Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies, an easy cookie recipe that practically melts in your mouth! Each bite of these buttery cookies has a taste of chocolate for the best cookie everyone will love.

Chocolate chip shortbread with 5 stacked and one leaning.

I think one of the easiest homemade cookies to make for the Christmas season is shortbread and one of my favorite versions is this chocolate chip shortbread recipe. It combines delicious tender shortbread with chocolate chips and it couldn’t be easier to make.

They’re amazing just as they are, but for a special treat sometimes I dip the cookies in chocolate. More chocolate is always better, right? 

Ingredients

  • Room temperature butter (if using unsalted butter add 1/4 teaspoon salt)
  • Sifted powdered sugar (icing sugar)
  • Vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour (at least 11% protein this helps keep the cookies from spreading)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or mini chocolate chips

How to Make Shortbread Cookies

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla for about three minutes.

Butter creamed in a silver bowl.

Add the salt and flour and mix just until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Chocolate chips added to the batter.

Lightly flour your work surface and then roll the dough into an 18″ log. Slice the log in half and then wrap each one in plastic wrap. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes. 

The dough rolled and cut in 2.

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Once the oven is heated, take one log out of the fridge and slice it into 1/4″ slices. Place them 1″ apart on the prepared baking sheet.

the dough sliced and placed on the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake the cookies for about 15 to 20 minutes. They will be a pale golden color when they are done. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the first batch of cookies is done, slice and bake the other batch of cookie dough.

Chocolate Chip shortbread cookies baked.

Optional Chocolate Coating

For an extra touch, you can dip the cooled cookies in chocolate or drizzle some over the top. 

Melt chocolate on the stovetop in a pot or in the microwave. Once the cookies are completely cooled you can dip them in the chocolate or use a spoon to drizzle some over the top. While the chocolate is wet, you can also add sprinkles for extra decoration. 

Chill the chocolate-coated cookies for 10 to 15 minutes so the chocolate can firm up.

Cookies on a wire rack.

Recipe Tips

If you want to make things easy, you can make the cookie dough a day before and leave it to chill in the refrigerator overnight. The next day you can slice and bake them.

It’s very important to keep the dough cold, so don’t skip the chilling step. Also, leave the logs in the refrigerator until just before you slice and bake the cookies. The dough needs to be cold when you bake the cookies so they don’t spread too much.

Chocolate shortbread in a glass star dish.

Chocolate chip shortbread cookies are great for gifts because they keep well at room temperature. Store them in an airtight container with some wax paper separating the layers. They can keep up to a week or so this way as long as they’re not exposed to too much air.

You can also freeze the baked cookies and they will keep for up to a month.

Of course, you can make this chocolate chip shortbread cookie recipe any time of year but I love them during the holidays because they always bring back so many memories. My mom made batches of these buttery cookies to freeze and I would always sneak a few when no one was looking. They really are irresistible.

Give these a try this year and they might be your new favorite cookie tradition – Enjoy!

Cookies stacked on a mirror.
Chocolate chip shortbread with 5 stacked and one leaning.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

Rosemary Molloy
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies, an easy cookie that practically melts in your mouth! Each bite has a taste of chocolate for the best shortbread cookie.
5 from 7 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 30 cookies
Calories 125 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 cup butter (softened)
  • ¾ cup icing/powdered sugar (sifted)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups all purpose flour (at least 11% protein)
  • 1 pinch salt*
  • ¾ cup chocolate chips or chunks (115 grams)

*if using unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon salt.

    EXTRAS

    • 3-4 ounces chocolate (melted)

    Instructions
     

    • In the mixing bowl beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy approximately 3 minutes. Add the salt and flour and mix just to combine, add the chocolate chips or chunks and combine.
    • Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface and roll into an 18 inch log, cut it into 2 logs, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for approximately 30-45 minutes.
    • Remove the log (one at a time) from the fridge and slice ¼ inch slices and place on a parchment paper cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. While the oven is pre-heating refrigerate the cookies until the oven is hot, approximately 15-20 minutes. Repeat with remaining log.
    • Pre-heat oven to 300F (150C).
    • Bake the cookies until a pale golden color. Approximately 15-20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle or dip with melted chocolate if desired. Chill the cookies 10-15 minutes for firm up the chocolate before serving. Enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    The log will flatten from lying in the fridge, so you can shape the slices into a rounder circle before placing on the parchment paper cookie sheet.
    Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container with some wax paper separating the layers. They can keep up to a week or so this way as long as they’re not exposed to too much air.
    You can also freeze the cooled baked cookies in a freezer safe container and they will keep for up to a month or two.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 125kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 57mgPotassium: 19mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 189IUCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword chocolate chip shortbread, shortbread, shortbread cookie recipe, shortbread cookies
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    2 Comments

    1. 5 stars
      Ok – everyone ditch your standard chocolate chip cookie recipe & TRY THIS ONE! Honestly, it is the best cookie of this type – lovely, thick, buttery & absolutely delicious! (Not to mention easy!) Will definitely be my go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies, especially when I need something fabulous & quick! Thanks for posting ?

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