Easy Chocolate Sugar Cookies {Cut Out}
Quick and easy chocolate sugar cookies recipe with crispy texture of classic cut out sugar cookies and a rich chocolate flavor. Great for cookie decorating!
Being a chocoholic, one of my favorite cookies are these cut out chocolate sugar cookies with cocoa powder. Basically, they have the texture of my classic sugar cookies but a rich chocolate flavor that’s to die for! This recipe is perfect for cutting out any shapes you like. It’s also great for making “slice and bake cookies,” when you roll the dough into a log, chill, cut slices and bake.
These cut out chocolate sugar cookies are:
- Firm
- Crispy
- Great for cookie decorating with Royal Icing or Glace Icing or just melted chocolate
- Packed with rich chocolate flavor
- Hold their shape fairly well
- Perfect for packing and shipping to family/friends as homemade gifts
Maybe I am picky but the chocolate sugar cookie recipes I have tried in the past were horrible until I found this recipe from The Decorated Cookie. I modified it a bit and they are truly EXCEPTIONAL!
How do you make chocolate sugar cookies? How do you make easy chocolate cookies? How do you make easy chocolate biscuits?
- Cream together butter and sugar.
- Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda and cocoa powder separately.
- Dump this dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until combined.
- Chill.
- Roll out dough between two sheets of wax paper.
- Cut out shapes.
- Bake and enjoy.
Soft chocolate sugar cookies vs. Chewy chocolate sugar cookies
When it comes to sugar cookies and especially cookie decorating, it’s best to have a cookie that’s firm and crisp but still soft and buttery on the inside and not chewy.
This is not a no chill chocolate sugar cookies recipe!
Chilling the cookie dough is very important because:
- It makes the dough easier to handle and is not too sticky for rolling and cutting out shapes.
- It deepens the chocolate flavor.
- Most importantly, it prevents the cookies from spreading too much while baking and holding their shape.
White chocolate sugar cookies
Stir in some mini white chocolate chips in the cookie dough.
Chocolate chip sugar cookies
You can stir in any mini chocolate chips of your choice in the dough. Don’t use regular sized chocolate chips since they are harder to cut out, when using cookie cutters.
TIPS for making PERFECT chocolate sugar cookies:
- Make sure the egg and butter at room temperature. This allows them to blend properly into the dough.
- There is no milk or water in this recipe. Do not add those ingredients or else the dough will become very sticky.
- You must chill the dough to make it easier to roll out the dough. Chilling the dough also prevents cookies from spreading, while baking.
- Rolling the dough between 2 sheets of wax paper will prevent it from sticking to your rolling pin or your countertop. You also won’t have to use additional flour for dusting. I highly recommend this for ALL cut out cookie recipes.
- If you are ever impatient and don’t want to wait for the dough to chill, you can make chocolate drop sugar cookies or chocolate crinkle cookies by scooping out tablespoons of the dough, shaping them into balls, rolling them in granulated sugar and then baking.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Cookie dough can also be frozen in a tightly sealed freezer bag for up to 1 month.
Other chocolate cookies recipes
- Chocolate cake mix cookies
- Chocolate thumbprint cookies
- Rolo chocolate cookies
- Fruit Loops chocolate cookies
- Cake mix chocolate m&m cookies
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter, Unsalted
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 1 Egg, Large
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- ½ cup Cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp Baking soda
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
- Dump this dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined. I noticed that using my hands for mixing everything together was much easier.
- Refrigerate this dough for 2 hours. I refrigerated overnight. It was rock solid when I took it out in the morning so I allowed it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling it out.
- Roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to make shapes.
- Place cookies gently on a cookie tray, lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 375 degrees (8 to 10 minutes for small cookies or 10 to 12 minutes for larger cookies).
- Let them cool down completely and then remove from the cookie tray. And you are done! Enjoy!
Notes
- Read my tips above.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge or room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Cookie dough can also be frozen in a tightly sealed freezer bag for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Until next time, tata my lovelies!
I found the cookie recipe last night and look forward to making the regular sugar as well as the chocolate sugar cookie. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe
I hope you enjoy them. Let me know if you have any questions 🙂
Can the cookies be frozen after they’re baked? If so, thaw at room temp or in refrigerator?
I tried it this weekend and yes, you can freeze the dough or freeze the non-iced baked cookies. Make sure you are using sealed freezer bags so no moisture gets in. The dough should be thawed in the fridge but the baked cookies can be thawed at either room temperature or the fridge.
These were easy & delicious! The chocolate is subtle but still savory and tasted great with royal frosting. We loved having brown Santa faces too! Yay!
These will be replacing our old sugar cookies.