This Chewy Chocolate Cookie recipe will be your new go to easy chocolate cookie. A super quick cocoa cookie, these can be ready to eat in less than 30 minutes and are made with pantry staples!
Hi hi! I am just popping in to share this chewy chocolate cookie recipe with you! These cookies kind of came about as an accident - I originally developed them as a base for my chocolate crinkle cookie recipe but was having some issues with the powdered sugar melting. So I switched to an oil based recipe, but this easy chocolate cookie recipe is so so good, I wanted to share it with you still!
These chocolate cookies are cocoa cookies, and are made with pantry staples - no chopping chocolate needed! (although they would be delicious with some chocolate chips or chopped chocolate added)
How to develop a recipe: Thick chocolate cookies.
I love writing about my recipe development and testing process. Now that I have been a baking blogger full time for quite a few years, I have developed a whole lot of base recipes that I often use as a kicking off point. I love tweaking my own recipes, and changing the ratios of ingredients to give a slightly different outcome.
For this chocolate cookie recipe I used my chocolate sprinkle cookies as a starting point. That recipe bakes up quite thin, and I wanted a slightly thicker, more substantial cookie, but still wanted a chocolate cookie that came together fast without any chill time. Here is what I changed to give a thicker cookie:
- Increased the flour. There are a few ways to get a cookie to be a little thicker, and changing the butter to flour ratio is one of them. Either you can decrease the butter in the recipe, or increase the flour to make the cookie spread a little less.
- Changed the ratio of sugars. The sprinkle cookies use only white sugar, which gives a cookie that spreads a lot and is quite chewy. I wanted some spread and chew while still keeping some of the thickness, so I switched out some of the granulated sugar for brown sugar.
How to freeze chocolate cookie dough
If you would like to make chocolate sugar cookies ahead of time, you can freeze the dough before baking and store in a freezer bag or ziplock. Leave off the sugar mixture and apply that just before baking - I like to give the dough 10 minutes or so out of the freezer to allow the surface to get slightly sticky so that the sugar sticks.
You will want to drop the oven temperature to 325°f / 165°c when baking cookie dough from frozen, and add a few more minutes onto the bake time.
For all my tips and tricks on freezing dough and cookies, check out my post: How to freeze cookie dough
Cookie coating and flavor options
If you would like to change up these chocolate cookies to suit your liking, here are a few ways to finish them, aside from rolling them in granulated sugar like I have. You can also add in mix-ins:
- Roll in cinnamon sugar. Rolling these chocolate cookies in cinnamon sugar would be a super easy way to make them extra delicious and festive!
- Chunky sugar / sparkling sugar: Everything is better rolled in a crunchy sugar. Use a turbinado sugar / demerara sugar to roll these in or a sparkly sanding sugar if you want something a little more textured.
- Add mix-ins. This is a cocoa cookie so fairly straightforward flavor wise. You can add things like chopped nuts or chocolate chips to them to fancy up the flavour as you like.
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
30 minute Chewy Chocolate Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Chewy Chocolate Cookie recipe will be your new go to easy chocolate cookie. A super quick cocoa cookie, these can be ready to eat in less than 30 minutes and are made with pantry staples!
Ingredients
- 300g all-purpose flour
- 50g dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 200g brown sugar
- 100g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (50g not including the shell), at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- Granulated Sugar for Rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Line three baking trays with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until combined. Add the flour and cocoa mixture, and beat on low until just incorporated.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop 2 tbsp worth of mixture at a time (about 40g). Roll into a ball using your hands, then roll generously in granulated sugar. Place on the baking tray, leaving room to spread (I had 8 cookies per baking tray).
- Bake one tray at a time for 11-12 minutes, until the cookies have puffed up and are beginning to crack on the tops, and the edges are set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking tray for 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
I played around with stuffing these chocolate cookies with cream cheese (the same way I filled them with caramel for my caramel stuffed chocolate cookies) and it worked super well. To fill these with cream cheese:
Make cookie dough as directed. To make the cream cheese filling, beat together 225g room temperature cream cheese and 50g powdered sugar until well combined.
