These chocolate cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with Dutch-processed cocoa powder for an extra decadent treat! You'll only need some staple baking ingredients and a few minutes of prep work for these tasty cookies! Try out some different flavored chips to find your favorite flavor combo!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Total Time15 minutesmins
Course: Chocolate, Christmas Cookies, Cookies & Bars Recipes, Dessert
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or use silicone baking mats.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together 1¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder, ½ tablespoon espresso powder (if using), 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt and set it aside.
1¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ tablespoon espresso powder
Using your stand mixer, cream together ½ cup butter, ¾ cup sugar, and ¼ cup light brown sugar at medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Then, add 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix for 1 minute.
½ cup butter, ¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add the mixture of dry ingredients and then mix on low speed until just incorporated.
Scoop the dough into portions that are 2 tablespoons each and roll them into a ball with your hands. Roll the dough balls in the sugar mixture (optional step, see below) and then place them onto the baking sheet, leaving 3-4 inches of space in between each one.
For the optional step of rolling the cookies before baking add about ¼ cup white granulated sugar to a shallow dish and mix it together with the optional ½ teaspoon ground cardamom if using.
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges have set and the cookies have puffed up.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Notes
Feel free to add ½ cup of semi-sweet, dark, white chocolate, or peanut butter chips to make these cookies extra delicious!
Don't over-mix the dough! As soon as the flour disappears, you should be done mixing.
Rolling these cookies in granulated sugar (with or without the addition of some cardamom) is an optional step.
To make in advance: The dough can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Just keep it covered and stored in the fridge until ready to bake. The longer it is chilled, the harder the dough will be. Let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes until it is scoopable again.
To store: Keep your cookies at room temperature in an airtight storage container for up to one week.
To freeze dough: Prepare the dough as directed, up until rolling them in sugar. Instead, place the balls on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, they can be transferred to a zip-top bag and frozen for up to 3 months.
To bake from frozen: Let the cookies thaw for about 30 minutes before rolling in sugar (if desired) and baking, only adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
To freeze cookies: These cookies can be placed into a container or zip-top bag and then frozen for up to 3 months. For best results, wrap the cookies individually in plastic wrap so that you can pull out exactly as many as you want.