The Best Chocolate Cut-Out Cookie Recipe for Cookie Cutters

There’s nothing better than a rich, chocolatey cookie that holds its shape beautifully after baking. And this chocolate cut-out cookie recipe does exactly that. Whether you’re making festive holiday cookies, themed birthday treats, or everyday decorated sugar cookies, this dough is perfect for cookie cutters with little to no spread in the oven. The cookies bake up with crisp edges, a soft bite, and deep chocolate flavor that’s delicious on its own or paired with royal icing for decorating. If you’ve been searching for an easy, reliable chocolate cookie recipe for decorating, this one is sure to become a favorite in your kitchen.

For this recipe, these chocolate cut-out cookies have a few key ingredients.

Cocoa Powder

For this recipe, I recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder for the richest chocolate flavor and darkest color. My favorite brand to use is Ghirardelli, but any Dutch-processed brand with work great. Dutch-processed cocoa is less acidic than natural cocoa powder, which creates a more mellow flavor and beautifully rich cookie color that looks especially striking when decorated with royal icing.

Espresso Powder

One ingredient that really helps deepen the chocolate flavor in these cookies is espresso powder. The recipe only uses 1 teaspoon, which won’t make the cookies taste like coffee at all. Instead, it simply enhances the richness of the cocoa and gives the cookies a more intense chocolate flavor. Even if you’re not a coffee fan, I highly recommend you don’t skip it. It’s one of those secret ingredients that makes chocolate desserts taste even better without anyone being able to pinpoint why.

I like to add the espresso powder directly to the wet ingredients (the eggs and vanilla extract). This helps the espresso powder dissolve and “bloom,” allowing it to better enhance the cocoa flavor throughout the dough. Don’t worry, the cookies won’t taste like coffee. The small amount simply deepens the chocolate flavor and makes the cookies taste richer and more decadent.

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Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar (light or dark)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp espresso powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ⅔ cup cocoa powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

Step 1      

In a mixer, cream together butter and the two sugars. Mix until fluffy and well incorporated.

Step 2  

Add eggs, vanilla extract, and espresso powder. Mix until it is all well incorporated.

Step 3      

Add flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder, mixing a cupful at a time, to the butter/sugar/egg mixture. After everything is well mixed, the dough should be non-greasy to the touch. The dough should pull cleanly from the bowl.

Step 4

Roll to desired thickness (I like 5/16") between two sheets of parchment or wax paper. (I love my Joseph Joseph rolling pin because the guides take the guess work out of wondering if your cookies are the correct thickness and evenly rolled out.) After rolling, chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Step 5      

Once the dough is well chilled and hard to the touch, cut out shapes and place them on a parchment paper-lined, light-colored baking sheet.  

Step 6

Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes. Remove from the oven as the tops begin to turn matte. Leave the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.

Whether you enjoy these chocolate cut-out cookies plain with a glass of milk or fully decorated for a special occasion, this recipe is a reliable favorite for cookie decorators and bakers alike. The dough rolls out smoothly, holds crisp edges after baking, and delivers a rich chocolate flavor that tastes just as good as it looks. If you’d like to decorate your cookies, be sure to check out my royal icing recipe for the perfect icing consistency for flooding, piping, and detailed cookie designs. And if you need cookie cutter inspiration, visit our shop for coordinating cookie cutters, cookie stencils, and decorating tutorials.