Soft Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Rich and soft chocolate sugar cookies made with a secret ingredient! If you love chocolate, these decadent cookies are for you!

Something about the last few weeks of this pregnancy has me craving all things bread, ice cream and cookies! I’ve been pretty careful about balancing sweets with lots of healthy food, but lately that’s been a bit of a struggle. In hopes of keeping this little blog alive while we adjust to life as a family of 5, I’ve been working overtime in the kitchen. Thanksgiving and Christmas… I’m ready for you!! Our freezer is full of frozen cookie dough, half batches of soup, and lots of bread! The important stuff 😉

I had originally planned on posting these soft chocolate sugar cookies with you in December, but I just couldn’t hold out! They’re everything you want in a “drop” sugar cookie. Simple to make & easy to bake. No dough rolling or decorating required, although these would be pretty amazing dipped with white or dark chocolate and topped with peppermint pieces or festive sprinkles. Can you tell I’m excited for the holidays?!

Let’s talk about this recipe for a minute. The dough is made with a stick of soft butter and a stick of melted butter, which means it produces a nice soft & chewy cookie. It also means it needs to be refrigerated for at least an hour (reflected in the prep time). Do NOT skip that step. You’ll end up with super flat cookies.

Second, I used a dutch process cocoa which gave me dark cookies. You can use special dark cocoa or even your run of the mill natural unsweetened cocoa. Just use a quality product. The important ingredient (and my secret ingredient in a lot of my chocolate baked goods) is espresso powder. It is the ultimate enhancer. These cookies will not taste the same with out it, trust me. You can pick up a little jar of it next to all of the other coffee products, or it may even be located on the baking aisle in some stores. King Arthur Flour & Williams-Sonoma also sell it.

When you’re ready to bake off the dough, you can either roll it in sugar or leave the dough as is. The choice is yours! I love how these look (and taste) with the sugar on them, however they taste just as good without. Take care not to under or over bake them. You’ll know their done when the edges are set and the centers are soft but not gooey, about 8-10 minutes.

Let them cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, or long enough to not burn your tongue! Serve with a tall glass of milk and ENJOY!

About 2 dozen

Soft Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Rich and soft chocolate sugar cookies made with a secret ingredient! If you love chocolate, these decadent cookies are for you!

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 c. brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. espresso powder
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c. + 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (I used cocoa rouge)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. granulated sugar (for rolling)

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
2. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and espresso powder, mix until combined.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix until a soft dough forms.
4. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Refrigerate dough for one hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, set aside.
6. Using a standard size cookie scoop (#40 or 1.5 tablespoons), scoop dough and roll in the granulated sugar, if desired. Place on prepared sheet, then bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should be soft in the center but set on the edges.
7. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

All images and text ©Life Made Simple.

Looking for more delicious chocolate cookie recipes? Try these:

• Double Chocolate Cookies – Salt and Baker
• 1 XXL Death by Chocolate Cookies – Sally’s Baking Addiction
• Double Chocolate Coconut Oil Cookies – Life Made Simple
• The Best Bakery Style Double Chocolate Chip Cookies – The Food Charlatan
• Fudgy Chocolate Cookies – Pretty. Simple. Sweet
• Fudgy Brownie Cookies – Life Made Simple