Today, I want to share one of my kids’ favorite cookies, chocolate Christmas cookies! This is the time of the year when Christmas cookie recipes abound. These moist delicious cookies are everything chocolate cookies should be with a scrumptious chocolate glaze to boot.
Biting into one of these bad boys is like sinking your pearly whites into pure chocolate bliss. It cures that chocolate craving and satisfies the inner cookie monster at the same time. The soft chewy texture is melt-in-your-mouth yummy and slightly crispy in all the right places. These are the cookies chocolate dreams are made of!
Psst! We’ve got more festive cookies to complete your Christmas cookie tray– Italian Christmas cookies, no-bake haystacks, and Christmas sugar cookies are just a few!
Let’s bake these amazing cookies!
What I Love About These Chocolate Christmas Cookies
- Totally yummy chocolate delight
- Christmas cookies worthy of year-round serving
- Decorating optional
Chocolate Christmas Cookies Ingredients:
You’ve probably already got everything you need in your kitchen cupboards. No hard-to-find ingredients in this recipe. Here’s what you need!
- Flour – All-purpose flour works just fine for this chocolate Christmas cookies recipe but it’s important that the measurements are accurate. To ensure this, measure your flour using the spoon and sweep method, don’t pack the measuring cup. Here’s how to spoon and scoop (from Southern Living Magazine).
- Chocolate – The decadent chocolate flavor in this recipe comes from a combination of cocoa powder and espresso powder. Blending these two items with vanilla extract and a sweetener gives these little Christmas cookies a deep chocolate flavor. Don’t worry there won’t be any coffee flavor in the finished cookies.
- Sweetener – Dark brown sugar gives these yummy chocolate Christmas cookies recipe a deep sweet chocolate flavor. Believe me, you’re gonna love it! Just be sure to firmly pack the measuring cup this time.
- Icing – You can decorate these little gems any way you want but the chocolate glaze really sets them off. It’s an easy combination of powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla extract, and milk. Personally, I like to glaze and decorate them.
Recipe Notes:
- Mixing: First, you’ll want to make sure you mix the dry ingredients separately. This helps with ingredients dispersion and emulsify. It also means that you can do less mixing when you add the wet ingredients which inhibit gluten development. Less gluten equals softer melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
- That said, when you add the dry ingredients to the wet, you’ll want to mix only until combined. Don’t overmix!
- Spacing: Also, be sure to leave plenty of space between cookies on the baking sheet. These little guys are gonna’ spread some and you don’t want them touching. Overcrowding prevents proper air circulation which can cause burning. Gotta keep these babies safe!
Step by Step How To Make Chocolate Christmas Cookies
- Whisk together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and melt. Allow butter to cool.
- When the butter is cool, add brown sugar, vanilla, and salt.
- Whisk. Add egg and yolk, and mix.
- Add in flour mixture.
- Mix until just combined.
- Scoop the dough mixture.
- Roll dough into 2 tablespoon balls. Place on prepared cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake and transfer to a wire rack.
- Spoon glaze on top of cookies.
- Decorate.
***See the full instructions below.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Generally, homemade cookies can be stored in the fridge for up 3-5 days.
- Can You Freeze These? Yep! You can make the batter ahead of time and freeze it until you’re ready to bake or you can freeze the baked cooled cookies for 6-12 months. When I freeze baked cookies, I like to vacuum seal them to ensure they’re every bit as moist when I thaw them out.
- Make-Ahead Tips: Prepping ahead can save tons of time with difficult recipes. Since this chocolate Christmas cookies recipe is so simple it’s not really necessary but there are a couple of things you can do.
- Go ahead and combine the dry ingredients and keep them in a resealable ziplock back or mason jar until baking day. You can do the same thing with brown sugar vanilla and salt. Then you’ll only need to add the wet ingredients and mix just until combined on baking day.
- Food Safety Info: check out this article to see how long Christmas cookies last!
Serving Recommendations
For kids, a cup of my amazing crockpot hot chocolate or milk will complete the experience! How about the adults? Well, we leveled up the hot chocolate! Add some rum to make it into a spiked hot chocolate! Grab your coziest blanket and sip some apple pie moonshine.
More Christmas Cookie Favorites:
- Christmas Butter Cookies
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- No Chill Sugar Cookies Recipe
- Candy Cane Cookies
- Sour Cream Cookies
- Vanillekipferl
- Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
- Butter Pecan Cookies
- Christmas Crack
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chocolate Christmas Cookies
Fulfill your chocolate fantasies and celebrate the season too with these sweet decadent chocolate Christmas cookies that will rock your world!
Servings: 30 Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 1/2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 3/4 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
Glaze:
- 1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 3/8 cup cocoa
- 4-8 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
Decorations (optional)
- sprinkles, colored sugar, jimmies
Instructions
Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment; set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.
- Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and melt. Allow butter to cool.
- When butter is cool, whisk in brown sugar, vanilla, and salt until there are no lumps. Mix in egg and egg yolk. Mix in flour mixture just until combined. Do not over stir.
- Roll dough into 2 tablespoon balls. Place on prepared cookies sheet 2 inches apart. Do not flatten.
- Bake cookies 1 sheet at a time in the preheated oven, rotating sheet halfway through baking until cookies are slightly puffy and edges have begun to set, about 15 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
Glaze:
- In a medium mixing bowl sift together sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk in 4 tablespoons milk and vanilla until smooth. Add more milk, a little at a time to make a pourable glaze.
- Set wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on wire rack. Spoon glaze on top of cookies. Let cookies set on a rack until glaze firms.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Mixing: First, you’ll want to make sure you mix the dry ingredients separately. This helps with ingredients dispersion and emulsify. It also means that you can do less mixing when you add the wet ingredients which inhibit gluten development. Less gluten equals softer melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
- That said, when you add the dry ingredients to the wet, you’ll want to mix only until combined. Don’t overmix!
- Spacing: Also, be sure to leave plenty of space between cookies on the baking sheet. These little guys are gonna’ spread some and you don’t want them touching. Overcrowding prevents proper air circulation which can cause burning. Gotta keep these babies safe!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 174IU | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
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Can I make these ahead and freeze? I like to bake in small batches before Christmas so I don’t get overwhelmed
Yes, they freeze nicely.
What if i can find expresso powder. Caa i still make this recipe ? I have beem looking for a choc cookie recipe.
Hi, Lisa! According to BHG: “If you do not have espresso powder, using an equal amount of instant coffee powder or granules will work fine. You may also use strong, cold coffee to replace a small portion of liquid in the recipe.” I hope you like these cookies! <3
Most all of your recipes are the best. This cookie with Christmas sprinkles is over the top.
Thank you, Roseanne! 😀
My new favorite <3 <3 I can't believe these cookies are the best!