These Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies are a chocolatey twist on the classic cut-out cookie. They stay soft, hold their shape well, and are easy to decorate — try colorful sanding sugars or a simple vanilla buttercream and sprinkles for a charming homemade gift.
Table of Contents
- What Ingredients You’ll Need
- Helpful Tips
- Cookie Decorating
- Essential Cookie Decorating Tools
- Recipe FAQs
- More Cookie Recipes to Enjoy!
- Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies Recipe
What Ingredients You’ll Need
- Dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
- Wet ingredients: unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and one large egg.
Helpful Tips
Room temperature ingredients: Butter and the egg blend more smoothly when softened to room temperature. The butter should yield slightly to your thumb but not be greasy.
Choose the right pan: Make sure your baking sheet or jelly roll pan fits easily into your refrigerator when chilling the dough.
Use parchment or wax paper: Roll the dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper. Parchment can be reused to bake the cookies; wax paper is useful if you’ll freeze the dough.
Divide, then roll: Shape the dough into a ball and divide it in half. Roll each half on lightly floured parchment to about 1/4 inch thickness, stacking the second sheet on top of the first if desired.
Chill the dough: Chill at least 1 hour (overnight is ideal). You can shorten the time in the freezer if needed. Firm dough cuts cleaner and holds shape better during baking.
Flour the cutters: Dip cutters in flour every few cookies to prevent sticking.
Don’t overbake: Bake for 7–8 minutes at 350°F; 7 minutes is usually perfect. Cookies should not be dark or crisp — edges and bottoms should match the top in color.
Use an oven thermometer: Ovens vary, so an oven thermometer helps ensure accurate temperature and consistent results.
Cool completely: Let cookies cool fully before adding buttercream or other frostings.
Cookie Decorating
Here are three simple ways to decorate these cookies:
Buttercream frosting: An easy and forgiving option. Use medium piping bags or an offset spatula to spread the frosting. You don’t need tips for a polished look; simply snip the bag or smooth with a spatula. For more advanced decorating, experiment with piping tips and techniques.
Royal icing: Ideal for crisp edges and detailed designs. Royal icing requires different tools and techniques and is great for more intricate decorating.
Sanding sugars and sprinkles: The quickest method—apply before baking for a baked-on finish or add them to wet frosting or royal icing for extra color and texture.
Essential Cookie Decorating Tools
Tools for buttercream decorating:
- Mixing bowls: Metal, glass, or plastic bowls are fine for coloring and mixing buttercream.
- Piping bags: Reusable or disposable medium-size bags work well.
- Decorating tips (optional): Not required for these cookies but useful for advanced piping.
- Offset spatula: Ideal for spreading buttercream smoothly.
- Food coloring gel: Gel or powdered colors concentrate color without thinning frosting.
- Spatula: Useful for mixing and scraping bowls cleanly.
- Large pint glass: Makes filling piping bags easier by holding the bag open while you scoop in frosting.
Recipe FAQs
This chocolate dough is meant to be soft. The flour you sprinkle while rolling will absorb into it. If you prefer a firmer dough, add an extra tablespoon of flour at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
Yes. Chilling prevents spreading during baking and makes cutting shapes much easier.
Overhandling the dough can introduce air. If bubbles appear during baking, gently tap the tops with a spatula or turner right after removing them from the oven.
They usually settle as they cool. If needed, tap the tops gently with a spatula immediately after baking to flatten slightly.
1/4 inch is recommended. Thinner dough bakes faster, so shorten the baking time accordingly.
Yes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Bring it back to room temperature and re-whip before using.
Yes. The dough can be made ahead and frozen; baked cookies also freeze well. Chill or freeze dough as directed, and thaw before cutting and baking.
More Cookie Recipes to Enjoy!
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Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
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Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 4 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/8 tsp Salt
Instructions
Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Beat the unsalted butter in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and blend on low until almost combined.
- Scrape the bowl, then add the egg and vanilla on medium-high and mix until blended.
- On low speed, gradually add the dry mixture until incorporated. The dough will be soft and should start to form a ball.
- Shape the dough into a ball, divide it in half, and roll the first portion to 1/4 inch thickness on lightly floured parchment (use wax paper if freezing). Repeat with the second portion and stack the sheets. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust the rack to just above center. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Flour cookie cutters and cut shapes, placing them 1–1 1/2 inches apart on the sheet. Add sanding sugar or sprinkles now if using. Keep remaining cut shapes chilled while baking.
- Bake 7–8 minutes at 350°F. Let cookies rest on the sheet about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months in a sealed container.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Beat the unsalted butter 1–2 minutes on medium-high until smooth.
- On low, alternate adding sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time with some heavy cream until the desired consistency is reached. Add more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time for thicker frosting.
- Add vanilla and a pinch of salt; mix on medium-high until smooth.
- Divide frosting if using multiple colors and stir in food coloring. Apply with piping bags or an offset spatula and garnish with sprinkles as desired.
Notes
- Every oven is different — check your cookies at the earliest recommended bake time.
- For royal icing techniques and advanced decorating tips, consult a royal-icing recipe or tutorial.
- Recipe yields about 4 dozen cookies, depending on cutter size and thickness.
- The vanilla buttercream yields approximately 744 grams (about 1 lb 10 oz).
Nutrition
Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 18 g | Protein: 1 g
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients used.