bake.
- Another way would be to roll out the dough, then after chilling, use a knife to slice into bars, then bake.
- For my Chocolate Shortbread Cookies, I envisioned a scalloped edge, so I rolled out the dough for cutout shortbread cookies and used a cookie cutter. Though I chose the most time intensive method (typical behavior), it was still a quick and easy process.
More shortbread recipes
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Espresso Chocolate Shortbread is a cookie that coffee lovers will swoon over.
Easter Bunny Shortbread is buttery shortbread in pastel colors with fun Easter bunny cutouts.
If you like Mexican hot chocolate, you will love these Spiced Chocolate Shortbread.
Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies may look plain, but are actually filled with intense vanilla bean flavor!
This Slice and Bake Shortbread uses one dough to make three different flavors of cookies.
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Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decorating
- ¾ pound white melting chocolate chocolate discs meant for dipping and coating
- ¾ pound dark melting chocolate chocolate discs meant for dipping and coating
- Sprinkles
Instructions
Cookies
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, chocolate chips, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light. Add vanilla and mix to combine.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients mixture and mix just until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough forms.
- Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- When ready to bake: Preheat oven to 325˚F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Between two sheets of parchment paper, roll out dough to ¼”- ½” thickness. Slice into shapes or use cookie cutters.
- Place on prepared baking sheet about 1” apart and bake for 10-12 minutes. (Cookies firm as they cool).
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Decorating
- Use wax paper to line two cookie sheets or other flat baking pans that will fit into your refrigerator.
- Place one of the melting chocolates in a bowls large enough that the chocolate fills it up to about 1 inch below the rim. Melt the chocolate wafers in the microwave at 50% power for one minute. Stir. If not completely melted, return to the microwave and heat for 15 second intervals, stirring between intervals, until melted.
- Dip the cookies into the chocolate, gently tap the wrist of the hand holding the dipped cookie to allow excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl, then set the dipped cookie onto the prepare cookie sheet. After completing 6 cookies, place the tray into the refrigerator to set for about 5 minutes.
- When all of the cookies have been dipped and set, melt the second flavor of chocolate in a separate bowl.
- Dip the edge of a cookie into the melted chocolate just long enough to coat. Tap off excess and place on lined baking sheet. Add sprinkles immediately, before chocolate can begin to set. After 6 cookies have been dipped and sprinkled, place in the refrigerator again to set the chocolate for 5 minutes.
- Store layers of cookies between wax paper in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
First published November 16, 2018. Last updated August 24, 2022 for a better user experience.
cassieosborne590
I love that it is Chocolate!
themondaybox
Thanks, Cassie! The melt-in-your-mouth texture of shortbread with the flavor of chocolate (and these are VERY chocolate) is a wonderful match!
Elaina
Yum! I don't see chocolate shortbread too often, and they're one of my favorite cookies!
themondaybox
I didn't know that chocolate shortbread was one of my favorites until I made this recipe! Now, I'm with you, Elaina! Delicious. 🙂
growingbookbybook
These look so yummy and I appreciate the packing tips!
themondaybox
I glad the packing tips can be helpful, Jodie! All of The Monday Box recipes are care package friendly, so I always include packing tips. 🙂
Giramuk's Kitchen
I love Chocolate shortbread but can never get it right! These look perfect! The sprinkles make them even better! 🙂
themondaybox
Dini, this is an easy dough to make and work with. You are a talented cook and I am positive you would have great results! How about a joint platter? My shortbread and your intense dark chocolate rum balls (truffles) !
