Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies
These Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies put a fun spin on the classic cut out sugar cookies. They're super soft, chocolatey, and hold their shape well. Decorate with colorful sanding sugars or with an easy buttercream frosting and sprinkles for a sweet treat to show someone you care.
Servings: 48 cookies
Ingredients
Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- 2 ½ 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 of Salt
Instructions
Chocolate Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Set aside.2 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour, 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 1 tsp Baking Soda, 1 tsp Cream of Tartar, 1/8 tsp Salt
- Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.1 cup Unsalted Butter
- Turn off your mixer and add in the powdered sugar. Blend it together with the butter over low speed until it's almost combined.1 cup Powdered Sugar
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then on medium-high speed, add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well blended.1 Large Egg, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Switching the mixer speed low, gradually add in the whisked dry mixture until fully incorporated. The cookie dough will be on the softer side and should start to form a ball and pull away from the sides.
- Transfer the chocolate sugar cookie dough onto a clean work surface, then shape it into a ball and divide it into 2 sections. Roll out the first section of cookie dough to a 1/4 inch thickness slab on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper (or wax paper if you plan to freeze the dough for later).
- Place onto a baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Repeat with the second section, placing it on top of the first layer. Refrigerate the cookie dough slabs for a minimum of 1 hour or (my preference) overnight.
- After chilling is complete, adjust your oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center) and preheat your oven to 350ºF. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.
- Flour your cookie cutters and cut out your shapes. Place each cut out shape about 1"- 1 1/2" apart on the cookie sheet. If only using sanding sugar or sprinkles, now is the time to add them. Place any cut out cookies not yet baked into the refrigerator or freezer to chill while the first set bakes.
- Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes at 350ºF. Allow the chocolate cut out sugar cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them with a spatula (or server) to a wire cooling rack. Let them cool completely before decorating them with the vanilla buttercream frosting.
- If baking the cookies in advance, keep them stored in an airtight container with a slice of bread for up to 3 days. You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely before placing into a well-sealed container or freezer bag.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter for about 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.1 cup Unsalted Butter
- Switching the mixer speed to low, alternate between adding in the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time with a little of the heavy cream. Repeat until you've added all of the powdered sugar and heavy cream, and the buttercream is to the consistency of your liking. If you prefer to have a thicker frosting, add in more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.4 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar, 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- Add in the vanilla extract and pinch of salt, mixing until on medium-high speed until well blended.2 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1/8 tsp of Salt
- If coloring the frosting, add the necessary amount of drops to achieve your desired color. For multiple colors, divide frosting into smaller bowls, then add the food coloring and mix with a spatula. Apply with either piping bags and/or an offset spatula. Garnish with your favorite sprinkles or jimmies.
Notes
- Every oven is different so be sure to check your cookies at the earliest recommended time.
- For decorating your cookies with royal icing, visit my Cut Out Sugar Cookies recipe.
- Recipe adapted from The Best Cut Out Sugar Cookies recipe.
- Recipe yields approximately 4 dozen cookies. Amount will depend on size of cookies and how thick they are rolled out.
- The vanilla buttercream frosting makes approximately 744 grams or 1 pound, 10.2 ounces.
Nutrition
Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.5mg