Sourdough Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
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These Sourdough Chocolate Shortbread Cookies use sourdough discard to create a rich chocolate cookie that crumbles and melts in your mouth. I add a little espresso powder and dark chocolate for a decadent cookie that’s incredibly easy to make.
If you love shortbread cookies as much as I do, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like my Kamut Flour Shortbread Cookies, Chocolate Dipped Almond Shortbread Cookies, or my Chocolate Malt Sprinkle Cookies.
Table of Contents
This is another collab with my friend Hannah at Make It Dough! We come together each month to create a sourdough recipe together and it's so fun! And it gives you recipes that have had double the love poured into them.
These buttery and crispy shortbread cookies are rich and chocolatey with a hint of espresso and a slight tang, thanks to the addition of sourdough discard. I dip them in dark chocolate for a rich and decadent cookie that will use up your sourdough discard and reduce waste!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Best Texture: You will love these Sourdough Chocolate Shortbread Cookies because they have the absolute best crumb. Their texture is a dense crumb that melts in your mouth as soon as you bite in, giving you all that buttery goodness that shortbreads hold.
Chocolate AF: These shortbreads are rich, chocolatey, with a hint of espresso powder. The espresso powder really brings out the chocolate. I top these with even more dark chocolate dips or drizzles, whichever you prefer. Or you can even do a mixture of both, like I did. These are surely a cookie for the chocolate lover!
More Flavor: I use sourdough discard to give them a little more depth of flavor that just makes you wonder what that little extra something is. I top these cookies with a dusting of cane sugar when they come out of the oven. And then I dip or drizzle these cookies with a little bit of dark chocolate, but this part is totally optional!
Ingredients
- Butter: I use Organic Valley Salted Butter. You can use unsalted if you prefer, just add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the dough.
- Powdered Sugar: I use organic powdered sugar in these shortbreads. I love using powdered sugar in shortbreads as it gives shortbreads a light and tender crumb.
- Vanilla Extract: My favorite is Simply Organic.
- All Purpose Flour: I use Cairnspring Mills. Be sure to use a high quality organic flour.
- Espresso Powder: Adding a little organic espresso powder will give these cookies more depth of flavor.
- Sourdough Discard: You can use your sourdough discard straight from the fridge.
- Cane Sugar: I sprinkle these cookies with a little bit of organic cane sugar. This gives them a great texture and makes a beautiful cookie.
- Dark Chocolate: I use organic dark chocolate chips to half dip and drizzle chocolate on top of these cookies. This gives them an extra richness that chocolate lovers will appreciate!
Tools Needed
- Scale: Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
- Stand Mixer: I use my stand mixer for ease, but you can also use a hand mixer if you prefer.
- Plastic Wrap: You’ll need plastic wrap to chill the cookie dough in.
- Baking Sheets: You'll need two half sheet pans to bake the cookies.
- Parchment Paper: I always use nontoxic parchment paper for as I think cookies bake best with it.
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined and there are no butter chunks.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, discard, and espresso powder. Mix on low until a stiff dough forms.
Step 2
On a large piece of plastic wrap, turn out dough and form into a log that is about 14-inches long. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the fridge and cut the cookies into 28 cookies that are about ¼-inch thick. Place on the prepared baking sheets.
Step 4
Bake for 24 to 26 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and bottom. Sprinkle with cane sugar immediately after coming out of the oven. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheets. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude instructions).
Step 5
Using a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate. Half dip the cookies or drizzle chocolate on top.
FAQ's
If you don't have sourdough discard, don't worry, you can still make this recipe! Just mix together 1 part water and 1 part all purpose flour to replace the sourdough discard. So, for this recipe, you can use 21 grams water and 21 grams all purpose flour. You won't get the flavor of sourdough, but these will still be delicious chocolate cookies!
Yes! If you'd like to use milk chocolate or white chocolate, both of these would be delicious!
Shortbread cookies are buttery, crisp, and sweet, so they are best stored in a cool dry place. This usually just means out in the open air, so in an old fashioned cookie jar (not airtight) or just on a platter on your counter. Don't store them in an airtight container as they can become soggy. But, if you live in a very humid climate, they may become soft sitting out, so the fridge could be your best option.
Craving More?
Sourdough Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
Dough
- 226 grams salted butter (softened)
- 142 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 255 grams all purpose flour
- 43 grams Dutch cocoa powder (sifted)
- 43 grams sourdough discard
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
Topping
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- 226 grams dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined and there are no butter chunks.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, discard, and espresso powder. Mix on low until a stiff dough forms.
- On a large piece of plastic wrap, turn out dough and form into a log that is about 14-inches long. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and cut the cookies into 28 cookies that are about ¼-inch thick. Place on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 24 to 26 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and bottom. Sprinkle with cane sugar immediately after coming out of the oven. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheets.
- Using a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate. Half dip the cookies or drizzle chocolate on top.
- Store in a cool dry place for up to 5 days or in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
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