Easy Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Like a cross between an animal cracker and a sugar cookie, these less sweet cookies are easy to make with the kids. The amount of cookies you can make from one batch will depend on how large your cookie cutters are.
Servings 6 (Makes about 2 dozen small cookies)
Calories 109kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup butter (softened at room temperature)
- 2-4 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place all ingredients into a bowl, starting with 2 tablespoons milk, and use your hand to mix together to form a dough. (If the dough is a little crumbly, be sure it’s throughly combined and if it’s still crumbly, add ½-1 tablespoon additional milk until it comes together.)
- Make a flattened disk of dough.
- Place the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment on top and roll the dough ¼ inch thick.
- Cut out the dough with a cookie cutter and transfer to the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet. Add icing if desired.
Video
Notes
- Easy Icing: Stir together 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 2-3 teaspoons milk to make a smooth icing. You want to be able to spread it easily on the cookies and not be too thick. If you place some on the cookies and it runs right off, add a little more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick to spread, add a drop or two of milk. You can color the icing with a drop of food coloring if desired.
- Gluten-Free: Use this gluten-free flour.
- Dairy-Free: Use plain unsweetened nondairy milk in place of dairy milk. Use coconut oil instead of butter. If your coconut oil is super firm, you'll want to soften it a little by warming it very briefly. It should squish easily between two fingers but not be melted into a liquid.
- To Make These with Maple Syrup: Use 2 tablespoons maple syrup in place of the sugar and reduce the milk to 3 tablespoons. Know that they are best eaten on the day they are baked if you go this route. They get soft and a little dense when stored.
- If making smaller shapes, bake for the lower end of the baking time range.
- If making larger shapes, they may need an extra minute or two.
- Store, once cooled, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or freeze in a freezer storage bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 109kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg