Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread is a simple and delicious gift you can bake in just a few minutes. Add a free printable gift tag for an easy present you can make anytime.
Shortbread Lover
My first taste of mocha shortbread was at a dear friend’s house in the Pacific Northwest. It was a cool and rainy winter day. We were drinking coffee while watching our toddlers play with cars and racetracks.
It was a perfect day in every way from the refreshments to the companionship.
Over the years I have baked coffee and chocolate shortbread many times. I have made these treats for cookie exchanges and to give to neighbors over the holidays… they are so good!
I’ve refined the simple recipe from a bar cookie to a more refined chocolate dipped shortbread biscuit. It is delicious both ways, but I prefer the fancier presentation when using it as a gift.
Easy Cookie Gifts
I enjoy baking Coffee and Chocolate Shortbread Cookies around the holidays. They are the perfect gift for all the coffee lovers in your life. I use round cookie cutter to make them fit into a beautiful coffee mug and add a delicious bag of coffee. It’s an affordable but touching gift.
You can download my free printable gift tags in the free printable library. I hope you like the coffee related sentiments, my kids and I had a great time thinking them up for teacher gifts.
Bonus tip: Visit your local Starbucks to purchase their American made mugs. I love giving them as gifts to support American jobs.
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules (I use Starbucks Via)
- 2/3 cup butter (softened not melted)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels (mini chips, 8 ounces)
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- Cream butter and vanilla together, slowly stir in flour, sugar and coffee granules.
- Roll dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper until it is approximately 3/8-1/2 inch thick.
- Cut into circles using a cookie cutter or drinking glass.
- Place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 325 degree Fahrenheit until lightly browned and firm. Let shortbread cool completely.
- Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave proof bowl. Heat on high for 30 seconds, stir well and then heat in 10 second increments stirring well between each heating until completely melted.
- Dip half of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a wire rack until chocolate glaze is firm.
- Store cookies in an airtight container once chocolate is solid. Place sheets of wax paper or parchment paper between layers to protect the glaze.
- Add a free printable gift tag, if desired.
I package the cookie filled mugs in cellophane or plastic and tie them with twine. It is pretty packaging that also keeps the baked goods fresh.
Free Printable Gift Tags
I hope you enjoy the cookies and my free printable gift tags. The PDF download includes one page with the sentiments and one page of decorative second layers. Print page one on solid colored card stock and page two on a piece of card stock in a patterned coordinating color.
Like my easy recipes and free printables? Sign up for my newsletter below and never miss a thing!
Bren Did Newsletter Subscribers Get Access!
Lisa Sharp (@retrohousewife5)
These sound delicious and what a cute gift!
Bren
Thanks Lisa!
Autumn
Is the recipe above you missing any ingredients? The mixture seems extremely dry
Autumn
Never mind! I just realize it’s 2/3 cup of butter not one third !!
Bren
Hope you like the recipe!
Jen
So mine was way too moist to be rolled and cut with a cookie cutter? Do you know what I did wrong?
Bren
I’m not sure, Jen. It’s hard to tell over the internet. Maybe your butter was too soft? You can refridgerate the dough until it is more firm. Good luck!
Debora Hill
Love shortbread….. am making these now. But I like to make them into a long roll, chill dough then slice! Always has done well wit shortbread recipes almost identical to this one. I sprinkle some powdered sugar on wax paper and my hands and it helps with dough. I’m sure these coffee cookies will be fantastic
Bren
Great idea, Debora! Hope you love the flavor.
Stephanie
I love coffee and I love shortbread. I came across your recipe, made it and fell in love. I’m not sure my waistline is going to like it though!
Bren
It can be dangerous! 🙂
Stephanie
I love, love, love this recipe! Shortbread is my favorite and with this the flavor possibilities are endless. The shapes I chose baked perfectly. Thank you for sharing this.
Bren
Thanks, Stephanie! It’s one of my very favorite cookie recipes. I am so glad you enjoyed them!
Erica
I like your recipe but in the future I will use 1/4 less butter and some milk. Also, the glacee was too moist. In the future I will use milk chocolate w/o extras. Nice webpage. I like how it adjusts the measurements to the # of cookies wanted
Bren
Thanks for commenting, Erica. Glad you tried the recipe.
Brian
Excellent recipe, just the right amount of coffee. I could not keep mine from spreading a bit, even after refridgerating the dough, but still great looking and tasting cookies!
Bren
Thanks for commenting, Brian. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Maria Torres
Finally a recipe for sure I’m ready to make today.
for the chocolate glaze I don’t have coconut oil, what can I you use? Thank you.
Happy Holidays 🎄🥛🍪.
Bren
You can thin the glaze with butter if you don’t have coconut oil. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Lynn L Nguyen
Bren, does your recipe use salted or unsalted butter? I’ve seen recipes go either way.
Also thanks for the tip about adding coconut oil to the glaze! Makes it so much smoother looking!
Bren
I generally use unsalted butter. I’m glade the glaze worked well for you!
Connie
Can’t wait to make these shortbread cookies, can you double the recipe. 😀
Bren
Yes, you can double the recipe.
TerryASki
Can you freeze these? Would you freeze w/ or without glaze?
Bren
I’ve never tried freezing the cookies, if you want to try I would do it without the glaze.
Jennifer
How long does it take the glaze to harden? Mine is still soft and it’s been 3 hours. Would it be okay to refrigerate so the chocolate hardens?
Bren
It depends on the room temperature. Yes, you can refrigerate to speed up the process.
Jen
May I ask how Long can we keep these cookies as well as the cookie dimensions before baking? Otherwise, I’d really like to try this recipe!
Bren
The circle cookies pictured are about 4 inches in diameter and 3/8-1/2 inch thick. The size does not change much when baking. I store the cookies for about 5-7 days on the countertop (covered) or 2 weeks in the fridge (covered). (Though I’m not sure a batch has ever lasted 2 whole weeks!)
Katie
This looks great! I’ll be making them this week. Are these doable with ground regular coffee beans, or does it need to be instant coffee for a specific reason? Texture maybe? I’m trying to figure out if I need to buy more ingredients. Thanks!
Bren
Regular coffee grounds are too hard and bitter (they are ground beans). Instant coffee is brewed coffee that is dehydrated so you get the coffee flavor with no bitter beans.