These easy chocolate chip shortbread biscuits have that delicious buttery flavor elevated with dark chocolate chips. A great addition to your holiday baking list!
These chocolate chip shortbread biscuits or cookies are a variation of my plain whipped shortbread. For a lemon version - have a look at my lemon shortbread.
If you are looking for a more traditional chocolate chip cookie check out my chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar or even my coffee cookies!
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Why You Will Love this Chocolate Chip Shortbread Recipe
- Elevating a simple delicious shortbread with chocolate is a sure winner!
- The cookie dough can be made up to a month in advance.
- These cookies are super easy to make!
- A great cookie to bake this holiday season.
Ingredients
Here are some notes on the ingredients used in this recipe. Please see the recipe card for quantities.
- Butter is a key flavor in these biscuits. If using salted butter, simply leave out the additional salt, if using unsalted butter, additional salt is a must!
- Flour - plain, standard grade or all-purpose flour is what this recipe calls for.
- Icing Sugar or Powdered Sugar adds sweetness with the added starches giving the biscuit a tender snap. Using icing sugar plays a similar role as when using cornstarch (Maizena) in the biscuits.
- Caster sugar can be substituted with white granulated sugar. Plain white or caster sugar gives a crispness to this biscuit that is otherwise completely lost with just using icing sugar
- Chocolate - I used Whittaker 50% dark chocolate, chopped up for this recipe. I highly recommend choosing a chocolate you enjoy eating for this recipe, and I really think that a chopped chocolate bar is superior to chocolate chips.
Salt is a crucial ingredient in all baked goods. I use table salt in all my recipes. One teaspoon of table salt equals 1.5 teaspoons of Morton Kosher Salt equals 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal.
Room Temperature Ingredients
Use room-temperature ingredients! Using room temperature ingredients ensures that ingredients in the batter or dough will incorporate easier. Take note that room temperature refers to around 20°C/68F.
- To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, place them into warm water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- To bring butter to room temperature quickly, cut the butter into cubes and zap in the microwave at 20% power in 10-second intervals. Or place the cubes in a bowl over warm water (such as with a double boiler) over low heat for 1 minute!
- Milk, buttermilk, and cream can be brought to room temperature by zapping in the microwave at 20% power in 10-second intervals. Or on low heat for a minute or two swirling every 10-15 seconds.
Weighing & Measuring Ingredients
Weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale is more accurate than using measuring cups. All my recipes are developed and tested using grams only.
However, I have activated the metric-to-cup conversions. Simply click on "cups" or "metric" for your preferred measurements. For these conversions, cups are equal to 240 millilitres/8 fluid ounces, tablespoons are 15 milliliters and teaspoons are 5mL.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Shortbread
Step 1 - Whip the butter and sugar
Whip the butter, sugar, and icing sugar using a stand mixer, electric handheld mixer, or whisk until the butter is light. fluffy and aerated.
TIP: The butter must be at room temperature for this step - see my tips on room temperature ingredients above.
Step 2 - Add the dry ingredients
Add in the flour, salt, and chocolate chips. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until a soft pliable dough forms. Knead the dough 3 to 5 times bringing the dough together in all.
Step 3 - Shape the biscuits/cookies
Line a 9"x9" square baking tin for a 23cm tart tin with parchment paper. Press the dough into the baking tin. Dock or prick the dough with a fork.
Step 4 - Rest the biscuits in the fridge
Place the biscuits in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Step 5 - Preheat, Bake, Cool & Serve
Preheat the oven to 180°C/355F and bake the biscuits for 20-30 minutes, until the biscuits are a nice golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack before serving.
Pro Tips for this Recipe
Room Temperature butter is essential for this recipe. Remember that room temperature is around 20°C/68F. Butter from the fridge can take up to an hour to reach room temperature (depending on the size of the block of butter).
Resting the biscuits in the fridge
Allow the biscuits to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This allows the cookies to fully hydrate, for the butter to set, and allows the flavors to fully develop. Resting the dough will also stop the cookies from spreading in the oven during baking.
Making the shortbread dough ahead of time
If you want to make the shortbread dough in advance, it can be kept in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for up to a month. If frozen, simply defrost in the fridge overnight before baking.
Ovens
The temperatures stated are for conventional ovens. For convection, fan-forced, fan-assisted, or air-fryers, the temperature must be reduced by 20°C/25°F.
For baking, make sure the oven is fully preheated, and that the rack is in the middle of the oven. Open the oven as little as possible. For best baking results use an oven thermometer.
Remember that all ovens work slightly differently and bake times may need to be adjusted for your specific oven.
Bakeware
Metal bakeware is superior when it comes to baking biscuits, cookies, brownies, muffins and quick bread, scones, cakes. These heat up and cool down faster than glassware. Glassware is heavier, heats up and cools down slower than metal, and is more suited for bread puddings, pies, crisps, crumbles, and cobblers.
Storage and Freezing
Biscuits can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks. These baked cookies can also be placed in an airtight container and frozen for up to 3 months.
If you want to make the shortbread dough in advance, it can be kept in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for up to a month. If frozen, simply defrost in the fridge overnight before baking.
Chocolate Chip Shortbread FAQ
Chocolate that you enjoy eating! I like a 50-50 mix of milk and dark chocolate to hit those sweeter notes while balancing out that delicious deep chocolate flavors.
Yes. You can freeze the dough for up to a month and allow it to defrost in the fridge overnight before baking. Or once your baked cookies have cooled, you can place them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. If stacking the cookies on top of each other, place layers of baking paper between them to stop them from sticking.
Recipe Card
Chocolate Chip Shortbread
Equipment
- 9x9 Inch (23x23cm) Square Cake Pan
- Stand Mixer OR
- Electric hand mixer
Ingredients
- 170 grams butter
- 60 grams icing sugar (powdered/confectioner's)
- 100 grams caster sugar (fine sugar)
- 240 grams plain flour
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 75 grams dark chocolate chips
- 75 grams milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Whip the butter, sugar, and icing sugar using a stand mixer, electric handheld mixer, or whisk until the butter is light. fluffy and aerated.170 grams butter, 60 grams icing sugar, 100 grams caster sugar
- Add in the flour, salt, and chocolate chips. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until a soft pliable dough forms. Knead the dough 3 to 5 times bringing the dough together in all.240 grams plain flour, ½ teaspoon table salt, 75 grams dark chocolate chips, 75 grams milk chocolate chips
- Line a 9"x9" square baking tin for a 23cm tart tin with parchment paper. Press the dough into the baking tin. Dock or prick the dough with a fork.
- Place the biscuits in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/355F and bake the biscuits for 20-30 minutes, until the biscuits are a nice golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate. If scaling the recipe remember to scale your cook and bakeware accordingly. All temperatures stated are conventional, unless otherwise stated. Recipes tested in grams and at sea level.
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