Using a #24 cookie scoop, scoop balls about 3 Tbsp in size (about 75g). This makes 12 large cookies.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten a ball of dough with your hands. scoop 1 tbsp of the cream cheese filling onto the dough and then carefully enclose the filling with the cookie dough.
Flatten the cookie slightly so that it bakes down evenly (if you leave it as a ball the cream cheese will cause a hump when it bakes).
Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.
Roll the cookies generously in granulated or raw sugar and arrange on a baking pan - I do 6 per pan.
Bake as directed for 14-15 minutes, until set around the edges. Remove from the oven and scoot into a round shape using a slightly larger cookie cutter than the cookie. Leave to cool on the pan.
Comments
stacy says
my new fave 🙂
Laurie says
Can you freeze these once they are cooked?
Erin Clarkson says
Yep it should be fine 🙂
caribou says
so good with cinnamon sugar!
Jode says
Delicious with a capital “D”. Made for a work smoko and had to double the recipe fro the family to try, these are a winner.
Laura says
Have made these a few times now! Have it saved and plan on continuing to make them especially in the holidays for cookie boxes!! So easy and delicious!
Karen Breeden says
Can these be made with natural cocoa instead of Dutch?
Erin Clarkson says
I haven't tried sorry!
Pam says
Made these with my 3 year old granddaughter and everyone loved them. Thanks for the easy recipe
Jazmine says
Looks delicious! Is this the cookie recipe you use for the crust of the earl grey tart?
Erin Clarkson says
Yep super similar!
Asher says
Use whatever you want, it just may taste a bit different (not better or worse, just different!) - I used the Hershey's cocoa and they came out great 🙂
Stephanie Lee says
My new go to cookie recipe! Made these with my toddler today and they are absolutely delicious. So easy and quick. We opted to skip rolling in sugar and they turned out great!
Nancy A Cosenza says
Absolutely fantastic! A new favorite recipe!! Also, rolled some in powdered sugar.!
Leanne says
Such a great recipe - thank you, thank you, thank you.
Made these today but modified them to make GF and DF. Worked a treat (although a little flat) but still crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle.
Sooo good I've had to hide them so they make it as the gift to my niece. Totally going to be my "go to" cookie recipe until you post a new brilliant one!
Yuummmmyyyyy......
Wilma says
Made these today. Substituted the all purpose flour with Bob's Red Mill GF 1 to 1 Baking Flour and changed the temperature to 375 because of altitude. These came out perfect. Thank you for the quick and easy receipe.
Samone says
Such an easy recipe, perfect to make with the kids and super yummy! They also look amazing too, and love a recipe with basic ingredients
Rachael says
These cookies are amazing! I added chocolate chips for an extra dose of chocolate. Next time I might skip rolling them in sugar since the chips added in extra sweetness as well.
Bayley says
We made these cookies, and they really exceeded expectations! Honestly, super quick and easy, we had all the ingredients in the pantry and the outcome was deeeelish! They taste like chewy brownies. Thank you for making such an easy to follow and precise recipe (the weighing of the egg is my love language) that tastes super gourmet.
Laura says
Quite possibly my new favourite cookie. My toddler helped me make them. I actually preferred them smaller (about 1TBSP scoop) and without the sugar coating. Tastes like a brownie without the heaviness of a brownie!
Ann says
These were delicious!
Suzanne says
I dream about these cookies! I've yet to have a cloudy kitchen recipe disappoint. Yummmmm!
Ali says
I made these yesterday and they are so simple and quick to make, but most importantly absolutely delicious. I stupidly forgot to reduce the salt amount, as I was using fine table salt, so they were a bit on the salty side, but still delicious. But weirdly, they became less salty as they cooled. Dunno about the science there. Next time - and there will 100% be a next time - I will pay attention to what salt I’m using. I will also try rolling in cinnamon sugar, cos that sounds amazing! As always, another flawless recipe from Erin. x
Amber says
These cookies are delicious! It tested my willpower but I didn’t eat them all at once and they were still great 3-4 days later stored in an airtight container. Would 💯 make again.
