Delicious Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

Here is my favorite chocolate chip shortbread cookie recipe, with a rich, buttery base, chunks of dark chocolate, and a sprinkle of sea salt on top that makes these cookies impossible to resist.

These cookies are a staple in my house year-round. They’re simple to make but taste like they came from a fancy bakery. The shortbread stays crisp on the edges and tender in the middle, and that hint of sea salt really brings out the chocolate flavor.

What Kind of Chocolate Should I Use?

Dark chocolate is the way to go for these shortbread cookies since its slightly bitter notes balance out the buttery sweetness of the dough. You can use a chocolate bar chopped into chunks or good quality chocolate chips – both work great. I’d recommend sticking with something in the 60-70% cacao range for the best flavor, but if you prefer sweeter chocolate, semi-sweet or milk chocolate are totally fine substitutes. Just make sure to chop your chocolate into small, bite-sized pieces so you get chocolate in every bite without overwhelming the cookie.

Options for Substitutions

These shortbread cookies are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Unsalted butter: This is the one ingredient you really shouldn’t substitute. Butter is what gives shortbread its signature crumbly texture and rich flavor. If you only have salted butter, use it but skip the added salt in the recipe.
• Light-brown sugar: You can use all granulated sugar instead, though you’ll lose a bit of that caramel-like flavor. Or make your own brown sugar by mixing 1 tablespoon of molasses with ½ cup of granulated sugar.
• Egg yolk: In a pinch, you can use 1 tablespoon of heavy cream or sour cream instead. The cookies will be slightly more crumbly but still tasty.
• Dark chocolate: Feel free to use milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or even white chocolate based on your preference. Just keep the chopped texture – it distributes better than regular chips.
• All-purpose flour: You can replace up to ¼ cup of the flour with cornstarch for an even more tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Don’t substitute with whole wheat flour as it will make the cookies too dense.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake with shortbread cookies is overworking the dough after adding the flour, which develops too much gluten and turns your cookies tough instead of tender and crumbly – mix just until the flour disappears and stop.

Another common error is using melted or too-soft butter, so make sure your butter is just softened to room temperature (it should hold its shape but give slightly when pressed), which keeps the cookies from spreading too thin and losing their shape.

Don’t skip chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking, as cold dough helps the cookies maintain their thickness and creates that perfect sandy texture shortbread is known for.

Finally, resist the urge to overbake – pull them from the oven when the edges are just barely golden and the centers still look slightly underdone, since they’ll continue cooking on the hot pan and firm up as they cool.

What to Serve With Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies?

These buttery cookies are perfect alongside a hot cup of coffee or tea – the richness of the shortbread pairs especially well with a bold espresso or black tea. I love serving them as an afternoon snack with a cold glass of milk, which is great for dunking and balancing out the sweetness. They also make a nice dessert when plated with fresh berries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or you can crumble them over yogurt for breakfast. For a cozy evening treat, try pairing them with hot chocolate or a glass of dessert wine.

Storage Instructions

Store: These shortbread cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I like to tuck a piece of parchment paper between layers to keep them from sticking together, and they honestly taste just as buttery and good on day five as they do fresh from the oven.

Freeze: You can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container, or freeze the dough logs wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil. When you’re ready to bake, just slice the frozen dough and add a couple extra minutes to the baking time.

Serve: If you’ve frozen baked cookies, just let them thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving. They’re perfect with coffee or tea, and honestly taste amazing straight from the container without any reheating needed.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3400-3600
• Protein: 32-36 g
• Fat: 220-240 g
• Carbohydrates: 340-360 g

Ingredients

• sea salt for sprinkling (optional but recommended for contrast)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (pure vanilla preferred for best flavor)
• 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup dark chocolate (chopped into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature, about 70°F)

Step 1: Cream Butter and Sugars Until Light and Fluffy

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Place softened butter in a mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed for about 1 minute until it becomes creamy and pale.

Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar gradually, continuing to beat for another 2-3 minutes until the mixture is noticeably fluffy and lightened in color.

This creaming process incorporates air into the dough, which creates the tender, delicate crumb characteristic of shortbread.

