Simply Perfect Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Simply the perfect chocolate sugar cookies! With a soft & tender center, crisp edges, and no spreading whatsoever as they bake.
How was your Thanksgiving?
Mine was great! I worked my heiny off, you guys. I mean, wow. Like, 3 straight days on my feet. One recipe after another, nonstop. I was a machine! Everything was made from scratch, right down to the French-fried onions on the green bean casserole. It was awesome, and there was TONS of food. I had a great time in the kitchen with my mom and brother-in-law, and it was great to see everyone, especially my brand-new baby niece!
We got home on Friday evening, just in time to have a day and a half with the other side of my family. So nice. And Sunday I was all over town looking for the Christmas tree, and then setting it up and decorating it. I’m so happy we are now officially in the Christmas season!
For a lot of reasons, but mostly because COOKIES.
Cookies are my favorite thing ever to bake, and I wish I posted more cookie recipes than I have been. I’m going to try to make that up to you guys over the next few weeks. Starting with these chocolate sugar cookies.
What do you call this kind of cookie? Is it a sugar cookie? A butter cookie? A roll out cookie? A cut out cookie? A decorated cookie? I wasn’t quite sure what to call it but hopefully you get the idea.
Last year at this time I got waaaaaaay into these. I’m sure you can imagine that it was a perfect outlet for my complete compulsion/neurosis/obsession with pretty food. They are so much fun, I loved coming up with unique designs and perfecting my decorating skills. You can waste all sorts of time playing with icing and toothpicks and sugars and sprinkles. But today I’m keeping it simple and sharing my favorite recipe for the cookie part.
And this is more than just a recipe, friends. While in the throes of my cookie obsession, I did a lot of research and experimentation with different techniques, because I’m sure you can imagine, I wanted the most perfect result. So here’s everything I learned. There’s no one I’d rather share it with than you 😉
The flavor of the cookie is very chocolate-y. I am not one to shy away from bold chocolate flavor. If you’ve read my Simply Perfect Chocolate Cupcake post, or my Simply Perfect Brownie post, then you already know this about me. These chocolate sugar cookies have a deep, dark, chocolate flavor from all the cocoa (almost like an Oreo).
It’s a little less sweet. I do enjoy eating this cookie plain, but I think it’s even more important not to overdo the sugar when you’re dealing with a cookie that’s going to be iced and/or sprinkled with sugar. (If you need an icing recipe for them, I’ve got one right here.) It’s all about balance, yo.
Also, the texture of these chocolate sugar cookies is tender, yet sturdy. They come out of the oven with a little softness in the center, and a little more crunch around the edges. After a few days, they tend to lose the soft quality, so if you prefer a crunchy cookie, you will like that. They make a great gift, because of how sturdy they are. You can pack them up and ship them, and rest assured that they will arrive in one piece.
The dough is great to work with. It holds together so nicely, so you don’t have crumbly crumbs all over your kitchen floor. You don’t need to sprinkle your work surface with flour (hallelujah!). Not only does this cut down on the cleanup, but it allows you to re-roll the scraps without them getting tough. And they bake up so beautifully, without spreading, AT ALL. This is the whole key, people. The edges are PERFECT.
You may notice that this recipe looks a little different from a lot of other cookie recipes out there. Without getting too long-winded, here’s a quick rundown of why I do what I do:
- Cold butter: Chilling the dough helps prevent spreading. Using cold butter and working quickly eliminates the added step of chilling. Cutting it in small cubes helps it to incorporate more easily.
- Oil: Oil keeps the cookies moist/soft. If you prefer a crunchier cookie, you can replace the oil with an additional 1/4 cup of unsalted butter.
- Mix on low speed for the minimum time required to incorporate the ingredients. Make sure the mixture is smooth (no lumps of butter), but don’t cream until fluffy. Whipping in a lot of air will contribute to spreading.
- Leave out the leavening: there is no need for baking powder and/or baking soda. Leaveners make baked goods rise, puff, and spread. Omitting the leavening allows the edges to remain neat and clean, and the cookie lays flatter. The texture is still tender because of the ratio of fats to sugar and flour, but the cookie is sturdier.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch lends tenderness and a softer texture, and helps the cookies to hold their shape during baking.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Gives a deep, chocolate-y flavor. Use the best quality you can get your hands on. I prefer natural cocoa powder to an alkalized/Dutch process, such as Hershey’s Special Dark. This brand will yield a darker color, but a less intense chocolate flavor.
