The unique, slender shape of these cookies brings a touch of modern sophistication to your classic cookie repertoire, making these shortbread delights a standout addition for any holiday gathering, celebratory spread, or thoughtfully curated cookie gift box. Their elegant presentation and irresistible flavor ensure they’ll be a conversation starter.

They’re a versatile, go-to favorite that pairs beautifully with an array of other delicious treats, such as cranberry pistachio biscotti, pistachio shortbread cookies, festive Christmas tree cutout cookies, simple slice and bake cookies, aromatic brown butter snickerdoodle cookies, delightful biscoff cookies, and classic brown butter chocolate chip cookies. These cookie sticks effortlessly complement any dessert lineup.

Why You’ll Fall in Love with This Cookie Stick Recipe

Unmatched Crisp and Buttery Texture: These shortbread cookies boast the perfect delicate texture. They offer a satisfying crisp snap when you bite into them, followed by an incredibly tender, melt-in-your-mouth sensation. This delightful contrast makes them truly addictive and a joy to eat.

Endlessly Customizable for Every Occasion: One of the best aspects of these cookie sticks is their incredible versatility. Whether you prefer vibrant sprinkles, crunchy nuts, chewy candies, a drizzle of different chocolates, or a hint of bright citrus zest, the decorating possibilities are truly endless. You can tailor them to any holiday, theme, or personal preference, making them fun for bakers of all ages.

The Ultimate Holiday and Gifting Treat: With their charming shape and elegant decoration potential, these cute cookie sticks are ideal for spreading joy during the festive season. They are perfect for thoughtful homemade gifts, exciting cookie swaps with friends and family, or simply dressing up your holiday dessert table with a touch of homemade charm and sophistication. Their unique form factor also makes them easy to package and share.

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Cookie Sticks

• Unsalted Butter: The cornerstone of any good shortbread, a high quantity of butter is what gives these cookies their incredibly tender, rich, and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Because it’s such a prominent flavor, we highly recommend using a high-quality butter brand like Plugra or Kerrygold for the best taste. Ensure it’s at room temperature for optimal creaming with sugar.
• Granulated Sugar: This provides the essential sweetness to balance the rich butter. Beyond flavor, sugar plays a crucial role in creating the light, crisp texture that defines these shortbread sticks. It also helps with browning during baking.
• All-Purpose Flour: The primary structural component of our cookie sticks. The precise amount of flour is key to achieving a dough that holds its distinct stick shape without spreading excessively. Measuring accurately, preferably by weight, is critical for consistent results.
• Vanilla Extract: A classic flavor enhancer that adds warmth and depth to the buttery shortbread. Use a good quality pure vanilla extract for the best aroma and taste.
• Kosher Salt: A pinch of salt is vital for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors in the cookie. It brings out the richness of the butter and chocolate, making the flavors pop.
• Water: A small amount of water is incorporated to help bind the dough together, especially given the slightly higher flour content designed to maintain the cookie stick’s distinct shape. Add it gradually to achieve the right consistency.
• Dark Chocolate Melting Wafers: These are perfect for dipping your finished cookie sticks. Dark chocolate offers a rich, slightly bitter counterpoint to the sweetness of the shortbread, creating a perfectly balanced bite. Melting wafers are specially formulated to melt smoothly and temper easily, providing a beautiful, glossy finish without extra fuss. Milk or white chocolate can also be used based on preference.
• Sprinkles, Nuts, or Candies (Optional): These delightful additions are entirely up to your creative whims! They add a fun, decorative element, extra texture, and bursts of flavor to your chocolate-dipped cookie sticks. Choose from colorful sprinkles for a festive look, finely chopped nuts for a satisfying crunch, or crumbled candies for an extra layer of sweetness.

For a complete list of ingredients and precise quantities, please refer to the recipe section below.

