Chocolate Walnut Shortbread Cookies ~ if a cookie and a brownie had a baby they might come up with a delicious buttery cookie like this! Keep a log of this slice and bake cookie dough in the fridge for last minute visitors (or snack attacks!)
Chocolate walnut shortbread cookies are a sophisticated treat
Chocolate and walnuts were made for each other. These slice and bake cookies are like little brownie bites, only not quite as sweet, and the slightly bitter walnut flavor holds its own against the chocolate. There is a nice background of vanilla, too. They have that famous shortbread texture, which melts in your mouth, and they’re ridiculously easy to make.
Slice and bake cookies are one of the best concepts ever, one of my favorite ways to use this dough is to slice off a few at a time to bake up when the urge for fresh cookies warm from the oven strikes.
TIP: You can freeze this dough, just be sure to wrap it well and use it within a month or two.
After you chill the dough it slices up neatly. Use a sharp knife and you’ll reveal a kaleidoscope of chocolate walnut gorgeousness.
TIP: Be sure your butter is at room temperature and you get the dough thoroughly combined, with no dry flour or dry crumbles, before rolling it into a log.
more nutty shortbread cookies to try…
Chocolate Walnut Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, regular or extra dark
- 1 stick, (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- heaping 1/2 cup walnuts, rough chopped
Instructions
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. You can use a wooden spoon or a stand mixer. I use my mixer. Add in the butter and the vanilla, and stir until completely mixed and a soft dough forms.
- Fold in the walnuts and turn the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Form the soft dough into a rough log, about 7-8 inches long.
- Roll up in the paper, smoothing the log and twisting the ends firmly to form a secure package.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours, or freeze for 1 hour if you're in a hurry, then unwrap and slice into thin slices, about 1/4-1/3 inch.
- Preheat oven to 325F
- Place on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes. Just until set.
- Cool for a minute on the tray, then transfer to a cooling rack.
notes and variations
- Toast your walnuts to bring out a deeper flavor.
- Pecans would also work well in this recipe.
Nutrition
44 Comments
Joanne B
May 17, 2021 at 3:50 pmThis recipe would be good but you forgot the salt
Sue Gregg
December 7, 2020 at 1:47 pmDid not enjoy these cookies. They were so dry that I baked 2 first- we did not like them. Added 1 egg and another 1/4 granulated sugar and they are much better.
Danny
November 21, 2020 at 7:52 amI made these and was just looking for a basic cookie dough and saw this and was so excited to try them. I did them just as written and they are perfectly delicious!! I did freeze some but unfortunately ended up making them two days later because everyone ate them up. Perfect cookie
Luquita Kroll
May 1, 2020 at 8:52 pmSounds wonderful. I will be trying this using pecans and raw peanuts home roasted. I get my pecans and raw peanuts at We’re Nuts in middle Ga. They are south of me and fresh too. Love the peanuts I can roast fresh in about 15 cooking time from the freezer..
Lollapalooza
June 10, 2019 at 3:11 amThanks for your great post… I’d love to do a few different flavour logs ahead for overnight guests in a couple of weeks.. do you recommend freezing as a log or as sliced & uncooked. Look awesome to go with morning coffee ?
Sue
June 10, 2019 at 7:02 amI usually freeze as a log, and then let defrost enough to be able to slice ~ hope everybody loves them!
Joanne B
May 5, 2021 at 11:23 amYou’re missing the salt in the recipe
Sue Moran
May 5, 2021 at 12:30 pmDefinitely add 1/4 tsp, or use salted butter if you like.
Penny
December 13, 2019 at 7:22 pmI was disappointed . We love shortbread cookies but these were real dry and just wanted to fall apart. I also would add more sugar. They were bitter tasting
Sue
December 13, 2019 at 9:56 pmYou really have to make sure the butter and flour comes together in this dough, but shortbread dough definitely has a crumbly texture. It should melt in your mouth, though.
Elinor
July 8, 2018 at 6:50 amHi, looks great!
How much gr. Is 1 stick b 1/2 cup unsalted butter..?
Sue
July 8, 2018 at 7:50 am1 stick or 1/2 cup butter is equal to 4 ounces, or 113 grams Elinor.
Tina
April 28, 2018 at 8:56 pmHi Sue I made these today and followed your instructions but they taste chalky. I froze them for an hour and they cut nicely.
Sue
April 29, 2018 at 7:46 amNot sure about the chalky taste, Tina, but I do know that shortbread in general is very different from regular cookies, and maybe that’s what you’re experiencing? There is a little bit of a ‘flour’ taste to shortbread, and that could be interpreted as chalky. Hope you try my other cookies 🙂
Christina
February 14, 2019 at 2:11 pmI recently used what turned out to be stale confectioner’s sugar. Although it was in frosting, it definitely left a bad taste. I can see how that might affect other recipes.
Jean
January 16, 2018 at 10:13 amGreat recipe! My Mom made these cookies in the 1950’s and they were my favorites!
Thank you for sharing the recipe and bringing back wonderful memories!
