Smooth, chewy, fudgy chocolate cookies topped with frosting and—as a result of why not?—sprinkles, these chocolate frosted cookies are additional wealthy and in no way sorry about it. It’s a easy drop cookie recipe, no rolling pin required, and the creamy chocolate frosting is a scaled down model of fan-favorite chocolate buttercream.
Right here at Sally’s Baking HQ, we like our chocolate topped with extra chocolate. (Nicely, and in addition we prefer it with peanut butter!!!)
At this time’s cookie recipe is sort of a wealthy chocolate model of a Lofthouse-style smooth frosted cookie, however with a little bit extra chew—not fairly as cakey. My staff and I completely LOVED these, and may’t look forward to all our fellow chocolate lovers to strive them.
Chocolate Frosted Cookies Recipe Snapshot
- Style: Just like these chewy fudgy frosted brownies, you’re getting a double dose of chocolate with these cookies.
- Texture: Chewy and fudgy within the heart like a brownie, smooth and topped with buttercream frosting like a chocolate cupcake, with barely crisp edges like a crinkle cookie. It is a chocolate dessert trifecta in a single indulgent deal with!
- Ease: Straightforward drop cookie dough that you just roll into balls, bake, cool, and prime with a easy buttercream. Overlook all of the bells and whistles, generally you simply want to stay with what WORKS!
- Time: Dough chilling is necessary for this chocolate cookie dough—2 hours minimal.
It’s all giving cosmic brownie…
The Softest, Fudgiest Chocolate Frosted Cookies
If you happen to had been to shut your eyes and take a chunk of one among these cookies, you’d be stunned to discover a cookie as an alternative of a frosted brownie in your hand. We will thank my favourite chocolate cookie dough for that, a go-to base I exploit when making double chocolate chip cookies and chocolate crinkle cookies, too. There’s a cause my staff and I flip to this cookie dough usually (and why so many readers find it irresistible as nicely)… it WORKS! The magical dough creates wealthy, thick, and chewy chocolate cookies that keep smooth for days.
For right this moment’s recipe, I made 2 small modifications to the bottom dough. First, I changed a little bit of cocoa powder with flour. As a result of this cookie dough doesn’t have any add-ins (like chocolate chips or nuts) it advantages from some extra flour for added construction. However don’t fear! There’s nonetheless PLENTY of chocolate taste, particularly with the chocolate frosting on prime.
I additionally changed the milk within the dough with a little bit of oil, to offer them a moister, brownie-like texture. And since we aren’t rolling the dough balls in sugar, like we do with these Andes mint chocolate cookies, the oil helps them unfold simply sufficient.
You Want These Elements:
All fundamental baking components. Unsweetened pure cocoa powder is right for the cookie dough, and you’ll examine why on this put up on Dutch-process vs. pure cocoa powder.
You want an electrical mixer for this recipe as a result of the bottom is creamed butter + sugars. Anticipate a thick, sticky dough:
I’m a damaged document once more right this moment repeating that you will need to chill this cookie dough for a minimum of 2 hours (and as much as 3 days). After the dough chills, it’s a lot simpler to deal with and roll into balls. Scoop 1 heaping Tablespoon of dough per cookie, about 28–30g every in the event you’re utilizing a kitchen scale.
As they bake, the cookies puff up and unfold out, then barely deflate, forming these beautiful cracks identical to traditional crinkle cookies. I don’t blame you one bit if you wish to chunk into one among these chocolate cookies whereas they’re nonetheless heat, however in the event you can handle to carry on for a little bit longer for them to chill, your endurance will probably be rewarded with a frosted chocolate cookie price ready for.
The Greatest Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
For the frosting, you should utilize both Dutch-process cocoa powder OR pure cocoa powder.
My staff and I examined these with a chocolate glaze-like topping—much like what we use to prime these chocolate frosted donuts—and it was scrumptious, however simply didn’t strike the right stability with these chewy cookies. So, as an alternative, we turned to my trusty recipe for chocolate buttercream (barely scaled down), a best choice for cupcakes and desserts. It’s lighter, a tad sweeter, and extremely creamy.
And it’s perfection on these cookies.
A Unusual Chocolate Buttercream Success Tip (It Works!)
You should utilize both complete milk or heavy cream within the frosting, however no matter which you select, heat it up for a couple of seconds within the microwave or on the range. Including barely heat liquid to this chocolate frosting helps the cocoa powder soak up extra liquid and creates a smoother, extra satiny end.
