Toblerone Shortbread Cookies
Toblerone Shortbread Cookies were love at first bite for me — I tried them years ago at Anna Olson’s bakery, which used to be right here in town, and I never forgot them. That melt-in-your-mouth shortbread with agenerous chunk of Toblerone chocolate right in the centre is the kind of thing you think about long after the last cookie is gone. I finally worked out my own version, and I am so glad I did. They’re ready in just 30 minutes
They come together quickly with just a few ingredients you likely already have on hand, which makes them just as good for a quiet weekend baking afternoon as they are for a holiday cookie tray. If you love a classic shortbread, my Nana’s Scotch Shortbread recipe is another one worth bookmarking.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- ich, buttery shortbread that melts in your mouth
- a generous chunk of Toblerone chocolate baked right in the centre
- made with simple pantry ingredients – all you need is a mixer
- beginner-friendly and quick, ready in just over 30 minutes
- makes 24 cookies, great for sharing, gifting, or filling that cookie tin
- freezer friendly (see storage notes below)
These Toblerone shortbread cookies are always on my holiday cookie trays! Looking for more ideas to fill yours? Browse the full collection of cookie and square recipes for plenty of delicious options.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Unsalted butter – softened to room temperature is essential here. Cold butter won’t cream properly, and the texture of your shortbread depends on this step. Give it about 30 to 45 minutes on the counter before you begin.
- Confectioners sugar – also called icing sugar or powdered sugar. Sifted before adding to the butter for the smoothest, most tender result.
- Cornstarch – this is what sets shortbread apart from other cookies. It creates that signature melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes shortbread so irresistible.
- All-purpose flour – spooned into the measuring cup and levelled off, not scooped directly from the bag, to avoid adding too much.
- Pure vanilla extract – real vanilla makes a difference in a recipe this simple. The flavour has nowhere to hide, so using the real thing is worth it.
- Toblerone chocolate – the star of the show! Chopped into generous chunks so there’s a good piece of chocolate in the centre of every single cookie. The honey nougat running through the chocolate is what makes these Toblerone cookies extra special.
How to Make Toberlone Shortbread Cookies
Be sure to check out the full printable recipe and ingredient list below
- Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit and line baking sheets with parchment
- beat butter until light and fluffy
- sift in icing sugar and beat again till fluffy, scraping sides of bowl as need
- beat in 1/4 cup corn starch until well blended
- add flour and salt and mix just until dough comes together
- with mixer on low stir in 1 tsp pure vanilla extract until combined
- scoop out by the tablespoon to a parchment lined baking sheet, lightly press in a chunk of Toblerone (do not flatten cookies)
- bake at 350 for 12 to 14 minutes, allow to cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely
The Toblerone cookies Anna sold at her bakery also had a piece of shortbread dough partially covering the chunk of Toblerone, as I often do as well (pictured below). Feel free to do this as well!
Tips From The Red Cottage Kitchen
USE ROOM TEMPERATURE BUTTER – This is the single most important tip for great shortbread. Butter that is too cold will not cream properly, and you’ll end up with a dense, heavy cookie instead of a light and tender one. Let it sit out for at least 30 to 45 minutes before you start.
SIFT YOUR DRY INGREDIENTS – Sifting the icing sugar, cornstarch, and flour before adding them to the dough removes lumps and ensures everything incorporates evenly. It takes an extra minute and is well worth it. I use an inexpensive strainer from the dollar store that doesn’t have a tightly woven mesh.
DON’T OVER-MIX – Once the flour goes in, mix just until the dough comes together. Over-mixing develops the gluten in the flour and can make your shortbread tough instead of tender.
USE A GENEROUS CHUNK OF TOBLERONE
Don’t be shy here! A small sliver of chocolate won’t give you that lovely chocolatey centre. Aim for a good-sized chunk so every bite has a bit of that honey nougat Toblerone flavour. These shortbread cookies are all about that chocolate centre.
COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE SERVING – The cookies firm up as they cool. They may look a little soft when they first come out of the oven, but give them time on the wire rack and they’ll set up beautifully.
WATCH CLOSELY – you want the edges to be just starting to brown, so watch them closely around minute 12, even if they brown up a little more than you would like they are still delicious.
My Toffee Shortbread follows a very similar method, and the same tips apply there – room temperature butter and not over-mixing make all the difference.
Variations and Substitutions
I’m going to boldly suggest you don’t change this recipe at all, but if you must, here are a few ideas I would suggest:
- If you can’t find Toblerone bars, then swap it out for any good quality chocolate bar broken into chunks – dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate all work well
- add a small pinch of flaky sea salt on top of each cookie before baking for a sweet and salty finish
- After dropping dough onto the cookie sheet, gently flatten cookie with the flat bottom of a glass before adding the Toblerone for a more uniform cookieÂ
Storing and Freezing
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To keep them from getting soft, tuck a sheet of paper towel in the bottom of the container to absorb any moisture.
