These chocolate-dipped chocolate shortbread cookies are incredibly buttery, rich and straight-up delicious! With fun add-ons, like dried cranberries and walnuts, they’re sure to be a favourite addition to your holiday baking list!
This chocolate shortbread cookies were originally posted in December 2016, but have been updated with new text, recipe pictures and slight tweaks in the recipe.
Hi friends!
Has the holiday festivities begun in your home?
Just last weekend, we watched a couple of Christmas movies, enjoyed a big mug of hot chocolate, and put up our tree.
As I was unpacking the ornaments, I realized how many memories are contained in each and every one of them. Each ornament has a story. As I was grabbing each one, I was thinking about the wonderful memories associated with it.
Funny thing, when you first get an ornament, while they are special at the time, they truly mean that much more as the years pass. I love looking at our tree; there are so many happy memories and stories.
Food is like that too, don’t you think? Certain foods or meals are representative of a memory or special occasion. Every single year I make these cornstarch shortbread cookies and they always put a smile on my face.
Aside from the copious amounts of butter, cornstarch helps make these cookies flaky, light and kinda melt-in-your-mouth. Bottom line? So good!
Why We Love These Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- These holiday cookies are made with less than 10 simple ingredients (including the chocolate dip and garnish).
- They can be customized to taste with other add-ons (instead of cranberries and walnuts).
- Shortbread cookies are super simple to prepare.
- Of course, they taste so good!
How to Make Shortbread Cookies with Cornstarch
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (or use a mixing bowl and a hand mixer), mix together flour with cornstarch, icing sugar, cocoa powder and salt.
- Add softened butter.
- Blend everything together.
- Remove the shortbread dough ball from the mixer and wrap in food plastic wrap. Place into the fridge for a little while to chill (this makes the dough easier to handle).
- Once the cookie dough has chilled, remove from food plastic wrap, form into balls and place onto a parchment paper-lined sheet pan.
- Flatten dough balls to form cookies and bake.
- Melt chocolate.
- Dip the chocolate shortbread cookies into a bowl of melted chocolate (just on one side), allowing excess chocolate to drip off, back into the bowl.
- Place the chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies on a wax paper-lined sheet pan and sprinkle with dried cranberries and walnuts. Allow the chocolate to set before enjoying.
Do Shortbread Cookies Freeze Well?
Yes! These chocolate shortbread cookies freeze really well!
Store cooled cookies in a freezer-safe bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
When ready to enjoy, take them out of the container and place on a plate to thaw. They thaw super quickly and can almost be enjoyed right away.
Tips and Variations
- This shortbread cookie recipe can easily be halved if you want to make a smaller batch.
- A small pinch of flaky salt is a yummy addition. Add a little after dunking the cookies in the melted chocolate. Sweet and salty combos are delicious!
- Instead of walnuts, try almonds or pecans.
More Fun Holiday Recipes
If you make this shortbread cookie recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Cornstarch
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup icing sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1.5 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces dark chocolate, melted (about 227 grams)
- 4 tablespoons dried cranberries, chopped, if necessary, to make smaller
- 4 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Instructions
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a mixing bowl with a hand mixer), mix together the flour, cornstarch, icing sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Preheat your oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit at this point too.
- Add butter to flour mixture and blend until combined and dough is soft. Form into a ball and wrap in food plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes until dough is easier to handle (and form into cookies).
- Remove dough from the refrigerator, unwrap from food plastic wrap, and shape into balls (each ball about 2 tablespoons). Place balls onto a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Note: If the dough is too firm to handle, just let sit on your countertop for a little bit until you can roll into balls.
- To form cookies, gently flatten each ball with your hand. You want the cookies about ½-inch thick and about 2 inches in diameter. Cookies should be about 1 inch or so apart to allow for them to spread a little.
- Bake for about 22 minutes. Once done, carefully remove (as they are delicate before they cool). Remove the cookies from the sheet pan with a spatula and place onto a cooling rack to cool.
- Place a sheet of wax paper on a sheet pan. Once cookies are cooled, one at a time, dip cookies into a bowl of melted dark chocolate on one side (allowing excess chocolate to drip off back into the bowl). As you are dipping them, place cookies onto prepared sheet pan and sprinkle with dried cranberries and walnuts (gently pressing into chocolate, if necessary, to adhere).
- Once done, allow the chocolate to harden completely. To speed cooling and hardening of chocolate, place the sheet pan into the freezer for about 10 minutes. Remove, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You can melt the dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, heating for about 30 seconds or so at a time, stirring and mixing and heating for another 30 seconds until just melted. Note: it’s easier if the chocolate is roughly chopped first.