I prefer to use a stand mixer for this step, but a hand mixer works just as well.

Step 2: Incorporate Egg Yolk and Vanilla

• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• creamed butter and sugar mixture from Step 1

With the mixer still running on medium speed, add the room-temperature egg yolk and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture.

Beat for about 1 minute until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.

Room-temperature ingredients emulsify better with the butter, creating a more uniform dough and improved texture in the final cookies.

Step 3: Mix Dry Ingredients and Add to Wet Mixture

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup dark chocolate
• wet ingredient mixture from Step 2

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt to combine evenly and distribute the salt throughout.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined—stop as soon as you don’t see dry flour streaks.

Overmixing at this stage develops gluten, which makes the cookies tough rather than tender.

Switch to a spatula and fold in the chopped dark chocolate pieces until evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Step 4: Form and Chill Dough Logs

• dough mixture from Step 3

Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a log roughly 6-7 inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter.

Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until very firm.

Chilling is essential here—it prevents the dough from spreading too much during baking and allows the flavors to meld.

I like to make these logs the day before baking for maximum convenience and better flavor development.

Step 5: Prepare to Bake and Slice Dough

• chilled dough logs from Step 4
• granulated sugar for coating

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove the plastic wrap from one dough log and roll it gently in granulated sugar to coat the exterior—this adds a pleasant crunch and sparkle.

Using a sharp knife dipped in warm water (and wiped clean between cuts), slice the log into 1/2-inch thick rounds.

Arrange the rounds on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart to allow for slight spreading during baking.

Step 6: Season and Bake Until Edges Brown

• sliced dough rounds from Step 5
• sea salt for sprinkling

Sprinkle each cookie round lightly with flaky sea salt—this enhances the chocolate flavor and adds a sophisticated contrast to the sweetness.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are golden brown but the centers still appear slightly underdone; the cookies will continue to firm up as they cool on the baking sheet.

I remove them when the edges just turn golden because residual heat finishes the cooking, resulting in a perfectly tender shortbread with a slightly crisp edge.

Delicious Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

Delicious Delicious Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 54 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 48 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 42 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Calories: 3500

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• sea salt for sprinkling (optional but recommended for contrast)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (pure vanilla preferred for best flavor)
• 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup dark chocolate (chopped into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature, about 70°F)

Method

 

1. Place softened butter in a mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed for about 1 minute until it becomes creamy and pale. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar gradually, continuing to beat for another 2-3 minutes until the mixture is noticeably fluffy and lightened in color. This creaming process incorporates air into the dough, which creates the tender, delicate crumb characteristic of shortbread. I prefer to use a stand mixer for this step, but a hand mixer works just as well.
2. With the mixer still running on medium speed, add the room-temperature egg yolk and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture. Beat for about 1 minute until the mixture is smooth and fully combined. Room-temperature ingredients emulsify better with the butter, creating a more uniform dough and improved texture in the final cookies.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt to combine evenly and distribute the salt throughout. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined—stop as soon as you don't see dry flour streaks. Overmixing at this stage develops gluten, which makes the cookies tough rather than tender. Switch to a spatula and fold in the chopped dark chocolate pieces until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
4. Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a log roughly 6-7 inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until very firm. Chilling is essential here—it prevents the dough from spreading too much during baking and allows the flavors to meld. I like to make these logs the day before baking for maximum convenience and better flavor development.
5. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the plastic wrap from one dough log and roll it gently in granulated sugar to coat the exterior—this adds a pleasant crunch and sparkle. Using a sharp knife dipped in warm water (and wiped clean between cuts), slice the log into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Arrange the rounds on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart to allow for slight spreading during baking.
6. Sprinkle each cookie round lightly with flaky sea salt—this enhances the chocolate flavor and adds a sophisticated contrast to the sweetness. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are golden brown but the centers still appear slightly underdone; the cookies will continue to firm up as they cool on the baking sheet. I remove them when the edges just turn golden because residual heat finishes the cooking, resulting in a perfectly tender shortbread with a slightly crisp edge.