Easy Chocolate Sugar Cookies are super soft & chewy. Delicious when frosted for the holidays but so good you can enjoy them without any decorating too.
Who loves a good sugar cookie? I sure do, especially when they are bakery-style & so buttery too. But what about chocolate sugar cookies? Now that is a whole new kind of obsession my friends!
I mean, sugar cookies are already so delicious. But then making them in a chocolate version, WOW, that just takes it over the top.
When it comes to cookies during the holiday season, sugar cookies have got to top the list of favorites. I know that we have never had a holiday season without making sugar cookies.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies without brown sugar
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What is amazing about these sugar cookies is that they don’t call for brown sugar. You see, brown sugar or molasses is what usually gives cookies that soft & chewy texture.
But these cookies don’t call for either of those ingredients. But yet they are incredibly soft & oh so chewy.
The dough is so easy to make & comes together in just a couple of minutes. Because of this they really are a family favorite.
If you haven’t noticed already, I’m sort of on a mission to share all my favorite cookie recipes here. These are the ones I have been making for so many years & I can’t believe that I have not shared them here with you until now.
You know what is the best part about these cookies? They are so perfectly sweet all by themselves that they don’t require any frosting or additional toppings. You can absolutely add icing to these cookies if you like. But they really are delicious just as they are.
Because I like to enjoy my desserts almost as quickly as I can make them, this is a huge selling point for me. The process of icing sugar cookies can be something that keeps me from making them altogether. But I don’t have to worry about that with these unless I want to.
Here are some commonly asked questions
Can I make this recipe with another type of chocolate?
Not that I know of, or at least I have not experimented with making these cookies using anything but cocoa powder. Regular cocoa powder will work just fine. You don’t need Dutch Processed cocoa powder for these.
What is the best way to store leftover cookies?
The easiest way is to place in a large airtight container & store at room temperature. I like a large plastic bowl with a lid or a zip-top bag works great too.
How many does this serve?
This recipe makes about 24 regular-size cookies. So, plan accordingly. If you plan on making large cookie cut outs you might want to make a double batch.
Best Chocolate Cookies
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes, absolutely. If 24 cookies just isn’t enough or you want LARGE cookies, I completely understand. You can most definitely double this recipe to meet your needs – just be sure to use a large bowl.
Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
I personally use whatever I have on hand. But if you are watching your salt intake, stick with the unsalted butter for these cookies. I wrote my original recipe using unsalted butter but then tried it with salted butter & liked them just the same.
HOW DO YOU MAKE Chocolate Sugar Cookies?
-
For the Cookies
- Combine butter & sugar in a large mixing bowl- beating on medium speed.
- Add egg & vanilla. Beat in on low.
- Slowly beat in flour- one cup at a time.
- Add cocoa powder & the pinch of salt. Mix well on low.
- Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment paper & then lay another piece on top to sandwich the dough between the two sheets.
- Roll a rolling pin over the top of the parchment until the dough is in a flat piece.
- Freeze for about 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove dough from freezer & cut into your shapes & transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes. I did mine for 13 because I made them thick.
- Cool on the baking sheet & then transfer to wire rack.
- Pipe on Royal Icing if desired.
- Combine all ingredients & whisk until smooth.
- Pour into a piping bag & pipe on cookies.
- Sprinkle any decorations on after each cookie is iced. Don’t wait until the icing is done for them all- the icing will be hardened enough that it won’t stick.
- Let firm up for at least several hours before stacking.
For the Icing
Do I have to chill the dough?
Yes. You absolutely must chill this dough. If you do not chill the dough, it will be too soft to remove from the parchment after you roll it out. It needs to be firm so that it can be transferred to the baking sheet & hold the shapes that you cut out.
For beautiful, thick & chewy cookies, chilling is essential. You will also need to chill the dough for the second batch when rolling out again to use the rest of the dough.
Can I use a gluten-free flour?
I’m not sure just yet. I have been meaning to give this a try but haven’t had a chance. If you do try this, I would recommend using a 1:1 flour like this one as I don’t believe it would require additional ingredients that are typically called for when trying to make baked recipes in a gluten-free version. Please come back & tell me how they turned out.
How do I properly measure the flour?
The official way is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup & level off. However, for these cookies I usually fluff the flour with a spoon & then gently scoop it into the measuring cup & then level that off before adding to my dough mixture. Make sure your flour isn’t packed down when scooping or packed tightly into your measuring cup. This will make your cookies too dry.
How soft should my butter be?
So, when we are talking about softened butter, it is important that it not be so soft (or nearly melted) that it won’t hold the dough together. The butter should be room temperature so it can be blended easily with the sugar.
Soft Chocolate Cookies
To make this recipe you will need…
-
Cookies
- granulated sugar
- butter room temp (2 sticks)
- egg
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- cocoa powder
- pinch of table salt
- meringue powder
- confectioners sugar
- water
Icing – if desired
Products I love when making Chocolate Sugar Cookies…
This Chocolate Sugar Cookies recipe is so EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you probably already have all of these items on hand! OR maybe you have never made sugar cookies like these before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love the how quick & delicious these are. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making these cookies.
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- cocoa powder
- table salt
- meringue powder
- confectioners sugar
- parchment paper
- 3/4 sheet pans
- mixer
- mixing bowl
- spatulas
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Definitely perfect for sugar cookie lovers everywhere!!
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chocolate sugar cookie recipe
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Best Chocolate Sugar Cookies Recipe
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Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter room temp (2 sticks)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- pinch of table salt
Icing - if desired
- ¼ cup meringue powder
- 1-2 cups confectioners sugar
- 2-3 tbsp water as needed for desired consistency
Instructions
Cookies
- Combine butter & sugar in a large mixing bowl- beating on medium speed.
- Add egg & vanilla. Beat in on low.
- Slowly beat in flour- one cup at a time.
- Add cocoa powder & the pinch of salt. Mix well on low.
- Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment paper & then lay another piece on top to sandwich the dough between the two sheets.
- Roll a rolling pin over the top of the parchment until the dough is in a flat piece.
- Freeze for about 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove dough from freezer & cut into your shapes & transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes. I did mine for 13 because I made them thick.
- Cool on the baking sheet & then transfer to wire rack.
- Pipe on Royal Icing if desired.
Icing
- Combine all ingredients & whisk until smooth.
- Pour into a piping bag & pipe on cookies.
- Sprinkle any decorations on after each cookie is iced. Don't wait until the icing is done for them all- the icing will be hardened enough that it won't stick.
- Let firm up for at least several hours before stacking.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
JIm says
What can I subsitute for the egg without ruining the taste?
Gina Kleinworth says
You can use a quarter cup of unsweetened applesauce in place of one egg in most baking recipes – but I have never tried it in this recipe, so I can’t say how they will turn out.