- Flour quantity may vary. The longer the dough sits, the more it will dry out, so use more flour if you’re rolling/cutting right away; less if you plan to keep the dough in the fridge for a while before baking. I usually roll and cut right away, so I put in a cup and a half to start, then add more by the tablespoon until it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Rolling the dough between two layers of parchment is cleaner and prevents toughness. Bench flour is not necessary with this method, and scraps can be re-rolled and utilized.
- Baking at a higher temperature “sets” the edges, allowing the cookie to hold it’s shape better.
And just a few words about bake times and yield:
- Baking times will vary based upon the size and thickness of your cookies. For this post, I rolled the dough to a thickness of 1/4-inch (using rolling pin rings) and cut 2-inch diameter cookies. They baked for 9 minutes. Larger or thicker cookies may require a longer bake time. The cookies are done when the tops take on a dry appearance, and the edges are firm. The centers may still be slightly soft.
- Yield will vary based upon the size of your cookies. For this post, I rolled the dough to a thickness of 1/4-inch (using rolling pin rings) and cut 2-inch diameter fluted circles, and the batch yielded 46 cookies.
If you want to read more about how to make the most perfect roll out, cut out, butter/sugar cookies for decorating, check out this post I wrote last year. Also there’s a really great vanilla cookie recipe there.
I hope you enjoy making these chocolate sugar cookies with your loved ones! I was intimidated by roll out/cut out/butter/sugar/decorated cookies, for the longest time, until I figured out this method for making it all much more manageable.
PS- If you are looking to stock your recipe box with some really stellar basic recipes, you came to the right place! I’ve been baking for, ahem, 20-some odd years, cough-cough, so I’ve played with lots of recipes. Check out these other recipes from my “Simply Perfect” series:
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- Simply Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies
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- Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes
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- Simply Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes
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- Simply Perfect Chocolate Buttercream
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- Simply Perfect Pizza Dough
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- Simply Perfect Brownies from Scratch
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- Simply Perfect Pie Crust
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- Simply Perfect Apple Pie
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Simply Perfect Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) cold unsalted butter, (1 stick), cut into small cubes
- 1 tablespoon oil, (light/neutral flavor such as canola, grapeseed, or light olive oil)
- 2/3 cup (133.33 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (32 g) cornstarch
- 1/2 cup (43 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cups (156.25 g) all-purpose flour, (you may need as much as 2 cups)
Instructions
- Cream the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, just until the mixture is smooth. (Do not over beat, as this will incorporate air into the dough, which may lead to spreading.)
- Add the egg and mix just until incorporated.
- Mix in the cornstarch, cocoa powder and 1 1/4 cups of the flour.
- Continue adding flour until the dough gathers itself into a ball and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. (You may not need all the flour.)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Roll the dough to a thickness of 3/8-inch, between two sheets of parchment paper. (Rolling pin rings will help you to achieve an even thickness.)
- Cut shapes using a cookie cutter.
- Bake on parchment-lined baking sheets for 9 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies look dry on the surface, and feel firm around the edges and set in the middle.
- Cool completely, then decorate with royal icing.
hi, may I replace kosher salt with normal salt? and if yes- how much should I replace with?
Thanks for the help in advance! 🙂
Hey there! I prefer kosher salt because it is free of additives and has a cleaner taste. It’s also very inexpensive to buy. But if you want to replace it with another kind of salt, just google “kosher salt to [your preferred type of salt] conversion. Good luck!
Warning! These are dangerously moorish, so may cause harm to anyone on a diet due to over eating! Seriously – these turned out so well. One change I made (actually two), was I split the cocoa, using half traditional cocoa (bournville for those in the uk), and half black cocoa. Slightly less sweet I’d imagine more similar to an Oreo. The other was I used salted butter purely because I like the addition of this.
So happy you enjoyed Lee! And I do that often too with a mixture of different cocoas. Love that result!
