Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies are soft, fudgy cookies that hold their shape perfectly when baked -- no spreading, no chilling. Perfect chocolate sugar cookie for decorated Christmas cookies, Easter bunny cookies, or Valentine's Day cookies.
For more no-spread cut-out cookie recipes, try Red Velvet Cut Out Cookies, Lemon Cut Out Cookies, and Cut Out Sugar Cookies.
I love classic sugar cookies. But if there's a chocolate version, I'm reaching for that one every single time. And these are the best chocolate sugar cookies. They're rich, soft, and almost brownie-like, with rich chocolate flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. And the no-chill, no-spread dough means your cut-out cookies hold their crisp, sharp edges every time—perfect for decorating!
Frost your chocolate cookies with Chocolate Cookie Icing That Hardens, Buttercream Frosting That Hardens, or royal icing.
❤️You're Going to Love These
- No-spread dough. Cut-out shapes stay sharp and crisp, even without chilling.
- Soft, brownie-like texture. These soft cookies are rich, tender, and melt in your mouth.
- No chill time. Mix, roll, and bake—perfect when you’re short on time during the holidays.
- Great for decorating. The smooth surface makes the perfect canvas for icing and sprinkles.
- Perfect for holiday cookies. Ideal for Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, or any special occasion.
🍫Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Unsalted butter. Use room temperature butter, it shouldn't be soft and squishy. If the butter is too soft, the cookies may spread. If you use salted butter, omit the salt.
- Egg. Room temperature egg will mix easily into the cookie dough.
- All-purpose flour. Measure the flour carefully by spooning it into the measuring cup then leveling off the top. Too much flour can cause the cookies to be dry.
- Cocoa powder. I use Hershey's Dark cocoa powder. You can use dutch-processed cocoa powder or unsweetened natural cocoa powder. Measure it the same way as flour.
☕Substitutions or Variations
- Flavor extract. Give your cookies a unique flavor with a little peppermint, orange, or almond extract.
- Espresso powder. To enhance the chocolate flavor, add ½ to 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder with the dry ingredients.
🥣How to Make Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies
Step 1: Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl at medium to medium-high speed, 3-5 minutes. Mix in the egg, then vanilla extract.
Step 2: Sift in the dry ingredients (or whisk them in a separate bowl). Mix in the flour mixture on low speed until the dough forms into large clumps. Form the dough into a ball and divide it into two pieces.
Step 3: Roll dough to ¼ to ½-inch thickness between sheets of parchment or on a work surface dusted with flour or cocoa powder. Cut with cookie cutters, re-rolling the scraps.
Step 4: Place cookie cutouts on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 6 minutes or until the cookies are puffy and the edges are set. Cool cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
👉Top Tip: Use rolling pin guides or dowels on either side of your rolling pin to roll the dough to an even thickness.
🍬How to Decorate Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies
Valentine's Day Cookies
Cut into heart shapes and frost with chocolate cookie icing and white icing (they both dry to a firm finish), and decorate with sweet heart-shaped sprinkles.
Easter Cookies
Chocolate Easter Bunny Cookies are so cute plain or iced with chocolate icing that hardens and decorated with pastel M&Ms and sprinkles! Get the full directions here.
Christmas Cookies
So festive and fun! These cute chocolate Christmas cookies are decorated with stackable chocolate icing and an easy sugar cookie icing recipe. Get all the details on this post --> Chocolate Cookie Icing recipe.
☑️Tips
- Use room temperature butter and egg for a smooth, uniform dough.
- Sift or whisk the dry ingredients to keep clumps out of the dough.
- Rolling dough between parchment paper prevents adding more flour to the cookies.
- No need to chill the dough to keep the cookies from spreading. If the dough is too soft or sticky to work with, chill it for 20-30 minutes.
- Be careful not to overbake or the cookies will be dry.
🎁Storage
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days or in the refrigerator for 10 days.
- Freeze chocolate sugar cookie dough in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Freeze cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
❓FAQs
No. This is a no-spread cookie recipe, so your shapes stay clean and defined every time.
No. This is no-chill cookie dough. It rolls out beautifully right after mixing.
Yes! You can freeze the dough or the baked cookies for up to 3 months.
For soft, brownie-like cookies, aim for ¼" to ½" thickness.
Yes. This chocolate sugar cookie recipe is perfect for frosting, icing, or enjoying as-is.
🎆More Cut Out Cookie Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Cut Out Cookies
Equipment
- 2" cookie cutters
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined, then mix in the vanilla for about a minute.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt (or whisk them together in a separate bowl). Mix on low speed until the dough forms large clumps. Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball, then split it into two portions.
- Roll the dough out between sheets of parchment paper or on a lightly floured or cocoa-dusted surface until it's ¼" to ½" thick. Cut out the dough with bunny cookie cutters, re-rolling the scraps.
- Arrange the cookies 2 inches apart on your baking sheets. Bake for 6 minutes or until the edges are set and the cookies look slightly puffed. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use room temperature butter and egg for a smooth, uniform dough.
- Sift or whisk the dry ingredients to keep clumps out of the dough.
- Rolling dough between parchment paper prevents adding more flour to the cookies.
- Use rolling pin guides or dowels on either side of your rolling pin to roll the dough to an even thickness.
- No need to chill the dough to keep the cookies from spreading. If the dough is too soft or sticky to work with, chill it for 20-30 minutes.
- Be careful not to overbake or the cookies will be dry.
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