Salted Chocolate Sable Cookies
Salted Chocolate Sable Cookies are classic French sable cookies with a chocolatey twist. These cookies are crunchy, addictive and so easy to make!
There were many unforgettable recipes that we made when I was in cooking school. Our class had many favorites, which we would make when we had guests for lunch, parties, etc.
These Salted Chocolate Sable Cookies were always on the top of the list.
They’re irresistibly crunchy, buttery and chocolatey with a touch of flaky sea salt. They’re perfect for the salted chocolate lovers in your life!
What is a sable cookie? It’s a classic French shortbread cookie recipe that hail from France’s Normandy region.
The word “sable” means sandy, because the cookie dough is quite crumbly.
See this recipe for Sable Cookies if you’d like to make the classic version without chocolate.
Dorie Greenspan included sables in one of her cookbooks and dubbed them World Peace Cookies, as one of her neighbors stated that a daily dose of them would result in world peace.
I couldn’t agree more. 🙂
Sable cookie recipe ingredients
These sable cookies only require a few simple ingredients that you already have on hand.
Note that there are no eggs included in this recipe, which is what makes the dough on the crumbly side.
- All purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Instant espresso powder (optional)
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips
- Coconut oil
- Flaky sea salt
How to make this recipe
This dough comes together very quickly, but some chilling time is involved.
Chilling is necessary for the butter to firm up, which makes it easier to slice the cookies and also to keep them from spreading too much as they bake.
- Sift the dry ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Cream the butter in a large bowl until pale yellow, then beat in the sugar and vanilla until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined. The dough will be very crumbly and should be not be overworked.
- Using your hands, gently incorporate the chocolate chips into the dough.
- Divide the dough in half and shape into logs about 1 1/2″ in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or more.
- Once chilled, slice the cookies into 1/2″ slices and place 1″ apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 12 minutes at 350 degrees. They will not look done, but they are! Remove from heat and cool completely on a wire rack.
- If dipping in chocolate, melt the bittersweet chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl in a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally.
- Dip half of the cookie into the chocolate and place on a sheet of waxed paper. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and let stand until set.
Recipe notes and substitutions
- The dough can be made and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead of time, or frozen for up to 1 month.
- Cookies keep well for 1-2 weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Instant espresso powder is used to intensify the chocolate flavor, but is optional.
- Change up your sables by adding toffee bits, chopped nuts or white chocolate.
More delicious cookie recipes:
Chocolate dipped almond horn cookies
Chocolate dipped coconut macaroons
Salted Chocolate Toffee Sables
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder optional
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 11 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup toffee bits
For dipping:
- 1 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
- 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil
- Maldon flaky sea salt or other coarse salt for topping
Instructions
Prepare the cookies:
- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and espresso powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter till pale yellow. Add the sugars, salt, and vanilla, and beat 1-2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. The dough will be very crumbly -- work the dough as little as possible.
- Add the chocolate chips, and work into dough gently with your hands.
- Divide the dough in half and shape into a logs 1 1/2" in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour or more.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Slice the cookies into 1/2" thick slices and place 1" apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies won't look done, but they are! Remove from heat and cool completely on a wire rack.
Melt the chocolate:
- Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a double boiler over simmering water or microwave according to package instructions, stirring until smooth.
- Dip half of each cookie in the chocolate and place on a sheet of waxed paper and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Once the chocolate has set, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- The dough can be made and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead of time, or frozen for up to 1 month.
- Cookies keep well for 1-2 weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Instant espresso powder intensifies the chocolate flavor, and is completely optional.
- Change up these sable cookies by adding toffee bits, chopped nuts or white chocolate.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
33 Comments on “Salted Chocolate Sable Cookies”
I LOVED these!!! I may have eaten 11 of the 12 we received…
I can see why they would bring peace on earth. You just can’t be angry while nomming them.
Thank you for choosing chocolate cookies! I loved receiving them and I loved eating them!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much…it’s hard to bake for people that you don’t know since you don’t know their likes and dislikes, but I figured I couldn’t go wrong with chocolate! Happy holidays, Dani! I gotta get on over to your blog and pay you a visit. 🙂
That’s what I figured — chocolate is universal and appeals to everyone. I know I loved these! Thanks, Meghan.
Sables remind me of my grandmother, she makes the most delicious sables, without measuring of course. Your sables look fantastic !
Thank you! I’ll bet your grandmother’s are SO delicious. I’d love to be able to whip these up without a recipe. I guess I need to make them more often so I can!
I really do wish I was your next door neighbor.
These look so good, there’s something about a tiny bit of salt in chocolate right?, which elevates the flavors.
Lovely Marcie.
Thank you, Ash, and I find myself wishing you were my neighbor often.
Yes, we definitely should have been paired for the cookie swap! These look amazing! I love anything sweet and salty.
I’d swap cookies with you any time, Jennifer!
I loveee sables but have never made a chocolate version! These sound so good Marcie! Especially with the toffee! And I love the hint of salt – I am seriously addicted to adding a little bit of saltiness to desserts!
Thanks, Ashley! I just remember trying these at school thinking “oh, these would be so good with salt”, and they were even better. I had to use toffee…because I just had it. These are going to be in the main cookie rotation.
Salted chocolate is one of my favorite flavors right now. I can’t get enough of it and I can’t get enough of all these cookies. They look perfect, Marcie! Pinning and making these soon!
I can’t get enough salted chocolate, either — it’s so addicting! Thanks, Ashley, and thanks for the pin.
I know you love your chocolate, Consuelo — it’s like I made these with you in mind! I will trade you these cookies for your muffins…deal?
These cookies are perfect Marcie! Salted chocolate and toffee bits? Oh boy, the recipients of these cookies must have enjoyed every single bite, I know I would. Pinning and can’t wait to try them 🙂
Thanks, Kelly! I absolutely love a bit of salt in my desserts. Have a great day! 🙂
These look fantastic! I will certainly not say no to these. Lucky bloggers to be getting these from you. 😉 YUM! Have a great rest of the week Marcie.
Thank you, Anne! These are high on my list of favorite cookies. Have a great day!
I need some salted chocolate in my life right now! You had me at toffee and chocolate; that combo is amazing!
I know, I love chocolate and toffee! The little bit of salt on this makes a tremendous difference. It’s amazing what a little salt can do! Thanks, Mary Frances. 🙂
I foresee an addiction should i try one! They look great!
The addiction certainly happened to me! Thanks, Sarah!
I’m not sure these cookies would bring peace to our house. We’d be fighting over them for sure! Love the chocolate-toffee combination and how much fun to receive cookies in the mail!
Ha! I just his them in the cupboard for myself to keep the peace.
Salt and chocolate are just about my favorite combo! These look so delicious girl!
You and me both! Thanks, Pamela.
A cookie swap sounds like such a delicious idea! And your cookies look SO yummy and festive!
It was a lot of fun! Have a great weekend, Jessica!
Thank you! There really isn’t enough time left to make all the cookies that I’d love to make for the holidays — I see so many that look SO good. It will be a tough decision! Have a great day. 🙂
Oh my…do these look and sound heavenly! I love the chocolate, the toffee, the salt, the espresso…thanks so much for sharing at Saturday Night Fever!
Thank you, Cathy, and happy holidays to you!
These look amazing! What could be bad about salt, chocolate, and toffee?! Yum.
Thank you, Rachel! There’s nothing wrong with this combination for sure — these cookies were irresistible to me.