Even if you avoid refined sugar, you can still enjoy these Stevia Chocolate Chip Shortbread cookies. Lily’s Chocolate provided their stevia-sweetened chocolate chips for testing, and they worked well in the shortbread. Keep in mind they are less sweet than standard chocolate chips, so flavor expectations should be adjusted accordingly.
The dark chocolate chips are vegan and gluten-free. They cost a bit more than conventional chips—around $7–8 per bag on some retailers—but can sometimes be found at lower prices through alternative vendors. If you can’t find the chips, you can chop a stevia-sweetened chocolate bar or make homemade sugar-free chips as an alternative.
There’s an important difference between a regular chocolate chip cookie and shortbread. Regular cookies are usually soft and chewy; shortbread is dense, tender and crumbly. Traditional shortbread relies on butter (or a solid fat), sugar and flour, and typically does not include baking soda or baking powder.
These cookies use coconut oil, which gives them a rich, decadent texture even without refined sugar.
Below is a look at the product packaging so you can recognize it when shopping. Availability may vary by region.
Here’s the ingredient list shown on the package for reference, useful if you have allergies or specific dietary restrictions. The chips include fair trade vanilla and cocoa.
Back to the cookies: the dough for this shortbread is sturdier and less moist than typical cookie batters. That’s normal—the dough should be just moist enough to hold together when you measure a tablespoon and roll it into a ball.
Roll 1 tablespoon portions into compact balls, place them on the prepared baking sheet, and flatten each ball with your hand or the back of a spatula. Gently smooth the edges with your fingers before baking.
These cookies don’t brown much on top, so check the bottom of a cookie to confirm doneness. If the bottoms haven’t browned after the initial bake time, return them to the oven for a few more minutes.
Stevia Chocolate Chip Shortbread
15 small cookies
15 minutes
13 minutes
28 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil at room temperature
- 15 drops liquid vanilla stevia, or 1/4 teaspoon dry stevia
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened nondairy milk
- 1 cup unbleached flour, can substitute whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Lily’s dark chocolate chips, sweetened with stevia
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a baking sheet by spraying with oil or lining with parchment.
- Add the coconut oil, stevia, vanilla and nondairy milk to a mixer and beat until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add to the mixer and combine. The dough will be slightly crumbly but should hold together when you roll a 1 tablespoon portion.
- Fold in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.
- Roll 1 tablespoon portions into compact balls, place on the baking sheet and flatten with your hand or the back of a spatula. Smooth rough edges by hand.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then check the bottom of a cookie for light browning. If needed, return to the oven for an additional 3 minutes.
Notes
Note: If your coconut oil is firm due to cool temperatures, warm it for about 15 seconds in the microwave to soften before mixing.
Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving
Calories 123Saturated Fat 7gSodium 42mgCarbohydrates 10gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 1g
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