These melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies are unlike your classic chocolate chip cookie! They’re thick, buttery soft cookies loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips and topped with a sprinkling of sea salt flakes. They are a must-make this holiday season!
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Pin ItWhy You’ll Love This Recipe
- No cookie dough chilling is needed!
- Thick, buttery-soft chocolate chip shortbread cookies that melt in your mouth.
- Zero eggs are needed to make this chocolate chip shortbread cookie recipe!
- Makes two dozen cookies—the perfect amount!
- A delicious sweet-and-salty cookie combo if you add the flaky sea salt on top!
- This shortbread cookie recipe can easily be doubled!
- Perfect for a cookie swap or to share with your family during the holidays!
These salted chocolate chip shortbread cookies could not be any easier to make; your friends and family will love them!
Enjoy!
Table of Contents
Ingredients Needed
The ingredients shown in the image below are used to make these buttery soft, chocolate chip shortbread cookies. Items noted in the bulleted list are key ingredients that need more explanation.
- All-Purpose Flour. My preferred brand of flour to use is always King Arthur.
- Unsalted Butter. I’ve used the Kirkland brand, Plugra, and Kerrygold. Any will work well with this recipe.
- Light Brown Sugar. ALDI has the best light brown sugar. Trader Joe’s is a close second. Use whatever you have on hand!
- Vanilla Extract. I also recommend trying vanilla paste! It’s a more concentrated flavor, and you can see the vanilla beans in the cookie dough.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. The Ghirardelli brand is one of my favorites, which is what I used here, but use what you have on hand!
- Sea Salt Flakes. Not to be confused with table salt! This is an optional ingredient you can add to the chocolate chip shortbread cookies just before baking! If you’re looking for a good brand to try, Malden makes really good sea salt flakes.
For quantities and instructions, please see the recipe card below.
Bringing Unsalted Butter to Room Temperature
Sometimes we forget to set out the butter 30-45 minutes before baking to let it soften. If this happens, pop the butter into the microwave. Heat it for 30-45 seconds at 50% power. This should do the trick!
If your butter is frozen, you might have to repeat this 2-3 times. Just don’t forget it needs to be heated at 50% power! Full power, and you will find yourself with a pool of butter. That’s not fun to clean up, trust me.
Substitutions
Here are a few substitutions to consider when making this chocolate chip shortbread cookie recipe.
- Swap out the butter. You can replace the unsalted butter with salted butter. Make sure to omit the salt from the ingredients list, then.
- Skip the light brown sugar. If you don’t have light brown sugar, you can omit it from the recipe. Increase the amount of granulated sugar to 1/2 cup.
- Try powdered sugar. For a slightly softer cookie, you can use 1/4 cup of powdered sugar instead of light brown sugar.
- Use chocolate chunks. Instead of chocolate chips, you can chop up 7 ounces of dark chocolate and fold it into the cookie dough.
How to Make the Recipe
Below is a brief overview of how to make these easy chocolate chip shortbread cookies. For the full printable recipe, which can be made using US customary or metric measurements using the toggle switch, visit the recipe card below.
Step 1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Set aside.
Step 2. Beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until well blended. Add in the vanilla extract.
Step 3. Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually adding in the whisked dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Step 4. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
Step 5. Scoop out the dough with a 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop and place roughly 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass or jar.
Step 6. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 300ºF. Optionally, you can top the cookies with sea salt flakes before baking. When done, cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
To store chocolate chip shortbread cookies, allow them to cool completely before transferring them to a well-sealed food storage container.
To freeze chocolate chip shortbread cookies, follow the same instructions as above. I recommend placing a sheet of wax paper in between each layer of cookies to prevent them from sticking to one another when frozen. Chocolate chip shortbread cookies will keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. When ready to eat, let them sit out at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. Or you can reheat them for 30 seconds in the microwave or toaster oven.
