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Chocolate Sugar Cookies are the ultimate cookie for when you need a deep chocolate fix without the hassle of rolling out dough. These are easy drop sugar cookies, meaning no rolling pin and no chilling required! With a soft, chewy center and a rich cocoa flavor, they are delicious plain, rolled in sparkling sugar, or topped with a thick layer of chocolate buttercream.
I have been making drop sugar cookies for years (they’re actually my favorite kind – no rolling or mess!) and I decided I needed a chocolate version. After numerous tests I settled on this delicious soft and chewy recipe. Whether you make them with frosting or simply roll the dough in sugar before baking, they’re rich and chocolatey and so good.
What makes this the best chocolate sugar cookie recipe is the specific combination of cream of tartar and an extra egg yolk. The cream of tartar provides that classic sugar cookie “tang” and prevents the sugar from crystallizing, while the extra yolk ensures the cookies stay fudgy and soft for days. It’s a simple “one-bowl” method that delivers bakery-quality results in under 30 minutes.
How do you make soft chocolate sugar cookies? Cream 3/4 cup butter with 3/4 cup sugar, then mix in 1 egg, 1 yolk, and vanilla. Whisk in 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/3 cup cocoa, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Scoop 2-tbsp balls, roll in sugar if desired, and bake at 350°F for 9-14 minutes until no longer glossy.
Ingredients for Soft and Chewy Cookies
- Softened unsalted butter is the backbone of any sugar cookie recipe. (If you’re in a rush, learn how to soften butter quickly.) You can use salted butter, just reduce the amount of added salt by 1/4 teaspoon.
- Large egg and an egg yolk: Eggs help create chewy cookies. The protein and fat in the extra yolk interfere with gluten formation, creating a fudgy (rather than cakey) cookie.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: This recipe was tested with regular cocoa powder, not Dutch process. You can use any brand you like, but I prefer Hershey or Ghirardelli.
- Why Cream of Tartar? In this recipe, cream of tartar acts as the leavening stabilizer. It gives the cookies a slight puff and that signature “crinkle” look if you roll them in sugar, distinguishing them from a standard chocolate butter cookie.
- All-purpose flour: Be sure to measure it correctly.
Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions. See below the recipe card for even more information: process shots, variations, FAQ and more.
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Dorothy’s Expert Cookie Tips
- The “No-Gloss” Doneness Test: Knowing when a chocolate cookie is done is tricky because you can’t see them brown. The secret is to look for the surface to go from glossy to matte. Once they are no longer shiny on top, pull them out! They will firm up as they cool to create that perfect chewy edge.
- For coating with sugar before baking you can use granulated sugar or sanding sugar.
- Use silicone baking mats or parchment paper so these bake evenly and don’t stick.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ⅓ cup (27g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups (217g) all-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar for rolling (optional; see note)
Frosting:
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ cups (141g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- Sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugar for about a minute, or until fluffy, using a hand or a stand mixer.
- Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt and mix until combined, then mix in cocoa.
- Add flour and mix until smooth.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon size balls of cookie dough and place on cookie sheet 2-inches apart. If desired, roll them in granulated sugar beforehand.
- Bake 9-14 minutes, or until no longer glossy. If you’ve rolled them in sugar, those will be slightly cracked. Do not over bake. Cool before frosting.
- Make frosting: beat butter with cocoa and powdered sugar until crumbly. Add salt, vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk; mix until smooth, adding more milk as needed for spreadable consistency.
- Frosting cookies as desired. Top with sprinkles if you want.
Recipe Notes
- These cookies spread more on parchment than they do on silicone, so for puffier cookies bake on a silpat baking mat.
- I roll the cookies in sugar prior to baking if I’m not frosting them. It makes them prettier.
- If you’re frosting them, you don’t need to roll them in sugar.
Frosting recipe is enough to frost entire batch of cookies.
Recipe Nutrition
How to Make Chocolate Sugar Cookies Step by Step
- Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Mix until combined, and then mix in the cocoa powder. Add the flour and mix until the dough is smooth. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl during mixing.
- Scoop two tablespoons of dough to form each cookie dough ball. You can roll them in granulated sugar in a small bowl and then place them on the baking sheet. If you plan to frost them, you can skip the sugar.
- Bake the cookies in a preheated oven on silicone baking mats or a parchment-lined baking sheet until the tops of the cookies are no longer glossy.
- While the cookies are baking, make the chocolate frosting if you’ll be frosting them. First whisk together the cocoa powder and powdered sugar, then mix in the butter and milk.
How to make Chocolate Frosting
- Make sure to sift together you’re cocoa powder and powdered sugar. This helps remove any lumps from either. Alternately, you can sift the cocoa powder directly into the butter. Beating the cocoa into the butter first can help prevent cocoa clumps and ensure a darker, richer color.
- Beat softened butter, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar in a bowl until the mixture is crumbly. Add salt, vanilla, and a little milk and mix until smooth. Add more milk, if needed, so the frosting is spreadable. Frost the cooled chocolate sugar cookies and then decorate with sprinkles or leave them plain.
FAQs
You can add unsweetened cocoa powder to sugar cookies, but the amount will depend on the recipe. My tried and true chocolate sugar cookie recipe has the perfect amount to make soft and chewy cookies rich with chocolate flavor.
The ratio of ingredients place a big part but also the baking temperature and time. For the best soft and chewy cookies, don’t overbake the cookies, which will cause them to dry out.
I use one whole egg and an extra egg yolk for my drop chocolate sugar cookies. That extra egg yolk adds more moisture giving the cookies a great texture.
No! This recipe is designed to be “drop and bake.” However, if your kitchen is very warm and the dough feels oily, a quick 15-minute chill can help them stay thick.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. These cookies stay remarkably soft thanks to the extra yolk!.
Absolutely. Scoop the balls and freeze them on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.
These cookies are soooo good! Soft and delicious. Very easy to make. I refrigerated my dough overnight and baked them early the next morning. They came out perfect! You have to try these chocolate sugar cookies! This recipe is a keeper!
These cookies are soooo good! Soft and delicious. Very easy to make. I refrigerated my dough overnight and baked them early the next morning. The came out perfect! You have to try these chocolate sugar cookies! This recipe is a keeper!
This recipe was so easy to make and I had all the ingredients on hand. They made the house smell great and have soft centers and crispy edges.
So glad you enjoyed them!
I needed cookies for school lunches this week. These were quick, easy and delicious!
Love how easy these are! Delicious cookie recipe!
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