- This shortbread cookie recipe can easily be halved if you want to make a smaller batch.
Nutrition (ESTIMATE ONLY)
Nutrition estimate (if provided) is based on 1 Serving.
Nutrition information (if provided) is provided as a courtesy and should be considered an estimate only. Ingredients can vary and Girl Heart Food makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are guidelines only.
Karen (Back Road Journal)
Chocolate shortbread cookies dressed up like you did could become a new Christmas tradition.
Katherine | Love In My Oven
How have I not added chocolate shortbread to my baking list!? These are beautiful and walnuts are my fave nut. These are perfect!
[email protected]
Chocolate shortbread?! Yes, please!! This is one perfect holiday cookie, my friend! Happy weekend, Dawn! XO
Laura
These cookies look so delicious, Dawn! I love the idea of a chocolate shortbread, and have never seen a cornstarch + wheat flour recipe! Definitely going to give this a try! And I so agree about the Christmas ornaments – we have a huge tree this year and I truly love seeing each and every ornament – they do become more precious as the years go by!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thanks Laura! They’re actually cornstarch and flour. Those ornaments truly do get more special!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
We have not put our tree up yet – hoping for next weekend! I love decorating and baking Christmas cookies to nibble on while we are decorating. These cookies look delicious. I’ve never added corn starch to my cookies before. I always love a crisp cookie, so I can’t wait to give these a try.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Same here! Thank you Kathy! Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Marissa
I’m a sucker for shortbread and chocolate, so you know I’m loving these! And that chocolate dip makes them so pretty!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Me too! Thank you Marissa!
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
These cookies are so festive, Dawn! Love the addition of the cranberries and walnuts!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you Michelle! It makes these shortbread cookies extra special!
MaryAnn | The Beach House Kitchen
Holidays are in full swing here Dawn! Tree is up and cookies are already baking. Looks like I will be adding these to my list. I LOVE shortbread. Loving the cranberry and walnut toppings too!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thanks so much, Mary Ann! Hope you enjoy!
David @ Spiced
We just decorated our tree last weekend, too! We did have to add a few basic ornaments (balls, etc.) as we moved to an artificial tree this year that was much larger than what we’ve done before. Either way, having cookies like this around is perfect for the holiday season! I do love shortbread cookies, and the chopped cranberries and walnuts here look amazing. Well done, my friend!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
How exciting! Thank you David!
Valentina
These cookies are the essence of the holiday season. Pretty, festive, fun, chocolatey and delicious! I could eat a dozen. Or Two! And I just love baking cookies this time of year. It’s a must! 🙂 ~Valentina
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Agreed! Thanks Valentina!
Emily Leary
These cookies are great! I love the combination of flavours – just right for Christmas which is suddenly not really that far away!
Girl Heart Food
So true! Thanks Emily 🙂
Holly
I love cranberries and chocolate together! I’m excited to give these a go this holiday season!
Girl Heart Food
Me too! Thanks so much Holly 🙂
Nicole
This cookie has everything my heart desires. Chocolae, dried cranberries, and its a shortbread cookie! Love this!
Girl Heart Food
Thanks you Nicole 🙂 They are pretty tasty!
Julie
I love cookies dipped in chocolate – it always creates such a nice texture contrast. Add in the chopped nuts for crunch and it sounds perfect!
Sharon
These cookies look fantastic! The dark chocolate is a perfect addition to these. Great treat for the holidays for sure.
Anne Murphy
The cranberries sound just right! I love contrast flavors like that – add even more interest to what sounds like a lovely rich chocolate cookie~!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme
Wow, these look sooo good! The perfect holiday cookie! Pinning to try soon 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Thanks so much Sam! Enjoy!
Nicoletta Sugarlovespices
These cookies are not only beautiful but so delicious! They are perfect for every important occasion, sure to impress guests.
Girl Heart Food
Thanks Nicoletta! I love making them every Christmas 🙂
Monica | Nourish + Fete
These are SO pretty Dawn- they would absolutely steal the show on a holiday cookie platter! I love how they are half dipped and then decorated so nicely!
Girl Heart Food
Thank you Monica! They’re definitely a favourite around here 🙂
Renee Gardner
These look so festive!! I can’t wait for the holiday season to get here again! I always make shortbread, but I may have to add chocolate shortbread to the list this year!
Girl Heart Food
Thanks Renee! Enjoy 🙂
Georgie
These look beautiful Dawn!! I am all about the chocolate cookies at Christmas time! These are making me so excited for days spent inside with the fire going, Christmas songs playing and baking!!!
