Chocolate Chip Sablé Cookies
French-style chocolate chip sablé cookies with a sparkly sugar crust and buttery, tender texture.
These chocolate chip sablé cookies are buttery, sugar-coated icebox cookies your whole family will love! The tender, crumbly texture and hint of chocolate make them perfect for both everyday treats and special occasions. They’re my new favorite chocolate chip cookies!
Sablés are French shortbread-style cookies with a sandy texture and rich flavor. This variation includes chopped chocolate and is coated in sparkling or demerara sugar for a delicious crunch around the edges. Slice, bake, and enjoy—no rolling or cutting required.
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
Classic French texture. Crisp, sandy, and buttery—true sablé style.
Beautiful presentation. Sugar-rimmed edges and neat slices make them ideal for gifting.
Make-ahead friendly. The dough chills or freezes well for effortless baking.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Room-temperature butter creates the signature tender, crumbly sablé texture.
- Dark brown sugar: Adds moisture and a subtle caramel note.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Helps achieve a fine, sandy crumb.
- Egg yolks: Provide richness and help bind the dough.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances both the butter and chocolate flavors.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and brightens the chocolate.
- Flour: Forms the structure—measure carefully for proper texture.
- Semisweet chocolate: Chop finely; small pieces disperse evenly without interrupting the slice-and-bake shape.
- Sanding or sparkling sugar: Coats the outside of the logs for a crisp, glistening edge.
Steps to Make Chocolate Chip Sablé Cookies
- Chop the chocolate and sift out excess dust if desired.
- Cream the butter, brown sugar, and confectioners’ sugar until fluffy.
- Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and salt and mix briefly.
- Add the flour on low speed, then fold in the chopped chocolate.
- Divide the dough and shape into logs using plastic wrap.
- Chill the dough logs thoroughly until firm.
- Preheat the oven and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Brush logs with egg white and coat in sanding sugar.
- Slice into rounds and bake until lightly golden on the bottom.
Pro Tip:
To keep your sablé dough perfectly round, slide each wrapped dough log into an empty paper towel tube. Tie or clip the ends to secure the shape, then chill. The tube prevents flat spots and helps the cookies bake into beautifully even rounds.
Recipe Variations
- Vanilla sablés. Omit the chocolate and increase vanilla for a classic French version.
- Chocolate sablés. Replace ¼ cup flour with cocoa powder for a darker cookie.
- Espresso-chip. Add ½ teaspoon espresso powder to enhance chocolate notes.
- Citrus twist. Add 1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest to the butter mixture.
- Almond-edge coating. Press finely chopped almonds into the edges instead of sugar.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.
- Pair on dessert boards with fresh berries or truffles.
- Add them to cookie tins for an elegant homemade gift.
- Choose to drizzle with melted chocolate after baking for a richer finish.
How to Store
Room temperature: Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Refrigerate dough: Keep dough logs wrapped tightly for up to 3 days before baking.
Freeze: Freeze dough logs or baked cookies for up to 3 months. Slice dough logs straight from the freezer, adding a minute or two to the bake time.
Chocolate Chip Sablé Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, (71 grams)
- 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, (38 grams)
- 2 large eggs, separated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/3 cups flour, (280 grams)
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup sanding sugar or sparkling sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the chopped chocolate. Chop the chocolate and put it in a mesh sieve to sift out the dust, if desired. Set the chopped chocolate aside.
- Cream the butter and sugars. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the brown sugar and confectioners’ sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
- Make the cookie dough. Beat in the egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Reserve an egg white and refrigerate it. This will be used to coat the logs before baking. Refrigerate or freeze the remaining egg white to use another day, or discard it. With the mixer on low, add the flour and beat until combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
- Shape logs and chill. Divide the cookie dough into 2 portions. Place 1 portion on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll it into an 8 to 9-inch log. Wrap it well with the plastic wrap and place it in an empty paper towel roll, if desired. Repeat with the remaining portion and refrigerate the logs for 3 hours or overnight.
- Prep the oven and baking sheets. When it’s time to bake, heat the oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Coat the logs with egg wash and sugar. Whisk the reserved egg white and brush over the log. Coat the log with sanding or sparkling sugar.
- Slice and bake. Cut the logs into 1/2-inch slices and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned. Repeat with the second log of dough.
Nutrition
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
