Cocoa Powder Chocolate Cookies
Simple to make and dreamy to eat. The dough comes together with everyday ingredients in one bowl, requires no chilling, and is easy to shape into soft cookies with rich chocolate flavor, chewy interiors, and a pretty crackle on top.
Servings: 24 cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar light or dark
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon flaked sea salt see note
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.
- Using a large bowl and an electric mixer, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed until they are light and fluffy.3/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat again for 2-3 minutes, until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once to ensure everything is evenly mixed.2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Sprinkle the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt over the mixture. Mix on low speed just until evenly combined.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2/3 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon flaked sea salt
- Scoop the dough out into heaping Tablespoons onto the prepared sheet pan. (A #40 cookie scoop works well.) Roll into smooth balls if you like.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the tops are fully set and the edges are slightly crisp. If you want to add extra sea salt, sprinkle it on immediately after the cookies come out of the oven.
- Allow to cool on the sheets for about 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
- Butter: If your butter is truly room temperature, you’ll be able to leave an indentation when you press your finger into the stick, but not press your finger all the way through. Avoid the temptation to speed up the softening too much, because starting with even partially melted butter can really change the consistency of your finished cookies.
- Sugars: In a pinch, you can use all granulated sugar, or experiment with using 1 cup of one type and 1/2 cup of the other.
- Cocoa Powder: You want natural, unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s, not the Dutch-processed kind.
- Sea Salt: If using table salt in the cookies, start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more to taste.
- Storage: Cookies keep well tightly-covered at room temperature for at least 2-3 days.
- Freeze After Baking: Wrap cookies tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, then tuck into a freezer-safe zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight at room temperature, unwrap, and enjoy.
- Freeze Before Baking: Make cookie dough as directed, scoop into balls, and roll smooth if desired. Arrange on a large plate or baking tray with space between them. Transfer to the freezer for about 1 hour. After 1 hour, combine the dough balls in one large freezer-safe zip-top bag. Freeze for 2-3 months. To bake, place dough balls on a cookie sheet as you normally would and add 2-4 minutes to the expected baking time. (So estimate between 11-15 minutes per batch.)