You are in for a treat because these Chocolate Sugar Cookies are perfect in every way. They are easy to make and are a delicious balance of sweet, salty and CHOCOLATE. The best part is that they hold their shape when baked. A win for those of us who like to cut holiday themed cookies. But you are also in for another treat because I joined up with 5 other talented lady bloggers for a Feed My Valentine Blog Hop. So, if you are looking for inspiration check out their links at the bottom or follow the hop. I will tell you where to go next at the end of this post 🙂 But for now…
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Table of Contents
Let Me Tell You About These Chocolate Sugar Cookies
They aren’t too sweet. My husband loves those overly sweet grocery sugar cookies with painfully sweet frosting. As for me, after a few bites I feel sick and like my teeth are about to fall out – not a good feeling! Well friend, these are NOTHING like that! Add frosting (buttercream, sugar cookie icing or royal icing) to these and you have a very enjoyable cookie.
They don’t spread when they bake. I’ve tried several recipes to cut with the kids and they always spread in the oven but NOT these. Without the use of baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar or even eggs these chocolate cookies don’t puff or spread, so your cookie cutter design is perfectly preserved.
They’re soft. I love soft cookies, and these don’t disappoint. They’re soft with slightly crisp edges.
Flavor: Like homemade brownies the chocolate and buttery flavors are front and center.
Ease: Even if you’ve never made cookie cutter sugar cookies before, this is a great place to start. You only need 7 ingredients for the cookie dough and the steps are ordered in such a way to make rolling and shaping easier.
Time: This is an easy recipe buuuut…you do need patience to roll out the cookie dough. Now, if you have the patience then you will be rewarded with a delicious cookie. Set aside a few hours and tune in to your favorite podcast or audio book and you’ll be fine!
7 Ingredients for the Best Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour. Provides strength and structure to the sugar cookies.
- Cocoa Powder. Adds rich, chocolate flavor.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens the sugar cookies, while the fine texture of the powdered sugar makes them soft and tender.
- Salt. Used to balance the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
- Unsalted Butter. Adds moisture, flavor and fat.
- Vanilla Extract. A good-quality vanilla extract adds flavor, and enhances the richness of the cocoa powder.
- Milk. A splash of whole milk adds moisture to the chocolate sugar cookie dough and binds it together, without the use of an egg, which would make the cookies puff and spread.
Instructions
Make and Chill the Dough
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- In your food processor pulse the dry ingredients. Pulse the flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar and salt until combined. With the processor running, drop in the pieces of butter, one at at time, pulsing a few times until the butter is evenly distributed, and the dough is moistened and crumbly. Add the vanilla and the milk, then process until the dough starts to stick together.
- Combine to form chocolate dough. Dump the dough out onto a clean counter and use your hands to finish bringing the dough together, kneading in any stray dry ingredients. The dough should be soft, smooth and supple.
- Shape the dough into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with sheets of parchment paper.
Roll the Dough
- On a clean work surface lightly dusted with cocoa powder, place the disk of dough, and dust the top of the dough with cocoa powder, too. Roll out to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch thick.
- Use any size/shape cookie cutters to cut as many cookies as you can, placing the cut cookies 2 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheets. Gather up the scraps of dough, roll them out again, and continue cutting as many cookies as you can.
Cut and Chill the Cookies 
Place the baking sheets with the cut cookies in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour – chilling the cut cookies helps to ensure they don’t spread and hold their shape perfectly while baking.
Bake the Cookies
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- Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake the chilled cookies on the center oven rack for about 11 and 1/2 to 12 minutes. Unlike regular sugar cookies color is not a great indicator of doneness. But you shouldn’t see any appearance of raw or wet dough, and you should see tiny flaky layers around the edges.
- Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the pan, then very gently transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Sugar cookies are delicate when warm, so handle with care.
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Pro Tips for this Recipe
- I rolled these cookies 1/4 inch thick but you can roll them out thicker or thinner depending on your preference. Just be sure to adjust baking time accordingly.
- If you only have salted butter reduce the salt to 1/4 tsp. Unless you like salty chocolate baked goods, then add the full 3/4 tsp.
- You can make this dough in advance and freeze for cookies on-demand. Roll out the dough before freezing to reduce thawing time and wrap well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Freeze Chocolate Sugar Cookies?
Yes! These cookies are perfect for freezing. You can freeze them in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
What Can I Add To Chocolate Sugar Cookies?
I like to add a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of chocolate or a smear of buttercream frosting. For Christmas I dip in chocolate and sprinkle pieces of cut peppermint sticks. You can also dip in crushed nuts. For Valentine’s day I add pink and white v-day inspired sprinkles…the possibilities are endless. Just add any flavor you enjoy.
Can I leave Them Out?
You can leave these cookies out but they are better when kept in an airtight container or well-wrapped in plastic.
