Shortbread has always been one of my favorite treats to enjoy alongside a warm cup of coffee.
Traditional versions rely heavily on regular butter, so I wanted to create an option that anyone avoiding milk products can still love.
These dairy free chocolate dipped shortbread cookies have that classic crumbly texture that practically melts in your mouth.
Dipping each piece into melted dark chocolate with a pinch of flaky salt gives them a wonderful bakery-style finish.
The dough is very simple to mix together, and you can easily slice and bake them whenever you want a sweet treat.
Why This Recipe Is a Keeper
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Texture – The secret touch of cornstarch creates an ultra-tender, crumbly bite that rivals any traditional bakery cookie.
Rich Buttery Flavor – Using solid dairy-free butter sticks gives you all the rich, comforting taste of traditional shortbread.
Satisfying Crunchy Edges – Rolling the dough in coarse sugar gives every slice a sparkling look and a pleasant sweet crunch.
Silky Chocolate Dip – Melted dark chocolate blended with coconut oil creates a glossy coating that snaps cleanly with every bite.
Here’s What You’ll Need
For the Shortbread
- 1 cup Dairy Free Butter, Softened
- 2/3 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Coarse Sugar
For the Chocolate
- 1 cup Dairy Free Dark Chocolate Chips
- 2 tsp Coconut Oil
- 1/2 tsp Flaky Sea Salt
How to Make It
Step 1
In a large bowl, beat the dairy free butter, powdered sugar and vanilla for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Use firm dairy free butter sticks rather than a tub spread for the best buttery texture.
Step 2
Add the flour, cornstarch and salt and mix on low speed until a soft, uniform dough forms.
Step 3
Divide the dough in half and shape each piece into a log about 1 1/2 inches wide on a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and chill for at least 2 hours, until very firm.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll each chilled log in the coarse sugar, pressing gently so it sticks.
Slice the logs into 1/3 inch thick rounds and place them 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.
Step 5
Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely, as the cookies firm up while they cool.
Step 6
Microwave the dark chocolate chips with the coconut oil in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until completely smooth.
Step 7
Dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate, let the excess drip off and set it on parchment paper. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt and chill for 15 minutes until the chocolate is set.
Recipe Tips
Pick the Right Dairy-Free Butter
I recommend sticking to firm dairy-free butter sticks rather than soft tub spreads. Tub varieties contain extra water and oil that will make your shortbread spread out flat and turn greasy in the oven.
Make sure the butter is just soft enough to leave a light thumbprint. If you let it melt or get warm and shiny, the dough will not hold its shape.
Spoon and Level Your Flour
Shortbread has no eggs or baking powder, so dry flour amounts make a huge difference in the texture. If you scoop flour straight from the bag with a measuring cup, you pack in too much flour and end up with dry, crumbly cookies.
From my experience, fluffing the flour with a fork and spooning it lightly into the measuring cup works best. Level it off flat with the back of a butter knife for the perfect melt-in-your-mouth crumb.
Rotate the Dough While Slicing
When you press a knife straight down through the chilled dough log, the bottom can easily flatten out into an uneven shape.
My favorite trick here is to give the dough log a quarter turn after every single slice. This keeps the pressure even all the way around so your cookies stay round and neat.
You should also use a thin, sharp knife rather than a dull one. A sharp blade glides straight through without squashing the edges.
What to Make Next
- Dairy Free Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Dairy Free Chocolate Truffles
- Dairy Free Fudgy Brownies
- Dairy Free Magic Cookie Bars
- Dairy Free Peach Cobbler Cookies
Popular Questions
Why do I need to use stick butter instead of tub butter?
Tub butter contains extra water and oils to keep it spreadable, which makes shortbread spread too thin and lose its shape.
Firm stick butter gives the dough the proper structure so your cookies bake up thick, crisp, and crumbly.
Dairy Free Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dairy Free Butter, Softened
- 2/3 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp Coarse Sugar
- 1 cup Dairy Free Dark Chocolate Chips
- 2 tsp Coconut Oil
- 1/2 tsp Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the dairy free butter, powdered sugar and vanilla for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Use firm dairy free butter sticks rather than a tub spread for the best buttery texture.
- Add the flour, cornstarch and salt and mix on low speed until a soft, uniform dough forms.
- Divide the dough in half and shape each piece into a log about 1 1/2 inches wide on a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and chill for at least 2 hours, until very firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll each chilled log in the coarse sugar, pressing gently so it sticks. Slice the logs into 1/3 inch thick rounds and place them 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely, as the cookies firm up while they cool.
- Microwave the dark chocolate chips with the coconut oil in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until completely smooth.
- Dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate, let the excess drip off and set it on parchment paper. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt and chill for 15 minutes until the chocolate is set.