Creative Substitutions and Flavorful Variations

These cookie sticks are wonderfully versatile, inviting you to get creative and customize them to your heart’s content! Here are some delicious variations and smart substitutions you can easily try to personalize your batch:

• Chocolate Chip Infusion: For a delightful chocolate surprise in every bite, fold mini chocolate chips into the dough before you roll it out. The smaller size of these chips ensures that the dough remains smooth and easy to roll, preventing any tearing, while still embedding pockets of melty chocolate throughout the shortbread sticks.
• Bright Citrus Zest: Elevate the classic shortbread flavor with a burst of freshness. Before mixing the granulated sugar with the butter, rub lemon or orange zest directly into the sugar. The act of rubbing releases the fragrant oils from the zest, infusing the sugar (and subsequently the entire dough) with a bright, aromatic, and invigorating citrus flavor.
• Alternate Chocolate Dips: While dark chocolate offers a sophisticated contrast, feel free to experiment with different types of chocolate for dipping. You can use creamy milk chocolate for a sweeter profile, elegant white chocolate for a delicate touch, or even a combination of all three! Consider swirling different melted chocolates together for a marbled effect.
• Elegant Chocolate Drizzles: Instead of fully dipping the cookie sticks, create an artistic presentation by drizzling melted chocolate over the tops. Simply transfer your chosen melted chocolate (dark, milk, or white) into a piping bag with a very fine tip or use a fork to create delicate zig-zag patterns. This method uses less chocolate and offers a refined look.
• Nutty Additions: Introduce a delightful crunch and nutty flavor by folding finely chopped nuts such as almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts directly into the dough before rolling. Alternatively, for a beautiful visual and textural contrast, sprinkle chopped nuts onto the chocolate-dipped portion of the sticks immediately while the chocolate is still wet, allowing them to adhere and set into a delicious, crunchy coating.
• Sparkling Sugar Coating: For an extra layer of sweetness and a satisfying textural element, roll the unbaked cookie sticks in coarse sugar (such as turbinado sugar or colorful sanding sugar) before placing them on the baking sheet. As the cookies bake, the sugar caramelizes slightly, giving the sticks a beautiful sparkly finish and a light, sweet crunch.
• Festive Sprinkles Galore: Make your cookie sticks truly celebratory by adding a generous amount of colorful sprinkles to the wet chocolate coating. This is a fantastic way to customize them for any holiday, birthday party, or special occasion. Explore seasonal sprinkles (red and green for Christmas, pastels for spring, orange and black for Halloween) to match the theme.
• Spice it Up: For a warm and inviting flavor, mix a pinch of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom into the dry ingredients. These subtle spices can transform the shortbread into a more complex and aromatic treat, perfect for cooler months.
• Extract Experimentation: Beyond vanilla, try replacing or complementing it with other extracts. Almond extract adds a sophisticated, nutty note, while peppermint extract can create a refreshing, holiday-themed cookie, especially when paired with dark chocolate.

Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Perfect Cookie Sticks

Mastering Your Cookie Sticks: Expert Tips for Success

• Room Temperature Butter is Non-Negotiable: For the ideal shortbread dough, your unsalted butter must be truly at room temperature. This means it should be soft enough to easily indent with your finger but not melted or greasy. Proper room temperature butter creams smoothly with sugar, creating an airy, uniform mixture that leads to a tender cookie. Cold butter won’t combine correctly, and melted butter will result in a greasy, dense cookie.
• Accurate Flour Measurement is Key: Shortbread dough can be sensitive to flour ratios. Too much flour will result in a very dry, crumbly dough that is difficult to work with and might not hold its shape. For best results, always measure your flour using a digital kitchen scale. If you’re using measuring cups, employ the “fluff, scoop, and level” method: fluff the flour with a spoon, gently scoop it into your measuring cup, and then level it off with a straight edge without packing it down.
• Don’t Be Afraid to Knead: This particular shortbread dough is formulated with a slightly higher flour-to-butter ratio than traditional shortbread to ensure the cookie sticks maintain their precise, structured shape during baking. Consequently, it requires a bit more effort to come together. Don’t hesitate to knead the dough quite a bit with your hands. If it’s still too crumbly, slightly dampening your hands (and re-wetting them as needed) will introduce just enough moisture to help it form a cohesive mass without altering the final texture of the baked cookie.
• Chilling is Your Best Friend: Never skip the chilling step! Chilling the dough before baking is absolutely essential. It allows the butter to firm up, preventing the cookie sticks from spreading excessively in the oven and helping them maintain their crisp, clean edges. If you’re pressed for time, a quick 15-minute freeze can be an effective alternative to a longer refrigeration period.
• Embrace the Ruler for Precision: To achieve perfectly uniform and professional-looking cookie sticks, a ruler is your secret weapon. Use it as a guide when trimming the rolled-out dough and when making your cuts. This small step ensures consistent baking and a polished presentation.
• Offset Spatula for Delicate Handling: When transferring the delicate raw cookie sticks to the baking sheet, an offset spatula is an invaluable tool. Its thin, flat, and slightly angled blade allows you to easily slide under the cookie sticks without distorting their shape, ensuring they make it to the oven intact.
• Timing is Everything for Toppings: For the best adherence, sprinkle your chosen toppings (sprinkles, nuts, candies) onto the chocolate-dipped cookie sticks while the chocolate has set slightly but is still wet and tacky. If you wait too long, the chocolate will harden, and your toppings won’t stick properly.
• Baking Sheet Matters: For even baking and to prevent the bottoms of your shortbread from browning too quickly, use a light-colored aluminum baking sheet. Darker pans can absorb more heat and lead to over-browning.

Common Questions About Chocolate-Dipped Cookie Sticks

Storage Solutions for Freshness

Room Temperature Storage: Once your delicious cookie sticks are decorated and the chocolate has fully set, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will remain wonderfully fresh and crisp for 3-4 days, making them perfect for everyday enjoyment or last-minute gifting.

Freezing Baked Cookies: To extend their shelf life, you can freeze the baked and decorated cookie sticks. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze solid, then transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container, layering them with parchment paper to prevent sticking. They can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw them at room temperature for a few hours before indulging.

Freezing Unbaked Dough: For future convenience, the unbaked cookie dough can also be frozen. After rolling and cutting the sticks (before baking), arrange them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen sticks to an airtight container or freezer bag, where they will keep for up to 3 months. You can bake the cookie sticks directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.

Discover More Irresistible Cookie Recipes!

Important Baking Notes from The Cozy Plum Kitchen

• All recipes developed by The Cozy Plum are crafted using Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is known for being the least salty variety of kosher salt. If you opt to use Morton’s kosher salt, please reduce the amount by half, as it is twice as salty. The same adjustment applies if you’re using sea salt. Under no circumstances should you use table salt, as its fine grain and strong salinity will drastically alter the flavor profile of the recipe.
• For the most accurate and consistent baking results, we highly recommend baking by weight using a digital kitchen scale. While our recipe card may offer cup measurements, converting to metric and weighing your ingredients will always yield superior precision and guarantee a perfect outcome every time.
• This recipe is designed to be easily scalable. While a recipe card typically provides buttons to adjust quantities (1X, 2X, 3X), please remember that these adjustments only apply to ingredient amounts, not to baking times. Always use your best judgment and visual cues for doneness when scaling recipes.

Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookie Sticks

Author: Callan Wenner

These cookie sticks feature a tender, buttery shortbread base with a satisfying crisp snap, beautifully dipped in rich chocolate and decorated with festive sprinkles, nuts, or candies. They’re a fun, unique, and elegant addition to your favorite holiday cookie box or any special occasion!

