Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies
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These chocolate sugar cookies are heaven: super chocolaty, perfectly sweet, and nicely balanced with salt. They have a really nice chew thanks to the presence of dark brown sugar. When they bake, they rise; when they cool, they fall, giving them that beautiful, sugar-crusted crackly surface. So simple, so good.
Melissa Weller, one of New York City’s most celebrated bakers, has a new book out: A Good Bake. As I noted in this recent post, this book is a compilation of 15 years of training, working, and note-taking — it’s the book she wishes she had when she was starting out.
Melissa’s desire to teach is evident throughout the book, and apart from its stunning photographs, A Good Bake feels like a high school chemistry book in both its heft and content, a tome loaded not only with recipes but also scientific explanations about the hows and whys of baking.
Take for example the notes in this classic rise-and-fall chocolate sugar cookie recipe. Melissa writes:
“The rise-and-fall process is a result of the baking soda reacting with the cocoa powder and brown sugar before the cookie is set. When the cookies are removed from the oven, they fall, giving them that crackle top. How quickly the cookie rises before it sets up is the key to achieving that finish.“
Interesting, right?
She goes on: “For these cookies, to ensure they rise quickly, I don’t refrigerate the dough before baking, which causes the cookies to rise more quickly than if the dough were cold.”
I found this note particularly helpful because I am always wanting to chill portioned cookie dough balls before baking, a step that helps prevent spreading and in some cases improves flavor. But this step is unnecessary with this recipe. How. Nice.
Once this batter is mixed, you can portion, roll, and bake right away, which means these cookies — if you get started now — can be in your immediate future.
To me these cookies are perfection: deeply chocolaty, perfectly sweet, and nicely salted. But what differentiates them from other chocolate sugar cookies is the inclusion of dark brown sugar, which, like Sarah Kieffer’s brown sugar cookies, gives them the loveliest chew.
These cookies are irresistible out of the oven, but I like them even better on subsequent days, so don’t be afraid to make them ahead of time. If you’re looking for a homemade gift for the chocolate-lover in your life, look no further. In a lovingly packed tin, these sturdy cookies will travel well.
Happy Baking, Friends! I hope all of your holiday preparations are going well.
PS: Rum Balls: The Best, Easiest, Most Festive Cookie to Make and Gift All Season Long
How to Make Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Here’s the play-by-play: Gather your ingredients.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl:
Whisk to combine, and set aside:
Combine brown sugar and butter in a stand mixer:
Beat until fluffy; then add the dry ingredients:
Mix just until the flour is absorbed:
Portion the dough into 2-tablespoon or 50-gram rounds:
Then coat liberally in sugar:
Bake at 350ºF for 12 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet pans before serving:
I find these to be even more delicious on subsequent days, so don’t be afraid to make them ahead of time:
Melissa Weller’s A Good Bake:
Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 16 to 18 cookies
Description
From Melissa Weller’s A Good Bake
As always, for best results, measure with a digital scale.
Notes:
Salt: The only change I have made here is to add twice the amount of salt: 1 teaspoon (6 g) as opposed to 1/2 teaspoon (3 g). I love a cookie with a good balance of salt and sugar, but I also know I have a high salt tolerance, so please use your judgment when deciding how much to use. I do not find these to be the slightest bit salty when I use 6 grams of salt, and I am even using salted butter (which I use for everything).
Cocoa: Melissa’s preferred brand is Valrhona, which is Dutch-processed, though she says you can use whatever cocoa powder you have on hand. I have been using Droste’s cocoa in this recipe, which is also Dutch-processed. In Sarah Keiffer’s chocolate sugar cookie recipe in her new book 100 Cookies, Dutch-processed cocoa is called for, so if you have both Dutch-processed and natural on hand, go for the Dutch-processed.
That said, I swear by Hershey’s cocoa powder for my favorite fudgy brownies, and I will give that a go in this recipe next time around… stay tuned.
Scoop/Scale: If you have a 2-tablespoon scoop, that will help when portioning the dough balls. I am uncharacteristically fussy about portioning cookie dough balls, and I always weigh the balls to ensure each is identical. Here, each dough ball should weigh 50 grams.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (43 g) cocoa powder, see notes above
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon (3 – 6 g) sea salt, see notes above (I use 6 g)
- 16 tablespoons (226 g) softened butter
- 1.5 cups (300 g) dark brown sugar
- 1 egg (50 g)
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract
- granulated sugar for rolling, 1/4 to 1/2 cup (50 to 100 g)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350ºF.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine the ingredients. Set aside.
- Put the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the mixer once or twice, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Turn off the mixer, add the egg and vanilla, and beat until the egg is thoroughly incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until no flour is visible, stopping to scrape down the mixer once during the process.
- Pour the granulated sugar into a small bowl. Portion out the dough using a 2-tablespoon scoop or measure or a scale — each portion should weigh 50 grams. You should have about 16 to 18 balls total. Roll each portion between your hands to form a ball; then roll in the sugar — coat each ball as generously as you are able to in the sugar. Transfer 6 balls to the prepared sheet. Bake for 12 minutes; remove from heat and allow cookies to cool completely on the sheet pan. Repeat this process, baking 6 cookies at a time.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
168 Comments on “Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies”
These came out great! Ditched the sugar topping and made a quick 3 ingredient buttercream frosting instead (butter, powdered sugar, vanilla). Tasted like homemade Oreos! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
YUM!!!! Love this idea so much 🙂 🙂 🙂
Made these for Father’s Day today. My husband and my father (and everyone else) said they were amazing!! Simple yet rich in flavor! I bake a lot so they are spoiled which speaks to the recipe. It’s solid. I didn’t change a thing, measured by grams and they came out picture perfect! Absolute keeper!! Thank you.