Amber says
These are fantastic! They are super easy, delicious and freeze and rebaked so well too. I tried rolling them in a few different sugars to see what I liked best - golden caster sugar ended up my favourite.
Karina says
After massive success with the 25 min snickerdoodle recipe, I decided to try these and i’m just as impressed. So easy and so delicious, I can whip these up before my 3 month old gets bored which is my current baking standard. I’ve frozen half the batch so I can quickly get a fix when I need lol
Tayla says
So yum!
Lydia says
I’m obsessed with these! I currently live in Fiji and buying actual chocolate is crazy expensive, but these give you all the chocolate goodness you need. I roll mine in cinnamon sugar and they are all always gone within 24 hours of the bake. Thanks so much for a really great recipe!
Katie says
Made just over 3 dozen tablespoon-size cookies. I was low on brown sugar, so I flip-flopped the amounts of brown and granulated sugar. They turned out thick, chewy, and delicious! We will definitely make these again.
Beth says
Just jumping on to say how great these cookies are! I was searching for a dairy free cookie to make chocolate coconut gelato sandwiches and these held up great! Did the dual sugar coating and it stayed on after freezing and didn't get too hard in the freezer! Thanks!
Rosemary says
Why don’t you do the measurements in ounces and cups instead of grams..
Erin Clarkson says
because cups are not an accurate unit of measurement.
Meggie says
Easiest, chewiest and most delicious chocolate cookies ever!! Out of this world! My friends and family keep asking for more!
Sara says
I don't have a kitchen scale, do you have the quantities in cups?
Erin Clarkson says
No sorry!
Heather says
300g flour: Aprox. 2 1/2 cups
50g cocoa: Aprox. 1/2 cup
225g butter: Aprox. 1 cup
200g brown sugar: Aprox. 1cup
100g sugar: Aprox. 1/2 cup
Hope this helps.
Mine turned out nicely this way. I don't have a scale either.
Christy says
Thank you so much you’re a god send !
Starla says
Thank you so much for being so kind to give us measurements in cups! You deserve the stars 😊
Brittany says
One of my new favorite cookies! And so easy to make. Thank you!
Eri says
Hi, would the dough be ok to make a day in advance and then bake the next?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! I haven't tried it, but it would likely work! Make the dough and store it covered in the fridge (I would scoop them before chilling them), then leave to roll in the sugar until you are close to baking 🙂
Alijtaylor says
Possibly my favourite chocolate biscuit, easy to pull together from staples and delicious to eat.
Gigi says
Such a great recipe! Thank you so much for all your recipes. I added a little espresso powder and filled it with peanut butter. So delicious!!!
Maxine says
Hi, I have just made these, the only thing I will say is how you supposed to roll them in your hand? I tried it and my hands were covered in cookie mix, apart from that they are gorgeous.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! They are quite sticky! I usually just go for it with dirty hands and then wash them 🙂
Sarah Ronchetti says
Another winner! My go to website for all things baking, I’m working my way through all your recipes and honestly they’re perfect! I recently opened an old cookbook but had to slam it shut when it told me to measure spoons of butter and cups of everything else - no way- and to these cookies I ran! Thank you!
Cindy says
I made them. I followed the recipe to a T. They are so good I am trying to get them out of the house. Seriously, they’re addicting! I really appreciate this great recipe. I am going to try them again with kamut flour, I’ll report back..
Erin Clarkson says
They look amazing! Thank you so much!
Cathy says
I have noticed that most online recipes are full of fluff. Way too long! Why???
Erin Clarkson says
Sorry Cathy I think you meant "Hi, thank you so much for the free recipe, I was so quick to complain that I didn't see the 'jump to recipe' button at the top of the post and decided to complain to the creator instead of looking for a different recipe if this one doesn't suit me"
Sara says
Hi 👋 Erin, I love the reply to Cathy.
I made these beautiful cookies. They were perfect. The best cookies. Just what I was looking for. I will be making them again. I want to reduce the salt, not sure if it's possible?
Erin Clarkson says
Yep, just use less salt!