Hello, so great that you have different measurements. I just wonder if it is correct. For 90 cookies it says i only have to use 400 kilo of flower and cornstarch in total which you calculated in cups, and only 128 grams of butter. Are you sure i get 90 cookies with so little dough? Can you check and answer me by tomorrow? Because of a charity i would like to make them tomorrow
This recipe was published on December 3, 2013, and it has 285 comments on it. The overwhelming majority of these comments are from people that had success with it, so at this point I’m fairly certain that the recipe is correct. I’m not sure where you are seeing that it makes 90 cookies. The number listed in the recipe card is 45. Of course, this will depend on how thick you roll the dough and what size cutter you use.
Hi There,
I read your post and can’t wait to try your chocolate sugar cookies!
I do have a question for you…I too am always searching for the perfect cookie. My family has a favorite that I usually bake at Christmas, Cappuccino Flats. If you’ve never heard of them they are delicious and the recipe is all over Pinterest.
My problem with them is that you don’t roll them, you make a log and they don’t come out “perfectly” round (which really bugs me). Since I didn’t make them for Christmas I want to make them for Valentines Day and in the shape of a heart. My question is if one can roll out the cookie dough like you have with your sugar cookies without adding different ingredients to that cappuccino recipe and possibly changing the flavor?
Thank you for your expertise! Happy Valentines day!
I think you should get in touch with the author of that recipe. I’ve never made cappucino flats so I’m not a good one to ask.
I made them then filled with cookiebutter frosting to make sandwiches! They softened up and were a real treat! I am about to make them again but to ice the tops and in heart shapes for Valentine’s Day
Sounds amazing!
I’ve just made these. They are amazing. I needed a biscuit that wouldn’t spread for Christmas biscuit for my boys class mates. They didn’t spread and taste great.
So happy to hear that Terri! Wishing you and your boys a happy Christmas!
The cookies look so great! May I know how long can they be kept? I’m thinking to make Halloween cookies for my son to share with classmates 🙂
So happy you like them! These cookies will keep just the same way and for the same amount of time as any homemade cookie would. Just be sure to keep them in an airtight container so they don’t get stale. Enjoy!
Just copied the recipe, havnt made it yet. I’m married to a major chocoholic and these sound perfect. Is this a recipe that I would use an extra egg yolk in!
So happy you like it! You don’t need to modify this recipe at all, just make it exactly as written. Good luck!
Hi! I’d like to make the perfect chocolate cut-out cookies, but just reading comments on how rich it is. Can I just add less cocoa powder? Could I also possibly add more sugar? Or will the mixture not work?
Thank you!
You would have to play around with it yourself- I’ve only ever made them this way. Good luck!
Ok, I saw in your gingerbread cookie comments that you could lessen the spices and it would not affect the ‘chemistry’. I guess it is not be the same application here. Thank you for replying!
No, unfortunately it’s not quite that straightforward. Cocoa is a little more tricky than a spice in the way it behaves. Good luck!
Yes i am sure the measurements for 45 cookies and less are correct no worries. What i doubt is the measurement when i scale the line up to 90 cookies. I can see that there is a line when i click on the number of 45 cookies in the recipe that i can change to more or less of a number. The recipe measurement automatically changes i hope you can find this and than we can talk about my initial question. If the measurement for 90 cookies is correct or not. I dont know if anyone ever made such a number unfortunately i did not find comments about it otherwise it could take away my doubt or have my answer without bothering you. Thank you in advance for replying!
When you move the slider all the way to the right it doubles the measurements. It changes the yield from 45 to 90 two-inch diameter cookies, and all the ingredient amounts are then also doubled. I’m looking at it right now and it’s showing me 312.5 grams of flour, 64 grams of cornstarch, and 227 grams of butter. Now if I’m understanding you correctly, you’re asking me if you can really expect to get 90 cookies from a double batch (right?). And I’m saying that should be about right, but that is a rough estimate and it can change based on the size of your cookie cutter and the thickness you roll your dough out to. Is there something else I’m missing?
Yes so we see the same that’s good. You ask me if you’re missing something because you’re pretty sure approximately 400 grams in total of both flower and cornstarch and less than one whole margarine butter (250 grams) can get out 90 cookies. I just have the experience that less than 500 grams flower get out maximum of 60 cookies when they are as big as your picture. Thats why i was afraid to make them today based on that measurement. I got 90 cookies today out of a different recipe which required 900 grams of flower, 250 grams butter, 2 eggs and 400 ml of sugar.. but i will try one day when i am making cookies just for fun to follow your measurement for 90 cookies and see how many i get with a small cookie cutter. I will let you know the outcome that day! Kind regards and great blog!
