Chocolate Cookies made with Cocoa

These chewy chocolate cookies are made with cocoa powder and are so easy to make. You need just a couple of staple ingredients and little prep time. Completely made from scratch! Friends and family frequently request these cocoa cookies because they have everything a perfect chocolate cookie has to have. Soft, chewy centers and crispy edges. They are beyond chocolaty and so addictive! Don't even think you can or want to stop after one batch.

You want to make perfect cookies every time? I've got you covered with my ultimate guide on how to make cookies from scratch with plenty of professional tips and possible mistakes to avoid.

Jump to:

• Ingredients notes and substitutions
• Photo instructions
• Expert tips
• Make ahead and freezing instructions
• Recipe and Video

Ingredients notes and substitutions

• Unsweetened cocoa powder - either Dutch-processed or natural cocoa powder works fine for this cocoa cookies recipe. Use whatever you prefer or have available. I tried them with both and got great results with both. If I have to pick only one, I'd say Dutch-processed cocoa powder is my personal favorite though.
• Butter and egg - you can make vegan chocolate cookies by swapping the butter and egg for vegan butter and flax egg. Use my vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe as a guide for the replacements but follow the directions of this chocolate cookie recipe.
• Sugars - I used ¾ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup light brown sugar because of the desired spreading and texture. Dark brown sugar can be used as well if preferred. If you use more brown sugar than granulated, they spread less. I don't recommend using only granulated or brown sugar as you will get a completely different texture.
• All-purpose flour - to make gluten-free chocolate cookies, substitute the all-purpose flour with Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour. If you need a handy guide to gluten-free baking, read this article on how to make gluten-free cookies to get perfect results.
• Chocolate (optional) - either semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars are delicious. You can leave it out or replace it 1:1 with any add-ins you love.

Photo instructions

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar for about 2-3 minutes.

Then add the egg and vanilla and mix, until creamy and well combined.

Add the flour mixture and mix on medium-low speed just until incorporated. Then stir in the chocolate chips, if used, just until evenly distributed.

The dough should be slightly sticky. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Scoop 2 tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie,...

then roll into even balls and bake.

Make ahead and freezing instructions

• You can prepare the dough for up to 2 days in advance. Cover and chill it in the fridge until you are ready to go. The longer it is in the fridge, the harder the dough will be. Let it stand at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes until it is a smooth and spoonable dough. Then scoop, roll and bake.
• Freeze the prepared dough for up to 3 months. Therefore, make the dough as directed and then chill for 1 hour in the fridge. Scoop and roll balls of cookie dough and transfer to freezer bags. Before baking, let them sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours to thaw. Alternatively, you can thaw them in the fridge overnight and let them stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
• Baked cocoa cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Wrap the baked and chilled cookies in plastic wrap and store them in freezer bags. Wrap them individually and take care that no air is sealed in. Let thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving.

Recipe and Video