Say hello to crispy, buttery shortbread cookies studded with pecans and dark chocolate (swoon!). These cookies are our vegan and gluten-free twist on Alison Roman’s legendary Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies and (just like Alison’s), they’re too good to eat just one!
Just 7 ingredients and simple methods stand in your way. Grab your mixing bowl and let’s bake, friends!
These simple, delicious shortbread cookies are made with just 7 ingredients that you likely have in your kitchen right now: (vegan) butter, cane sugar, vanilla, gluten-free flour blend (or all-purpose flour if not GF), sea salt, chocolate, and pecans!
First, we cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then we add the remaining ingredients to form a dough and stir in chopped pecans and chocolate.
Next, we roll the dough into a log shape, which makes for an easy slice-and-bake cookie with a classic shortbread look.
To ensure a crispy, flaky texture, we let the dough chill in the refrigerator for a bit before slicing then baking until the cookies are just golden on the edges.
The hands-on time for this recipe is very minimal, but there is a little more waiting left. Let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes after coming out of the oven (to firm up), and then it’s showtime. Prepare for major deliciousness!
These cookies might just become your new favorite! They’re:
Crispy
Buttery
Flaky
Nutty
Chocolate-studded
Easy to make
& Too good to eat just one!
Bring them to holiday parties or cookie swaps, or keep them in the freezer (as dough or cookies) to satisfy cravings fast.
More Crispy, Shortbread-Style Cookies
- Vegan Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies (1 Bowl)
- Easy Lemon Cookies (Vegan + GF)
- Vegan Gluten-Free Banana Pecan Shortbread (Butter-Free)
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Note: recipe updated 12/20/2024 to address reader issues with dough being too dry/crumbly.
Chocolate Pecan Shortbread Cookies (Vegan + GF)
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
*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.
Elaine says
These have become my new favorite cookies! Very easy to make and they’ve been well-received both places I took them. I even had someone ask for the recipe, which I happily shared!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Elaine! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Laura Labine says
Yummy and easy. Used vegan butter (not brand suggested…) and had to double the amount or the dough was too crumbly.
Rolled dough into balls, flattened with the back of a measuring cup, and voila. Easy.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Laura! We’re so glad the cookies turned out well with extra vegan butter. Would you mind sharing what type of flour you used? We’re thinking that’s what’s causing the variation with dough texture!
Laura says
All purpose flour :)
Thank you for the additional info, Laura! We’ll revisit and see if we can make improvements.
Hi Laura, thanks again for sharing your experience with us! We retested today with our GF blend and also tested with all-purpose flour. Usually all-purpose flour subs well 1-1 with our GF blend, but in this case it was more finicky! We’ve updated the recipe accordingly and will keep this in mind moving forward as we strive to always have recipes be a hit on the first try. We apologize that you had to do some adjusting to get it right!
Melissa says
I made these today, and they were very delicious! I used 1.5 cups of Emmer Flour (ancient grain flour), & I used a 1/4 cup pure maple syrup instead of sugar, & used real butter, and they turned out perfectly! Thanks for yet another great (& simple!) recipe. :)
Amazing! We’re so glad the cookies turned out well with your modifications. Thanks so much for sharing, Melissa! xo
Cookie says
These were fantastic. I used real butter, all purpose flour and white sugar. Next time I will chop chocolate and pecans much finer than I did for easier slicing. It was difficult to shape log and get dough to hold together. But, I did my best and it turned out great. I like that it only makes 15 cookies. I don’t want dozens!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Cookie! Thank you so much for the lovely review. Next time would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It is super helpful to us and other readers. Thanks so much again! xo
Karen says
I was afraid these wouldn’t work but they are really tasty. I followed the recipe exactly, using Bob’s 1-1 gf flour. As another review noted the dough didn’t stick together. I added some avocado oil until it did.
Another obstacle was not having the pecans and chocolate (I used a bar) in tiny enough pieces. I got the log to form, but when time to cut slices any chunks got in the way and it crumbled.
So while not Instagram worthy they are delicious and shortbread-y! I will try again but grind the pecans and chocolate to a near powder.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Karen! We’re glad they turned out well overall! xo
n says
So good!!! I love Alison’s cookies so I had to try these. Shortbread for the win.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy the cookies! Thank you for sharing! xo
Myli says
Awesome! I was just searching for a vegan, gf cookie recipe! Can’t wait to try these out!
Yay! We’re excited for you to try the recipe. Let us know how it goes! xo
Christa says
I don’t understand this recipe and wonder if something is missing? I followed the directions (I used Miyoko’s brand of plant based butter) and all I got was a totally dry and crumbly product that was more like sand than anything that could stick together. It feels like it needs some kind of additional liquid to hold it all together. I went to Alison Roman’s original recipe and ended up adding egg to mine since I am not vegan.
Oh no! We’re so sorry that happened, Christa! We double checked the recipe and everything looks correct. Would you mind sharing what type of flour you used? We wonder if it was an especially absorbent type?
Michele says
Looks great, just in time for my dad’s 94th birthday—pecans are his favorite!
Why raw pecans rather than toasted? Have you tried it both ways?
Hi Michele, we did try with toasted pecans and preferred raw pecans, surprisingly! We’re excited for your dad to try the cookies! We’d love to hear what he thinks :)
Hannah says
Could I use almond flower for these shortbread cookies?
Hi Hannah, we wouldn’t recommend using all almond flour, but you could use a mix of almond flour + GF blend similar to what we did in this recipe. If you decide to try it, keep in mind that almond flour isn’t as absorbent as a GF blend, so it won’t work to sub it 1-1 – you’ll need more almond flour for a similar absorbency. It also has a higher fat content, so you may not need as much vegan butter. Hope that helps!
FREDA says
Hi. Is there a substitute for the Cassava flour? Thank you!
Hi Freda, we assume you mean in our 1:1 GF Blend? If so, you could use a different gluten-free flour blend (such as our original DIY blend), adjusting the amount of flour, as needed. If using our original DIY blend, you’ll likely need an extra 1-2 tablespoons of flour. Hope that helps!