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Chocolate sugar cookie cut-outs remind me of Christmas. I make several varieties of them every single year. We all know that chocolate makes everything taste amazing. So, when you combine it with sugar cookies, the result is these easy chocolate cookies which are absolute perfection! It really isn’t the holidays, unless I have these chocolate Christmas cookies!
These chocolate sugar cookies are so simple to make and very flavorful. You really need to try these to take to an upcoming Christmas gathering or event.
Also try cranberry orange biscotti, Starbucks oat bars, chocolate chip shortbread, and chocolate chunk pecan pie.
I find that no icing or decoration is needed on these easy chocolate cookies, but you can add some if you wish. If you’re adding icing, then make sure you wait until the cookies are completely cooled. You could use yellow icing on star-shaped ones, or green on the tree ones. There are so many fun ways to decorate chocolate Christmas cookies.
These cookies are a perfect to give as gifts for your friends and family. They freeze well, so start baking early with these yummy cookies.
Tips for Easy Chocolate Cookies Perfection
These chocolate cut out cookies are pretty easy to make. However, it’s always handy to know a few tricks!
First of all, a word about the ingredients. Your cookies are only as good as the ingredients you use for them. For that reason, use good quality vanilla extract (never ‘essence’ – there’s no real vanilla in it).
The same applies to the cocoa powder – pick one you like the taste of. As for the sugar, I suppose using brown sugar would give these a different flavour but I used white sugar and it worked just fine.
The butter for chocolate sugar cookies needs to be softened. This means leaving it at room temperature for about an hour or until it’s softer but not melting. Using butter which is too soft means the cookies won’t hold their shape as well.
In a rush? Grate the butter or cut it into smaller cubes so it softens quicker. Don’t be tempted to microwave it!
Roll these sugar cookies out to about ¼-inch thick. If they are much thicker they might not bake all the way through. If they are thinner, they might break because they’ll be fragile. A ¼-inch thickness means the dough is easy to roll and shouldn’t tear or break. It also means they will cook through evenly.
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs
It’s important to refrigerate the cookies before you bake them. This is because if they’re too warm when going into the oven the shapes can spread. Then they won’t look much like whatever shape cookie cutter you used.
Again, if you’re in a rush, there is a shortcut! 15 minutes in the freezer does roughly the same job as 30 minutes in the refrigerator. But don’t forget about them in there.
You will end up with about 36 chocolate sugar cookies, but you can use any size of cookie cutters. That means the amount you get will vary, along with the baking time. Watch them closely in the oven.
If you’ve made them smaller, peek through the oven door after about 7 minutes. Bigger ones will take closer to 12 minutes. And the exact baking time also depends on your oven! The key is… just keep an eye on them. Chocolate cut-out cookies can quickly be over baked if you don’t watch closely.
More about Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookies are cookies made with sugar, flour, butter, eggs and vanilla. Baking powder or soda is often added, although I didn’t use it to make these chocolate cut out cookies. The texture is fine without it, although you shouldn’t overwork the dough. If you do, they might come out tough!
Some people shape their easy chocolate cookies by hand while others drop them or roll them and cut shapes. I prefer the last one because I have quite a collection of cookie cutters. And they’re fun to use! Chocolate cut-out cookies are cute in any shape or size.
Sugar cookies are often iced or decorated with extra sugar or sprinkles. Since these are flavoured with chocolate, I left them plain. And trust me – they taste amazing just as they are!
One of these is never enough. Also, chocolate cut out cookies are amazing with coffee first thing in the morning. You get a mocha flavour when you combine them!
If you like this chocolate cut-out cookies, you might also like Cranberry Orange Biscotti, Crinkle Grinch Cookies or Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies.
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs Recipe
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again for a few seconds more.
- Add eggs and mix. Add vanilla and mix.
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt together. Add all of the flour mixture to the bowl. Mix on low speed for 3o seconds being careful not to overmix.
- Roll the dough out between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Place on a baking sheet and put into the fridge for an hour.
- Cut the shapes and then put cookie dough shapes back into the fridge for an hour so they will then hold their shape better when baked.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Bake cookies for 8 to 12 minutes. The baking time will depend on the size of your cookie.
- Let cookies cool to room temperature.
Nutrition
Let me know if you try these chocolate sugar cookie cut-outs. They are perfect for the chocolate lover! If you like baking with the kiddos, these are easy chocolate cookies to make. They can help cut out the shapes. And of course they’ll want to be the first to taste the results! These are one of my favourite chocolate Christmas cookies.
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
