These chocolate sugar cookies are everything you want in a cookie: deeply chocolatey, perfectly chewy, and coated in sparkly sugar for the most satisfying crunch.
This is the chocolate cookie recipe you’ll make again and again. The best part? This is a no-chill cookie dough recipe, meaning you can go from cookie craving to cookie full in just under 30 minutes.
It’s a chocolate version of the classic sugar cookie. The addition of Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder and molasses makes this a well balanced cookie.
Why This Cookie Recipe Stands Out
- Dutch-processed cocoa creates a richer, less bitter chocolate flavor
- Molasses adds depth and helps the cookies remain soft and chewy for days
- No chilling required means you can bake immediately!
- Sugar coating creates a crackly exterior with sparkle
- These cookies mail beautifully- making them ideal for sending to friends and family (especially during the holidays!)
Ingredient
For the best results, I always recommend measuring dry ingredients by weight using a digital kitchen scale. After years of teaching baking, I can tell you this one habit will transform your cookies. If you prefer measuring cups, use the spoon and level method for accuracy.
Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder: This is the secret to deep chocolate flavor. I use Ghirardelli 100% Cocoa Dutch Process or Trader Joe’s unsweetened cocoa powder. Dutch-processing neutralizes cocoa’s natural acidity, making it richer, darker, and less bitter. Regular cocoa works too, but Dutch-process takes these cookies to the next level.
Molasses: Use unsulphured molasses (sometimes labeled “light” or “original”). This adds moisture, depth, and helps the cookies stay chewy. Don’t substitute blackstrap molasses—it’s too strong and will overpower the chocolate.
Brown Sugar: Light, golden, or dark brown sugar all work. Darker sugars have more molasses flavor. Break up any hard clumps before mixing.
Granulated Sugar for Rolling: This is where the magic happens! For extra sparkle, use coarse sugar like turbinado, demerara, or sparkling sugar instead of regular granulated sugar.
Mix Cookie Dough
- Sift dry ingredients. Cocoa powder can get lumpy. It’s a good idea to sift the cocoa powder with the other dry ingredients. Otherwise, give mixture a very good whisk. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. Beat together softened butter, brown sugar, and molasses using stand mixer or electric hand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla. Mix until fully incorporated. Stop mixer as needed to scrape down mixture to ensure thorough mixing.
- Add dry ingredients. Mix in dry flour mixture. Be careful not to over-mix or overwork the dough.
- Scoop and Roll Use a #40 cookie scoop (1½ tablespoon) for uniform cookies that bake evenly. Roll each ball generously in granulated sugar—don’t be shy! The sugar creates that gorgeous crackled exterior.
- Bake to Perfection Space cookies 2 inches apart and bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes. They should look slightly underdone when you remove them—they’ll continue setting as they cool. Better to underbake than overbake for that perfect chewy texture.
Baker’s Tips from a Pro
Cookie Scoop Sizes Explained: The scoop number indicates how many scoops fill a quart. A #40 scoop means 40 scoops equal one quart—so the higher the number, the smaller the scoop.
Reshaping Round Cookies: If your cookies spread unevenly, use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie while they’re still hot on the baking sheet. Gently press around the edges to reshape into perfect circles.
The Underbake Secret: Cookies continue baking on the hot pan after leaving the oven. Remove them when centers look slightly soft—they’ll firm up to chewy perfection as they cool.
Sugar Cookie Variations
- Matcha Sugar Cookies are soft, chewy, and a luscious bright green color! They are great for making ice cream sandwiches.
- Ube Sugar Cookies can be rolled in your choice of powdered sugar, granulated sugar, or purple sanding sugar. The variety of sugars result in a different textures.
- Cashew Cookies made with rich cashew butter. The cookie dough in coated in both granulated sugar and powdered sugar to create the crinkle cookie or earthquake cookie look.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
To Freeze Cookie Dough: Portion dough into balls, arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid (30-60 minutes). Transfer to a freezer bag and store up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to baking time.
Storage: Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The molasses helps them stay soft and chewy—they actually taste better the next day!
More Chocolate Recipes
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Marshmallows
- Decadent Chocolate Cookies
- Chocolate Butter Mochi Cake
Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, (260 g)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, (40 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or fine sea salt*
- 1 cup unsalted butter, (226 g), room temp, softened
- 1 ½ cup brown sugar, (300 g), packed
- 1 Tablespoon molasses, (20 g)
- 1 large egg, room temp
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar, (100 g), for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or reusable silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda into a bowl. Whisk in salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer) cream together softened butter, brown sugar, and molasses until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing.
- Add egg and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until fully incorporated.
- Add flour mixture to mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until dough comes together. Scape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Be careful not to over-mix or overwork the dough.
- Use a #40 scoop (1 ½ Tablespoon scoop) to portion out cookie dough.
- Roll cooke dough balls into granulated sugar. Place balls 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway through baking.
- Remove from the oven. (*Reshape cookies if needed.) Leave cookies in the baking sheet pan for 5 minutes. Then, unmold and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Notes
- Recommend Ghirardelli 100% Cocoa Dutch Process or Trader Joe’s Cocoa Powder Unsweetened.
- Recipe tested with Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt.
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt = ¾ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = ½ teaspoon table salt
- If cookies are not perfect rounds, use a slightly larger round cookie cutter to gently reshape hot cookies into a round shape. Alternatively, use a mini offset spatula or silicone spatula to gently reshape hot cookies into a round.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I love this recipe so much! The dough comes together and baked in an hour (or less) and bakes exactly as written. I also appreciate that the recipe also has the measurements in grams. This is definitely a favorite recipe of mine. Next time I may experiment rolling the dough in colored sanding sugar to give a different effect.
These are just the most perfect sparkly, chocolatey sugar cookies I’ve ever seen! I love that they’re no chill, too, so we can get these made and on the table quickly for a cookie craving. ;)
Thanks so much for participating in this year’s collaboration and bringing these amazing cookies to the table!