These Chocolate Shortbread Cookies are buttery, rich in chocolate flavor, and shaped into the cutest little buttons! Made with just six simple ingredients, they’re a fun addition to your Christmas cookie trays, holiday tea parties, or homemade gift boxes.
I love a cookie that looks like you spent hours decorating it when it’s actually quite simple to make. These little chocolate buttons don’t need frosting or fancy decorating tools, and they’re just as delicious with a cup of afternoon tea as they are on a Christmas dessert platter.
Quick Answer
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies are rich, buttery chocolate cookies made with just six simple ingredients, including butter, flour, sugar, and cocoa powder. The dough is chilled, rolled, and cut into adorable button shapes before baking. These tender, crisp cookies are perfect for Christmas cookie trays, holiday tea parties, and homemade gifts.
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- Tips for the Best Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Shortbread Cookies for Holiday Tea Parties
- Fun Holiday Variations
- How to Store Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Chocolate Shortbread Cookies (Easy Button Cookies)
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
- Only six ingredients: Everything you need may already be in your pantry.
- Rich chocolate flavor: Dark cocoa powder gives these cookies their delicious chocolate taste.
- Adorable button shapes: A simple round cutter and skewer create a fun design.
- Perfect for gifting: Their small size makes them wonderful for Christmas cookie boxes.
- Make-ahead friendly: Prepare the dough ahead of time and bake when you’re ready.
Ingredient Notes
You only need a handful of ingredients to make these chocolate shortbread button cookies.
Unsalted Butter: Softened butter gives shortbread its rich flavor and tender texture. Use room-temperature butter that’s soft but not melted.
Granulated Sugar: Adds just enough sweetness without overpowering the chocolate.
Vanilla Extract: Complements the cocoa powder and enhances the overall flavor.
All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure and helps the cookies hold their button shapes.
Dark or Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder: Gives these cookies their deep chocolate color and flavor. Dutch-process cocoa works especially well in this recipe.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the chocolate flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
How to Make Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Making these cookies is surprisingly simple. The dough comes together in a food processor, and the fun part is turning the little circles into buttons!
Step 1: Cream the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla in a food processor until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and pulse until the dough starts coming together.
Step 2: Add the cocoa powder, flour, and salt, and mix until a ball forms.
Step 3: Wrap the dough in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading during baking.
Step 4: Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut into small circles approximately 2 inches wide.
Step 5. Use a smaller round cutter to gently create an indentation inside each cookie.
Step 6. Then use a skewer or lollipop stick to make four small buttonholes. Then bake at 325 degrees F for 12-15 minutes.
Baking Tip: Because these cookies are dark, you won’t see the usual golden-brown color that tells you when cookies are finished. Watch the edges and surface instead.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Use softened butter, not melted butter. Melted butter changes the consistency of the dough and can cause the cookies to spread.
Don’t skip chilling. Cold dough is easier to roll, cut, and decorate.
Keep the dough thickness consistent. This helps the cookies bake evenly. For the original button design, use approximately ½-inch thickness.
Use what you have in the kitchen. You don’t need special button-shaped cookie cutters. I used a plastic toothpick container to cut the circles and a spice jar lid to create the inner ring!
Don’t press too hard. When creating the button ridge, press gently enough to make an indentation without cutting through the dough.
Watch the baking time. Chocolate shortbread can overbake quickly. The cookies will become firmer as they cool.
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies for Holiday Tea Parties
One of my favorite things about these chocolate button cookies is how pretty they look on a holiday tea tray.
If you’re hosting a Christmas afternoon tea, arrange these cookies on a tiered serving tray alongside a few other homemade treats. Their dark chocolate color looks especially pretty next to lighter-colored cookies, fresh cranberries, and sprigs of rosemary.
Here are a few fun ways to serve them:
- Christmas Tea Party: Arrange the cookies on a pretty plate with a selection of holiday teas.
- Cookie Exchange: Package a dozen in a clear treat bag tied with a festive ribbon.
- Tea Party Favors: Place a few cookies in small gift boxes for guests to take home.
- Holiday Dessert Tray: Combine them with snowball cookies, peppermint treats, and other Christmas favorites.
For more inspiration, visit my Tea Party Cookies collection for additional treats that would pair beautifully with these chocolate buttons.
What Tea Goes Best with Chocolate Shortbread?
Chocolate shortbread pairs beautifully with several different teas.
Earl Grey Tea: The citrus notes of bergamot complement the rich chocolate flavor.
English Breakfast Tea: A strong black tea balances the buttery texture of shortbread.
Peppermint Tea: A wonderful caffeine-free option that adds a refreshing holiday flavor.
Vanilla Rooibos Tea: Its naturally sweet vanilla flavor pairs nicely with chocolate and makes a lovely evening tea.
For a holiday tea party, I would choose Earl Grey or peppermint tea. Both are delicious with these little cookies!
Until next time, keep life sweet—one bite at a time.
Fun Holiday Variations
Although these chocolate shortbread cookies are delicious just as they are, there are a few ways to dress them up for Christmas.
Chocolate-Dipped Buttons: Dip half of each cooled cookie in melted white chocolate for a pretty contrast.
Peppermint Shortbread: Add a small amount of peppermint extract to the dough for a festive chocolate-mint flavor.
Christmas Sprinkles: Add holiday sprinkles to melted chocolate before it sets.
Chocolate Orange: Add a little finely grated orange zest to the dough for a chocolate-orange combination.
Traditional Shapes: Skip the button design and use small stars, hearts, or Christmas tree cutters instead.
How to Store Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Room Temperature: Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to one week.
Freezing Baked Cookies: Place cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. Freeze for up to three months for best quality.
Freezing Cookie Dough: Wrap the dough tightly and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling and cutting.
Make Ahead: Prepare the dough a day or two before baking and keep it wrapped in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! A stand mixer or hand mixer works just as well. Cream the butter and sugar, mix in the vanilla, and gradually add the dry ingredients until a dough forms.
The butter may have been too warm, or the dough wasn’t chilled long enough. Refrigerating the shaped cookies for another 10–15 minutes before baking can help them hold their shape.
Yes. Unsweetened natural cocoa powder will work, although the flavor and color may be slightly different. Dutch-process cocoa generally gives these cookies a darker appearance and smoother chocolate flavor.
Look for edges that appear set and a surface that’s no longer shiny or wet. Because the dough is dark, color isn’t a reliable indicator. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
Yes! Their small size and cute button design make them perfect for holiday cookie boxes, teacher gifts, and homemade Christmas treats. Just make sure they’re completely cool before packaging.
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Chocolate Shortbread Cookies (Easy Button Cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dark or Dutch cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the butter, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a food processor.
- Process for 2-3 minutes, or until fluffy.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
- Continue processing until a ball of dough starts to form, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Scoop the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper, then wrap and chill for 30 minutes in the refridgerator.
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape the Cookies
- Roll the dough to ½-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
- Use a small cookie cutter or other round container with straight sides to cut out 2-inch circles, then gently use a spatula to transfer them to the prepared baking sheets.
- Use a lollipop stick or skewer to create button holes in the dough.
- Use a smaller round cookie cutter or circular container to press about halfway into the dough to mimic the ridges of a button.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the shortbread is just beginning to crisp and lightly brown on the tops.
- Cool on the pans for 10 minutes, then gently transfer to a wire cooling rack.
- Cool completely, then serve or package for gifting.
Notes
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can make the shortbread dough with a stand mixer or hand mixer. You can also mix by hand, although it’ll require some extra elbow grease.
- Be sure to chill the dough before rolling it, so that the cookies will maintain their shape. If you find that your dough is too soft after rolling and shaping, pop it back into the fridge for a bit. You can also chill the shaped button cookies on the baking sheets before putting them into the oven.
- As you can see in the photos, I didn’t use cookie cutters to make my buttons. I used a plastic toothpick container to cut the main circles, then used the lid of a spice jar to create my button ridges. You can use any circular object you can find in your kitchen to make your buttons.
- Be sure not to press too hard when pressing your button ridges. You want an indent, not two separate pieces of cut dough.
- Be sure to watch your time closely while baking your cookies. Shortbread dough can go from underbaked to burnt in a matter of a few minutes. When in doubt, err on the side of underbaked dough, then stick them back into the oven for another minute or two if needed.
- The cookies will crisp as they cool. Be sure to let them cool completely before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, but keep in mind that they may soften a little toward the end of that timeframe.
