Chocolate Dipped Cardamom Orange Shortbread Cookies

Warmly-spiced cardamom orange paleo shortbread cookies, dipped in orange-cardamom chocolate for a decadent treat. Made with almond flour, coconut oil, and coconut sugar, this shortbread recipe is, gluten free, vegan, and paleo.

These Chocolate-Dipped Cardamom Orange Shortbread Cookies are completely gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo!

They’re rich and buttery (without the butter!) and manage to balance citrusy goodness with a warm, spicy flavor.

They’re so indulgent and are a glorious after-dinner treat that’ll satisfy your sweet tooth in an instant!

You might be raising your eyebrows at the thought of putting warm, spicy cardamom into COOKIES of all things.

But this ground spice powder gives these little rounds of goodness an amazing hit of citrus and herby flavor that’s so addictive.

You add ground cardamom and fresh orange zest to the cookie dough. But you’ll also add ground cardamom and orange extract to the melted chocolate for the dipping. 

This leaves you with a double cardamom-orange whammy with a big, bold chocolate mouth melt.

Oh, and I just love how the almond flour gives the cookies a glorious, crumbly texture! Can you tell I adore these cookies? Thought so.

I usually make these cookies for my holiday table. But they’re perfect for dessert (or a snack!) at any time of year. They’re easy to make and even easier to chow down on! Drooling yet? Me TOO.

And hey, if you love cookies, I’ve written a whole round-up of healthy options to try! 

You’re totally welcome.

Ingredients for Cardamom Orange Shortbread Cookies

These are all the ingredients you’ll need for these incredible cardamom orange cookies. Plenty of pantry staples to work with here, so you might not even need to head to the store!

For the cookies

Almond flour: The gluten-free MVP that acts as the backbone of these crumbly cookies. They’re responsible for giving your chocolate cardamom cookies their melt-in-the-mouth texture.

They also bring a more delicate consistency than typical flour, meaning you can skip the butter here!

Coconut sugar: I use this in place of regular sugar to keep the recipe refined sugar-free. It has a great, caramel-like flavor that works so well with the citrus and cardamom.

It’s also fabulous for anyone with higher blood sugar levels, as it has a lower glycemic index than white sugar.

Orange zest: The zest is where those amazing essential oils lie. So, they’ll give your cookies a mouthwatering fragrance and plenty of bright, citrus flavor. All without extra liquid!

Fresh orange juice: You’re literally using a tablespoon here to bring a little bit of natural flavor. Don’t go overboard – you still want the chocolate and cardamom to shine!

Baking soda: The small and mighty marvel that stops your cookies from going dense.

Ground cardamom: My secret spice that brings a combination of warmth, citrusy goodness, and a floral aftertaste.

Sea salt: A pinch to enhance and balance the coconut sugar.

Coconut oil: You’ll be using this in place of butter to create a rich, tender crumb. You’ll use melted oil to make your cookies, but this ingredient hardens up in the oven to give the cookies shape.

Pure vanilla extract: The key to rounding out all of the flavors (while sweetening things up just a little).

For the chocolate coating

Dark chocolate chips or unsweetened cocoa powder: The chocolatey base you use will depend on whether you’re keeping this recipe paleo or not.

I’ll get to this a little later on. The chocolate is what makes the coating silky and indulgent. I also adore how it pairs with the warm cardamom and zesty orange!

Coconut oil or butter: You can use either ingredient (depending on whether you’re going paleo or vegan!).

These ingredients help your chocolate melt smoothly and give your cookies an almost shiny texture once they’ve cooled. Trust me, it’s so aesthetically pleasing!

Pure orange extract: The cookies already contain orange zest and juice. But this extract enhances the citrus flavor even further.

Ground cardamom: Key for getting that warm spice infused into your chocolate coating! Feel free to dial the amount up or down depending on how intense you want things to be.

Pure maple syrup: For a dose of sweetness that stops the spice from hitting too hard.

Recipe Customizations

• If you’re opting for a non-paleo recipe, use the chocolate chips. They contain dairy and sugar, so they don’t quite fit the paleo profile. Otherwise, stick to unsweetened cocoa powder! You can also use vegan chocolate chips if you want to keep this recipe vegan.
• You can also use white chocolate if you prefer!

