These Heart-Shaped Valentine’s Cookies are sweetly-cut-out Chocolate Sugar Cookies. They’re deeply chocolatey with rich cocoa flavor and hold their shape perfectly for rolling and cutting.
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Ingredients
Here’s what you need for these dark, delicious Heart-Shaped Valentine’s Cookies. Top them with royal icing for stunning decorated cookies.
- All-purpose flour: The base of the cookie dough. Spoon and level for accuracy, or use a kitchen scale.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Use a full cup for intense chocolate color and flavor. Dutch-process or natural both work.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Both leaveners work together to give the cookies a slight puff without too much spread.
- Fine sea salt: Enhances the chocolate flavor. Use half if using salted butter.
- Unsalted butter: Must be softened to room temperature. Here’s how to quickly bring ingredients to room temperature.
- Granulated sugar: Creamed with butter until light and fluffy for the best texture.
- Eggs: Two large eggs add structure and richness to the dough.
- Pure vanilla extract: Rounds out the chocolate flavor beautifully.
Full recipe quantities listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the article.
Here are other favorite Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies as well as Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas for Family!
Variations and Substitutions
Here are some easy ways to change up this recipe.
- Salted butter: Cut the salt in half if that’s what you have on hand.
- Dutch-process cocoa: Creates a darker cookie with a slightly milder flavor. Natural cocoa works too.
- Gluten-free flour: Use a 1:1 baking blend. Let the dough rest 10 minutes before rolling.
- Egg-free: Replace each egg with 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce for a softer cookie.
- Chocolate chips: Press mini chips into the dough before baking for extra chocolate.
Love chocolate recipes? Try my chocolate snowball cookies, strawberry brownies (with strawberry hearts!), moist chocolate cake, chewy brownies, and brownie cookies too!
Grab These Tools
Here’s what you’ll need to make these cookies.
- Stand mixer or hand mixer for creaming the butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/4″ thickness between parchment sheets.
- Parchment paper prevents sticking and makes cleanup easy.
- Cookie cutters in your favorite shapes for holidays or any occasion.
- Baking sheets lined with parchment for even baking.
- Wire cooling rack so cookies cool evenly without getting soggy on the bottom.
How to Make Chocolate Sugar Cookies: An Easy Guide
These cookies come together fast. The key is chilling the dough and using your freezer as a tool when cutting shapes.
Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Whisking distributes the leaveners evenly through the cocoa.
Cream the Butter and Sugar
Add softened butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add Eggs and Vanilla
Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Then add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Combine Wet and Dry
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture. Beat just until combined. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
Roll and Chill the Dough
Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4″ thickness. Slide the whole thing onto a baking sheet and chill for one hour. The dough must be cold and firm.
Cut and Freeze
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Cut dough into desired shapes and pop them into the freezer for 10 minutes. This prevents spreading in the oven.
Bake Until Just Set
Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 2″ between each. Bake about 6 minutes, until slightly puffed and starting to crackle at the edges. They should still look soft.
Cool Completely
Transfer to wire racks to cool completely before icing. Warm cookies will melt the icing. Patience here pays off big time.
4 Common Mistakes When Making Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Here are the most frequent mix-ups to avoid when making chocolate sugar cookies:
- Skipping the chill time: Cold dough holds its shape. Warm dough spreads into shapeless blobs. Here’s why cookies go flat.
- Overbaking: Pull them when they still look slightly underdone. They firm up as they cool. Overbaked chocolate cookies taste dry.
- Rolling too thin: Stick to 1/4″ thickness. Thinner dough bakes crispy, not chewy. Thicker dough puffs too much.
- Overcrowding the pan: Leave 2″ between cookies. Crowded cookies bake unevenly and can merge together.
Make Ahead and Storage
Prep this dough ahead for easy Valentine’s Day Cookie baking.
Storing Leftovers
- Room temperature: Store undecorated cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Decorated cookies: Let the icing dry completely (8 hours) before stacking with parchment between layers.