Great to read all of this. Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Argh! These did not flatten and crackle for me (but still delish) and I am 99% sure I know what I did wrong.
First, impatient baking (in a hurry to give cookies to daughter to take to another gathering) and second, not using my scale for the ingredient weights and failing that, not spooning and leveling the flour.
Result…the flour to fat ratio was off, I’m pretty sure. So they stayed as obstinate humps on the cookie sheet. Delicious humps but still, not beautiful like yours.
Unfazed and will try again when not in a rush.
Great to hear the flavor is good and I’m sorry they didn’t flatten and crackle. It is crazy how the ratio of flour to fat really is important and how just small increases in one or the other make a difference in how the cookies perform in the oven. Thank you for writing and happy holidays 🙂 🙂 🙂
Excellent cookies. Added espresso powder, because I always use that in combination with cocoa, but other than that, changed nothing and it made fantastic, very chocolatey cookies. Using them for ice cream sandwiches. Any ice cream would go great with these!
Yum! Love the idea of adding espresso powder.
Made these and they got rave reviews. I don’t keep fine salt around and used 1.5 tsp Diamond Crystal and thought they could maybe use even just a touch more. But these were easy and great – definitely worth making again.
I’d never fault anyone for using more salt! Thanks for writing. Great to hear 🙂
Perfect Cookies. I veganized the recipe by using egg-replacer (made for baking) and Earth Balance (non dairy) butter. I do not measure or weigh dough balls prior to placing on baking sheet. But, they are perfection. I am quite impressed!!
Great to hear Julia! Thanks so much for writing.
How many calorie and carbs?
I started out making these cookies as a Christmas gift, but they are now my go-to! They have the best taste and texture, and are a crowd favorite.
Great to hear, Tessa! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
These cookies are delicious! I agree that they are even better on subsequent days. I baked one off immediately and then froze the rest in balls (without the sugar topping). A few days later, I took the frozen cookies, rolled them in the sugar and then baked them. They were so good! The chocolate seemed to have intensified. My husband, who doesn’t favor chocolate, used them with peppermint ice cream for ice cream sandwiches. He loved them! Great recipe, Ali! Thanks for sharing!
Oh yay! Great to read all of this. I have been wanting to make a peppermint version of this recipe, so I’m very into your husband’s idea of pairing them with peppermint ice cream. Thanks for sharing your freezing notes 🙂
Not sure what happened but mine did not flatten like the picture. I’ve noticed this happening sometimes when I make Sarah Keifers cookie recipes as well. It’s always inconsistent. I’m sure it’s some thing I’m doing, and I suspect it has to do with over or under mixing, but I have no idea how to know when you’ve mixed too much too little. Flavor is great though.
Hi! Are you using a scale to measure the ingredients?
Hello! Yes, I used the scale and even added some more flour to try to thicken it up.
Hi Demi, I have noticed that my cookies stay puffier the longer I mix the dough. Chilling it overnight and not overmixing are my keys to flatter cookies.
I tried making this and followed everything exactly and the mixture is more of like a cake mixture. It’s way too sticky for me to roll up anything like dough. I’m so sad! The taste is there in the mixture. Leaving it overnight in the fridge to see if that’ll thicken it up? Not sure. I’m so sad this turn out like cookie dough and more of a cake. I guess I’ll try it as a cake tomorrow if it doesn’t turn into something that’ll be cookie dough.
Hi! Did you use a scale to measure? It sounds as though you need to add more flour, though yes, leaving it in the fridge overnight will help.
I like to try 1 new cookie recipe every Christmas and this was it. I used Hershey’s Dark Cocoa (dutched). I made a few at 50 gram balls and some at about half that size (1.5T) at about 9 mins. I preferred the smaller ones, but the larger cookies present very well. Came together quickly and easily! Chewy, not overly sweet and definitely for a chocolate lover.
Great to hear, Malia! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hello! Fantastic recipe!
I want to make this recipe for a friend for her birthday and brown sugar is not readily available in my country (when it IS available, it’s quite expensive…). Could I use white sugar instead?
Sure!
Is it fine if I use light brown sugar instead or would that alter it too much?
Totally fine!
An experienced and nitpicky baker here to say that this recipe is perfection. In my heart, these are the homemade version of Archway’s Dutch Cocoa cookies. Crisp, chewy bottom and edges, lovely crust all the way around but soft in the middle. A true delight. Thanks for a great recipe.
Great to hear, Emily 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to write. These are a favorite 🙂
This recipe has turned out perfectly every time. I have used different cocoas and it’s always a little different flavor, but the method and outcome remain the same.
Great to hear, Melissa! Thanks for writing 🙂
These cookies are so good! I did make them smaller balls (20g) and had 20 per tray (it made two trays). I baked for 8 minutes. Will be making these a lot!
Great to hear, Jessica! Thanks for writing and sharing these notes — love the idea of a smaller cookie 🙂
What type of butter did you use? I never know when to use salted or unsalted.
I always use salted but salted or unsalted is fine!
First, I adore your recipes — I’m literally working my way through “Bread, Toast, Crumbs” and have never eaten so much bread (and butter) in my life. Not complaining.
This is a lovely, lovely recipe! I followed the recipe exactly (unsalted butter, though, with a full 6 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher salt) and these were dreamy. Cooled on the cookie sheet until just barely warm, they were deeply chocolaty, perfectly sweet and slightly bitter in the best way. After two days, the flavors had mellowed and the chew was wonderful. I can’t believe I didn’t have any ice cream in the house because these would make perfect ice cream sandwiches. Seriously one of my very favorite cookies, and most likely part of my very favorite ice cream sandwiches. Thank you for sharing this recipe!