Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

If you have ever wanted a cookie that feels a little fancy but takes almost no effort, these chocolate chip shortbread cookies are exactly that. The dough comes together with just 7 ingredients, most of which are probably already in your kitchen, and the whole batch bakes on two sheet pans.

I adapted this recipe from my lemon shortbread cookies because readers kept asking me for a chocolate version. The buttery base stayed the same, and mini chocolate chips turned it into something my family now requests on repeat. Every bite is buttery, tender, and full of chocolate, and the cookies honestly melt in your mouth.

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If you enjoy shortbread in other forms, you will want to try my chocolate almond toffee slice and bake cookies and my cranberry orange shortbread cookies too. They all rely on the same simple technique, so once you make one batch, the rest feel easy.

Why We Love This Recipe

There is a lot to love here, and none of it requires special equipment. No stand mixer attachment you have to hunt down, no cookie press, no fancy cutters. A bowl, an electric hand mixer, and a baking sheet will carry you all the way to a beautiful cookie.

The dough is flexible too. You can roll it out and cut shapes with cookie cutters, or you can shape it into a log and make slice and bake cookies. The slice and bake route is my usual choice because it is faster and the rounds come out so neat and even.

Texture is where these really shine. The edges bake up crisp while the centers stay tender, with that classic melt in your mouth shortbread finish. Because the chips are mini, chocolate spreads through every bite instead of landing in one heavy chunk.

They are a wonderful addition to holiday cookie boxes and cookie exchanges, but I make them all year long for tea time, lunchboxes, and after school snacks. They also travel well, which makes them a favorite for potlucks and family gatherings.

Ingredients

A quick note on each ingredient before you start:

• Unsalted butter, room temperature. Room temperature butter creams properly with the sugar, which is what gives the cookies their light texture. Let it sit out about an hour before you begin.
• Powdered sugar. Also called icing sugar. This is the secret to the soft, melt in your mouth texture, so please do not swap it for granulated sugar.
• Vanilla extract. A good quality vanilla really matters in a short ingredient list, since there is nothing to hide behind.
• One egg yolk. Just the yolk, no white. It adds richness and tenderness. If you need an egg free option, my eggless chocolate chip cookies are a great place to start.
• All purpose flour. This gives the cookies their structure.
• Salt. Only a quarter teaspoon, but skip it and the cookies taste flat and bland.
• Semi sweet mini chocolate chips. Mini chips are recommended because they distribute evenly and slice cleanly.

Full measurements are listed in the recipe card further down this page.

Substitutions & Variations

Shortbread is forgiving, so here are a few swaps that work well in this recipe.

• Salted butter. You can use it in place of unsalted butter. If you do, leave out the added salt, since the butter already brings plenty of seasoning.
• Regular chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Both work in place of mini chips. The slices will be a little more uneven, and you may need a touch more care with your knife.
• Chocolate dipped. For a richer, more special occasion cookie, dip the cooled cookies in melted chocolate and let them set.
• Gluten free. I have not tested a gluten free version of this recipe. If you want to try one, a 1 to 1 gluten free flour substitute is the best starting point.

Any of these small changes still give you a buttery cookie that disappears fast, so feel free to make the batch your own.

Step By Step Instructions

The method is simple, and the only part that truly requires patience is the chilling.

1. Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium bowl and set it aside.
2. Cream the butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffy.
3. With the mixer running, add the vanilla, then the egg yolk.
4. Turn the mixer to low, add the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Turn the dough out onto the counter and shape it into a 10 inch log. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for about 2 hours, until firm.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 °F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Slice the log into rounds about 1/4 inch thick and place them about 1 inch apart.
7. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges just begin to turn golden brown. Let the cookies rest on the sheets for 10 minutes, then move them to racks to cool completely.

That is the whole process. Once the dough is chilled, the batch moves quickly from counter to oven.

Expert Tips

• Chill the full 2 hours. Chilled dough develops flavor and slices cleanly. If the log is still warm, the rounds will smear and lose their shape.
• Use unsalted butter. Salt levels vary from brand to brand, so unsalted butter lets you control the seasoning exactly.
• Reach for a serrated knife. It cuts through the chocolate chips instead of dragging them out of the dough.
• Pull them early. Bake just until the edges begin to turn golden. Shortbread that browns too far loses that tender middle.

One more thing: if a slice crumbles as you cut it, simply press it back together on the baking sheet. Nobody will ever know, and it will bake up just fine.

More Chocolate Cookies You’ll Love

If you make these chocolate chip shortbread cookies, I would love to hear how they turned out. Leave a star rating and a comment below, and tell me what you thought or what you changed.

You can also tag me on social media so I can see your batch. Seeing your cookies come out of your own kitchen is genuinely my favorite part of sharing recipes here.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup (80 g) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 1/4 cups (281.25 g) all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (135 g) mini chocolate chips

This makes 24 cookies, and the dough is enough for one 10 inch log.

Instructions

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour and salt and set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer or a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffy.
3. With the mixer running, add the vanilla, followed by the egg yolk.
4. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips until incorporated.
5. Turn the dough out onto the counter top and form the dough into a 10 inch log. Roll it in plastic wrap and chill the dough for about 2 hours or until firm.
6. Preheat oven to 350 °F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, slice the cookie dough into rounds about 1/4 inch in size. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
7. Bake 12 to 14 minutes until the edges just begin to turn golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes then transfer them to racks to cool completely.

Serve the cookies once they are fully cool, or store them as described below if you are baking ahead.

Notes

Mini chocolate chips are recommended because they make slicing the log much easier. Regular chocolate chips still work, but they are harder to cut through and can tear the dough as you slice.

If your cookies fall apart while you slice them, press the pieces back together with your fingers. If the dough is too cold to slice cleanly, let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to warm up slightly, then continue.

Storage. Baked cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the fridge for up to 10 days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

The unbaked dough log can be stored in the fridge for 2 days before baking, or frozen for up to 3 months. To bake from frozen, thaw the log in the refrigerator for about 2 hours until it is sliceable.

Nutrition. The figures below are estimates per cookie and calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.

Recipe details

Here is the quick summary so you can plan your baking session.

Plan for the chill time when you start, since the dough needs about 2 hours in the fridge before it is firm enough to slice.

FAQs

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

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• Total Time: 149 min
• Yield: 24 Cookies 1x

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Description

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies If you have ever wanted a cookie that feels a little fancy but takes almost no effort, these chocolate chip shortbread cookies are exactly that. The dough comes together with just 7 ingredients, most of which are probably already in your kitchen, and the whole batch bakes on two sheet pans.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

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Instructions

Instructions
1-In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk: In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour and salt and set aside.
2-In the bowl of an electric mixer: In the bowl of an electric mixer or a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffy.
3-With the mixer running, add the vanilla,: With the mixer running, add the vanilla, followed by the egg yolk.
4-Turn the mixer on low and slowly: Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips until incorporated.
5-Turn the dough out onto the counter: Turn the dough out onto the counter top and form the dough into a 10 inch log. Roll it in plastic wrap and chill the dough for about 2 hours or until firm.
6-Preheat oven to 350 F and line: Preheat oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, slice the cookie dough into rounds about 1/4″ in size.** Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 ” apart.
7-Bake 12-14 minutes until the edges just: Bake 12-14 minutes until the edges just begin to turn golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes then transfer them to racks to cool completely.

• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 14 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 155
• Sugar: 7g
• Sodium: 30mg
• Fat: 9g
• Saturated Fat: 6g
• Carbohydrates: 16g
• Fiber: 0.5g
• Protein: 2g
• Cholesterol: 29mg

Keywords: Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies