These chocolate sugar cookies are soft, chewy and full of chocolate flavor with a crunchy sugar coating. A delicious twist on classic rolled sugar cookies, they make a welcome addition to any holiday cookie tray.
These cookies are the ideal rolled sugar cookie: not overly sweet, with an indulgent chocolate flavor and a chewy bite. They sit between fudgy double chocolate cookies and tender chocolate shortbread—rich without being heavy, and perfectly satisfying. Rolled sugar cookies should be tender and chewy inside with a crisp, sugary exterior, and these deliver exactly that.
Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted butter — slightly softened but not melted.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar — their combination yields a chewier, more flavorful cookie.
- 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk — use just the yolk for the second to increase chewiness.
- Vanilla extract — to round out the flavor.
- All-purpose flour — measure accurately to avoid dry, puffy cookies. Whisk, then spoon into dry measuring cups and level off, or use a scale for best results.
- Cocoa powder — Dutch-processed cocoa gives a richer, darker cookie; natural cocoa works but the color will be paler.
- Baking soda — for proper rise.
- Salt — to balance sweetness; sea salt is preferred.
- Granulated or coarse sugar — for rolling the cookie dough balls.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Sift together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine and remove any lumps from the cocoa.
- Cream the butter with the brown and granulated sugars until light and fluffy, about 2–4 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, the additional egg yolk and the vanilla until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
- With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until combined. The dough will be thick.
- Form the dough into balls of about 1 to 1½ tablespoons each (roughly 30 grams). Pour the rolling sugar onto a small plate and roll each ball to coat. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for about 9–12 minutes, until the tops are just set and begin to crack. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet.
Recipe Tip
If the dough is too sticky to handle, cover the bowl and chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to 48 hours. Chilling firms the dough and makes it easier to scoop and roll.
Make-Ahead & Storage
Storage: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Chilling the dough: The dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 48 hours before baking. If it’s very firm when you remove it, let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before scooping.
Freezing: Scoop and roll the dough balls in sugar, then freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen — add 1–2 minutes to the baking time.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie sheets
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
- ¾ cup cocoa powder (60 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226 g), softened but not melted
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (210 g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 g) for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; whisk to combine and remove lumps.
- Cream the butter with brown and granulated sugars until light and fluffy, about 2–4 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, extra yolk and vanilla until smooth and fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients on low speed and mix until a thick dough forms.
- Scoop 1 to 1½ tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll each ball in the rolling sugar, and place 2 inches apart on prepared sheets.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 9–12 minutes, until the tops are just set and beginning to crack. Cool on the baking sheet.
Notes
- Flour: Measure accurately to avoid dry cookies—whisk first, spoon into measuring cups and level off, or use a scale.
- Cocoa: Dutch-processed cocoa produces a richer, darker cookie.
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Nutrition: Nutrition information is an estimate per cookie, assuming 36 cookies per batch.