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These decadent Chocolate Sugar Cookies are supremely soft and chewy! They don’t need to be chilled before baking and they stay soft for days!
Looking for a classic sugar cookie recipe? Try my Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookies recipe.
This quick and easy cookie recipe is an adaptation of my Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies. I wanted these cookies to have the same amazing texture with a chocolatey twist. So, I made a few tweaks to the recipe to bring you these fudgy and delicious chocolate cookies!
I made several changes to my classic sugar cookie recipe to create these chewy chocolate cookies. Here’s how I did it:
- Added some cocoa powder
- Reduced the amount of all-purpose flour to compensate for the cocoa.
- Reduced the amount of baking powder because baking soda is the way to go for chocolate treats. It gives a richer flavor and a better texture.
- Removed the brown sugar.
- Added an extra egg to make them ultra tender and chewy.
I didn’t want these to end up being really cakey and they turned out just right. Dense, not cakey, and chewy. I’m so totally in love with these chocolate cookies, it’s hard to stop eating them! They’re like a fudgy brownie in cookie form.
Recipe Ingredients
You won’t need any fancy ingredients to make these cookies. Here’s what goes into them:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter: Bring your butter to room temperature. You should be able to make an imprint on the butter with your finger, but it shouldn’t be so warm that your finger slides through.
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set them aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set it aside.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until the mixture is light in color and fluffy. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.
- Add Eggs & Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well combined after each addition. Then, add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is well combined. It will be thick. Do not over mix it. Once it’s well combined, use a rubber spatula to help it come together to form a more cohesive ball.
- Form Dough Balls: Create 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Gently roll each one into a ball, then roll them in the additional sugar to coat, if desired. Set the balls on the baking sheet. Press down on the tops of the balls just a bit (I used the bottom of a glass to do this).
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes. Don’t overbake them. The cookies will be a little puffy when you take them out of the oven, but they’ll fall a bit as they cool.
- Let Cool: Remove your cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Measure Flour Accurately: The best way to measure your flour is by weighing it with a food scale. But if you don’t have one, give your flour a stir, then scoop it out with a measuring scoop and level it. Do not pack it into the measuring cup.
- Cream Butter & Sugar Well: Don’t stop creaming your butter and sugar until the mixture lightens in color. It should be nice and fluffy.
- Don’t Over-Mix: If you over-mix your dough, the cookies may end up tough. Once the dough is smooth, you’re good to start forming your cookies.
- Don’t Over-Bake: Don’t be tempted to leave your cookies in the oven for too long or they’ll be firm, rather than soft. They’ll be puffed up, but that’s okay – they’ll flatten out as they cool.
Store your chocolate sugar cookies in an airtight container or a sealed plastic bag with all the air squeezed out. They’ll last for 3-4 days at room temperature and about a week in the fridge. To make them last longer, you can store them in the freezer between layers of parchment paper for up to 3 months!
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Watch How To Make Them
Print
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 30
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These decadent Chocolate Sugar Cookies are supremely soft and chewy! If you’re a fan of rich chocolate desserts, you have to give these cocoa cookies a try.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (228g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (85g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (310g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sugar (additional for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well combined after each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is well combined. It will be thick. Do not over mix. Once it’s well combined, use a rubber spatula to help it come together to form a more cohesive ball.
- Create 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Gently roll into a ball, then roll each ball in the additional sugar to coat. Set the balls on the baking sheet. Press down on the tops of the balls just a bit (I used the bottom of a glass)
- Bake cookies for 7-8 minutes. Don’t overbake. The cookies will be a little puffy when you take them out of the oven but will fall a bit as they cool.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Be sure to measure the flour accurately. The best way is by weight with a food scale, but if you don’t have one, give your flour a stir, then scoop it out with a measuring scoop. Do not pack it into the measuring cup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 136
- Sugar: 11.7 g
- Sodium: 87.1 mg
- Fat: 6.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.6 g
- Protein: 1.7 g
- Cholesterol: 28.7 mg
I made these today, unfortunately the batter so super runny, I had to keep adding more flour to make it a bit thick 😔😔
I’m sorry you had trouble with them. It sounds like your butter was either much too soft (read about room temperature butter here, it’s not always what people think), or you didn’t fully cream the butter and sugar. When it’s properly creamed, it should visibly lighten in color and texture should become fluffy and actually grow in volume. The other option is that you under measured your flour, which is possible but not as common.
Thank you so much! Will definitely retry this recipe. Even though it didn’t come out the way it intended people still loved it!
My family loves these! We’ve made them at least 5 times in the past year. Now that it’s winter, I added a bag of Guittard mint chocolate chips. So yummy for a holiday cookie!!! We eat them so quickly every time and baking them is a great experience!
So glad to hear you enjoy them!
My wife and I love this recipe I make it at least twice a year. Especially around the holidays. This year I made them a blossom by adding a peppermint Hershey kiss to them. Now they’re dangerously delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoy them!
I followed this recipe exactly and it is fantastic!! Just what I had hoped for buttery chocolate soft and chewy!!! Anyone else can add whatever they want or don’t, this recipe is perfect the way it is. I will be adding it to my list of favorite holiday cookies.
Awesome! 🙂 So glad to hear you were happy with them!
Excellent! Thanks so much!
Maybe it was the Ghirardelli chocolate I used. (Not many choices available) but these were disgusting and not crispy.
I assume you used Ghirardelli cocoa powder, not melted chocolate? These cookies are meant to be soft and chewy. If you’d like them crispy, you’d need to bake them for longer.
Made them today. Both my husband and I love them. This is a keeper.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Love, love, love these cookies! I made them exactly as written, weighed the flour and cocoa, they’re perfect! Thank you for posting the recipe
So glad you enjoyed them!
These are the best choc sugar cookies, easy to make and so delicious! Do you have a plain sugar cookie recipe? Thank you
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Here are my regular sugar cookies.
So good, we’re enjoying them! I dissolved a very small (2.6 gram) packet of espresso instant coffee into the vanilla before adding it, to bring out the chocolate flavor even more. My daughter likes the way the sugar sparkles on the cookies.
So glad you enjoyed them!
Great cookie recipe! I am going to add the spices from a Mexican spicy hot chocolate cookie recipe to this the next time and frost done with a spicy buttercream and roll some dough balls in spicy sugar mixture before baking. Can’t wait to try it!!
Sounds fun! Glad you enjoyed them!
What do you use for Mexican spicey
This is the best sugar cookie recipe ever! My Grandkids and other family members love it as well. Instead of rolling them in sugar, I make your buttercream frosting. Delicious. Chocolate for the regular sugar cookies and vanilla for the chocolate ones. Love your recipes!
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy them!
I made these today, and absolutely delicious- followed recipe to a “t”! Thank you so much for sharing and making delicious desserts! I also follow your personal blog and it is inspirining!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoy everything!
Mom suffers from dementia. Making these together makes a bad day so much better. Thank you for sharing and making a rough time a whole lot sweeter.
Im so glad you can enjoy them together!
Bless you for doing activities like this with your mom – YOU will remember <3
Amazing recipe. Wanted something a tad different. Hubby said these are phenomenal!
I’m so glad they were a hit!