Chocolate lovers rejoice! Chocolate Sugar Cookies are perfectly soft and sweet sugar cookies with a rich chocolate twist.

A metal cooling rack with Christmas shaped chocolate cookies of various sizes. Some of the cookies have white icing on them.

Cookie Exchange, But Make it Chocolate

I couldn’t let another Christmas cookie season go by without creating a chocolate sugar cookie recipe to take to the cookie exchange. Every year, as I take my tin around and collect all the beautiful and delicious cookies my friends have baked, I gravitate toward the cookies with chocolate first for fear I might run out of room in my tin. And you know what, in all my cookie exchange attending years, never has anyone baked and brought Chocolate Sugar Cookies. Gasp!

A metal cooling rack with chocolate Christmas shaped cookies of various sizes.

Well, I went there and guess what?! They were not only a huge hit, they were the first cookies to go and I spent the rest of the night texting the recipe to all of my friends. They just couldn’t get over how perfectly chewy and full of chocolate flavor they were.

A stack of Chocolate Sugar Cookies that are coated in sugar.

These cookies are so simple yet versatile and turn out perfect every time. The dough is dark and thick and comes together really quick. It holds its shape so great when rolled, cut and baked into desired shapes.

What Do I Need to Make Chocolate Sugar Cookies?

(see recipe card for measurements and details)

  • All-purpose flour
  • Unsweetened special dark or dutch process cocoa powder
  • Baking powder
  • Kosher salt
  • Unsalted butter, softened
  • Granulated sugar
  • Light brown sugar
  • Milk
  • Vanilla extract
  • Large eggs
  • Powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
  • Half and half
  • Electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
  • Christmas shaped cookies cutters
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Rolling pin
  • Cooling rack
Chocolate Sugar Cookies

How to Make Chocolate Sugar Cookies

  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
  • Beat in the milk and vanilla. Then add the eggs, one at a time, until mixture is well combined.
Steps to make chocolate sugar cookies.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, until mixture is well combined.
  • With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients until a thick soft dough forms.
  • Divide dough into 2 balls, wrap each one in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Steps to make chocolate sugar cookies.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Between two pieces of parchment paper, roll each ball of dough out to 1/4-inch thick.
  • Cut into desired shapes. Repeat with remaining dough until you’ve used it all.
  • With a spatula, transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, placing them about an inch apart.
  • Bake for about 8-10 minutes, rotating cookie sheets after 5 minutes, or until cookies are set in the middle.
  • Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Ice and decorate once cooled.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Quick Tip: Alternately, form dough into 2-tablespoon sized balls, roll in granulated sugar until completely coated, place on parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheets, flatten with the bottom of a glass cup to 1/2-inch thickness, and sprinkle with more granulated sugar.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Huge Hit!

I’m proud to be that rebel when it comes to baking sugar cookies. Classic is great and all, but this rich chocolate twist is where it’s at.

These chocolate sugar cookies are sure to be a huge hit at a cookies exchange, holiday party or any time of year! They could easily be cut into hearts for Valentine’s Day, pumpkins for Halloween or bunnies for Easter. I decorated mine with just a simple white icing, but feel free to get more festive with colored icings and sprinkles.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

More Christmas Cookies

Bring your A game to this year’s Christmas cookie exchange! I’ve got the Best Christmas Cookies to share at holiday cookie exchange or to gift to your neighbors this holiday season. They’re sure to spread tons of cheer! Plus, get tips on hosting your own Christmas cookie exchange party.

No-chill cut out sugar cookies, candy cane cookies, ornament brownie balls and gingerbread men.

How to Store Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Store iced cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Baked cookies (not iced or decorated) can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let cookies cool completely, stack with parchment paper in between each layer of cookies and store in a freezer safe container or resealable plastic bag. Let thaw completely at room temperature before icing.

Cookie dough can also be frozen up to 3 months. Wrap the cookie dough tightly in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer safe resealable plastic bag to freeze. Let defrost in the refrigerator overnight before rolling out and cutting into shapes to bake.

A metal cooling rack with Christmas shaped chocolate cookies of various sizes. Some of the cookies have white icing on them.

Have fun baking, decorating and most importantly, eating! If you make these Chocolate Sugar Cookies, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me or tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see. 😍 I love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the recipes I share. Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

xoxo,

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A metal cooling rack with Christmas shaped chocolate cookies of various sizes. Some of the cookies have white icing on them.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Maegan – The BakerMama
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Dough Chilling Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
  • Yield: 4 dozen
  • Category: Dessert

Description

Perfectly soft and sweet sugar cookies with a rich chocolate twist…chocolate lovers rejoice!


