Toffee Shortbread Cookies are made with just a few simple ingredients and easy to customize and make your own. They are sublime, buttery, and perfect for the holiday baking or a cookie exchange!
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Toffee Shortbread Cookies combine the rich, buttery texture of shortbread with the sweet crunch of toffee pieces to make a cookie that is simply irresistible!
I always thought I was not a “shortbread person”, but these have changed my mind. They are rich but not too sweet, with a salty bite and crunch thanks to toffee bits.
The origins of shortbread go back to medieval Scotland. Traditionally enjoyed during Christmas and New Year’s, shortbread has evolved with numerous variations, and it’s grown into an internationally loved treat!
The infusion of toffee bits and mini chocolate chips — although not traditional — transforms the classic shortbread into a treat that’s hard to resist.
Whether you’re looking for something delicious for a cookie exchange or simply craving a treat, this recipe will become your go-to.
These cookies are a great addition to your holiday season, but they can be enjoyed at any time of the year.
If you’re mad about shortbread, you’ll also love my Millionaire Shortbread Recipe, Samoa Shortbread Bars, and these Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars!
Ingredients Needed:
- Salted Butter: the foundation of any good shortbread recipe. It provides the buttery texture and flavor we all love. Ensure it’s at room temperature for easy mixing.
- Powdered Sugar: adds sweetness to the cookies and contributes to their soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Flour: all-purpose flour provides the structure of the cookies.
- Salt: a pinch of salt will enhance the flavor of the cookies.
- Vanilla Extract: this adds a lovely aroma and depth of flavor to the cookies.
- Skor or Toffee Bits: these are the stars of the show, providing a sweet crunch and caramelized flavor.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: an optional addition, but they lend a delightful chocolatey flavor and additional texture to the cookies.
- Chopped Dark Chocolate: used for the chocolate drizzle, it adds a rich, indulgent finish to the cookies.
How to Make Toffee Shortbread Cookies
This recipe is so easy to make, and you can get the kids involved too! Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.
- Make creamed mixture: Beat butter, then add powdered sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla.
- Add toffee and chocolate: Stir in toffee bits and chocolate chips.
- Wrap dough rolls: Make two dough rolls, cover them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
- Slice dough: Slice each cookie dough roll into cookies.
- Put cookies on tray: Place the cookie dough circles on the prepared baking trays.
- Bake: Bake cookies, let them cool, then drizzle with melted chocolate if desired.
Toffee Shortbread Cookies FAQs
Yes, you can use a food processor. Just ensure the ingredients are combined well and the dough forms a cohesive texture.
Yes, you can roll out the dough and use cookie cutters for different shapes if you prefer. The edges may not stay as crisp as these Christmas Sugar Cookies.
Yes, chilling the dough is essential, as it helps to firm up the butter and reduces spreading during baking.
To prep ahead for the holiday season, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer. When you’re ready to bake cookies, simply thaw the dough in the refrigerator, slice, and bake as directed.
Place your cooled cookies in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid. Once solid, transfer the cookies to a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months!
Store Toffee Shortbread Cookies in an airtight container once they have cooled completely on the wire rack. Ensure that the container is sealed tightly. If stored properly at room temperature, the cookies can remain fresh for up to a week.
Tips and Notes
- Unsalted butter. If you only have unsalted butter, use it but add a pinch more salt to the recipe.
- Toffee chips or bits If Skor bits are not available, any brand of toffee bits will do the trick.
- Make them an edible gift. These yummy cookies make a thoughtful and delicious gift. Simply place them in a festive gift box, separated by parchment paper, to prevent them from sticking together.
Toffee Shortbread Cookie Variations
- Try some different add-ins. Try any kind of mini chocolate chips for these cookies (white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate), butterscotch chips, or peanut butter chips, or finely chopped chocolate for a different flavor. Small pieces of dried fruit will also work well here, like small raisins or chopped dried mangoes. Or try some chopped nuts or even citrus zest!
- Use another extract. For a different flavor, you could use almond or lemon extract instead of vanilla.
- Dip them in chocolate. Instead of drizzling, dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate for a more decadent treat.
- Make Lemon Pistachio Shortbread Cookies. Add lemon zest and chopped pistachios to the base recipe for a refreshing and nutty variation.
- Decorate with icing. Get creative and decorate your cookies with colorful royal icing for a festive look to match an event or special occasion.
Serving Suggestions
A cold glass of milk is a classic choice that complements the sweetness and buttery texture of the cookies. Try my Cold Brew Coffee or a hot cup of coffee or tea to balance the sweet toffee bits and chocolate!