- Keep them crisp: Don’t mix soft and crisp cookies in the same container.
Freezing
- Dough: Freeze rolled dough sheets wrapped in plastic for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before cutting.
- Unbaked cutouts: Freeze cut shapes on a baking sheet, then transfer to freezer bags. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
- Baked cookies: Freeze plain baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before decorating.
How to Decorate Heart-Shaped Valentine’s Cookies
- Royal icing for detailed decorations that dry hard and ship well.
- Cream cheese frosting for a softer, tangy topping.
- Sprinkles, sanding sugar, or edible glitter while the icing is still wet.
- Crushed candy canes for a festive mint chocolate twist.
- A dusting of powdered sugar for a simple, elegant finish.
How to Make the Best Chocolate Sugar Cookies: Final Notes + Secrets
These tips will help you nail perfect chocolate sugar cookies every time.
- Use the freezer as a tool: Whenever the dough gets too soft to handle, slide it onto a baking sheet and freeze for a few minutes.
- Roll between parchment: This prevents sticking without adding extra flour, which can make cookies tough.
- Don’t skip the chill: The full hour of chilling develops flavor and makes the dough easy to work with.
- Slightly underbake: Pull cookies when they still look a bit soft. They continue baking on the hot pan.
- Re-roll scraps once: Gather scraps, press together gently, re-chill, and roll. After two re-rolls, cookies get tough.
- Cool completely before icing: Warm cookies melt icing. Patience is essential for beautiful decorated cookies.
FAQs About Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Just skimming through? Here are some quick answers to the commonly-asked questions.
Yes, you can use salted butter for chocolate sugar cookies. Simply cut the amount of fine sea salt in the recipe in half. The cookies will still turn out great with a slightly saltier edge that complements the chocolate.
Chocolate sugar cookies spread when the dough is too warm. Always chill the rolled dough for a full hour. Then freeze the cut shapes for 10 minutes before baking. Cold butter is essential for cookies that hold their shape.
Chocolate sugar cookies last up to 5 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Decorated cookies with royal icing last even longer because the icing forms a protective seal over the cookie.
Yes, you can freeze chocolate sugar cookie dough for up to 3 months. Roll it out first, then freeze flat between sheets of parchment. Thaw in the fridge overnight before cutting into shapes and baking.
Royal icing is the best choice for chocolate sugar cookies. It dries hard, ships well, and creates a beautiful contrast against the dark cookie. The white icing really pops against the rich chocolate color.
Dry chocolate sugar cookies usually come from overbaking or too much flour. Pull cookies from the oven when they still look slightly underdone. Measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling, not scooping.
You can make chocolate sugar cookies without a mixer using a wooden spoon and some elbow grease. Make sure your butter is very soft. Cream it with the sugar until light and fluffy before adding other ingredients.
Roll chocolate sugar cookie dough to 1/4 inch thickness for the best results. Thinner dough bakes crispy and can burn easily. Thicker dough puffs up too much and loses definition in detailed shapes.
Heart-Shaped Valentine’s Cookies (Chocolate Sugar Cookies)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add butter and sugar to bowl of standing mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl then beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. With mixer speed on low, slowly add the flour mixture, and beat until combined. Roll dough between sheets of parchment paper to 1/4" thickness. Chill dough for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Cut cough into desired shapes and pop them into the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 2" space between cookies. Bake about 6 minutes, until slightly puffed and starting to crackle at edges. Cookies should still be soft and slightly underbaked. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely before icing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Congrats on making a decision! Relocating is hard, but your new hood looks like it will be gorgeous!
Thank you Cindy, I appreciate the encouragement!
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Thanks Melissa, I’m excited too!!
Even with the bear locks, this place sounds dreamy. Can’t wait to see more of it!
Thanks Melissa, I’m excited too!!
Congrats on making a decision! Relocating is hard, but your new hood looks like it will be gorgeous!
Thank you Cindy, I appreciate the encouragement!