Girl Heart Food
Yes! Totally getting excited right now! Thanks Georgie 🙂
Shelley
Oh, Dawn, these are just gorgeous! And absolutely so festive for the holidays with those pretty red cranberries (yes – definitely the perfect thing to make or munch while watching bad, made-for-tv Christmas movies LOL!). These are such standouts – so perfect for wowing guests on a holiday cookie tray!
Girl Heart Food
Thank you Shelley 🙂 All the Christmas movies, right 😉 ?? Have a wonderful weekend!
Gloria
OMG I don’t even want to think about Christmas baking. It is Thanksgiving this coming weekend in Canada. Once that is over…it seems like it is ONE BIG DAY until Christmas. I know have to start shopping and making my baking list. These look super good. Santa won’t get any of them cause I don’t think I will want to share.
Girl Heart Food
I know! Can’t believe it’s just next week! Not sure where the time goes! Eeeeek! I don’t know if I’d want to share either…though, then we may get on Santa’s naughty list, lol 😉
Muna Kenny
Light and sweet post, just like your delicate and yummy looking shortbread. I love the old fashioned shortbread but when I tried the chocolate version I was amazed. I know I’m going to bake a batch using your recipe soon 🙂
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
Shortbread cookies are MY FAVORITE!!! And omg- I didn’t even know chocolate shortbread was a THING! I need these… preferably now. Who cares that it’s still breakfast time lol
Girl Heart Food
Me too, Sarah! Easy to make and easier to eat, lol. And cookies are totally acceptable for breakfast, especially during the holidays 😉
Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom
That’s one of the things I love about decorating the Christmas tree too – unpacking all of the ornaments that you made as kid, ornaments friends and family got you over the years, ornaments you purchased at special places or during special times… they each seem to tell a story. Christmas cookies do the same thing – and I could definitely see these little beauties becoming part of a delicious tradition of Christmas cookies that get made throughout the years.
Girl Heart Food
Thanks so much, Kathleen! Hope your having a lovely weekend 🙂
Kevin | Keviniscooking
I used to have a box of old-fashioned Christmas tree ornaments and when we re-modeled the house a few years back things got moved to our new attic and the box got munched under another heavier one. We have since skipped putting up a tree. Sad face. But about these cookies. Shortbread are one of my all-time favs as you know and chocolate makes it all better, right? Love that touch of dried fruit on there. Beautiful Dawn! Thanks for the shout out, too. Have a great weekend friend. 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Oh no!! That’s too bad!! Thanks Kevin 🙂 Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend too!
Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat
Oh my gosh I love how you mentioned those types of movies! My mom and I always make fun of them because they all have the same title (especially on Hallmark). A husband for Christmas, A family for Christmas, A prince for Christmas… too funny! My mom is into Lifetime movies and I always get sucked into those too! They are just so bad but so entertaining!
Girl Heart Food
So true!! And once I turn them on, I can’t turn them off, lol. Thanks Shelby!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
These cookies look amazing. I love the chocolate shortbread….and those moose glasses! Too cute 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Thanks Kathy! I love those glasses! I always break them out at Christmas 🙂
Jolina
Looks like another lovely weekend Dawn! We’ve always had an artificial tree. I’m allergic to pine and trees and the great outdoors it seems lol. And yeah, some meals are just so full of memory and history, those are the best kinds 🙂 These cookies look so amazing! Love the addition of cranberries.
Girl Heart Food
It was! Oh no! Allergic? Well, I guess you get to spend more time inside baking 😉 Thanks Jolina! Have a lovely weekend!
Kathryn @ Family Food on the Table
Aww, I love that the ornaments hold so many memories for you! Ours are that way too – we have some basics that we put up and then all the “special” ones – gifts, mile markers in our lives, ones our kids have made and a bag full of ones from when I was little. They do make the tree all the more magical looking and festive! And these cookies – I love how chocolatey they are and that they have all the fun toppings! YUM!! Hope you have another great weekend! XO
Girl Heart Food
Thanks Kathryn! Hope you get to try these cookies 🙂 They’re pretty delicious! Have a great weekend too! XO
karrie @ Tasty Ever After
I love Christmas specials but the old school 70s ones. We have a real tree every year and we decorate it with clear lights, wooden red beads, and every ornament of ours has a story.
