Chocolate Kahlua Bites ~ they’re little mounds of melt in your mouth chocolate shortbread topped with a deep chocolate Kahlua buttercream. (And they’re a snap to make, which just adds to their charm.)

These Chocolate Kahlua Bites are based on one of my all time favorite and deeply personal holiday cookies ever, Melting Moments. I think it’s pretty obvious that sometimes the simplest things are the most irresistible. The thing about these cookies is that they literally do melt in your mouth. The consistency is quite unique, really unlike any other cookie. It has something to do with the butter and the cornstarch. But the little blob of fudge frosting on the top doesn’t hurt, either.
Serve these decidedly adult chocolate Kahlua bites with after dinner coffee for a special treat.
what you’ll need
- butter
- confectioner’s sugar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- cornstarch
- all purpose flour
- butter
- Kahlua liqueur
- vanilla
- milk or cream to thin the frosting
This is a good recipe if you’re busy because you can easily mix up the dough in the morning before work, and bake off the cookies in the evening. The cookies are small and they don’t spread, so you can fit the whole batch on two trays. The frosting comes together with a few swipes of a spoon in a measuring cup. You can also freeze the unbaked balls of dough; freeze them first on a tray, then transfer them to a zip lock bag.
Get ready to transform a little bit of butter, sugar, flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and Kahlua into something you, your family, and friends will never forget. Don’t like Kahlua? Substitute vanilla, or any other liquor or liqueur you like. Set these out on a little tray after dinner, sit back, and watch what happens. But be sure to grab a couple for yourself, first.
more Melting Moments cookie variations
If you’re more of a plain vanilla type, see the original MELTING MOMENTS, they’re fabulous too.
- PEPPERMINT MELTING MOMENTS
- COCONUT SNOWBALL MELTING MOMENTS
- CAPPUCCINO MELTING MOMENTS
- CLEMENTINE MELTING MOMENTS
Deep Chocolate Kahlua Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp soft unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar, plus more, for dusting
- 1/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp Kahlua
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- milk , or cream, to thin
Instructions
- Cream the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder together in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add the cornstarch and flour and mix the dough together until thoroughly combined. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or longer if desired.
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF.
- Form small heaps with the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. I used a 1" scoop. Bake for about 13 minutes. Cool slightly on the pan, and then on a rack. Be careful, these cookies are delicate.
- Mix the soft butter with the cocoa powder and sugar, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well, until smooth and creamy. Top each cooled cookie with a generous blob of frosting, and dust with powdered sugar.
Sue, These look totally sinful! Chocolate and kahluaโฆincredible!
…and i’m instantly in love with both the virtual cookie box and these cookies. what a great idea!
What a easy recipe. Who doesn’t love a good chocolate cookie. One more batch of cookies in the cookie box!!!
cookies that are that small are dangerous–way too easy to eat! this one’s a keeper for sure!
You shared delicious post thanks…..
Check out the Chocolate Comfort Cookies on my blog… Yuuummmmy, too! You will fall in love! http://Www.thesoutherncook.blogspot.com. ๐
I love your virtual cookie box …this is SO CLEVER, Sue!
And these Kahlua cookies, oh my, they look amazing! At first I thought there were a no-bake bon-bon of sorts with refrigerated chocolate/kahlua that you scooped out until I realized they’re a baked and frosted cookie, all domed up and beautiful!
Want ’em. Need ’em. Love ’em! And YES on the kahlua…mmmmmm….
Oh my, these sound so delicious! Love the shot of the dough, they look like truffles. Mmm ๐
always dangerous to come here when I’m so hungry. your photos are amazing, as always!!