These chocolate chip toffee shortbread cookies look simple, but their soft, tender texture and buttery flavor make the perfect cookie to nibble with a cup of strong coffee. Mini chocolate chips and toffee bits add texture and crunch to these delicious cookies.
You might also love these iced lemon shortbread cookies, cranberry pecan shortbread cookies, and pumpkin spice shortbread cookies.
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Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour. Provides structure to the shortbread cookies.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens the cookies, while the fine texture makes for a softer, more tender shortbread cookie than if you used granulated sugar.
- Coarse Kosher Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
- Unsalted Butter. Adds richness and flavor.
- Vanilla Extract. Use a good-quality vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Milk. Binds the dough together without using an egg, which would cause the cookies to puff up.
- Mini Chocolate Chips + Toffee Bits. Texture and flavor.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Instructions
Make the Shortbread Dough.
- In a food processor, pulse the flour, powdered sugar and salt, until combined. With the processor running, drop the pieces of butter in, pulsing just until distributed. Add the vanilla and the milk. Process until the crumbs start to stick together.
- Dump the dough out onto the counter, and sprinkle with the chocolate chips and the toffee. Use your hands to knead in the chocolate chips and toffee, until evenly distributed; this should take about 30 seconds.
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can make this dough with a bowl and pastry cutter. You’ll need to cut the butter in with the pastry cutter, then use your hands to work in the cream until you have a smooth dough. It’s much easier and quicker with a food processor, though.
- Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes.
Roll and Cut the Cookie Dough.
- Lightly flour a clean work surface, and dust the dough with flour as well. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thick, or slightly thinner.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into squares, or dip a cookie cutter in flour and cut as many cookies as you can. Gather up the scraps, re-roll the dough, and continue cutting cookies until you’ve used up all the dough. How many cookies you get will depend on the thickness of your dough and the size of your cookie cutters. I cut about 27 cookies, measuring 2×2 inches.
Chill the Cut Cookies.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set the cut cookies on the baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. If you have room in your freezer, you can just freeze the pans for 30 minutes.
Bake the Cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 350. Bake the chilled cookies on the center oven rack for about 12-14 minutes. They should still be pale in color, with flaky edges and no dark browning. If your cookies are larger/thicker, they may need to bake a few minutes longer.
- Cool the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make shortbread cookie dough without a food processor?
If you don’t have a food processor, you can make this dough with a bowl and pastry cutter. You’ll need to cut the butter in with the pastry cutter, then use your hands to work in the cream until you have a smooth dough. It’s much easier and quicker with a food processor, though.
Why doesn’t this shortbread cookie recipe contain any eggs?
Eggs act as a leavener in cookies, causing them to puff up, spread out, and lose their shape. With shortbread cookies and sugar cookies, you want them to remain compact, buttery and flaky, without losing their shape.
What kind of chocolate chips should I use?
I recommend semi sweet or dark chocolate mini chocolate chips. Large chocolate chips are a little too big for these cutout cookies.
How should I store shortbread cookies?
Shortbread cookies will stay soft and fresh for several weeks. You should store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or freeze them for 3-6 months.
Can I add nuts to these cookies?
Chopped nuts would be great in these cookies! Pecans or walnuts would be especially good with the chocolate and toffee.
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Chocolate Chip Toffee Shortbread Cookies
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Food Processor or Pastry Cutter
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus extra for rolling out the dough
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¾ cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp milk
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup toffee bits
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse the flour, powdered sugar and salt, until combined.With the processor running, drop the pieces of butter in, pulsing just until distributed.Add the vanilla and the milk. Process until the crumbs start to stick together.
- Dump the dough out onto the counter, and sprinkle with the chocolate chips and the toffee. Use your hands to knead in the chocolate chips and toffee, until evenly distributed; this should take about 30 seconds.
- If you don't have a food processor, you can make this dough with a bowl and pastry cutter. You'll need to cut the butter in with the pastry cutter, then use your hands to work in the cream until you have a smooth dough. It's much easier and quicker with a food processor, though.
- Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes.
- Lightly flour a clean work surface, and dust the dough with flour as well. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thick, or slightly thinner. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into squares, or dip a cookie cutter in flour and cut as many cookies as you can. Gather up the scraps, re-roll the dough, and continue cutting cookies until you've used up all the dough. How many cookies you get will depend on the thickness of your dough and the size of your cookie cutters. I cut about 27 cookies, measuring 2×2 inches.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set the cut cookies on the baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. If you have room in your freezer, you can just freeze the pans for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350.Bake the chilled cookies on the center oven rack for about 12-14 minutes. They should still be pale in color, with flaky edges and no dark browning. If your cookies are larger/thicker, they may need to bake a few minutes longer.
- Cool the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Absolutely OUTSTANDING! Perfect consistency, very tasty and followed the recipe exactly!
Thank you!