Girl, these cookies are the bomb! Chocolate shortbread is super tasty and loving the cranberries and walnuts in there too. I’ll have to leave off the walnuts for J but that’s means double nuts on my cookies!! WOOOOOHOOO! 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Old school is the BEST!! I’m with you! Yay! Thanks girl! No walnuts for J? That’s one of the best parts, I think 😉 But, like you said, more for you….hehehe! Can never have too many nuts… or cookies 🙂 XOXO
Adina
It’s nice that you all have your Christmas tree standing already, there is more time to enjoy it this way. We only get it on Christmas Eve day or maybe a day before and it’s already gone on the 3rd or 4th of January. The cookies are lovely, I like using cranberries in baked goods, their sourness cuts so pleaseantly through the sweetness.
Girl Heart Food
Years ago, growing up I remember we were a lot later putting up our tree, but these days it seems that a lot of people are putting it up earlier and earlier….some even in November, but that’s a little too early for me. I just love the ambiance it creates in the room with all the coloured lights. Thanks so much, Adina!! Have a great weekend 🙂
Stephanie | The Foodie and The Fix
Sounds like a fun weekend to me! We had a real tree this year for the first time ever! The adventure of finding it in the forest and cutting it down in the snow, was absolutely nothing short of magical. And I’m like you, I LOVE getting our ornaments out every year and and all of the happy memories that each one represents. And yes, those Christmas movies have some kind of voodoo going on, because you KNOW they’re terrible, but it’s like you can’t help yourself, you have to watch them anyway! Things have been so crazy over here lately, I’ve really missed reading your posts, Dawn! So glad to hear that you’re having a great holiday season! Pinning! XOXO
Girl Heart Food
It really was! Super busy getting ready for the big day, but so fun and I really think that a big part of Christmas is the actual getting ready part, don’t you? Thanks so much for the lovely comment and Pin, Stephanie…really appreciate it! Hope you have a fabulous weekend, my friend! XO
Tracy | Baking Mischief
Sounds like a fabulous weekend! I came down with my traditional before-Christmas-cold, so I spent the weekend on the couch with lots of hot drinks and vaguely holiday-themed television. It was actually pretty great. 😉
Mmmm. These cookies are all of my favorite things. I love the idea of chocolate shortbread, and adding dried cranberries just makes it perfect x2! Bet these show up on a lot of cookie trays this year. Pinning!
Girl Heart Food
That unfortunate, but at least it forced you to relax, right? Yay! Happy you like the cookies! Shortbread is one of my absolute favourites for sure. Thanks for the kind words and Pin, Tracy! Hope you are feeling better 🙂
THE HUNGRY MUM
squee! that milk glass!!! I am in lurve with these Chrissy cookies, they look perfect.
Girl Heart Food
Thanks so much 🙂
David @ Spiced
I am totally right there with ya on the ornaments, Dawn! I’ve never thought about it, but Laura and I often talk about the unique ornaments as we pull them out of the box. And there’s always 1 or 2 that we’ve forgotten about, and it’s fun to find them again each year. We always do a real tree because of the smell + tradition, but then we have an artificial tree down in our basement. (That’s where we hang all of our childhood ornaments!) I’m loving these cookies, and I’m thinking a batch of these would be an excellent addition to the holiday cookie lineup. And the cranberries + walnuts on there is a perfect touch for the holidays! 🙂
Girl Heart Food
I may have to get a second tree, lol. I just love the real ones! That smell totally reminds me of Christmas! Thanks David….hope you like the cookies 🙂
Cathy | whatshouldimakefor.com
I’m with you on the Christmas movies and the traditional ornaments. Our tree is filled with ornaments from my youth all the way to today. We’ve collected from our trips and include every ornament our boys ever made. Makes it so special. Love traditional cookies at Christmas too. Shortbread is a must and even better with chocolate!
Girl Heart Food
Those heartfelt ornaments definitely make the tree extra special! Love it so much! Shortbread is a favourite around here…they don’t last too long 😉 Thanks Cathy!
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry
I can never pass up a plateful of chocolate cookies with all the fixings!
Girl Heart Food
Can never go wrong with cookies, especially during the holidays 😉 ! Thanks Nicole!
Sues
I feel like I just need to get TWO trees (tell my husband that!) because I am so torn every year. I LOVE the look of a modern tree that’s all silver and white… But I also love all my fun ornaments. And you’re so right that it’s just like food… I only want our classic family traditions on Thanksgiving, but I also get really sad that I can’t introduce new fun dishes. I guess these are good problems to have??? Also, these cookies like perfect to me!! The good thing about cookies is that you can never have too many… which means there’s plenty of room for the classics and the new guys 🙂
Girl Heart Food
Two trees sounds like a brilliant idea! Now you have me thinking that’s what I should do, lol. I totally agree that you can never have too many cookies, especially since I sample them as I’m baking so I definitely have to make extra…hehehe! Thanks Sues!