Ingredients

Dough:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened special dark or dutch process cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 large eggs

Icing:

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup half and half

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in the milk and vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time, until mixture is well combined.
  3. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients until a thick soft dough forms. Divide the dough into 2 balls, wrap each one in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  5. Between two pieces of parchment paper, roll each ball of dough out to 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Repeat with remaining dough until you’ve used it all.
  6. With a spatula, transfer the shaped cookie dough to the parchment-lined baking sheets, placing them about an inch apart.
  7. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, rotating cookie sheets halfway through the baking time, or until cookies are set in the middle. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. To make the icing, whisk 3 cups powdered sugar and 1/4 cup half and half together in a medium bowl until smooth and spreadable. If too thin, add more powdered sugar until of spreading consistency. If too thick, add more half and half until of spreading consistency.
  9. Once the cookies are cooled completely, decorated them with the icing and festive sprinkles, if desired.

Notes

Alternately, form dough into 2-tablespoon sized balls, roll in granulated sugar until completely coated, place on parchment-lined baking sheets, flatten with the bottom of a glass cup to 1/2-inch thickness, and sprinkle with more granulated sugar.

About The BakerMama

Maegan is the author of her best-selling Beautiful Boards, Spectacular Spreads and Brilliant Bites cookbooks. She started blogging in 2012 and features hundreds of original recipes on The BakerMama. She truly enjoys sharing her easy, family-friendly recipes, creative meal ideas, food board creations, and entertaining spreads to encourage others to get in the kitchen and make something memorable for their loved ones to enjoy together. Learn More

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Comments

  1. Thank you so much for this recipe!
    The cookies come out absolutely perfect and everyone loves them! I have made the plain round and cutout cookies. Needed multiple batches to accommodate the demand!
    Now I am planning the no chill sugar cookies and the flourless pumpkin bread!!






  2. The flavor is great, like a fudge brownie. BUT, not easy to make. I wanted to use the recipe for Halloween cookies using a cat cutter/stamp. To get the shape and stamp to hold during baking. I divided the dough in 6 parts, chilled overnight. I used cocoa powder to roll them because the dough stuck to the parchment paper. I chilled the cookie sheets in the freezer. After cookies were on sheet, I chilled in fridge for 90 minutes. The recipe made 8 1/2 dozen cookies with a roughly 2×2″ cutter. This recipe delivers a tasty product if you have lots of patience and no kids around.






    1. Hi Catherine! Oh goodness, we just baked these for Halloween and a special project last week and they turned out perfectly, as the recipe instructs, both times. Did you follow the ingredients exactly? I’m wondering if where you live causes the dough to be wetter. I would recommend adding more flour if you think the dough is too sticky after refrigerating it for 30 minutes. Or you could roll it out with flour and then just brush the flour off before baking so the cookies are dark. I’m sorry to hear the process was so complicated for you as the recipe was created to be easy and result in delicious perfectly shaped cookies every time. I hope you get to try them again soon.

  3. Can I make the dough and freeze to make at a later date, or just keep refrigerated until I’m ready to rolls out and make

    1. Hi Joyce! Absolutely, I would recommend freezing the already cut-out dough or balls of cookie dough if you’re wanting to freeze it. Otherwise, keeping the dough covered in the refrigerator and then rolling it out when you’re ready to bake the cookies works really well too. Enjoy!

    1. Hi Cheryl! Yes, they freeze great! Let them cool completely, layer them with parchment paper in between each layer, and place them in a freezer-safe airtight container or plastic bag to store them in the freezer. It’s best to wait and frost them before serving, but you could certainly frost and freeze them too. Enjoy!

  4. ???? Hi!! I am excited to try these! I don’t think I’ve seen unsweetened dark cocoa, I googled and found “special dark” is that what you used?

    Thanks, PS. We think your AWESOME!!!!!!

    1. Hi Lisa! Yes, Hershey’s special dark is what I use. Enjoy the cookies, they’re a chocolate lover’s dream! 🙂 And thanks for your sweet compliment! 🙂

  5. Thoughts on using cocoa powder instead of dark cocoa powder? Use more? Or same amount but expect a little cookie?

    1. Hi Heidi! You can defintitely substitute the dark cocoa with natural cocoa powder and the cookies will still bake up nicely. If you use natural cocoa, the cookies will be lighter in color and flavor. Enjoy!

    1. Hi Kate! I haven’t, but you easily could. Just mix one of the eggs gently with a fork and measure it out then half it to add to the recipe. Enjoy!

  6. Not sure what I did wrong as I followed the recipe and let the dough chill for about two hours but these were way too soft to be rolled out. My son was disappointed as we’d specifically tried to find a chocolate sugar cookie recipe. We rolled and flattened them and baked them for 9 minutes and they came out ok. Kids were happy anyway.

    1. Hi Katherine! Did you use parchment paper to roll it out? You can always try adding just a little more flour or flouring the surface as you roll it out, but the dough should have been stiff enough to roll out after 2 hours in the refrigerator.

      1. The same thing happened to me , super sticky . I just added more flour . I’m baking now . I’ll see how they taste

      2. Hi Rebecca! Did you refrigerate the dough? I hope they baked up great!