This is the best chocolate sugar cookies recipe, producing chewy, round cookies with a crackle sugar top and a deep chocolate flavor. They are higher in protein, can be made in minutes, and are dairy free without eggs or oil.
This recipe for chocolate sugar cookies is easy to follow, and produces soft cookies with a strong chocolate flavor. Think of them as cocoa cookies where the texture is soft and melts in your mouth. They are also vegan and gluten free sugar cookies, chewier than my vegan chocolate chip cookies but firmer than my edible brownie batter. And I have to say, of all my cookies recipes, this sugar cookie recipe is a top favorite, they just melt in your mouth and pretty much fail proof!
Why You'll Love This Cookie
Healthier cookies. The ingredients in this recipe for chocolate sugar cookies are healthier, making these cookies higher in fiber and protein than the traditional recipe. That's because I swapped eggs for chia eggs, and most of the butter for nut butter. Thanks to the chia seeds, you don't need corn starch in these cookies.
Puffy, soft cookies. These sugar cookies with cocoa used brown sugar instead of white sugar to create a reaction with the baking soda to help the cookies puff up and create the chewy texture without eggs.
Ingredients
flour : Use all purpose flour or gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour. You can use oat flour, but the cookie will be crunchy not chewy.
cocoa powder : For a oreo-cookie dark color use dutch cocoa; for a lighter chocolate color use regular processed cocoa powder. I used regular Hershey's cocoa here.
baking soda : Needed to react with the sugar and lift the cookie. Do not use baking powder as it will not provide the needed reaction for chewy cookies.
butter : Not the normal amount found in sugar cookies, less because it is sharing the job with seed or nut butter.
nut butter : I used almond butter, but cashew butter or sunflower seed butter can be used.
brown sugar : Here is your brown sugar to help create the soft texture. I used coconut palm sugar for the extra nutrition but regular brown sugar works well too.
chia seed egg : Instead of a traditional egg, use a chia seed egg, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds mixed with 3 tablespoon of water. A flaxseed egg is also fine.
And you'll also need some dairy free milk, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and white cane sugar for rolling
Steps to Make
Here is a quick summary of the steps to make this sugar cookie recipe, but the detailed recipe and video can be found below in the recipe card below.
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl.
4. Add the dry to the wet and mix until combined.
5. Use a 2 tablespoon scoop to scoop batter, and roll into balls. Coat them in a bowl of organic cane sugar. You will have about 16 balls.
6. Line them in a pan two inches apart because these cookies will spread.
7. Bake for 12 minutes if your oven runs hot, 13 minutes if it is accurate. Remove the cookies from the oven and flatten with a spatula instantly. Cool 10 minutes on the pan and transfer to cooking rack. Repeat the process until all cookies are baked.
8. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
These sugar cookies are easy to make fast and generally forgiving but the rise and fall that creates the crinkle can be a bit elusive so here is what to watch for:
1. Measure your flour carefully. Some people swear by weighing it but I have never had an issue using the fluff and spoon method. Just fluff the flour in its container with a fork, then spoon the amount into your measuring cup(s) and level off.
2. Press the cookie balls flat after they have baked.
3. Don't over-bake. Remove the cookies after 12 minutes if your oven runs hot, 13 minutes if it is correct. It's worth buying an oven thermometer to check from time to time. Once you remove the cookies, right away press flat with a spatula. The cookies will crack on the edges and be fudgy inside.
How to Serve
These cookies are ready to eat once cooled completely. You'll find the flavor is awesome as the days go by, and sometimes more deeply chocolatey. Here are four ways to enjoy them .
1. Eat them straight
2. Sandwich frosting or ice cream in between two.
3. Dunk them in coffee, tea or milk.
FAQS
How Do These Cookies Taste?
These cookies taste soft, chewy and deeply chocolatey. They will also have a chocolate-peanut-butter flavor as is with the seed or nut butter added. For straight chocolate sugar cookies feel free to replace the seed or nut butter with more butter.
Should I Chill this Dough before Baking?
Chilling the dough before baking, even just 30 minutes, solidifies the fats so the cookies will expand more slowly, and hang on to their moisture, thus helping to create a chewy cookie texture. The baking soda and brown sugar contribute also to that texture.
How to Make Chewy Cookies
Cookies become chewy when the batter retains moisture. There are three ways to increase moisture in your cookie batter.
1. Use brown sugar instead of white sugar. The molasses in brown sugar tends to absorb more liquid than does white sugar. Absorbing liquid into the dough creates a more moist and chewy cookie.
2. Add a protein egg-replacer such as a chia seed egg as opposed to a flax seed egg or apple sauce.
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour all purpose or GF 1 to 1 baking flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup butter softened, I used vegan butter
- ½ cup nut butter or sunflower seed butter
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar I used coconut palm sugar
- ¼ cup dairy free milk
- 1 chia seed or flax seed egg 4 tablespoon water + 1 tablespoon seed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- organic cane sugar for rolling
Instructions
prep
- Make a chia seed egg - add 1 tablespoon of seed to 4 tablespoon of water and let it gel for about ten minutes.1 chia seed or flax seed egg
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Make Cookies
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.2 cups flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, pinch of salt
- Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl.½ cup butter, ½ cup nut butter, 1 ½ cups brown sugar, ¼ cup dairy free milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the dry to the wet and mix until combined. The batter will be on the dry side, but you want a scoop to stick together so add an additional tablespoon of milk if needed
- Use a 2 tablespoon scoop to scoop batter, and roll into balls. Coat them in a bowl of organic cane sugar. You will have about 17 balls.organic cane sugar for rolling
- Line them to a pan two inches apart, the cookies won't spread.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes. Remove them at 12 minutes if your oven runs hot. Once you have removed them from the oven, instantly press them flattish with a spatula to allow edges to crack.
- Allow cookies to cool 10 minutes on the pan and transfer to cooking rack. Repeat the process until all cookies are baked.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
3. Don't over-bake. Remove the cookies after 12 minutes if your oven runs hot, 13 minutes if it is correct. It's worth buying an oven thermometer to check from time to time. Once you remove the cookies, right away press flat with a spatula. The cookies will crack on the edges and be fudgy inside.
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