These cookies freeze very well. Place cooled cookies in a single layer in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature before serving. They taste just as delicious straight from the freezer as they do freshly baked.
These Toblerone cookies make a lovely homemade gift too. Tuck them into a festive tin lined with parchment and tie with a ribbon for a treat anyone would be happy to receive. For more gifting inspiration, my Coconut Cherry Snowballs are another beautiful option for holiday cookie tins
Hosting or attending a cookie exchange? These Toblerone Shortbread would be a winner! I’ve also made them for bake sales, for Christmas parties and just for family, and always get rave reviews (and a request for the recipe!).
Frequently Asked Questions
This dough should not be crumbly. Use your hands to gently bring it together before scooping. If it’s very dry, make sure your butter was properly softened and at room temperature before creaming.
Yes you can. Just be sure not omit the salt called for in the recipe to avoid over-salting.
If you can’t find the Toblerone brand, you can use any brand of chocolate with the honey nougat inside, or simply use a large chunk of milk chocolate.
Toblerone Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- electric mixer
- cookie sheets
- measuring cups
- sifter or loose weave strainer
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp confectioners sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Toblerone chocolate bar, cut into chunks or any brand of chocolate bar with honey nougat
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ degrees.
- Cream butter until light and fluffy.
- Sift icing sugar and add to butter, beating again until fluffy, scraping down the sides of mixing bowl as needed.
- Sift in cornstarch and mix to blend in. Sift in all-purpose flour and salt and mix until dough comes together
- Stir in vanilla.
- Scoop onto parchment lined baking sheet using a small ice cream scoop or 2 heaping teaspoons per cookie.
- Press a small chunk of Toblerone into centre of each shortbread. Top with a small piece of dough pressing down lightly.
- Bake at 350℉ for 14 to 15 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.
Yum! I love that the chocolate is peaking out of the shortbread. Thanks for linking up!
Hi Maureen,
Great post on Toblerone treats ! Please e-mail me at natdecants@nataliemaclean.com. It’s about wine of course 🙂
Cheers,
Natalie
Thank you Natalie! Email is on its way!
I love toberlone – what a great idea to put it into cookies. I use it in sauce for ice-cream, and chopped into chips in chocolate chip cookies.
Merry Christmas
I had never thought of using it as a sauce for ice cream! That sounds delicious 🙂
OH YUM! I love Toblerone. I bet these shortbreads taste wonderful.
They certainly can be addicting!
We love Toblerone! Great idea to put a big chunk of it in the middle. It looks really yummy
It is a favorite at our home as well! The bigger the chunk, the better 🙂
Oh these look oh so good! I never thought to use Toblerone in my cookies but that is genius! I love Toblerone. What a wonderful idea for a treat!
I love the taste of shortbread and these look extra good with the chocolate inside!
Shortbread is a favorite of mine as well! The addition of Toblerone takes it up a notch!
Chocolate pairs so well with melt-in-your-mouth shortbread! Your Toblerone shortbread sounds delicious! I’ve pinned these to my shortbread board. 🙂
Hi there. I’m trying to figure out how many Toblerone bars to buy per recipe and also proper way to freeze. Would love to make for my daughters wedding. Tx for any help.
Hi Gay! I am sure these will be a hit at your daughters wedding! If you buy the smallest size Toblerone bar, you will need one or one-half triangle per cookie, depending on the size of your cookie. However I usually buy a larger size bar and cut the triangles in 3 pieces, one for each cookie. Hope that helps. I will try and find the exact size of the bar I use and follow-up with you!
Thank you so much. And can you freeze these cookies?
I found the bit about freezing. Tx!
Yay! Glad you found it! I will be making some this weekend to freeze for the holidays!
Hi Maureen
In the directions you call for 1/2 c cornstarch but in the actual recipe it states 1/4 c. I’ve actually made them both ways because I didn’t notice the discrepancy until it was too late. Which one is correct?
Thank you for bringing this to my attention Pat! The 1/4 cup in the recipe card is correct. I have made the correction in the post.
This is a favourite recipe and I have been making them every Christmas for at well over ten years for family & co-workers, always rave reviews. The only change I make is to coarse chop the tolberone and incorporate in to the dough rather than placing a piece on each cookie. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Excellent recipe. Delicious. Very few ingredients. Used milk chocolate when toblerone not available. Made many times.
Thank you Brooklyn! Making it with milk chocolate is something I will have to try! Thanks for the suggestion 🙂