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Cool Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 1 hr

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24 cookies

Calories: 126 kcal per serving

Equipment

• Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
• Parchment paper
• Rolling Pin
• Bench scraper (optional, but recommended for clean edges)
• Large baking sheet
• Offset spatula (optional, but helpful for transferring)

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons water (potentially more, see note below)
• 10 oz dark chocolate melting wafers
• Sprinkles, chopped nuts, or candies of choice for decoration

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and kosher salt until the mixture is completely combined, light, and fluffy.
2. Add the all-purpose flour and mix until the dough becomes sandy and crumbly. Gradually drizzle in the 2 tablespoons of water, then finish combining the dough by kneading it together with your hands until it forms a cohesive mass.
3. Note: If the dough still feels very dry and won’t stick together, first try kneading it with damp hands (re-wet hands as needed). If it’s still too dry, add an additional ½ tablespoon of water at a time and continue kneading until the dough holds together. It should be firm but not sticky.
4. Transfer the cookie dough to a piece of parchment paper and form it into a square. Place another piece of parchment paper on top. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough evenly until it’s about ½ inch thick and roughly an 8×8-inch square. Be sure to turn the dough and roll in both directions to maintain evenness.
5. Note: After every few rolls, use a bench scraper to gently push the sides of the dough inward. This helps to eliminate any cracks and creates perfectly flat, straight edges for your square.
6. Place the dough (still encased in parchment) onto a sheet pan and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow it to firm up completely.
7. Once chilled, remove the top layer of parchment paper. Using a sharp knife and a ruler, carefully trim the very edges of the dough until you have a perfectly clean 8×8-inch square.
8. Cut the 8×8-inch square of dough into four equal quarters. Then, slice each quarter into six individual sticks, yielding a total of 24 cookie sticks. Use a ruler for precise measurements.
9. Flash-freeze the cut dough for 15 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350℉ (175℃). Line a large sheet pan with a fresh sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
10. Carefully transfer the frozen cookie sticks to the prepared pan using an offset spatula. Take a moment to adjust any sticks that may have shifted or become crooked, ensuring they are perfectly straight before baking.
11. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie sticks are lightly golden. The centers should still appear pale. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the pan before attempting to move them or dip them in chocolate. Moving warm shortbread can cause it to crack.

Decorating Your Cookie Sticks

11. Melt the dark chocolate wafers according to the package instructions (typically in a microwave-safe bowl or over a double boiler). Pour the melted chocolate into a bowl deep enough to dip at least one-third of a cookie stick. Dip one-third of each cooled cookie stick into the chocolate, then gently drag the bottom edge against the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate before placing it back onto a parchment-lined pan to set.
12. Alternatively, for a delicate touch, transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag. Snip a very small piece off the tip and drizzle the chocolate artistically onto the cookie sticks.
13. For both dipping and drizzling methods, you can leave the chocolate plain for a minimalist look, or immediately add your favorite decorations. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle on colorful sprinkles, finely chopped nuts, or crushed candies like toffee bits or peppermint pieces. This ensures the toppings adhere beautifully.

Video Guide

Notes

• Store the decorated cookie sticks in a sealed airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days to maintain their freshness and crispness.
• To ensure the correct dough consistency and prevent it from being too crumbly or too soft, it is crucial to measure flour accurately. We highly recommend using a digital scale. If measuring by volume, employ the fluff, scoop, and level method. Adding too much flour can lead to an extra dry dough that struggles to hold together.
• This recipe intentionally uses a higher ratio of flour to butter than traditional shortbread. This specific formulation is designed to create very clean, structured cookie sticks that hold their shape impeccably during baking. Due to this, the dough will feel a bit firmer and requires substantial kneading to bring it together into a smooth, workable mass. Don’t be shy with the kneading!
• For optimal baking results, use a light-colored aluminum baking pan. Darker pans tend to absorb more heat, which can cause the bottoms of your cookie sticks to brown too quickly or even burn before the rest of the cookie is properly baked.
• When dipping the cookies, choose a bowl that is narrow and deep enough for the chocolate to reach at least one-third up the cookie stick. After dipping, gently drag the bottom of the cookie stick against the side of the bowl. This action helps remove any excess chocolate, ensuring a clean, neat line and preventing a puddle of chocolate at the base when it sets.

Nutritional Information

The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving (1 cookie stick). Accuracy is not guaranteed.