Shortbread Cookie Recipe

During Christmas, a classic, buttery Shortbread Cookie Recipe will always be on my baking list! Soft, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread is baked to perfection, then dipped in rich, silky chocolate and finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. These timeless chocolate shortbread cookies come together quickly and definitely deserve a spot in your Christmas cookie tins!

Recipe Notes:

Fun to Make – While I usually shape these cookies into circles, you can cut out all kinds of shapes for your shortbread cookies!

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread – I think everything tastes better when dipped in chocolate, right?

Easy to Make – These shortbread cookies do need time to chill, but otherwise take only minutes of hands-on time to bake!

Go To Treat – When I have no idea what cookies to bake for an event, or gathering, I’m usually bringing something like these chocolate dipped shortbread cookies because they’re loved by everyone!

Special Flavor – The addition of orange zest in these cookies pairs perfectly with the chocolate!

I love a good bag of Pepperidge Farms shortbread cookies, and I’ll happily splurge on those big blue tins of shortbread. But nothing truly compares to the deliciousness of homemade chocolate dipped shortbread. Sometimes, I don’t even wait for the chocolate to harden before eating them!

Ingredient Info

This is a discussion about the ingredients. For the actual recipe with amounts, please see the recipe below.

Butter – Unsalted is best. I don’t recommend salted butter, but if you do use it, omit the salt from the recipe. Also, make sure the butter is softened to room temperature.
Powdered Sugar – I wouldn’t substitute this for any other sugar as it is crucial for the structure of a shortbread.
Orange Zest – If you don’t have this, you can add ¼ a teaspoon of orange extract instead.
Chocolate Chips – I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. You can use milk, dark or even white chocolate depending on your preference.
Coconut Oil – The coconut oil helps the chocolate harden, and give it a nice shine. If you don’t have this you could use shortening instead.

Step by Step Instructions

This is a discussion about the recipe. For the actual recipe with amounts, please see the recipe below.

Mix softened butter and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Add vanilla, almond extract and orange zest and combine. Add flour, salt and mix into a dough.
Roll out the dough and cut out the cookies. Cool cookies for 30 minutes.
Bake until the edges are a slightly golden color. Remove and cool completely.
Melt the chocolate and dip the cookies. Sprinkle flaky salt and let them harden. Enjoy!

Tips & Advice

Christi, author of Love From The Oven, smiling holding a whisk.

Christi’s Kitchen Tips

Shortbread Tips

For the perfect shortbread, be sure to not over mix the dough. If your dough feels dry and flaky, you likely added too much flour. When measuring your flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off.

It’s also very important to chill the cookies for 30 minutes before baking. This helps them hold their shape when baking. If they don’t chill the cookies will spread.

Storage – You can keep the leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 7 days. Be mindful to keep them away from a window or warm area in your home so the chocolate doesn’t melt.

Make Ahead – You can prepare the dough about 2 days ahead of time, and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to roll it out, shape and bake. If you want to know how to freeze cookies & cookie dough, find tips on that here.

Equipment

For this chocolate shortbread recipe you’ll just need a couple of items!

FAQs

What is the secret to making good shortbread?

Using good-quality butter, baking the cookies for just the right amount of time, and not over-mixing the dough will help your shortbread turn out perfectly every time!

What kind of butter is best for shortbread?

To me, I can’t tell the difference, so I will use whatever butter I have on hand. It always turns out great. However, a lot of people say European butter does make a difference. Kerrygold is a great brand, and is found in almost all grocery stores.

What’s the best flour for shortbread?

All purpose flour is the best choice. When measuring your flour, be sure to spoon it into the measuring cup then level it off. A lot of the time, issues with flour can be because too much was added.