Natalie R
These look so good and I think they’ll make the perfect holiday cookie for my family!! Could you clarify what temperature to bake at? 350 degrees F? Thanks!!
Girl Heart Food
Thanks so much, Natalie! I’m sure they will love them! These need to be baked at 300F for about 20 minutes. I’ve updated that in the instructions – thank you 🙂
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks
Your weekend sounds like a blast! I actually got sucked into watching Home Alone 2 the other day and I’d forgotten how funny it is. Going the chocolate route with these cookies was a genius move, my friend! I love the cranberries and walnuts in here too!
Girl Heart Food
It was!! Haha! Home Alone is pretty funny! Thanks girl! So happy you like the recipe 🙂 Have a great week!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
Sounds like you had a wonderful, holly jolly weekend, Dawn! Our weekend was busy and productive, but none of it was spent on holiday stuff. Oops? Lol. Our tree is artificial, but we don’t have one up yet… and I’m thinking it might not make it up this year. I donno though, we will see. I’d just rather spend all my free time baking holiday cookies for my own consumption. 🙂 LOVE these!! Boy would absolutely devour these! He eats all the chocolate for me, so I’m thinking I will need to make a double batch of these! The cranberry and walnuts in here is perfect!! Cheers, dear!
Girl Heart Food
Yes, we definitely did, Cheyanne! No tree up? Maybe you can put it up and even if you didn’t decorate it, but just had it lite? I just love the ambiance it creates! Perhaps you can make these for boy and the white chocolate version for you 😉 Thanks girlie!
[email protected]
We did real trees forever until the year with spiders (I whispered that), which I think I already told you about… Oh my! Then switched to artificial for ten years, and now this year – we took a leap of faith and went back to real! I just missed the pine smell in the house! So far, so good! So these cookies with chocolate? Are you kidding me? Divinity!! Pinned! Have a great day, my dear! XO
Girl Heart Food
Giving me cold shivers just reading that, Annie! You know me and spiders, lol. Yes, you definitely can’t beat that pine smell. It’s the best!! Thanks for the kind words and Pin, my friend! XO
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
We have two real trees Dawn. One big one and one smaller one. We always decorate the smaller one with ornaments that are beach inspired! It’s my favorite tree!
I can’t get enough shortbread during the holidays, so I’ll be adding this recipe to my cookie list for sure! I love the tart cranberries in this one!
Girl Heart Food
That’s so neat – two trees! What a great idea! I’d love to see that beach inspired one 🙂 Thanks Mary Ann-hope you like ’em!!
Shashi at RunninSrilankan
Dawn, I love old school trees too – my daughter and I started a tradition a while ago of getting an ornament (and if we couldn’t find one, then a keychain) from every city/place we visited and so every year at Christmas we get to relive our adventures -in a way. I wouldn’t trade those old ornaments/clunky keychains for anything!
By the way – these cookies look so good! So loving the dark chocolate + cranberry + walnut combo!
Girl Heart Food
That’s so sweet! Now, every time you look at those ornaments or keychains you think about the day you got them 🙂 Thanks Shashi! Hope you have a wonderful week!
Miriam - londonkitchendiaries.com
This is just Christmas in a cookie – perfect for chocolate addicts like me 😉 Can’t believe it but I am slowly getting ahead of my to do list. We have also managed to decorate our Christmas tree – we bought a real one but we used an artificial one before which is great as well! Christmas food and ornaments certainly bring back fond memories of past Christmas – I just love this time of year! Have a great week!
Girl Heart Food
Yay for you for getting ahead on your to do list! Always nice to cross things off! Can’t believe we are less than two weeks away! Thanks Miriam 🙂 Hope you have a lovely week, my friend!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
Sounds like you had a great weekend, Dawn! I get sucked into those made-for-TV movies EVERY time. Most aren’t too bad, but I watched one last weekend that was horrible (not a Christmas one though), and afterwards, I was second guessing my sanity haha! 🙂 And hooray for finishing your tree! My husband and I both grew up with artificial trees, so it was a no-brainer for us to get one too. So much easier to put up and so fun to decorate! We got piled with snow this weekend (about 7-8 inches) so I’ve been baking up a storm. These cookies look SO good, friend! I can’t decide which of your shortbreads I like better! 🙂 I don’t think I’ve ever had a chocolate version before, so this is calling my name. I love the addition of cranberries and walnuts, just perfect for the season. Pinned, of course! Hope your week is off to a wonderful start!
Girl Heart Food
Thanks for the sweet comment, as usual, Gayle…and for the Pin – much appreciated! Hope you have a wonderful week too 🙂