The Best Chocolate Cutout Cookies

Chocolate Cutout Cookies are easy to roll out, soft in texture, and keep their shape while baking. The best part is they taste insanely chocolatey too!

Can we talk about roll out cookies for a minute? Okay, great! As I’ve mentioned before I love all kinds of cute baking tools. Cookie cutters are definitely one of them. They are all over my kitchen cabinets, tucked away in every nook and cranny. Gingerbread men (and women), flowers, jack o’lanterns, stars, and four leaf clovers just to name a few. It is a problem, I know. Don’t send help.

So here’s the thing, I haven’t gotten my hands on a roll out cookie recipe that I adore. It must be easy to roll out, and the cookies need to keep their shape while baking. Also, who hasn’t had a sugar cookie that was perfectly cut out and frosted beautifully, and it didn’t taste so great. Or on the other hand, it was so hard you practically chipped a freaking tooth biting down on it. That’s going to be a problem.

I must say this recipe takes the cake! These chocolate cookies are firm on the outside, soft on the inside, and keep their shape perfectly while baking. Finally!! You’re going to love this recipe and make it over and over again because you can keep it simple and dust them with powdered sugar or go elaborate and decorate with icing. Use any cookie cutter you like, you can easily customize them for any holiday. These cute stars are perfect for July 4th. Totally up to you! Eat them plain and you’ll still love the taste! The cookie itself is rich in chocolate flavor, not overly sweet, and has the tiniest hint of spice from the cinnamon.

Crack open those cabinets and make these today! I’m sure you have a cookie cutter hiding in your cabinets somewhere 🙂

The Best Chocolate Cutout Cookies (makes about 3 dozen)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, and a little extra for rolling out the cookies

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 and 1/2 sticks butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar, allow extra for dusting if desired

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and combine. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until a dough forms.

2. Refrigerate the dough until firm, about 1 hour. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to about a 1/4 of an inch. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a cookie cutter press out shapes and transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet. Allow about 2 inches of space in between cookies. Bake the cookies for about 8 minutes or until slightly crisp. Let cool before decorating. Sprinkle powdered sugar if desired.

Adapted from Martha Stewart