Tips for the Best Cardamom Orange Shortbread Cookies

• Don’t skip chilling your dough. It might seem optional, but refrigerating your dough before you bake it helps stop these cookies from spreading. If you leave them in the fridge for long enough, you’ll get the perfect rise with a firm but crumbly texture. Perfection!
• Keep an eye on your shortbread cookies in the oven. The shortbread should be lightly golden around the edges when you take them out. If they’re a deep brown, they’re overdone! Remember that the cookies will continue baking on the sheet. So, work that into your total bake time.
• Don’t cheap out on the chocolate. I get that you might be on a budget, but using high-quality chocolate will completely transform these almond flour shortbread cookies into something seriously decadent.
• If you’re making the paleo chocolate coating, make sure you let the mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes. It’ll need to thicken up but not go claggy. Give it a stir every couple of minutes to keep the consistency even!

What Does It Taste Like?

These cardamom orange cookies are buttery, perfectly spiced, and super rich thanks to the chocolate coating.

The cardamom brings warmth, and I love how the orange zesty brings a light, bright contrast to the mix.

Plus, dipping these bad boys in dark chocolate makes everything taste so indulgent.

They’re the perfect accompaniment to any cup of tea or coffee. Oh, and they’re virtually guilt-free, so have a few! 

I know I will.

How to Make Cardamom Orange Shortbread Cookies

1. Stir all the shortbread ingredients together in a bowl until you get a thick, sticky dough. Don’t be afraid to really mix it up!
2. Shape the dough into a cylinder and secure it in plastic wrap. Then, refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm.
3. Preheat and prep your oven by setting it to 350°F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking oil and set the tray aside.
4. Unwrap your dough and slice into into rounds (I like them between ¼ inch and ½ inch thick! Place them on the baking sheet and bake for around 12-15 minutes until the edges go a lovely golden brown. Be careful not to overbake!
5. Let your cookies sit for around 15 minutes after baking to let them set and continue to bake.
6. While the cookies are cooling, heat the chocolate coating ingredients in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir the mix until it’s perfectly smooth. If you’re trying out the paleo chocolate, let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Stir it occasionally until it’s thickened.

Once your cookies have cooled and your chocolate is done, spoon the melted chocolate over half of each cookie. Let the cookies sit until the chocolate fully hardens.

Serve and enjoy – the cookies are ready to be devoured!

Are you crazy for cookies? Try a few more of these delicious recipes to well and truly fill up your cookie jar!

More Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes:

• Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Keto Pecan Shortbread Cookies
• Cranberry Pistachio Vegan Shortbread Cookies
• Glazed Keto Lemon Cookies
• Almond Flour Lemon Cookies

Cardamom Orange Paleo Shortbread Cookies

4.89 from 17 votes

The most unique and delicious shortbread recipe you'll ever make!

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Prep Time 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 15 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/3 cup Coconut Sugar
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup coconut oil melted and cooled
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 navel orange about 2 to 3 tsp
• 1 Tbsp fresh orange juice

Chocolate Coating (Chocolate Chip Option):

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil or butter
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp pure orange extract optional

Chocolate Coating (Paleo Option):

• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
• 1/3 cup coconut oil melted
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or liquid sweetener of choice
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp pure orange extract optional

Instructions

• Stir together all of the ingredients for the shortbread cookies in a mixing bowl until well combined and a thick, sticky dough forms. Use your hands to form a cylinder out of the cookie dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least two hours, until dough hardens.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray a large baking sheet with cooking oil. Remove the plastic wrap from the shortbread dough and place on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut dough into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick rounds. Place dough rounds on the prepared baking sheet and bake 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies are golden-brown around the edges.
• Remove cookies from the oven and allow them to sit untouched at least 15 minutes – this process ensures the cookies will set up and hold together (If you don’t allow cookies to cool, they will fall apart).
• While cookies are cooling, prepare the chocolate coating (use either recipe depending on your dietary restrictions). Add the ingredients for the chocolate coating to a small skillet and heat to medium, stirring frequently, until chocolate chips have melted completely. (Note: if you choose to prepare the paleo chocolate coating, allow the mixture to cool 5 to 10 minutes, stirring every couple minutes, until mixture thickens.). Use a spoon to drizzle chocolate over 1/2 the surface of each cookie. Place bake on the cookie sheet until chocolate has hardened. Enjoy!

Notes

*You can use vegan chocolate chips to keep the recipe dairy-free.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1Cookie · Calories: 172kcal · Carbohydrates: 16g · Protein: 3g · Fat: 12g · Fiber: 2g · Sugar: 12g

Author: Julia

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Keyword: almond flour shortbread, chocolate dipped shortbread, coconut sugar cookies, paleo shortbread cookies, vegan shortbread

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