These Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies are a chocolate twist on the classic cut-out cookie. They stay soft, hold their shape well, and are deliciously chocolatey. Decorate them with colorful sanding sugar, sprinkles, or an easy vanilla buttercream for a sweet, homemade gift or party treat.
Table of Contents
- What Ingredients You’ll Need
- Helpful Tips
- Cookie Decorating
- Essential Cookie Decorating Tools
- Recipe FAQs
- More Cookie Recipes to Enjoy!
- Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies Recipe
What Ingredients You’ll Need
- Dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt.
- Wet ingredients: unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and one large egg (both butter and egg at room temperature).
Helpful Tips
Room temperature ingredients: Let butter and egg come to room temperature so they blend easily. Butter should be soft but not greasy—press with your thumb and feel slight give.
Size of your baking sheet: Make sure the pan you use to chill dough fits in your refrigerator or freezer.
Use parchment or wax paper: Rolling dough between parchment sheets prevents sticking and lets you reuse the bottom sheet for baking. Use wax paper if you plan to freeze the dough.
Divide then roll: Shape dough into a ball, cut into two portions, and roll each on lightly floured parchment to about 1/4 inch thick. Stacking the rolled sheets speeds chilling.
Chill the dough: Chill at least 1 hour (overnight is best), or freeze for a shorter chill. Cold dough cuts much cleaner for crisp shapes.
Flour cutters & don’t overwork the dough: Dust cutters every two to three shapes to release easily and minimize handling to avoid tough cookies.
Don’t overbake: Bake 7–8 minutes at 350°F; I prefer 7 minutes. Cookies should be set but not brown. Use an oven thermometer to ensure accurate temperature.
Cool completely before decorating: Let cookies cool on a rack before spreading buttercream or using royal icing.
Cookie Decorating
Here are three easy ways to decorate your chocolate cut-out cookies:
Buttercream frosting: Use medium piping bags or an offset spatula. You can simply snip a piping bag tip and pipe outlines or fill with buttercream, then smooth with an offset spatula. For advanced looks, try different piping tips and techniques.
Royal icing: Great for practiced piping and flood techniques if you prefer a smoother, more polished finish.
Sanding sugars and sprinkles: The quickest option—apply before baking to adhere, or sprinkle over buttercream or royal icing while wet.
Essential Cookie Decorating Tools
Basic tools for buttercream decorating:
- Mixing bowls: Metal, glass, or plastic bowls for coloring and mixing buttercream.
- Piping bags: Reusable or disposable, medium size recommended.
- Decorating tips: Optional—no tip is required for simple buttercream work, but a set will expand your options.
- Offset spatula: Helpful for spreading and smoothing frosting.
- Food coloring gel: Gels give more vibrant color without thinning the frosting.
- Spatula or spoon: For mixing colors into frosting.
- Large pint glass: Makes filling piping bags easier—drape the bag over the glass and spoon frosting in.
Recipe FAQs
This chocolate dough is naturally soft. The flour you sprinkle while rolling will be absorbed. If needed, add more flour a tablespoon at a time until it’s manageable.
Yes. Chilling prevents spreading in the oven and makes clean, sharp cookie shapes easier to cut.
Overworking dough can trap air. If bubbles form while baking, gently tap them with a spatula to flatten while warm.
They usually settle as they cool. If needed, gently press the tops with a spatula right after they come out of the oven.
Roll to about 1/4 inch for best results. If you roll thinner, reduce baking time accordingly.
Yes. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to a week. Bring to room temperature and re-whip briefly before using.
Yes. Dough can be prepared ahead and chilled or frozen. Baked cookies keep up to 3 days in an airtight container, or freeze for up to 3 months.
More Cookie Recipes to Enjoy!
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Homemade Chocolate Shortbread
15 Easy Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
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Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- 2 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 4 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/8 tsp Salt
Instructions
Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Beat unsalted butter with a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle until smooth and creamy.
- With the mixer off, add powdered sugar and blend on low until nearly combined.
- Scrape bowl, then add egg and vanilla. Mix on medium-high until well combined.
- On low speed, gradually add the dry mixture until incorporated. Dough will be soft and should form a ball.
- Shape dough into a ball, divide into two sections, and roll each section to 1/4 inch between lightly floured parchment sheets. Place one sheet on a baking sheet and stack the second on top. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and position the rack just above center. Line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Flour cookie cutters and cut shapes. Place shapes 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart. If using sanding sugar or sprinkles only, add now. Chill unbaked shapes while you bake the first tray.
- Bake 7–8 minutes at 350ºF. Cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Beat unsalted butter 1–2 minutes on medium-high until smooth.
- On low speed, add sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time alternating with a little heavy cream until desired consistency is reached. For thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Add vanilla and salt, then mix on medium-high until well blended.
- If coloring, divide frosting into bowls and add gel food coloring. Apply with piping bags or an offset spatula and garnish with sprinkles if desired.
Notes
- Every oven is different—check cookies at the earliest recommended time.
- Recipe yields approximately 4 dozen cookies depending on cutter size and thickness.
- Vanilla buttercream makes about 744 grams (roughly 1 lb 10.2 oz).
- For royal icing techniques, use a royal icing recipe and decorating tips suited to that method.
Nutrition
Calories: 149 kcal | Carbohydrates: 18 g | Fat: 8 g
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients used.