Use fine semolina, not coarse couscous; coarse particles remain gritty in this low-water dough.
Vegan semolina-coconut shortbread rounds finished with thin dairy-free chocolate bases.
The recipe card lists measured ingredients, numbered steps, storage guidance, and a nutrition estimate when available. Total time includes the listed preparation, rest, baking, and cooling periods for this recipe.
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Vegan Coconut Semolina Shortbread with Chocolate Bases Recipe
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Total time includes hands-on preparation, required chilling or resting, whole-batch cooking, cooling and finishing.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- mixing bowl
- mixer
- kitchen scale
- two 13 x 18-inch half sheets
- parchment
- fork
- wide spatula
- cooling rack
Ingredients
US measures are approximate. Gram weights help keep portions consistent; spice weights vary with density.
Instructions
Mix the dough
- Mix the dough: Stir vegan butter and sugar smooth, then add wheat flour, fine semolina, coconut and salt and mix until cohesive. Use a firm block around 80% fat and confirm butter and chocolate contain no dairy.
Shape and chill
- Shape and chill: Divide all dough into 24 equal portions (about 14 g each). Press between parchment into 1 3/4-inch rounds, about 1/3 inch thick. Mark lightly with a fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes until firm.
Bake the whole batch
- Bake the whole batch: Heat oven to 325°F (165°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan. Use two parchment-lined 13 x 18-inch half sheets, 12 cookies per sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 18–22 minutes, turning front to back halfway; keep the waiting tray refrigerated. Edges and bases should be pale gold and the centers dry. Whole-batch oven time is 44 minutes for both trays.
Cool and coat
- Cool and coat: Rest 10 minutes on trays and cool 20 minutes on a rack. Melt dairy-free chocolate in 20-second bursts, stirring often. Spread a thin layer only on each underside and leave chocolate-side up on parchment 30 minutes to set.
Timing and scaling
- Timing and scaling: 30 min hands-on + 30 min required chill/rest + 44 min whole-batch oven baking + 60 min cooling/setting = 164 min. Cooling includes tray/pan rests and runs from the final tray; earlier-tray cooling may overlap later baking. Ingredient warm-up and frozen-dough thawing are extra; preheat during shaping/chilling. Scale ingredients and US equivalents, not oven temperature, piece sizes or per-tray bake time; extra trays extend the whole-batch time.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Semolina changes the wheat particle structure, coconut interrupts the crumb, and vegan block fat replaces dairy butter without a wet coconut-cream addition.
Technique & texture
Use fine semolina, not coarse couscous; coarse particles remain gritty in this low-water dough.
Finishing & serving
Keep coated bottoms against parchment when stacking; check chocolate labels even when a bar is labeled dark.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 5 days | Up to 5 days. Seal fully cooled cookies airtight in a cool dry room. Separate layers with parchment; let the coating set before packing. |
| Refrigeration | up to 7 days | Unnecessary; up to 7 days if needed. Baked refrigeration is unnecessary for this formula; use only if the room is warm. Seal airtight to prevent condensation and odors. |
| Raw freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze the unfilled dough tightly wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then shape and complete the stated chill. Thawing time is additional. |
| Baked freezing | 2 months | Up to 2 months. Freeze uncoated baked cookies airtight with parchment between layers. Thaw sealed at room temperature for 1–2 hours. Apply the finish after thawing. |
| Restoring | As described | Serve after thawing. Do not oven-refresh the assembled or coated cookies. Serve once thawed; reseal unused portions. |
Notes
- Scale ingredients, including US measures, without changing cookie size or oven temperature. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Nutrition
Approximate values per portion from the listed ingredient weights divided into 24 equal portions. Includes required fillings and finishes. Brands, unused coatings and actual portion size affect the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does semolina change in this dough?
Semolina changes the wheat particle structure, coconut interrupts the crumb, and vegan block fat replaces dairy butter without a wet coconut-cream addition.
Can I use couscous instead?
Use fine semolina, not coarse couscous; coarse particles remain gritty in this low-water dough.
Does dark chocolate always mean dairy-free?
Keep coated bottoms against parchment when stacking; check chocolate labels even when a bar is labeled dark.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Christmas Shortbread Cookies collection.