For an indulgent dessert, serve your Toffee Shortbread Cookies warm cookie with a scoop of your favorite ice cream, and drizzle with caramel or chocolate sauce. Try my Coffee Ice Cream or this No Church Chocolate Ice Cream to compliment the flavors of the cookies.
More Easy Cookie Recipes to Try
Toffee Shortbread Cookies
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1½ cups salted butter (room temperature)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (90 grams)
- 2½ cups all purpose flour (325 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup Skor or toffee bits
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
Chocolate Drizzle
- ⅓ cup chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
Toffee Shortbread Cookies
- In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla. Beat at low speed until combined.
- Add toffee bits and chocolate chips if using (I like to split my dough in two, do half with no chocolate, and add ¼ cup chocolate chips to half of my dough). The dough should be tacky but not stick to your hands.
- Divide the dough in two and shape it into a cylinder about 2″ in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice each cookie dough roll into 12–14 cookies, ½” thick, to ensure even baking and a good texture. Place the cookie dough slices on prepared pans (leave the extra dough in the fridge until ready to slice and bake).
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are just golden brown. If your cookies spread slightly or the toffee melts out, you can use a knife or round cookie cutter to quickly reshape the cookies while they are hot.
Chocolate Drizzle
- Place chocolate in a medium glass bowl over a small pot of simmering water.
- Stir the chocolate until melted.
- Drizzle over the cookies as desired.
Notes
- Butter: I have tested this recipe with hard margarine (that is not spreadable out of the fridge) and it does work, but they will spread more and be thinner than if you use butter. Butter is the best option, but if you need a vegan dessert, very hard margarine will work in a pinch (just don’t say I didn’t warn you).
- Flour: It’s best to stick to all-purpose flour for this recipe to achieve the desired texture and taste. The amount of flour is very important here, as you do not want your cookies to lose their shape when baking and you don’t want them dry and crumbly. I recommend using a scale to weigh your flour, or fluff the flour and spoon it into a measuring cup, then level off the top of the cup with a knife.
- Salt: I like my shortbread cookies with a noticeable amount of salt (don’t knock it til you try it!). If you are using salted butter and don’t like to have that bit of salt to offset the sweetness, you can omit the salt. Believe it or not, salt is crucial to all sweets and desserts.
- Toffee bits and chocolate chips: feel free to add more chocolate chips, or to switch up the mix-ins in this recipe! This is my favorite combo, but lots of others will work. Nuts, dried fruit, other chocolates, etc.
- Make Ahead: To prep ahead for the holiday season, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer. When you’re ready to bake cookies, simply thaw the dough in the refrigerator, slice, and bake as directed.
- Store: Store Toffee Shortbread Cookies in an airtight container once they have cooled completely on the wire rack. Ensure that the container is sealed tightly. If stored properly at room temperature, the cookies can remain fresh for up to a week.
- Freeze: Place your cooled cookies in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid. Once solid, transfer the cookies to a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months!
Nutrition Information
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Jane says
I’m so disappointed that these turned out a crumbly mess! I had frozen the rolls uncooked and defrosted in the fridge, sliced 1/2″ thick and baked for more like 13-15 mins as they weren’t changing colour on the edges. I left them to cool a bit on the tray and when I came to slide the parchment baking sheet off, it was a mass of crumbs. What could be wrong? The crumbs taste amazing 🙁
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Jane, shortbread can get crumbly by either over mixing the dough or over baking. Hope this helps!
Heather says
I wanted to make these a little more “holiday” so I swapped the toffee for crushed up candy canes and the vanilla for peppermint extract. They are delicious and completely melt in your mouth.
Gwen says
I have rated these cookies 5* but have a bit of an observation. They were a bit fussy to maintain the shape. I used my cookie ring on them part way through the bake and again when they were done to keep them circular. They didn’t spread alot but I wanted a crisper edge then what was happening. I suspect I had a bit too much butter in the dough. I cook by weight as I like the results better and so I used the weight measurement of 375 ml that was printed on my Alberta Beatrice Butter for the 1-1/2 cups listed in the recipe. I now see the weight chart you posted and 339 gm would have been more accurate hence the bubbly edges in baking. I have saved that chart.😉 I would highly encourage everyone to utilize a cookie ring to reshape them to keep them pretty after the bake is done. They taste really great and the chocolate drizzle is a nice touch.
The Recipe Rebel says
Yay! Thank you Gwen!
Katie says
Can you freeze these cookies even with the chocolate drizzle on them?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Katie, I mean you probably could but the chocolate drizzle will likely break off. I’d recommend freezing without it.
Eileen K says
From Ireland here, was w9ndering how much is 1 and a half cups of butter in grams??
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Eileen, it’s roughly 282.5. I used this chart from King Arthur to help with the conversion: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart Hope this helps!