All the sweet simplicity of a sugar cookie but CHOCOLATE. And complimented with berry pink frosting on top. Easy to make, fun to decorate, delicious to devour!
Have I been patiently waiting since christmas for the next holiday to come around for which frosted cutout cookies would be appropriate so I could make a CHOCOLATE version of my favorite sugar cookie recipe? Maybe.
And lemme tell ya, it has been a loooooooooong one and a half cutout cookie-less months. But very worth the wait.
Non chocolate sugar cookies will forever be the classic, but these roll-and-cut cookies are gloriously unclassic. They are so tender and soft except around the very edges. The edges have just enough crisp that you know if they weren’t chocolate colored they would be beautifully golden. And there’s no actual sugar in them (shhhhhh!), just maple syrup, so they aren’t too sweet. Think: DARK chocolate sugar cookie. Which makes the berry frosting on top taste that much better.
Just seven ingredients. Mixed by hand. Easy to make. Easier to eat.
Before you get to rolling and cutting and cookie heart-making, there are a few things I need you to know:
- This recipe uses almond flour and you really, really, REALLY need to too. That is what makes them rich and moist and just yummy in every way. Don’t try to substitute oat flour, they will be tragically dry.
- You don’t have to make hearts (or any shape. Forming balls and squishing them on the pan works too. If you do choose to roll and cut, be sure to do so on a piece of wax paper and flour it well so they don’t stick. If the dough is too sticky or fragile to work with, chilling for 1-2 hours will help. But not essential (I skipped it).
- Optional idea! I tested one batch with coffee extract and did not regret it. Because coffee + chocolate FOR LIFE. So try that if you like, or even a teaspoon of espresso powder. Caffeinated cookies ftw.
You could stop here. But I am too big a fan of frosting…
Excuse me while I fangirl one more time about how PERFECT a frosting coconut butter makes with so little effort. And so little added sugar, I didn’t actually sweeten this one at all and it was still lusciously delicious. And it spreads and hardens exactly like a cookie frosting is supposed to.
It is similar to the frosting on top of these cupcakes, but with freeze dried strawberries instead of raspberries. There are many natural ways you could create a pink-ish purple color:
- Freeze dried strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries
- Beet powder or pitaya powder
- Real berries pureed and blended with the coconut butter. Note: this is NOT the best option for longevity, the fresh ingredients may cause it to separate or turn a funky color with time.
And a dusting of freeze dried berries crushed on top because what’s a frosted cookie without sprinkles? Un-festive that’s what. Nope, not in my kitchen.
Sending you cookie baking love with extra frosting, friends ♥
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: cookies
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Description
All the sweet simplicity of a sugar cookie but CHOCOLATE. And complimented with berry pink frosting on top. Easy to make, fun to decorate, delicious to devour!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1/4 cup (70g) unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup (120g) maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: 1/2 tsp coffee extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup (40g) cacao powder
- 2 1/2 cups (280g) almond flour
- Pinch of salt
Berry Frosting
- 3/4 cup (180g) coconut butter
- Optional: 2 tbsp maple syrup ((at room temperature))
- 1/4–1/2 cup non-dairy milk ((at room temperature))
- 1–2 tbsp freeze dried strawberries (ground)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- For the cookies, combine the applesauce, maple syrup, and extract(s) in a bowl. Mix.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix to form a ball of dough. If it is super sticky you can add 1/4 cup extra flour or chill for 1-2 hours for easier rolling.
- Dust a piece of wax paper with flour and roll out the dough on the wax paper to about 1/4 inch thickness.
- Cut into hearts (or any shape you like) and use a spatula to carefully transfer to a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Collect and re-roll the dough scraps. You should be able to get about 2 dozen cookies depending on the size of your cookie cutter.
- Bake for 12 minutes at 350F. Remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting, melt your coconut butter (5-10 seconds in the microwave).
- Combine the coconut butter and maple syrup in a blender. Blend. It will seize up, add the nondairy milk slowly until it becomes creamy again.
- Add the berry powder to desired color/flavor.
- Frost your cooled cookies and refrigerate until the frosting is set.
- Enjoy!
Keywords: baking, chocolate, cookies, vegan, gluten-free, paleo
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Love this recipe and want to make it but I cannot use almond flour (my daughter is allergic to nuts). Any suggested substitutions? Or should I abandon ship?
Can you do oat? If so I would recommend this recipe instead with 1/2 of the flour swapped for cocoa/cacao powder: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/homemade-vegan-golden-oreos/ Hope that helps!
Ohhhh! Fantastic solution. Thanks so much!
Chocolate sugar cookies!!! It’s like the best of both worlds! And heart shaped WITH pink frosting??!?! Sold. I’m definitely making these for Valentine’s Day! Willow has been asking for another cookie recipe that uses cookie cutters, so this is perfect. I can’t get enough of coconut butter frosting, or really coconut butter period. It’s so good!! Hehe!! A frosted cookie without sprinkles IS un-festive and sad…I can already tell you that there will be extra frosting and extra “sprinkles” on our cookies…and knowing Willow, chocolate chips will surely find their way on top as well 😉
Willow and I both! I’ve been itching to break out the cookie cutters again too, or shall I say buy more that I now have to store 11 months of the year because that’s one thing I reeeeeeeally should’ve stolen from my mom before I moved😂 Cookie cutter cookies are the most fun kind to make, although I think that mostly has to do with the frosting not the actual shape. Um mini chocolate chips sound like the perfect kind of “sprinkles”, I’m kinda wishing I had done that now😊 Happy valentines baking to you guys!