Siobhan says
These cookies are so delicious and so easy to make too! I will definitely make these again. I made these and the 30 minute shortbread biscuits at the same time, so many cookies in such a short amount of time! Thank you so much for the recipes 🙂
Lily says
Quick, easy and yummy! These really were a 30 minute affair - I helped speed things up by only giving the cookies a couple minutes to cool down on the pan before moving them to the plate. Thankfully there were no casualties! I used high quality dark cocoa powder which gave these an Oreo kind of flavor that was enticing.
No one says
If it’s American recipe, why is it in grams. Nobody uses this.
Erin Clarkson says
Awwww you're so brave hiding behind your fake email. Plenty of people use grams in the US - go into any bakery. You won't find them baking in cups. I hope whatever is making you this miserable that you get grumpy over a free cookie recipe gets better soon.
Nicki says
These are now my go to cookies to bake and I bake loads! Delish 😍
Mindy Benore says
Could you please give the increments in cups rather than grams thank you
Erin Clarkson says
No sorry! I don't test in cups as they are not accurate.
Chris says
Loved this quick and easy recipe! My son decided at 8pm he wanted to bring cookies for some teachers the next day - these were ready and cooling in time for bed! Super delicious too!
Mary says
Probably my favorite cookie recipe. It’s so easy and comes together so quickly. They remind me of a chocolate cookie my mom used to buy that we loved, but these are better!
Thanks, Erin!
Hilary Capon says
Super easy recipe, delicious cookies. 40g balls made generously sized biscuits that were great as a Christmas gift. Will be sure to make again 🙂
Fern says
Made these for families and friends leading up to Christmas, and everyone loved them, will definitely be making them again. Lovely flavour and texture. Turned out just like the images, but still exceeded expectations. Highly recommend.
Emy Rivera says
Easy to make and delicious. Clear instructions too. I lowered the sugars a bit and they still came out great. Thanks Erin!
Vie says
This recipe is amazing! I use whole meal flour instead and instead of rolling them in flour I add some dark chocolate chips. I manage to make around 32 ish with the same measurements.
I cannot recommend this enough - delicious!
Jodie says
Jodie says
These are delicious and so quick and easy to make. These are a staple every Christmas made into “plum puddings” with a one sided dip of white chocolate and some red and green Holly decorations made from cut up snakes. Love your receipts Erin.
Alex says
I have never ever made chocolate cookies like this before, and HOLY! These are absolutely amazing! My kids won’t step away from them. They are soft inside and crunchy outside, perfect mix of chocolate and salt!
Lindsay says
I just made these with my daughter. They’re fun to make and great to do with a child. They’re also extremely delicious and have such a great texture!
Jayne Purchatzke says
I was going to make these cookies, but don't have a gram scale. I recommend also including this recipe in cup measurements as well.
Erin Clarkson says
You are welcome to google the conversions yourself but I do not provide cup measurements as they are not accurate.
Kyla says
I googled it myself and they came out awesome!
Brownie T Watkins says
Can you please translate the amounts in this recipe to American measurements, such as cups, rather than grams?
Thank you!
Erin Clarkson says
No sorry! You're welcome to do so though 🙂 I lived in the US for a long time and you can definitely get scales there!
Annie says
My go-to! I have made these a number of times and people always love them. We have used them for sandwich cookies, ice cream sandwiches, subbed black cocoa for a slightly different color/flavor.
MelanieC says
I made these for my husband and two sons, and we love them! Very easy to make. Next time, I'm going to use these cookies to make ice cream sandwiches!
Hmmm...yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
Jordan Gerow says
Grams?? So I either buya little drug dealer scale or look up conversion factors for every single ingredient??
Erin Clarkson says
No, just a regular scale will suffice, or yes you can google the conversions for my free recipe. or find another one instead of complaining! We love options!
Claire says
Worked perfectly first time! Also I cooked both trays together and it was allll ok
Rebecca says
Can’t understand how you say this is an American recipe and you post ingredients in grams.
Erin Clarkson says
Because it is an american style recipe. Scales also exist in America - I lived there for 7 years 🙂