Raspberry shortbread cookies dipped in ruby chocolate are what you make when regular shortbread feels too predictable, but you don’t want to wrestle with royal icing. These buttery cookies, studded with dried raspberries and finished with pink chocolate and pistachios, look like you ordered them from a fancy bakery.
Shortbread is already one of the most forgiving cookies on the planet. They are mostly just butter, sugar, and flour, which you have to mix, cut, and bake. Adding dried raspberries to the dough gives you pops of fruit without making anything soggy. The dried raspberries mix right in and intensify when they bake.
I dip these in ruby chocolate, which you might or might not be familiar with. It isn’t white chocolate with food coloring, it’s its own thing, and it tastes like chocolate crossed with berries. You can’t find it at every grocery store yet, so you may need to purchase it online or check the specialty baking aisle. Regular white chocolate can be used as a substitute, if required.
One of the best things about shortbread is that it’s ideal for making ahead of time. The dough needs to chill anyway, so make it tonight and bake it tomorrow. Or bake them plain and do the chocolate dipping when you have ten minutes to spare. They keep for weeks in a tin!
I’ll walk you through every step of making these treats, from folding in the raspberries to dipping them in chocolate. You will love this fun twist on a classic holiday shortbread cookie.
Looking for more cookie recipes? Try my recipes for cranberry orange shortbread cookies, red velvet cake mix cookies, or brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
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Ingredient Notes
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
- Butter: Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature.
- Granulated sugar
- Almond extract
- Vanilla extract
- Flour
- Dried raspberries: You can find dried raspberries in the dried fruit section of most grocery stores or online.
- Ruby chocolate chips: This pink-hued chocolate has a naturally fruity, berry-like flavor that pairs wonderfully with raspberries. If you can’t find ruby chocolate, white chocolate can be used as a substitute.
- Pistachios
How to Make Raspberry Shortbread Cookies
- In your mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. You’re looking for a light, fluffy mixture that’s almost pale in color.
- Pour in the almond extract and vanilla extract, then mix until they’re fully incorporated.
- Turn your mixer to low speed and gradually add the flour. I usually add it in three or four additions to keep flour from flying everywhere. Mix just until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board and gently press it down with your hands to flatten it slightly. Place your finely chopped dried raspberries in the center, then fold the dough over them. Knead gently with your hands to distribute the raspberries evenly throughout the dough.
- Divide your dough in half. Roll each half into a log about 1½ inches in diameter and roughly 10 inches long. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Unwrap one log of dough and use a sharp knife to slice it into rounds about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Place them on your prepared baking sheet. They don’t spread much so that you can place them fairly close together. Bake for 8-12 minutes, watching for the edges to turn a light golden brown. The centers will still look pale.
- Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up before transferring them to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Once your cookies are completely cool, it’s time to dip them. Put the ruby chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each one, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. This usually takes me about 90 seconds total, but every microwave is different.
- Dip each cookie partway into the melted chocolate and then immediately sprinkle with finely chopped pistachios before the chocolate sets. Set the cookies back on the cooling rack or a piece of parchment paper and let the chocolate set completely before storing.
Serving Ideas
These raspberry shortbread cookies are fancy enough to impress guests but easy enough that you won’t stress about making them. I love serving them at afternoon tea with a pot of chamomile or Earl Grey.
They’re also perfect for holiday cookie trays. Stack them in a pretty box tied with ribbon, and you’ve got a delicious homemade gift. The ruby chocolate and pistachios give them that Instagram-worthy appeal without any actual difficulty on your part.
How to Store
Room temperature storage is your best bet. Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container, and they’ll stay fresh for 1-2 weeks. Keep them away from humidity. If you live in a damp area, your cookies may soften faster than expected.
Tips & Tricks
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- The key to tender, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread is not overmixing once you add the flour. Keep your mixer on low speed and stop as soon as the dough comes together into a ball.
- Make sure the dried raspberries are finely chopped. You can also break them apart with your fingers; you don’t actually need a knife to chop them up.