Can applesauce be substitute to other ingredients? Thankyou :
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I haven’t tested the with anything else as the neutral flavor of applesauce is best, but you could try pumpkin puree or mashed banana instead 🙂
I tried it with greek yogurt. It worked wonderfully.
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I’m so happy to hear it, thanks for reporting back 🙂
LOVE these cookies! Love the wholesome ingredients!
Thanks for checking them out Meriem! Happy friday 🙂
Yay…loving these beautiful heart-shaped chocolate cookies!! I love that you elevated the sugar cookie to a chocolate version, you are after my own heart! Ha! That overhead shot of them all pretty on that white plate just made me giddy, haha, I swear it did! Hearts, pink and well, cookies do that to me. I absolutely love Valetines Day, not because I ever get any gifts (because I don’t, lol) but I just love the whole pink and red everywhere and the heart lovey-dovey decor. It’s just fun you know? Even though we aren’t big on celebrating that particular holiday in my house, I love the spirit of it. I think I just like the fact that it’s more of an excuse to eat more chocolate and POST more chocolate,, bahahaha. I love that you added that pink frosting to these cookies too, now we got 2 choices for them, yay! What do you know, I happen to have coffee extract in my pantry too, not that that is a surprise, lol! Love these Natalie!
I don’t know why CHOCOLATE sugar cookies haven’t been in my life all these years. Sugar cookies are the go-to dessert for holidays/gifting and yet never has a chocolate batch been made until now–highly underrated I think. I’ve never been big on celebrating Valentines either, but I do love the pink and berry and chocolatey treats that come with 🙂 And the love/hugs theme is cool too I guess lol. Oh you better believe I thought of you with that coffee extract addition, I was like Brandi would be proud haha! Happy weekend, friend <3
Hi, what is coconut butter? I haven’t heard about it before. Can I replace it with other ingredient?
Thank you very much, I love your recipes.
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Coconut butter is like the almond butter or peanut butter equivalent with coconut. You can make your own by grinding up shredded coconut for a looooooong time until it becomes creamy or you can buy it (linked in the recipe) There aren’t any subs for it in the frosting, but you could use a different vegan frosting recipe instead with either coconut cream or cashews or something like that. I can point you towards recipe for any of those, just let me know 🙂
Oh, I see, thank you. I think it will be easy to make it from scratch since I have a Vitamix. I’m also interested in the cashew frosting. 😉
Even in the vitamix it can take like 10-15 minutes, just so you know. Here’s a tutorial: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-coconut-butter-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-166405
And here’s a recipe for cashew frosting instead: https://greensmoothiegourmet.com/whipped-cashew-cream-in-three-recipes-breakfast-snack-dessert/
ok. Thank you very much! 🙂
For someone who isn’t a big Valentine’s day person, you sure know how to make the cutest V-day treats! I’ve been wanting to make vegan sugar cookies for ages, and now you’ve inspired me to try CHOCOLATE sugar cookies. Th absolute best of both worlds, you baking genius!
Where have chocolate sugar cookies been all my christmas cookie decorating life?!?! That’s what I’m wondering🤔 Ooooh I cannot imagine the kind of marvelous sugar cookies you will make with your eye for food styling/decorating. I mean I’ve seen what you can do with bagels so…🤗🤗
These are so dreamy! The chocolate and the berry frosting AND the heart shape is just giving life right now. 🙌🏼
Hehe thanks Ashley! I think I could make cutout cookies all year long, they are just so much fun 🙂
So delicious! I used a tube of instant espresso. Gave it a deep flavor. Not as pretty as yours (hand done in rounds, no freeze dried strawberries so cacao nibs on top) but so good!
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The espresso makes such a difference on richness, right? If I wasn’t taking pics mine would’ve looked just the same, and I love the sounds of cacao nibs on top! Thanks for the feedback, and I’m so happy you liked them 🙂
This looks yummy:) I have used Coconut cream to make the icing and it isn’t thickening (I even left the can of coconut cream in the fridge overnight…any suggestions?
Coconut cream and coconut butter are not the same thing, and coconut cream frosting will not harden the same way unfortunately. I would just eat them as is with the softer frosting and maybe order coconut butter online for the next time 🙂
Ok Thank you, I’ve never bought Coconut butter and thought I could maybe experiment with the cream…not so, Lol…Though the cookies are delicious!!
I wish I could say I love these cookies!
I wanted to try them because I had all the ingredients and needed a sweet creative cooking outlet…if it weren’t for the frosting it would be like eating cardboard. So they became the perfect vehicle for a cashew frosting I wanted to try.
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Bummer they didn’t work out for you, thanks for the feedback though😕
Can you sub the cacao for more almond flour if your opting out of chocolate 😬
That should work, yes although you may need slightly more. I also have this recipe that’s non chocolate: https://feastingonfruit.com/almond-flour-sugar-cookies/