Hi! I am so excited to try this recipe. I am waiting for my paddle attachment for my stand mixer (not sure how I lost it!). In the meantime, can I use a regular hand mixer? I don;t love using it, but I want to bake these today. Thank you!
Hi April! That should work just fine. Good luck and enjoy!
may i know usually now many mm thick for cut out cookies is the best?
I usually go 1/4-inch for thinner cookies or 3/8-inch for thicker ones. Good luck!
I followed the recipe and my dough was very crumbly. I managed to make a ball and roll it out. Cookies baked up perfectly and taste great. Any idea why the dough would have would have been so dry? I hope rob tey again with better results.
Hi Gina! I’m sorry you had trouble. How much flour did you add? It sounds like it may have been too much if your dough was crumbly. Be sure to read the note that says “Flour quantity may vary. The longer the dough sits, the more it will dry out, so use more flour if you’re rolling/cutting right away; less if you plan to keep the dough in the fridge for a while before baking. I usually roll and cut right away, so I put in a cup and a half to start, then add more by the tablespoon until it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.”
I wanted to know how much is a portion of this cookies!!
1 cookie.
Hello,
Just want to know how long these cookies keep for? Just want to gauge how long I advance I can make them for my event. Thank you
Hi Vee! These cookies are pretty typical of most other cutout cookie recipes in terms of storage and shelf life. Probably a week or two at room temp in an airtight container.
Can’t wait to bake them!!!!
Is butter salted or unsalted?
Can you make this cookie dough ahead of time and freeze it, then defrost and cut out the cookies?
Yes but if you plan on doing that, you want to slightly decrease the amount of flour used in the dough. If it’s not used right away, it tends to become more dry and crumbly as it sits.
Hi!
I am planning to freeze the cut-outs and bake another day. Should I decrease the amount of flour too? Would you recommend to defrost before baking or I can bake it straight out from the freezer?
Thank you!
Hey there! I think as long as you roll and cut them right away, you should be good. And you could probably bake them straight from the freezer, but they may need a little more time in the oven. Good luck!
I see most of these comments are from several years ago, but I just had to tell you how much I love your recipe for the vanilla cut outs. I’ve made them many times and they are delicious, easy and perfect every time! Now I’m excited to make these chocolate cut outs for valentines! Love the tips and tricks!
Yay! So happy you’ve been pleased Diane. Hope you enjoy this one just as much!
Hi Allie,
Your cookies look delicious! I plan on trying them out this weekend. If I were to use salted butter, should I omit the kosher salt completely or reduce the salt amount by half (1/2 teaspoon)?
Thank you so much!
It’s hard for me to say I’m afraid! Different brands of butter have different salt levels. This is one of the reasons why I always recommend using unsalted butter. I’m afraid the only way to really know is to give it a taste. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Hey Allie … just a quick tip for you about sugar cookies. They are made to be dense and dry and sturdy to be decorated..( I make lollipop cookies with them ). and with any other cookie as such .. you sepparate the yolk from the white.. using yolk for dough and using the white for the royal icing..With your reci.pe I would use 2 egg yolk. Made them and turned out awesome …thnak you for sharing 🙂
Great tip Lorraine! Thanks for sharing!
Followed the recipe to the T. The dough ended up being very crumbly—seems like there’s too much flour, corn starch and cocoa powder; not enough fat. Cookies were VERY rich and chocolatey. Not pleased with this recipe at all.
They are very rich and chocolatey, that is true. If you are not a fan of rich and chocolatey, you probably wouldn’t enjoy this recipe. The dough is often crumbly at first but if you keep mixing it does come together. Also, do mind step number 4, where it says to only add flour a little at a time, until the dough forms. If you add it all at once you will not have the proper result.
I love your recipe! They are delicious and do not spread. This is our second year making these for Christmas cookies. They do not spread so the shapes are perfect. And they taste and smell richly chocolate.
So happy you like it Ellen! Thanks so much for the positive feedback!