Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Chewy chocolate sugar cookies rolled in granulated sugar for extra crunch and sparkle.

The perfect chocolate cookie to satisfy your chocolate craving! This no chill chocolate sugar cookie recipe is ready from mixing bowl to baking to happy stomach in less than 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.

It’s not too sweet, has the perfect soft chew, and is great for mailing to friends and family in holiday cookie tins!

This recipe is part of The Sweetest Season, an annual virtual cookie swap co-hosted by Erin of The Speckled Palate Susannah of Feast + West. Every year, food bloggers get together to share new holiday cookie recipes to make and give.

This year we are raising money for Cookies 4 Kids’ Cancer, which is a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for new, innovative and less-toxic treatments for childhood cancer.

Ingredient Notes

For best results, measure dry ingredients using a digital kitchen scale. Measuring by weight ensures consistent results. However, if you prefer volume measurements (such as cups), please measure flour using the spoon and level method.

• Molasses: Be sure to use unsulphured molasses. It is the most commonly available type of molasses. It is sometimes labeled as light or original molasses. Do not use blackstrap molasses, which is much more concentrated in color and flavor.
• Brown Sugar: Light brown, golden brown, or dark brown sugar are all suitable for this recipe. The darker the color, the more molasses flavor. Make sure the break down any hard clumps of sugar.
• Granulated Sugar: White sugar is not included in the cookie dough. Instead, this sugar is used to coat the portioned cookie dough balls. For more crunch and sparkle, use coarse sugars as turbinado sugar, demarara sugar, or coarse sparkling sugar.
• Cocoa Powder: Use any kind of unsweetened cocoa powder. Highly recommend using Ghirardelli 100% Cocoa Dutch Process or Trader Joe’s Cocoa Powder Unsweetened. Dutch-process cocoa has been treated with an alkali to neutralize the natural acidity of cocoa making it richer and darker in color and less bitter in flavor.

This recipe also requires flour, butter, baking soda, salt, and one egg.

Mix Cookie Dough

1. 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.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Mix together softened butter, brown sugar, and molasses using stand mixer or electric hand mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Add egg and vanilla. Mix until fully incorporated. Stop mixer as needed to scrape down mixture to ensure thorough mixing.
4. Add dry ingredients. Mix in dry flour mixture. Be careful not to over-mix or overwork the dough.

Portion Dough and Bake

Use a #40 scoop (or a 1 1/2 Tablespoon scoop) to evenly portion out the cookie dough. It’s important to have uniform sized cookie dough balls. The cookies bake evenly at the rate when they are roughly the same size.

Generously coat the cookie dough ball in granulated sugar. Don’t fret if the dough balls aren’t perfect rounds. They will still bake into rounds/circles in the oven.

Transfer to baking sheet pan and bake! Remember it is better to err on under-baked versus over-baked cookies.

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

Like to plan ahead? Mix together the chocolate cookie dough ahead of time!

Portion out cookie dough. Arrange in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes to an hour until firm. Then, transfer frozen cookie balls into a freezer safe storage bag.

Keep in the freezer for up to three months. When you’re ready to bake- roll frozen cookie dough in granulated sugar. Bake for an additional 2-3 minutes.

More Chocolate Recipes

• Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Marshmallows
• Decadent Chocolate Cookies
• Chocolate Butter Mochi Cake