Chocolate Sugar Cookies
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These chocolate sugar cookies are soft and chewy with a rich chocolate flavor and crunchy sugar coating. The perfect variation on classic, rolled sugar cookies – these are a perfect addition to your Christmas cookie tray.
These chocolate sugar cookies are the perfect rolled sugar cookie. They aren’t overly sweet – but have an indulgent chocolate flavor and chewy texture. Compared to my other chocolate cookie recipes, my double chocolate chip cookie are fudgier and richer, verging on gooey in the middle. Whereas my chocolate shortbread cookies are tender with a milder chocolate flavor. These chocolate sugar cookies fall somewhere in the middle – perfectly chewy, rich but not too sweet, and incredibly satisfying.
Rolled sugar cookies – as opposed sugar cookies that you cut into shapes with cookie cutters – should be tender and chewy with a crunchy sugar coating. I make my classic chewy sugar cookies every Christmas, and my brown sugar cookies are equally delicious. These chocolate sugar cookies are the sister recipe to these other favorites.
Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted Butter – it should be slightly softened, but definitely not starting to melt
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar – the combination of the two makes a chewier, more flavorful cookie
- 1 Egg Plus 1 Large Egg Yolk – do not use 2 full eggs. The extra egg yolk leads to chewier cookies.
- Vanilla – to round out the flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour – measure correctly, otherwise the cookies can become dry, flavorless and too puffy. Whisk first, then spoon into dry measuring cups (not the clear Pyrex ones) and level off the top. Alternatively, using a scale will give the most accurate results.
- Cocoa – I definitely recommend using Dutch processed cocoa for a richer flavor and darker cookie color. Natural will work too, but the cookies will be paler.
- Baking Soda – for the perfect rise.
- Salt – to balance out the sweetness, I prefer sea salt.
- Granulated Sugar or Coarse Sugar – for rolling the cookies in.
Method – with Photos
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line your cookie sheets with parchment or baking mats.
- Sift together the Dry Ingredients: Flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Then give them a whisk.
- Cream the Butter & Sugars. Keep mixing until fluffy.
- Beat in the Egg, Egg Yolk and Vanilla. The eggs should be at room temperature for best results.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients into the Butter Mixture. Be sure to start with the mixer on a low speed to avoid the dry ingredients flying everywhere. It should be slightly difficult to incorporate all of the dry ingredients into the dough.
- Form the Dough into Balls & Roll in Sugar. The dough balls should be about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough each. Mine weight about 1 ounce or 30 grams each. Place 2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheets.
- Bake. The cookies should take about 9-11 minutes, or until the tops look just set and are just starting to crack.
Recipe Tip
If you find the dough is too sticky to work with, or you really don’t like getting sticky hands, cover the bowl with plastic and place in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to 48 hours before forming into balls and baking.
Make Ahead Tips
Storage. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Chilling the Dough. The bowl of dough can be covered and placed in the fridge for up to 48 hours before baking. When ready to bake, preheat the oven and line your cookie sheets as directed. You may need to let the bowl of cookie dough sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before forming into balls if its too firm to work with immediately.
Freezing the Dough. After forming the dough into balls and rolling in sugar, place in a freezer bag and squeeze out excess air. Freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, preheat the oven and bake as directed. Do not thaw the cookie dough balls. They will likely take 1-2 extra minutes to bake.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams), measured correctly
- ¾ cup cocoa powder (60 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams), softened, but not starting to melt
- 1 cup brown sugar (210 grams), packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk, just the yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams), for rolling the cookies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Then whisk together. Be sure to sift the cocoa to remove any lumps. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar – about 2-4 minutes.
- Beat the egg, additional egg yolk and vanilla into the butter mixture until combined and you no longer see pieces of egg.
- Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Start with the mixer on low and beat to combined. The dough will be thick.
- Form the dough into balls with about 1 to 1½ tablespoons of dough each – I use a cookie scoop for this. Pour the ⅓ cup sugar onto a small plate and roll each dough ball in sugar. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheets.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time in the middle of the preheated oven. The cookies will need about 9-12 minutes, or unit the tops are just starting to set and from cracks. Remove from the oven and cool on the cookie tray.
Notes
- Flour: Measure properly, otherwise the cookies can be dry. Whisk first, then spoon into a dry measuring cup and level off the top. Or use a scale in grams for the most accurate results.
- Cocoa: I recommend using Dutch processed for richer cookies.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only based on 1 cookie, assuming the recipe yields 36 uniform cookies.
