Chocolate Pecan Shortbread Cookies (Vegan + GF)
Vegan + gluten-free shortbread cookies studded with dark chocolate and pecans. Just 7 ingredients required for these crispy, flaky cookies inspired by Alison Roman’s legendary Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread!
Servings 15 (Cookies)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted vegan butter*, softened (we used Miyoko’s // dairy butter would work if not vegan/dairy-free)
- 1/3 cup cane sugar* (ensure organic for vegan-friendly)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 heaping cup MB 1:1 GF Blend (1 heaping cup = 1 cup + 2 Tbsp // see notes for all-purpose flour*)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate, finely chopped (we like Hu Kitchen Simple)
- 1/3 cup raw pecans, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream the softened butter with the sugar using an electric hand mixer (or a whisk plus some elbow grease) until light and fluffy — about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract and mix briefly to combine.
- Add the gluten-free flour blend along with the salt and mix until the dough comes together — it should be pale, clumpy, and soft when you touch it. If it’s sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons more flour. Add the chocolate and pecans and mix or stir to distribute.
- Place the dough onto a large piece of parchment paper (or plastic wrap or wax paper) and roll into a tight log, ~2 inches thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then, using a sharp knife, slice the cookies into slightly less than 1/2-inch discs and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. They won’t spread much at all, so they should all fit on one baking sheet.
- Bake for 14-17 minutes, until the cookies look dry and are just starting to turn golden on the edges. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before enjoying!
- Leftover cookies keep for 2-3 days at room temperature or 1 month (or longer) in the freezer.
Video
Notes
*If not gluten-free, all-purpose flour works well in this recipe, but you won't need as much of it. We tested with 1 cup (136 g) all-purpose flour (for making the default number of servings – 15 cookies) and it worked well!
*We tested this recipe with coconut sugar and it did work, but the cookies were darker in color and we preferred the flavor of cane sugar.
*We also tested with coconut oil and it worked, too, but we prefer the taste and texture with vegan butter.
*Rolling and slicing the dough yields prettier cookies with a flakier texture (that we prefer!), but a simpler and quicker method (that’s also delicious!) is to use a cookie scoop (like this one) to scoop the dough into ~1 ½ Tablespoon amounts, then add to the baking sheet and press down with the palm of your hand to flatten. Bake right away — you don’t need to chill the dough if using this method.
*Adapted from Alison Roman’s incredible Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*We tested this recipe with coconut sugar and it did work, but the cookies were darker in color and we preferred the flavor of cane sugar.
*We also tested with coconut oil and it worked, too, but we prefer the taste and texture with vegan butter.
*Rolling and slicing the dough yields prettier cookies with a flakier texture (that we prefer!), but a simpler and quicker method (that’s also delicious!) is to use a cookie scoop (like this one) to scoop the dough into ~1 ½ Tablespoon amounts, then add to the baking sheet and press down with the palm of your hand to flatten. Bake right away — you don’t need to chill the dough if using this method.
*Adapted from Alison Roman’s incredible Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition (1 of 15 servings)
Serving: 1 cookie Calories: 145 Carbohydrates: 16.2 g Protein: 1.1 g Fat: 8.8 g Saturated Fat: 5.4 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5 g Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 78 mg Potassium: 63 mg Fiber: 1.3 g Sugar: 5.7 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 4 mg Iron: 1 mg