Ideas for Chocolate Sugar Cookie Cutting
I made these cute heart shaped ones because chocolate and hearts scream Valentine’s Day. They would be a perfect addition for a Galentine’s Day Brunch or for your kids Valentine’s Day party at school.
You can also explore different shapes like gingerbread men for Christmas. Stars for Fourth of July or Eggs for Easter. They can be cut into anything you want.
What Type of Cocoa Powder is Best for Chocolate Sugar Cookies?
I like to use dutch processed cocoa powder. Dutch processed cocoa is darker, less acidic and fudgier in baked goods. My favorite brand is Ghirardelli, it has a rich and robust flavor that really does take these cookies to the next level but you can used any brand you want.
Let Me Know
Friends, if you tried this chocolate sugar cookie recipe I would love to hear how you did in the comments. Let me know any modifications, tips or tricks you implemented. You can also tag me on Instagram @withlove_fromcatt I love hearing from you!
Chocolate Sugar Cookies Perfect for Cutting
Equipment
- food processor
- rolling pin
- cookie cutters
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and level
- 3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt (1/4 if you want less salt or using salted butter)
- 1 tbs vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
- 1/4 cup whole milk
Instructions
- In your food processor, pulse the flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar and salt until combined. With the processor running, drop in the pieces of butter, one at at time, pulsing a few times until the butter is evenly distributed, and the dough is moistened and crumbly.Add the vanilla and the milk, then process until the dough starts to stick together.
- Dump the dough out onto a clean counter and use your hands to finish bringing the dough together, kneading in any stray dry ingredients. The dough should be soft, smooth and supple.
- On parchment paper - shape the dough into a flat disk, cover with another sheet of parchment, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Keeping the dough between the two sheets of parchment, roll out dough to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch thick. Remove top sheet. *This is my no mess trick* Use any size/shape cookie cutters to cut as many cookies as you can. Place the cut cookies 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Gather up the scraps of dough, roll them out again, and continue cutting as many cookies as you can.
- Place the baking sheets with the cut cookies in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour – chilling the cut cookies helps to ensure they don't spread and hold their shape perfectly while baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.Bake the chilled cookies on the center oven rack for about 11 1/2 – 12 minutes. With chocolate cookies, it's impossible for their color to be an indicator of doneness. But you shouldn't see any appearance of raw or wet dough, and you should see tiny flaky layers around the edges.
- Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the pan, then very gently transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.Sugar cookies are delicate when warm, so handle with care.
NOTES
- Making the Dough without a Food Processor: If you don’t have a food processor, you’ll need a large bowl and a pastry cutter. In the bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Scatter with the cold butter pieces and use the pastry cutter to cut the butter in until very finely cut and evenly distributed. Drizzle with the vanilla and milk, then use your hands to work the liquid into the dry ingredients until it forms into a soft dough.
- Yield: Using a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter, you should be able to cut about 2 dozen cookies.
- Storing the Baked Cookies: The baked cookies should be cooled completely then stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you won’t be frosting and decorating them immediately, freeze the cookies in an airtight container for 3 months.
- Freezing the Dough: To make the dough in advance, wrap the disks of dough in plastic wrap, label them, and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for 3. Frozen dough should be thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Then take the dough out of the fridge about 1 hour before you’re ready to roll out the dough. It should still be cool to the touch when you roll it out, but pliable enough to roll without too much difficulty.
Notes
Tried this Recipe?
Let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram @withlove_fromcattFeed My Valentine Blog Hop Posts
You can follow the hop by going to the next blog mentioned at the bottom of each post or jump right to the post that catches your eye by clicking the any of the links below. Either way make sure to leave a comment to let us know you stopped by.
Next On the Hop
I hope you enjoyed my Best Ever Chocolate Sugar Cookie Recipe for Valentine’s Day. If you need more inspiration Cheri from WhatCherithinks has a few more ideas from breakfast to lunch and my favorite compromise – brunch! Check out her blog post Valentine’s Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch Ideas and don’t forget to leave a comment to let her know you stopped by.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
XOXO
~Catt
These look yummy! We love cookies and this recipe looks easy and delicious! Can’t wait to try them out!
Yes, they are! You’ll definitely like them if you aren’t into sugary cookies.
I can’t wait to try the recipe Catt. Your helper is so ADORABLE, too. Heart shaped anything is always a good idea. I used to make all things heart shaped for my daughter when she was little to reminder her how much I love her. Thank you for organizing the hop today.
Aw, thank you Juliet! Teigan loves helping me in the kitchen. I love that you did hearts for your daughter as a reminder that you love her. That’s so sweet!!
These look delicious – I am salty / sweet fan too. I just cannot do the overly sweet either!
Oh, then you’ll love these!
These are so cute, and I love the half and half look so much. How fun!
It’s less messy 😉 I tried doing the whole heart but with a toddler kitchen helper – half dipping is just easier.