Chocolate Snickerdoodle Cookies
Learn how to make the best chocolate snickerdoodle cookies with this easy recipe, made with Dutch-processed cocoa powder plus cinnamon and other warm spices to create the best chocolate spice cookie.
Servings: 24 Cookies
Calories: 139kcal
Ingredients
- 218 grams bleached all-purpose flour
- 70 grams Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder
- 10 mL ground cinnamon
- 7.5 mL ground ginger
- 5 mL baking soda
- 5 mL cream of tartar
- 2.5 mL Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
- 2.5 mL freshly ground black pepper
- 0.625 mL ground cloves
- 173 grams unsalted butter softened
- 150 grams granulated sugar
- 80 grams Lyle's black treacle or fancy molasses
- 2.5 mL pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg(s) room temperature
- 50 grams cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175 °C). Prepare a couple of baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Set aside for later.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, the granulated sugar, and the treacle or molasses for a couple of minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add the vanilla and egg. Beat the mixture until it is smooth.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, and cloves.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture slowly. Continue mixing until the cookie dough has come together and you can no longer see any flour. Be sure to scrape up the bottom of the bowl because some flour could be hiding, unmixed, down there.
- Place the cinnamon sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Portion out and roll scoops of spiced chocolate cookie dough into balls and then coat them in cinnamon sugar.
- Place each sugar-coated scoop of dough on a cookie sheet, spacing them out every 1.5 inches. You should be able to fit 8 per half-sheet pan.
- Before baking, you can press the scoops of dough down to ½ inch (1.3 mm) thickness if you would like a flatter cookie or leave them round if you want a puffy cookie.
- Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes to firm up before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which has a darker colour and richer flavour. Natural cocoa powder is more acidic and may affect the texture and appearance of these cookies.
- I have tested this recipe with the following leavening agents and additives and all work well:
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda + 1 teaspoon (5 mL) cream of tartar—flavour will have a slight tang
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda only
- 2 teaspoon (10 mL) baking powder only—cookies puff slightly more and have a reddish hue inside
- If your chocolate cookie dough is too soft, you may chill it briefly for about 30 minutes. I have never needed to, but you may have to especially if your kitchen is warm.
- Use a ¾ ounce scoop to evenly portion out perfect scoops of dough (30–35 gram scoops). You can smooth them out by rolling them briefly between your palms.
- Do not overbake these cookies because they will dry out.
- These cookies are best eaten within 2–3 days because they may dry out and become more crispy.
- If using salted butter, you may reduce the added salt in the cookie dough.
- If using table salt instead of Diamond Crystal, you may add half the amount of table salt.
- If you are using a dark-coloured sheet pan, you may reduce the oven temperature to 325 °F (165 °C) to slightly reduce the heat on the bottom of the cookies.
Nutrition
Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 192IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
