Chocolate Butter Cookies

I’ve got another cookie-box-classic today with these chocolate butter cookies- they are tender, chocolatey, and they just use a few simple ingredients. You can top them with sprinkles or dip them in chocolate- kind of a perfect holiday baking activity if you ask me!

You’ll need to have a piping bag with a large star tip to pipe out this dough, but it’s otherwise a very easy process and they look so festive. Let’s get to it!

How to Make Chocolate Butter Cookies

These chocolate butter cookies are kind of like a chocolate shortbread or a spritz cookie, so the ingredient list is pretty small here. As per usual, I only use Dutch-processed cocoa powder because the flavor is superior in my opinion- so we’re using some of that here along with flour, salt, butter, cream cheese, sugar, milk, and vanilla extract.

To start, beat together the butter and sugar until they are well combined and smooth- I’m making a double batch in these photos by the way, that’s why there’s more here than the recipe calls for!

Then add in the sugar, milk, and vanilla extract or paste and beat until combined, being sure to scrape down your bowl a couple of times.

From there we’re adding in the dry ingredients- our cocoa, flour, and salt- until you have a thick but soft dough. The dough will be thick but still very sticky and fairly soft overall because we are piping the dough into cookie shapes before baking.

I’m using a large, open star tip- mine is an Ateco #828 and it’s the biggest one I have. The dough is still a little tricky to pipe, but you want to find a balance between a dough that holds its shape but can still be piped.

Pipe your dough into swirls or squiggles, whatever shape you prefer here. I find it a little tricky to end the cookies, but you can use a slightly wet finger to reshape the ends of the cookies if needed.

If you’re using sprinkles, you want to sprinkle them onto the cookies before baking so they stick as the cookies bake. Then it’s off to the oven to bake at a low temp until the cookies look dry on top. They will still be a little soft, but they will firm up as they cool.

Optionally if you want to dip the cookies in chocolate, wait until they have completely cooled before dipping in melted chocolate and topping with sprinkles. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks for Chocolate Butter Cookies

Here are my tips to help you make the perfect chocolate butter cookies:

• Do I have to use the cream cheese? Yes, this recipe uses cream cheese to contribute a softer fat with a slightly tangy flavor, and the cookies have the perfect texture from it. Don’t skip it!
• Use block cream cheese, not spread to ensure you have the perfect texture here. Let the cream cheese come to room temp before making your cookies.
• Do I have to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder? I highly recommend it- I find that the flavor is much more chocolatey and it’s well worth it! I never bake with natural cocoa powder.
• How do I know when the dough is finished mixing? The dough is finished mixing when there are no dry pockets of flour remaining and you have a thick but soft and sticky dough.
• What piping tip should I use? You want to use a large, open star tip. I’m using an Ateco 828, which is the largest star tip I have. The dough is still fairly thick, so you want a very open tip.
• My dough is too thick, what can I do? If you find that you are unable to pipe your dough, mix in another tablespoon of milk to make the dough softer to work with.
• How do I know when the cookies are finished baking? The cookies should look dry and matte on top. They will still be fairly soft straight from the oven, but they will firm up as they cool.
• How can I decorate my cookies? I recommend either sprinkling the cookies with festive sprinkles before baking, or dipping the baked cookies in chocolate and then adding your sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet.
• Can I freeze these cookies? Yes, you can freeze them after baking by placing them in an air-tight container and freezing for up to three months. Let the cookies come back to room temp before serving.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level and I find that my recipes work well for people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level. However, these cookies in particular should work well at all altitudes.

Enjoy!

Print

Chocolate Butter Cookies

Servings 30 -40 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup softened butter
• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbs. milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup sprinkles colored sugar, etc.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 300, and use unlined, clean, baking sheets. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add in the sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, and beat until well combined. Scrape down your bowl, and then add in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and mix until well combined. Scrape down your bowl again to make sure there are no pockets of unmixed dough.
2. Load the dough into a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Carefully pipe the cookies onto you baking sheets into circles or swirls- anything you like here!
3. Sprinkle the cookies generously with your colored sugars and sprinkles before baking.
4. Bake for 15-18 mins or until the cookies start to look dry and set. Cool completely on the pan before removing and enjoying!

Nicole Hampton

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!