I brought a batch of these buttery, crumbly, and crispy sourdough chocolate shortbread cookies to a meeting the other day. My coworker took one bite, leaned over, and whispered “Sooo good!” Needless to say, there was barely a crumb left by the end of the meeting. And those were not even chocolate-covered. Imagine the reaction you’ll get when you bring a tray of the dipped version.
These chocolate shortbread cookies are incredibly simple to make, just like the classic version of my sourdough shortbread cookies, only packed with rich chocolate flavor this time. Baked to a delicate snappy texture, I promise they’ll melt on your tongue.
Key ingredients
🍫 What makes these sourdough chocolate shortbread cookies so special is the three layers of chocolate flavor: a chocolate sourdough starter, cocoa powder in the dough, and a rich melted chocolate coating.
Notes and substitutions:
- Sourdough starter discard – similar to my hot chocolate cookies, you can use discard from a regular sourdough starter or from a chocolate starter. But the chocolate starter will give you a much more intense chocolate flavor. I tested this recipe both ways, it was so hard to choose the final version. My husband actually prefers the version with the regular starter, which has a moister center. But I had to go with the chocolate starter version for the flavor alone.
- Butter – I tested these with regular Costco unsalted butter because that’s what I usually bake with. But if you are in a more splurgy mood, swapping in fancy Irish butter or other high quality butter, like I did in the classic version, will make them so much more buttery and absolutely phenomenal!
- Cornstarch – While you can absolutely make shortbread without cornstarch, it makes a huge difference in the texture. It gives these cookies their delicate snap right out of the oven while also creating that signature melt-in-your-mouth crumb that makes shortbread so special.
- Chocolate chips – I’m not particular about the type of chocolate you need to use for melting. I’m just using the Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips I usually put in chocolate chip cookies for coating these. I prefer bittersweet for a more intense chocolate flavor or you can opt for semisweet for a milder sweeter version. Both are good.
How to make it
Follow along visually as we make these sourdough chocolate shortbread cookies. Or you can skip ahead, detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
1. Cream butter with sugar
Cream softened butter with sugar, vanilla and salt until completely incorporated and creamy.
2. Incorporate chocolate starter
Beat chocolate sourdough discard with the butter/sugar mixture until creamy and fluffy.
3. Add dry ingredients
Sift flour, cocoa powder and cornstarch directly to the wet ingredient mixture. You don’t want to over mix the dough but you do want to mix it enough so a dough is formed and no trace of flour is left.
4. Form a log & chill
Roll the dough into a log about 6″ in length. Now, wrap it well in plastic and refrigerate or freeze for at least 1 hour.
5. Slice the dough & freeze
Slice the dough log into 12 cookies about ½” thick. I like to rewrap them in the same plastic and freeze while the oven preheats – about 15 minutes or even longer.
6. Bake
Sprinkle a mixture of sugar and salt on top of the cookies and bake at 350F for 22 mins.
7. Dip in chocolate
When the cookies are completely cool, dip them in melted chocolate.
💡Quick tip: when you’re melting the chocolate, if it is too thick, you can stir in a teaspoon of oil to thin it out. This will help make it easier to dip the cookies.
Sourdough Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- 113 grams (4 oz) unsalted butter room temperature
- 75 grams (6 tablespoon) granulated sugar
- 1 gram (⅛ teaspoon) kosher salt
- 8 grams (1 ½ teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
- 40 grams chocolate sourdough starter discard or regular starter discard
- 130 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 13 grams (2 tablespoon) cocoa powder dutch-process preferred
- 13 grams (1 ½ tablespoon) cornstarch
Topping
- Extra granulated sugar
- Extra kosher salt
- 113 grams (4 oz) chocolate chips bittersweet or semisweet, melted
- 1 teaspoon oil optional
Instructions
- Cream butter with sugar – Add softened butter, sugar, vanilla extract and salt to a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is thoroughly incorporated and creamy.113 grams unsalted butter, 75 grams granulated sugar, 1 gram kosher salt, 8 grams pure vanilla extract
- Incorporate sourdough starter – Add chocolate sourdough starter (active or discard) and continue beating until thoroughly incorporated and creamy. You can use a regular sourdough starter here if you don’t maintain a chocolate starter.40 grams chocolate sourdough starter discard
- Add dry ingredients – Sift flour, cocoa powder and cornstarch directly into the stand mixer bowl with the wet ingredients. Stir to combine, then increase the mixer speed and beat until no trace of flour remains and the dough is formed. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.130 grams all-purpose flour, 13 grams cocoa powder, 13 grams cornstarch
- Form the log – Place a long piece of plastic wrap flat on the countertop. Roll the dough on top of the plastic wrap into a log about 6” in length. Wrap it up and refrigerate or freeze for at least 1 hour before baking.
- Slice the cookies – Use a sharp knife to slice the cookie dough log into 12 cookies about ½” thick. Rewrap in the same plastic and place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes, while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake – Mix 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar with a few pinches of kosher salt in a small bowl. Place 12 cookies on a large lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle the sugar mixture on top generously and bake for about 22 minutes. You don't have to add salt to the sugar topping but I highly recommend it for that pop of saltiness.Extra granulated sugar, Extra kosher salt
- Cool – Remove the baking sheet from the oven, but allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet to finish baking from the residual heat for 5-10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dip in chocolate – Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl placed over a simmering pot of water. If the melted chocolate is very thick, you can add a teaspoon of oil to it to thin it out to make it easier to get a nice coating. Dip the cookies half way into the melted chocolate and place them back onto the lined baking sheet to set.113 grams chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon oil
Notes
- Storing baked cookies: Store your sourdough chocolate shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to a week.
- Storing cookie dough: Unbaked shortbread dough can be kept refrigerated for 3-4 days, or freeze for 3-6 months. It is best to slice the log first before freezing.
- Baking frozen dough: No need to thaw frozen cookie dough, you can bake directly from the freezer. The slices may stick together when frozen, just use a paring knife or butter knife to separate them.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
