Hey there! I’m Cassandre, and today on Caramel Loafing I’m excited to share a timeless, charming French treat: French Checkerboard Cookies (Sablés Damiers). Sometimes they’re called Sablés Hollandais. Despite the name, they have nothing to do with Holland, just like French Hollandaise sauce; it’s a fun nod to French humor.
These cookies use a classic sablé dough that’s buttery and crumbly. Freshly baked, they’re crisp and fragrant; let them sit overnight and the flavor gets even better. They’re not overly sweet or heavy, so it’s easy to keep reaching for another.
Don’t let the neat checkerboard pattern intimidate you. The process is like playing with puzzle pieces or building blocks. Take it step by step: line up the strips, press them together, chill, slice, and bake. There’s no need for perfection; a little patience is all you need for a naturally cute, eye-catching batch. It’s also a great project for kids to help with.
If you enjoy sablé cookies, try these as well: Sablé Diamond Cookies, Brittany Sablé Cookies, and Nantais Sablés. This dough is also perfect for French tart shells like this French Blueberry Tart.
We’re making the classic vanilla and cocoa version today, but you can swap in matcha powder for the cocoa to make a green-and-white version. With their clean yet playful look, these cookies are perfect for enjoying at home or gifting to friends.
French Checkerboard Cookies Recipe & Method
Ingredients
📍Yield: 18–20 cookies (about 0.4 inches thick)
☞ Vanilla Sablé Dough
- Cake flour 60g
- Powdered sugar 24g
- Almond flour 12g
- Cold unsalted butter 36g, diced
- Whole egg 12g
☞ Cocoa Sablé Dough
- Cake flour 80g
- Powdered sugar 32g
- Almond flour 16g
- Unsweetened cocoa powder 8g
- Salt 1g
- Cold unsalted butter 48g, diced
- Whole egg 16g
☞ Egg Wash
- Beaten whole egg 10g
- Egg yolk 10g
- Whole milk 10g
Use our Nutrition Calculator to check the nutritional details for this recipe.
How to Make Them
- Sift the powdered sugar, almond flour and cake flour for the vanilla dough; blend well in a food processor. Add the diced cold butter and pulse until sandy.
- Add the egg; mix until it comes together, then turn onto a work surface and smear with the heel of your hand once or twice to smooth the dough. Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Repeat the same process for the cocoa dough: sift powdered sugar, almond flour, cocoa powder, salt and cake flour. Blend, then add the cold butter and pulse to a sandy texture.
- Add the egg, mix to form a dough, smooth briefly, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- For the egg wash, whisk the whole egg, yolk and milk until smooth with no lumps.
- Roll each dough into a rectangle about 0.3 inches thick and about 8 inches long.
- Cut five 0.4 inches wide strips from the vanilla dough and four from the cocoa dough. If the dough is too soft, chill for 10 minutes before assembling.
- Place vanilla, cocoa, vanilla strips side by side, pressing firmly; brush the top with egg wash.
- Stack cocoa, vanilla, cocoa on top; brush again, then add the final layer: vanilla, cocoa, vanilla. Gently press all strips together and chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll out any remaining cocoa dough to about 8 inches x 5 inches x 0.1 inches, brush with egg wash and wrap around the checkerboard block. Chill for 15 minutes.
- Slice into 0.4 inches thick cookies (or 0.2–0.3 inches if you prefer thinner). Place on a lined baking sheet; bake at 356°F (180°C) for 23–25 minutes, watching the color. For thinner cookies, shorten the bake time by 2–5 minutes.
- Cool completely on a wire rack and store in an airtight container for up to one week at room temperature or about 10 days in the fridge.
Watch the step-by-step video: French Checkerboard Cookies
FAQ & Tips
Can I make the dough by hand?
Absolutely! Sablé dough works great by hand. You can use the rubbing-in method or the creaming method. Rubbing-in means working the butter and flour together until sandy before adding liquids — this makes a crumbly, tender cookie. The creaming method beats butter and sugar until smooth before adding eggs and flour, resulting in a tighter, more delicate texture. Either works well; pick the one you’re most comfortable with. For examples, check our Sablé Jam Cookies or Sablés Bretons (Brittany Sablé Cookies).
How should I balance the vanilla and cocoa dough?
You’ll need a bit more cocoa dough to wrap the entire block. You can swap this if you prefer the outer layer to be vanilla — just reverse the quantities. It won’t affect the structure.
Any tips for stacking and slicing?
Temperature is everything. Dough that’s too soft will lose shape; too hard and it can crack. Chill until it’s firm enough to cut but still workable. When layering, avoid too-cold dough as it won’t stick well. Let outer sheets soften slightly so they wrap smoothly without cracking.
What if the strips don’t stick together?
If the dough strips won’t stick, they may be too cold or have flour dust on the surface. Brush off any excess flour and let the dough warm up a bit; gently press the seams to help them bond.
How thick should I slice them? How to adjust bake time?
About 0.4 inches is standard. For thinner cookies, slice to 0.2–0.3 inches and bake a few minutes less.