Sue
January 16, 2018 at 11:09 amYou’re welcome Jean!
Nanda
May 15, 2017 at 6:21 pmI love this recipe! I added a little bit more powdered sugar, and it was a very nice and semi-sweet buttery cookie! Melted in my mouth! Kept each batch in for 12 minutes and removed from the tray to the cooling rack after about 30 seconds. Had minimal problems with cracking, just treated each cooking carefully. Easy recipe and very satisfying results. Thanks for sharing this Sue!
Sue
May 15, 2017 at 7:29 pmYou’re so welcome Nanda ~ thanks for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂
M King
December 22, 2016 at 5:19 pmI made these for my annual Christmas cookie exchange. I loved the flavor and they looked so good until I took them off the cookie sheet. they all fell apart and were too crumbly. I was so disappointed and had to throw them all away. I followed the recipe so I don’t know what I did wrong. any suggestions? I’d like to try them again. Thanks!
Sue
December 22, 2016 at 5:26 pmShortbread does need time to cool completely so it sets up. Is it possible you moved them while warm? Shortbread does have a ‘crumbly’ texture, but they shouldn’t fall apart. Hope this helps 🙂
Linda
December 8, 2018 at 1:38 pmCrumbled cookies are fabulous over ice cream. They can frozen and used later.
Susan
December 20, 2016 at 3:19 pmThese cookies sounded great and look pretty, but they are not sweet at all. I put a glaze on them to make them palatable.
Sue
December 20, 2016 at 4:14 pmThese aren’t super sweet cookies, that’s true Susan. You can add a little more sugar to the dough next time without a problem.
Kristina
July 22, 2016 at 4:36 pmI too made them as directed yet they were super crumbly. Not too sweet. I didn’t mind but they sure would not hold together. ?
Sue
November 24, 2017 at 5:22 pmKristina make sure your butter is at room temperature and you work the dough until it is thoroughly combined, with no dry flour, etc., before you roll it.
Ron
June 24, 2016 at 4:59 amSo… don’t set your oven then place dough in fridge for 2 hours… ?
Alana
March 6, 2016 at 1:06 pmI made these as directed and they tasted very dry and bitter. Is the 1/4 cup sugar correct?
Dora
March 11, 2017 at 8:46 amDid you use Black Walnuts if so that is probably where the bitterness came from, but it could be the cocoa you used. Shortbread cookies are never sweet just a bit sweet, but you can add extra powder sugar 1/4 cup and it should not affect them.
Julie
December 18, 2019 at 12:52 pmBitter that’s the word I am looking for. Unbaked dough tastes great. Baked not so much.
Judy Ernst_Hopp
December 1, 2014 at 4:21 pmThanks for sharing your recipe. Looks yummy, can’t wait to bake.
Looking forward to other recipes.
Anonymous
November 21, 2012 at 1:31 amoops! Just saw it at the top!
Anonymous
November 20, 2012 at 11:31 pmyum! I’m making these for thanksgiving! One question..what temperature do you bake them at? Thanks!
shannon @ a periodic table
October 10, 2012 at 9:04 pmi love love LOVE the idea of a chocolate walnut shortbread; shortbread cookies in general drive me crazy with delight, but these look like GLOBES! those walnuts are like little countries…beautiful. and i’m sure delicious. Definitely on my holiday cookie list this year.
Tricia @ saving room for dessert
October 9, 2012 at 4:13 pmSue you are the shortbread queen – please put ME on your Christmas cookie list 🙂 Chocolate shortbread and walnuts. Absolutely – MFEO (made for each other!)
From Beyond My Kitchen Window
October 8, 2012 at 8:27 pmI’m putting these on my Christmas cookie list. I love the look of the walnuts in the chocolate.
The Café Sucré Farine
October 8, 2012 at 11:21 amI’m the ultimate shortbread sucker so I will have to try these! Love the pretty shapes the walnuts give when cut!
SavoringTime in the Kitchen
October 8, 2012 at 1:55 pmOh my, these do look delicious! And, even healthy with the walnuts 🙂
grace
October 8, 2012 at 10:19 amoh boy–now i’m excited! thanks so much, sue!
these cookies look great–walnuts are beautiful, aren’t they!
Velva
October 7, 2012 at 11:54 pmGrace is going to love thsi cookbook!
The chocolate shortbread cookies look awesome. You could not just a couple, it would be devoured.
Velva
Linda in Waterloo, Ontario
October 7, 2012 at 9:41 pmThese look amazing! They will be on my cookie-baking list this Christmas! Thank you for the recipe. 🙂
Magnolia Verandah
October 7, 2012 at 3:56 amCongrats Grace. These shortbreads look heavenly.
Yasmeen
October 7, 2012 at 10:02 amNow this is my type of cookie. I agree tenfold that chocolate and walnuts were made for each other. Beautiful stuff.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
October 6, 2012 at 8:17 pmSue these look so good! I love the mosaic-like appearance of those walnuts peering back at me! So pretty and love the EASE of the recipe!