To freeze chocolate chip shortbread cookie dough, make the dough, then scoop into balls on a parchment- or wax paper-lined baking sheet, and flatten with the bottom of a jar. Freeze until solid, then place in a well-sealed freezer bag or container. When ready, sprinkle the sea salt flakes on top (optional), then bake. You may need to add 1-2 minutes to your baking time.
Helpful Tips
Below are a few tips to make the best chocolate chip shortbread cookies!
- Softened, room-temperature butter is best. Softening your unsalted butter to room temperature will help blend it well with the granulated and light brown sugars.
- Use a 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop. To yield 24 cookies, I recommend using the 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop. You can use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to yield more, if you wish.
- Fold in your chocolate chips. I always recommend folding chocolate chips into your dough with a spatula rather than using the mixer.
- Sprinkle with sea salt. This is an optional step, but whoa, baby—adding sea salt flakes on top of each chocolate chip shortbread cookie—is THE BEST. I highly recommend it.
- Use a small glass or jar. Use a small glass or jar to flatten the cookies slightly. No Hulk strength is needed; just a gentle press to flatten them out will do the trick.
- Let the cookies cool. These are fairly soft cookies once they come out of the oven. Let them cool for about 5-10 minutes before you transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
Recipe FAQs
No eggs are needed in this recipe! Without the eggs, you get a nice, slightly crisp, and crumbly texture when you bite into these buttery chocolate chip shortbread cookies.
Not this recipe! Just make, then bake!
Yes! You can freeze chocolate chip shortbread cookie dough (scooped into balls, then slightly flattened with a small jar) or chocolate chip shortbread cookies. Make sure the cookies have cooled completely before freezing. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. If baking from frozen, you may need to add 1-2 minutes to your baking time.
If you tried these Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know what you thought in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 2 tbsp Sea Salt Flakes
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center), preheat oven to 300ºF, and line large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set to the side.1 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour, 1/2 tsp Baking Powder, 1/4 tsp Salt
- Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar on medium-high speed until well blended. Add in the vanilla extract.1 cup Unsalted Butter, 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar, 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually adding in the whisked dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- With a spatula, fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Using a spoon or a 1 1/2 tablespoon-size cookie scoop, roll the cookie dough into balls. Place roughly 1 1/2 inches apart on the parchment paper lined cookie sheet. You can also use a 1 tablespoon-size cookie scoop which will yield slightly more cookies.
- With the bottom of a glass, gently press down on the tops of each cookie to flatten slightly. If needed, you can lightly coat the bottom of the glass so the cookies won't stick.
- Sprinkle the tops with some sea salt flakes.2 tbsp Sea Salt Flakes
- Bake for 15-20 minutes at 300ºF or until the edges are a light golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
- To store the cookies, allow them to cool completely before transferring them to a well-sealed food storage container. Cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used. See Nutritional Disclaimer for more info.
When the cookies are cooled. Can you drizzle dark chocolate across the top of the cookie to decorate?
I’ve never tried that with these, but yes, you can certainly do that!
Hello do you know if I can substitute all purpose flour for almond flour? It has way less calories
Hi! Sorry, I don’t know as I only tested the recipe using all-purpose flour.
I only have dark brown sugar. Can I substitute 1 for 1 for light brown sugar?
Yes, absolutely! You’ll probably see a slightly darker color cookie with the taste having a deeper caramel/molasses flavor.
Hello! Listen I ran out of time and would love to refrigerate this dough and bake tomorrow-what do you think? Will the cookies be good?
Carol clemans
Yes, you’ll be fine refrigerating the dough!
I just tried this recipe this past weekend and the cookies were delicious. Beside being one of the easiest cookie recipes I’ve ever encountered, the taste was really fabulous. I ended up giving a few away to some of my coworkers and got texts from them before half of our work day was over that their cookies were already gone. These are a winner and will be going into my holiday baked goods boxed that I give to family and friends. Highly recommend this recipe!