Chocolate chip shortbread cookies made with just 3 ingredients are buttery, and that melt in your mouth. High in protein, vegan and gluten-free. Cut out shapes or roll the dough and create a slice-and-bake cookie.
Chocolate chip shortbread cookies made from just 3 ingredients, yet taste so buttery even though there is no butter in my cookies. Adding chocolate chips inside and a chocolate dip gives you a mouthful of molten chocolate with every bite. These are a variation of my 2 ingredient sugar cookies, but are easier to make than my vegan chocolate chip cookies.
Why You'll Love These
Just 3 simple ingredients. My 3 ingredient cookies consist of only almond flour, maple syrup, and chocolate chips. They come out crispier than traditional shortbread which is more crumbly.
Buttery shortbread flavor. Traditional shortbread cookies are made with primarily butter, but this recipe gets the buttery flavor and texture from high protein almond flour. This flour tastes like a vanilla cookie straight out of the bag. Want a real sugar cookie? Try my healthy sugar cookie made with oat flour here.
Refined sugar free. Traditional shortbread would call for cane sugar or brown sugar. To keep this cookie more nutritious, I used refined-sugar-free maple syrup. Maple syrup has some essential minerals and is made from tree sap, making it a plant-based ingredient.
Ingredients
Almond flour. Use a fresh and quality brand. No almond meal, fine almond flour.
Maple syrup. Date syrup or monkfruit syrup is also possible.
Chocolate chips. Use mini chips since these cookies are small.
Steps to Make
Step 1: Mix together finely ground almond flour with maple syrup. Put the flour in a bowl, added the maple syrup and use a hand mixer to create a crumbly wet dough. Fold in chips.
Step 2: Press the dough between two sheets of parchment and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Cut out the cookies with a jar or cookie cutter. Use a 2-inch or 1-inch cookie cutter. Then use a knife or sharp tool to pull away the excess. Re-roll until all batter is used.
Step 4: Bake the cookies, and remove the cookies just as they start to brown. Remove from oven and cool them on the pan for one minute, then slide them onto a cooling rack.
Step 5: Once the shortbread cookies are cool, melt chocolate chips in the microwave for one minute, then dip each cookie half way. Sprinkle with nuts and set the cookie on a cooking rack to set at room temperature. It takes about 15 minutes.
Storage
This cookies store nicely at room temperature in a sealed container for about 4 days. Or refrigerate for two weeks, or freeze for three months.
Recipe Tips
1. Use a quality almond flour
I use Bob's Red Mill's almond flour. I use their finely ground version. Since almond flour is the main ingredient in this recipe, be sure it is fresh.
2. Can you swap out the flours?
I have not tried any swaps, although I think tigernut flour or even oat flour might be possible to make it nut-free. Use a bit more maple syrup if you try.
3. Can I use a different sweetener?
Yes, if you are not vegan, honey might work. I can guess that monkfruit syrup might also work for my keto friends.
Variations & Additions
Make a lighter, crispier cookie with cornstarch
Cornstarch helps make a lighter, crispier cookie. Add 1 teaspoon to the flour. Arrowroot can be used instead.
More flavor with vanilla and almond extracts
Adding one or both of these extracts will add a punch to the shortbread cookie's flavor.
Other mix-ins
Consider adding raisins, or crushed nuts with or instead of mini chocolate chips.
FAQS
Do I have to chill the chocolate chip shortbread cookie dough?
Chilling chocolate chip shortbread cookies is necessary to be able to cut them and to prevent them from spreading in the oven.
Can I freeze the unbaked cookies?
The dough for these shortbread cookies can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer until you are ready to bake them. Thaw at room temperature for 30 mintues, and bake according to the recipe.
Can these be slice and bake, or roll and bake, or refrigerator cookies?
Yes, these cookies can be shaped into a cylinder, chilled and sliced and baked. Just roll the dough into a long cylinder, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour or so in the refrigerator. Use a sharp knife to cut ½-inch thick rectangular slices from the chocolate chip shortbread cookie dough. Bake cookies as stated in recipe.
Difference Between Scottish Shortbread, Regular Shortbread and Vegan Shortbread Cookies?
Regular shortbread is generally made of flour, butter and sugar.
My shortbread is made of flour and sugar only. I leave off the butter and instead use the fat coming from almond flour. So while my shortbread can't be considered authentic, it is healthier without the added fat of butter and shortening. And it is even healthier than Scottish shortbread which differs from regular and my own because it uses shortening as the fat.
More Vegan Cookies
- 2 Ingredient Sugar Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- M&M Sugar Cookies
- Milano Copycat Cookies
- Thin Mint Cookies
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ⅛ cup mini chocolate chips
Chocolate coating
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
Make 2-Ingredient Sugar Cookies
- Preheat oven 250 F. It's a lower than normal oven temperature to start for cookies, you'll raise it later.
- Mix ingredients together into a dough. I used a hand-mixer.1 cup almond flour, ¼ cup maple syrup
- Fold in the chips using a spoon or spatula.⅛ cup mini chocolate chips
- Press the dough flat between two sheets of parchment paper on a quarter-sized cookie sheet. Freeze the flattened dough about 15 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
- Peel off the top parchment and cut shapes with a cookie cutter, and pick away the dough between the dough shapes, leaving the cut out cookies on the parchment paper. *
- Bake at 325 F for 15-20 minutes. Start checking at 10 minutes. They are done if they are slightly browned. If your oven is hotter than mine, yours might be done at 10 minutes. These brown very fast so keep watch.
About coating
- Want to dip them? To dip them in chocolate, allow the cookies to cool. Then microwave ½ cup of chocolate chips and coconut oil for 60 seconds.Dip each cookie into the chocolate halfway. Sprinkle the chocolate with any toppings while it is still wet, and set the dipped cookie onto a cool rack. Allow chocolate to set. To speed up the process, set the cooking rack into the refrigerator.½ cup chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Storing Cookies
- Store the cookies for 3-4 days in a sealed container at room temperature. Or refrigerate for two weeks or freeze them for 3 months or longer.
Notes
I use Bob's Red Mill's almond flour. I use their finely ground version. Since almond flour is the main ingredient in this recipe, be sure it is fresh. 2. Can you swap out the flours? I have not tried any swaps, although I think tigernut flour or even oat flour might be possible to make it nut-free. Use a bit more maple syrup if you try. 4. Can I use a different sweetener? Yes, if you are not vegan, honey might work. I can guess that monkfruit syrup might also work for my keto friends. 5. Can I freeze the unbaked cookies? The dough for these shortbread cookies can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer until you are ready to bake them. Thaw at room temperature for 30 mintues, and bake according to the recipe. 6. Can these be slice and bake, or roll and bake, or refrigerator cookies? Yes, these cookies can be shaped into a cylinder, chilled and sliced and baked. Just roll the dough into a long cylinder, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour or so in the refrigerator. Use a sharp knife to cut ½-inch thick rectangular slices from the chocolate chip shortbread cookie dough. Bake cookies as stated in recipe.
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