Let's kick off the holiday baking season with a classic cookie recipe. This chocolate sugar cookie recipe is undoubtedly one of the simplest I've ever made. Besides being delicious, it requires only a few simple and widely available ingredients.
In addition, the cookie dough is very easy to work with, always comes out perfect, and takes no time to make. These chocolate sugar cookies are the perfect sweet treat for any occasion.
For more holiday-inspired cookies, check out these recipes: Gingerbread Cookies, Molasses Cookies, Snickerdoodles cookies, Fig Cookies, and Pecan snowball cookies.
How to make Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Note: The full instructions are provided on the recipe card below.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder; set aside. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the unsalted butter, salt, and sugar until smooth and creamy for about minutes; beat in yolk and pure vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Halve the dough, form it into flat disks, wrap each half in clingfilm, and rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight.
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F—line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Roll out 1 piece of dough between sheets of parchment paper into a 14-by-10-inch rectangle ⅛ inch thick.
Cut out as many cookies as possible with any cookie cutter you like, reserving and chilling scraps, then quickly transfer cookies to the baking sheet, arranging them ½ inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
If the dough becomes too soft, return it to the freezer until firm.
Bake until firm and slightly puffed, about 10 minutes. Cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely using a spatula; the cookies will crisp as they cool.
How to Make Icing
In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar with evaporated milk (start with 2 tablespoons; you will likely need more milk for the perfect spreading consistency).
Beat in corn syrup and pure vanilla extract until the icing is smooth and glossy; if it is too thick, add more corn syrup. Divide the icing into as many bowls as you wish for different colors. Then, add food coloring until the desired intensity is achieved.
Paint the icing over the Chocolate Sugar Cookies using a brush or dip the edges into the icing. Sprinkle with colored sugar or other decorations while the icing is still wet. Allow the cookies to set on waxed paper.
Related Recipe:
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies with Oats
- Pecan Snowball Cookies
- Lemon Ricotta Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Mexican Wedding Cookies
📖 Recipe
Easy Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- 226 g (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk , room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 260 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 50 g (½ cup) unsweetened dutch process cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Icing:
- 300 g (3 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons hot evaporated milk , hot whole milk, or hot water (adding in more if needed for proper spreading consistency)
- ½ teaspoon light corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Food coloring and sugar decoration
Instructions
For the Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder; set aside. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the unsalted butter, salt, and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in yolk and pure vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Halve the dough, form into flat disks, wrap each half in clingfilm, and rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Roll out 1 piece of dough between sheets of parchment paper into a 14-by 10-inch rectangle and ⅛ inch thick. Cut out as many cookies as possible with any cookie cutter you like, reserving and chilling scraps, then quickly transfer cookies to the baking sheet, arranging them ½ inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.(If dough becomes too soft, return to freezer until firm.)
- Bake it until firm and slightly puffed about 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then using a spatula, transfer them to a rack to cool completely. (The cookies will crisp as they cool.)
For the Icing:
- In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar with evaporated milk (start with 2 tablespoons, you will likely need more milk for the perfect spreading consistency).
- Beat in corn syrup and pure vanilla extract until the icing is smooth and glossy (if the icing is too thick, add in a small amount more of corn syrup).
- Divide into as many bowls as you wish for different colors. Then, add in food coloring until desired intensity is achieved.
- Paint the icing over the Chocolate Sugar Cookies using a brush, or dip edges of Chocolate Sugar Cookies into the icing. Sprinkle with colored sugar or other sugar decorations while the icing is still wet. Allow setting on waxed paper. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cookies continue to cook on the hot tray after they come out of the oven.
- Let the Chocolate Sugar Cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 2 minutes until they are firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack with a spatula.
- Chill the cookie dough to prevent overspreading.
- Divide the dough in half to be more manageable.
- Roll out 1 piece of cookie dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper.
- If, at any moment, the dough becomes too soft, return it to the freezer until firm.
- Cut out as many desired shapes as possible, reserving and chilling the scraps: Rerolling scraps only once.
- Roll out the dough to about ⅛ inch to ¼ inch thick.
- Arrange Chocolate Sugar Cookies ½ inch apart.
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