- Rolling the dough into uniform logs takes a little practice. Here’s what works for me: roll the dough on a clean, floured surface and use your palms rather than your fingers to apply even pressure along the entire length of the log. Roll from the center outward to maintain consistent thickness.
- That 2-hour chill time is essential. Cold dough slices cleanly without squishing or losing its shape.
- Use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between every few slices. The dried raspberries can gunk up the blade and cause the dough to drag and tear. I keep a damp towel next to my cutting board, specifically for this purpose.
- If your chocolate seems too thick for drizzling, add a tiny bit of coconut oil or shortening. Start with ½ teaspoon and stir until the mixture is smooth. This thins it out without affecting the flavor.
Reader Questions
No, fresh raspberries won’t work in this recipe. They contain too much moisture and will make your dough soggy and difficult to work with. Stick with dried raspberries.
Sure. White chocolate, dark chocolate, or even milk chocolate all work beautifully here. Ruby chocolate has a unique berry-like flavor that complements the raspberries, but I’ve made these with white chocolate when I couldn’t find ruby chocolate at my grocery store, and they were still fantastic.
You can leave it out entirely or increase the vanilla extract to ½ teaspoon. The almond extract adds a subtle depth of flavor that pairs wonderfully with the raspberries, but the cookies will still taste great without it.
Not at all. The pistachios add a nice crunch and a pop of green color that looks pretty, but they’re entirely optional. You could use chopped almonds, hazelnuts, or even leave the chocolate plain.
Aim for ¼ to ½ inch thick. Thinner cookies (closer to ¼ inch) will be crispier and bake faster, around 8-10 minutes. Thicker cookies (closer to ½ inch) will have a bit more chew in the center and need the full 10-12 minutes. I prefer mine somewhere in the middle.
Yes, this is actually ideal for these cookies. The dough logs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. This makes them perfect for holiday baking when you want to prep ahead. Just slice and bake when you’re ready.
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Raspberry Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ⅓ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup dried raspberries finely chopped
For the chocolate drizzle
- ½ cup ruby chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
- ½ cup pistachios finely chopped
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes.1 cup butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Add the almond extract and vanilla and mix well.¼ teaspoon almond extract, ⅓ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gradually add the flour at low speed until it is well mixed and the dough forms a ball.2 cups flour
- Place the dough on a lightly floured cutting board and gently flatten it with your hands. Place the diced raspberries in the middle. Fold the dough over and work it with your hands to distribute raspberries evenly throughout.½ cup dried raspberries
- Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a log, about 1 ½ inches in diameter and about 10 inches long. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Take a log of dough out of the fridge and slice it into rounds, about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Place them on the baking sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes, until the edges are browned. Thinner cookies (closer to ¼ inch) will be crispier and bake faster, around 8-10 minutes. Thicker cookies (closer to ½ inch) will have a bit more chew in the center and need the full 10-12 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Once the cookies are cool, make the chocolate drizzle. Melt the chocolate chips in 30-minute intervals, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth.½ cup ruby chocolate chips
- Dip the cookies in the melted chocolate and sprinkle with pistachios before the chocolate sets.½ cup pistachios
Notes
- The key to tender, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread is not overmixing once you add the flour. Keep your mixer on low speed and stop as soon as the dough comes together into a ball.
- Make sure the dried raspberries are finely chopped. You can also break them apart with your fingers; you don’t actually need a knife to chop them up.
- That 2-hour chill time is essential. Cold dough slices cleanly without squishing or losing its shape.
- When slicing the dough, use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between every few slices. The dried raspberries can gunk up the blade and cause the dough to drag and tear. I keep a damp towel next to my cutting board, specifically for this purpose.
- If your chocolate seems too thick for drizzling, add a tiny bit of coconut oil or shortening. Start with ½ teaspoon and stir until the mixture is smooth. This thins it out without affecting the flavor.
- Ruby chocolate is not essential in this recipe, use whatever you have.
- Similarly, use whatever type of nuts you have on hand.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
