Light, crunchy, buttery Shortbread Bites drizzled with chocolate are simple to make and even easier to eat!
You won’t be able to stop yourself from popping these little shortbread cookies into your mouth one after another, and they make a tasty addition to any holiday cookie plate.
Get ready for the holidays with this easy cookie recipe!
All you need to get a party started this winter is a batch of chocolatey shortbread bites and some of my Christmas Vodka Cocktails. You could also try them with Peppermint Hot Chocolate!
No matter the occasion, these shortbread cookies are quick to disappear since they are light, crispy, and delicious.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
What I love most about shortbread cookie recipes is how simple they are! By its nature, shortbread does not include any eggs or leavening ingredients, so the list of things you need to make this recipe is extra short.
Just butter, flour, sugar, and vanilla are needed to make the shortbread bites, and then melted chocolate wafers make the simple drizzled topping.
The process of making shortbread bites is also very easy. Rather than rolling out the cookie dough and cutting it into fancy shapes, we’ll just use a knife to cut the shortbread into squares!
Make this your go-to Christmas shortbread cookies recipe! I love how the little bites fit in between the larger Christmas cookies on my platters.
These chocolate-covered shortbread bites also make great edible gifts, along with homemade Rum Balls and Christmas Pretzel Hugs. Wrap some up in a pretty gift box or bag for your favorite people this year!
Ingredients In Shortbread Bites
Here’s what you need to make these mini shortbread cookies:
- Butter: Keep your salted butter cold for this recipe. Cut it into small pieces so that it will be easier to beat smoothly in the mixer.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the perfect choice for this recipe. You can also make shortbread with your favorite gluten-free AP flour meant for baking.
- Granulated Sugar and Powdered Sugar: I’ve tried this recipe with different ratios, and have decided that this blend of two types of sugar gives us the lightest, crispiest cookies!
- Vanilla Extract: This adds the right amount of yummy flavor to these simple cookies.
- Chocolate: To create interest, I like to use 3 different types of chocolate with this recipe: milk, dark, and white. Candy melts are easy to use, but you can also use bars of chocolate or chocolate chips if you prefer.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Chocolate Drizzled Shortbread Bites
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the cold butter, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar until well blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is mixed, then mix in the vanilla extract.
- Add Flour: Be sure not to add all the flour at once! I mix it in in three portions, mixing very well between each, and scraping the bowl down as I go.
- Chill: Once the dough has come together, press it into a 9×13-inch baking pan that you’ve lined with parchment paper. Cover it with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut: Remove the dough from the fridge and lift it out of the baking dish. Use a knife or a pastry roller to cut the shortbread dough into ½ inch squares.
- Arrange: Place the squares on the lined baking sheets, leaving an inch and a half between them. These will spread just a bit while baking.
Tip!
Try to make the squares fairly even. You can trim away the uneven edges if you like, or just save those more interesting shapes for yourself (you know, quality control!)
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn light brown. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the tray.
- Melt the Chocolate: Add the chocolate wafers (one flavor at a time) to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on half power for 30 seconds and stir. If needed, continue to microwave at 15-second intervals until smooth.
- Drizzle: Use a spoon to drizzle dark chocolate on a third of the bites, milk chocolate on another third, and white chocolate on the final third of the shortbread bites. Allow the chocolate to harden before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Chilling is important! Let the shortbread dough chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cutting and baking the cookies. If needed, you can leave the dough in the fridge for up to a day as well.
- It’s normal for these cookies to spread a bit. This shortbread cookie dough is a bit more delicate than some others, and it will give you a light, crisp cookie.
- Instead of drizzling these with chocolate, you can dip them instead! Try dipping just the bottom or the top, or dipping half of each bite into the melted chocolate.
- You don’t have to use three types of chocolate melts, choose your favorite and stick with just one.
- For extra holiday cheer, add some sprinkles or crushed candy canes to the chocolate while it’s still wet.
- You can also stir things into the dough. Try sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, or finely chopped nuts.
Storing Tips
These little cookies will keep for about a week at room temperature. Just be sure to keep them in an airtight container.
You can also freeze chocolate-covered shortbread bites. Keep layers of parchment paper between the cookies so that they won’t stick together.
More Christmas Cookies to Try
I know you’ll be making these shortbread cookies for Christmas this year, but why not try a few other new cookie recipes as well?
Recipe FAQs
You will typically find instructions on the back of the package, so refer to that if needed. I’m using Ghirardelli brind melting wafers, and the instructions given are to add the wafers to a microwave-safe container. Heat on half power for 30 seconds and stir. If needed, continue to microwave at 15-second intervals until smooth. You can also use a double boiler on the stovetop to melt chocolate
Some shortbread recipes do require that you add holes to the dough so that moisture can escape. It’s not needed in this recipe though, since the cookies are so small.
I love making coconut shortbread cookies! You can mix shredded coconut into the dough, add it on top of the melted chocolate, or both!
More Cookie Recipes
These shortbread bites are the perfect little cookie for the holidays! They’re also completely delicious any other time of the year, so save this recipe by Pinning it to your Christmas cookie board!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Chocolate shortbread bites
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Electric Hand mixer or Stand mixer
- pastry wheel
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340 g) salted butter cold and cut into small pieces
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dark chocolate melting wafers
- ¼ cup milk chocolate melting wafers
- ¼ cup white chocolate melting wafers
Instructions
- Line a 9×13-inch (approx. 23×33 cm) baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside for later.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the cold butter, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar until well blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is mixed. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour in three parts. Make sure each part is fully mixed in before adding the next. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Press the dough evenly into your lined baking dish. Cover it with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You can also leave it overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C), and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and lift it from the baking dish using the parchment paper. Cut the dough into ½ inch squares. Place the squares on the lined baking sheets. Keep them about 1.5 inches apart.
- Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn light brown. Let them cool completely on the tray.
- Melt each type of chocolate separately. You can microwave melting wafers on half power for 30 seconds. Then stir. Repeat the process with 15-second increments if needed until the chocolate is smooth.
- Drizzle dark chocolate on a third of the bites, milk chocolate on another third, and white chocolate on the last third. Allow the chocolate to set and harden before serving.
Notes:
- Chilling is important! Let the shortbread dough chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cutting and baking the cookies. If needed, you can leave the dough in the fridge for up to a day as well.
- It’s normal for these cookies to spread a bit. This shortbread cookie dough is a bit more delicate than some others, and it will give you a light, crisp cookie.
- Try dipping them! Try dipping just the bottom or the top, or dipping half of each bite into the melted chocolate.
- You don’t have to use three types of chocolate melts, choose your favorite and stick with just one.
- For extra holiday cheer, add some sprinkles or crushed candy canes to the chocolate while it’s still wet. You can also stir things into the dough. Try sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, or finely chopped nuts.
- How to Melt Chocolate Wafers: You will typically find instructions on the back of the package, so refer to that if needed. I’m using Ghirardelli brind melting wafers, and the instructions given are to add the wafers to a microwave-safe container. Heat on half power for 30 seconds and stir. If needed, continue to microwave at 15-second intervals until smooth. You can also use a double boiler on the stovetop to melt chocolate
- Storage: Keep well-sealed at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Norma says
I have some vintage (1970’s) Wilton shortbread cookie molds I will use to make these! Five sheets so I can make lots of squares, triangles, circles and crescents!