Giramuk's Kitchen
Sounds perfect! 🙂
mitzismith116124507
LOVE these! They look delicious and they're gorgeous on the plate, too!
themondaybox
Thanks, Mitzi! The shortbread make a pretty holiday platter. They store well too, so they can be made ahead of party time. 🙂
Chelsey
They look great! I love the sprinkles and the shape you made them! 🙂
themondaybox
Thanks, Chelsey! Everything tastes better with sprinkles. 😉
pamelagroppe
These look gorgeous, I am sure they taste just a wonderful. I love shortbread cookies!.
themondaybox
Thank you, Pamela! I love playing with chocolate and sprinkles. 🙂 These cookies are dressed for partying!
edencondensed
What beautiful cookies. These would make a beautiful gift! I love shortbread too!
themondaybox
Thanks, Angela! I sent these out as gifts 🙂 They travel well and taste wonderful!
Jennifer at Making Our Life Matter
Yum! I could use a couple of those with my coffee right now!
themondaybox
Thanks, Jennifer! These shortbread cookies are especially good with coffee. I taste tested the combination myself....several times to be sure. 🙂
Dedra Clutz
Beautiful photos. Almost makes me want to bake.lol Definitely makes me want to eat.
themondaybox
Thanks, Dedra! Should you want to tackle them, they are an easy cookie to make. 🙂 Or better yet, give the easy recipe to someone else and have them bake the shortbread for you! 🙂
Mrs. & Mr. Smith (@firsttimefoods)
These cookies look lovely, Wendy! I wish I had been lucky enough to receive them in the mail. Guess I’ll just have to try them out myself! 🙂 The shortbread recipe is a bit different than the one I used, so I’ll compare the 2 outcomes and see which one I like better. Thanks for the recipe!
themondaybox
Thanks, Renata! We both made chocolate dipped shortbread for the cookie swap. 🙂 I WAS lucky enough to receive yours! This was the first shortbread I ever made using confectioners' sugar. The texture is more melt-in-your mouth rather than crunchy. Its fun to have a variety. 🙂
Monica
Shortbread is such a delicious classic and it's so nice that it keeps well and ships well! I don't know what it is but I have a thing for nonpareil sprinkles - you did a beautiful job dipping and decorating your cookies, Wendy. What a lovely swap!
themondaybox
I totally agree about nonpareil sprinkles! I love them in all their amazing color combinations. Things decorated with nonpareils look tastier to me....certainly blingier (new invented word). 🙂 I only fell in love with shortbread in the last year or so. Now I am making up for lost time and cookie opportunities! The swap always is fun.
Allison - Celebrating Sweets
These cookies are beautiful! I'll have to try this recipe. Pinned! 🙂
themondaybox
Thanks. Allison! I certainly enjoyed your Ginger Molasses Cookie Bars! I love gingerbread and can never have enough gingerbread recipes! The brown sugar icing was perfect on them. 🙂
laurasmess
These are such beautiful cookies Wendy! Such lovely festive stripes. I wish I had thought of these earlier in the month as I'm sure I would've brought a load to many morning teas... but it's never too late, right? Love the idea of the Cookie Swap too. Tis the month for sharing! Hope that you have a wonderful Christmas x
themondaybox
Thank you, Laura! One can never have enough cookies. 🙂 (unless one is trying to fit into one's skinny jeans....but lets not think about that!) However, sharing is the perfect solution! Eat one or two and share the rest. 🙂 Happy baking and joyous holidays!
laurasmess
Hahaha, the skinny jeans can wait, it's Christmas after all! 🙂 Happy holidays to you too! X
saltandserenity
Wendy, these are so pretty! I love how simply you styled and photographed them. I participated in the Great Blogger Cookie Challenge 2 years ago. It was so exciting to get cookies in the mail! I just didn't have time this year, but hope to get back to it again next year.
themondaybox
Thanks, Cindy! Among other blog related goals, improving quality of photography is at the top of my list. I finally purchased a new camara. Now comes the steep learning curve of figuring out how to use it! 🙂 I am trying for simple styling that focuses on the cookies. A work in progress. Getting surprise packages in the mail is what makes the Cookie Swap fun for me, too! Wishing you and your family a peace filled Chanukah and a healthy, happy New Year!