Nevertheless, after beating a lot air into the buttercream throughout the mixing course of, your chocolate buttercream can loosen up fairly a bit in shade. In fact this doesn’t change the flavour in any respect, however in order for you it a little bit darker, I’ve a trick past utilizing heat liquid:
Take 1/2 cup of the ready buttercream (you may simply eyeball the measurement), and place it in a heatproof bowl. Microwave it for five seconds. This loosens the combination up and helps the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder combo soak up extra of the liquid. Place that again into the massive bowl of frosting and stir it in by hand. The frosting will probably be smoother with much less air bubbles, and darker in shade.
Unfold the frosting on the cookies. I often use an offset spatula. High with festive rainbow or vacation sprinkles, then DIG IN.
Can I Make a Vanilla Model?
Sure. Strive my sprinkle cookies supreme, or my smooth cakey sugar cookies.
You possibly can even strive a chocolate peppermint model with these peppermint-frosted chocolate cookies. (Very related dough, and it contains chocolate chips.)
Sally’s Cookie Palooza
This recipe is a part of my annual cookie countdown known as Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the largest, most scrumptious occasion of the yr! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza web page together with:
Chocolate Frosted Cookies
Prep Time: 2 hours, half-hour (contains chilling)
Prepare dinner Time: 12 minutes
Complete Time: 3 hours
Yield: 19-20 cookies
Class: Cookies
Methodology: Baking
Delicacies: American
Description
These chocolate frosted cookies are smooth, chewy, and fudge-like. It’s a easy drop cookie recipe, no rolling pin required, and the creamy chocolate frosting is a scaled down model of fan-favorite chocolate buttercream. Chilling the cookie dough for two hours is crucial.
Cookies
Chocolate Frosting
Directions
- Make the cookies: In a big bowl utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar collectively on medium-high velocity till fluffy and light-weight in shade, about 2–3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, after which beat on excessive velocity till mixed. Scrape down the perimeters and backside of the bowl as wanted.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt collectively till mixed. With the mixer working on low velocity, slowly pour into the moist components. Beat on low velocity till mixed. The cookie dough will probably be thick and sticky. Cowl dough tightly and chill within the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours and as much as 3 days. Chilling is necessary for this sticky cookie dough.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line giant baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Put aside.
- Take away cookie dough from the fridge. (If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This makes the chilled cookie dough simpler to scoop and roll.) Scoop dough, 1 heaping Tablespoon (about 28–30g) of dough every, and roll into balls, and prepare 2–3 inches aside on the baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 12–13 minutes or till the perimeters seem set. Tip: In the event that they aren’t actually spreading by minute 10, take away them from the oven and evenly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2–3x. This helps provoke that unfold. Return to the oven to proceed baking.
- Cool cookies for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then switch cookies to a cooling rack to chill utterly.
- Make the frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium velocity till creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream/milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low velocity for 30 seconds, then improve to excessive velocity and beat for 1 full minute. Style. Beat in one other pinch of salt if desired.
- Unfold the frosting on the cooled cookies with a knife or an offset spatula. High evenly with sprinkles.
- Cowl and retailer frosted cookies at room temperature for as much as 1 day, or within the fridge for as much as 5 days. Frosting “soft-sets” on the cookies after a couple of hours, that means it can barely dry on prime.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: You may make the cookie dough and chill it within the fridge for as much as 3 days. You possibly can freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls for as much as 3 months. Bake from frozen, including a minute or two to the baking time. Learn my suggestions and tips on freeze cookie dough. Baked plain or frosted cookies freeze nicely for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge or at room temperature.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack | Small Icing Spatula
- Pure Cocoa Powder: Are you aware the distinction between pure cocoa powder and dutch-process cocoa powder? Use pure cocoa powder within the cookie dough. As a result of there isn’t a leavening within the buttercream, you should utilize both pure or dutch cocoa within the frosting.
- Milk In The Frosting: You should utilize both complete milk or heavy cream within the frosting (and even nondairy milk or half-and-half), however no matter what you select, heat it up for a couple of seconds within the microwave or on the range. Including barely heat liquid to this chocolate frosting helps the cocoa powder soak up extra liquid and creates a smoother, extra satiny end.
- Bigger Batch: The recipe is straightforward to double in 1 mixing bowl with out overwhelming your mixer. Merely double all the cookie dough components. Dough chill time stays the identical. For the frosting, doubling it will be an excessive amount of, so I like to recommend utilizing the scaled up chocolate buttercream recipe (tastes simply the identical!).
- Can I Make a Vanilla Model? Sure. Strive my sprinkle cookies supreme, or my smooth cakey sugar cookies.
- Can I Make These with Vanilla Frosting? Sure. For a beneficiant quantity of frosting, use my vanilla buttercream recipe. For a barely scaled down model that will probably be sufficient for the batch of chocolate cookies, use the identical vanilla bean buttercream from my shamrock cookies.
- Make sure to take a look at my prime 5 cookie baking suggestions AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking instruments.