Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies! Your favorite ooey gooey butter cookies made with chocolate!
Food blogging is so weird.
There are so many things that go into running a food blog; so many pieces of advice that get thrown around here and there. One of the pieces of advice I received last week was to celebrate Christmas in July and make Christmas cookies for my blog right now. I immediately thought it was so silly and I wrote it off.
But then, Christmas cookies won't leave my head. Especially these Christmas Lights Cookies!
And since it's about to be the season where it's too hot to turn the oven on, I decided to have a few cookie baking sessions before the summer heat arrived. You don't mind, right?
It's been a delicious few days! So many chocolate chips (many of which fell on the floor, which my dogs ate and SURVIVED!). There were also so many chewy cookies, and so much love to share.
While I am fearlessly dedicated to mini desserts that I don't have to share, I enjoy making 1 dozen cookies, eating 1 (ok, fine--TWO), and then passing off the rest to friends and coworkers.
Chocolate gooey butter cookies, variations:
If you made my regular gooey butter cake cookies, this is the chocolate version. Chocolate gooey butter cookies are great served on the same plate as the regular ooey gooey butter cookies. I can just see a pretty plate of Christmas cookies with plain gooey butter cookies on one side and this chocolate version on the other side.
My friend Spencer makes a beet and lemon gooey butter cookie version from this recipe, and they are so pretty, too!
If you over-bake these cookies, they end up just tasting like soft chocolate crinkle cookies. It's not bad, but you really want that gooey center. So, stick to the baking time, trust yourself, and you'll have chocolate GOOEY butter cookies.
Oh oh, and if I've learned anything from my other gooey butter cookie recipe, it's that I need to reiterate how important chill time is (for the cookies, not for you and me...). Try try try to chill them for 1 hour at least before baking. And then, when you're scooping, be quick so your hands don't warm the dough too much.
Chilling the dough overnight is always an option, too!
Ok, the rest is up to you! Best of luck!
Don't miss the how-to video for this recipe at the top of the post if you're using a mobile, or in the sidebar if you're viewing this page on Desktop!
Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake Cookies
A small batch of gooey butter cake cookies with chocolate!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese and butter. Beat together with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 30 seconds.
- Slowly add the sugar to the cream cheese mixture while continuously beating. Beat the sugar into the cream cheese mixture until light and fluffy, 1 minute.
- Next, add the whole egg, and egg yolk. Beat until combined.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the cream cheese mixture in three increments, beating in between each addition.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This is not optional. Like, at all.
- Preheat the oven to 325-degrees, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Have the powdered sugar ready in a shallow bowl nearby.
- Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of dough, roll it in your hands to form a ball. Roll the dough into the powdered sugar before placing them evenly on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 14 minutes. Keep a close eye on these cookies--they should not brown in the oven. The top of the cookies will be puffed and slightly wet. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 176Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 105mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 0gSugar: 16gProtein: 3g
Ingrid says
I want to make cookies with grandkids can someone help me with at least 5 recepis,, TIA
Vanessa says
Did you use unsweetened cocoa or is Dutch processed cocoa ok?
Christina Lane says
Normal unsweetened cocoa powder, sorry! I haven't tested the recipe with Dutch processed cocoa.
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
So much chocolate! This looks wonderful!
Liz says
YES!!! I want a gooey centered cookie. These look phenomenal!
Jenni says
What a great recipe! These look so delicious!
Julie says
These cookies are just beautiful and sound delicious!
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons says
These look amazing, my daughter makes something similar and they are always gone SO fast! Can't wait to give her your recipe!
michele says
Your photography is sooooo good! Love this recipe!
heather says
these look absolutely perfect!! Baking a batch later today when the kids get home
Jodi says
I just made this. Mine look different though. They're smooth and round (kind of like chocolate 'nilla wafers), and there's no sign of the powdered sugar I used. Any idea why?
Still delicious and great for using up the last bit of cream cheese.
Christina Lane says
Oh no, Jodi! I'm sorry! Did you measure the granulated sugar correctly? An excess of sugar in these cookies is what makes them spread and crack. Other than that, I'm wondering if your oven is okay? And did you make the cookies the same size as me? Did you get >12 cookies?
Oh, and I roll my cookies in A LOT of powdered sugar. I have little piles on the baking sheet when I transfer them because it's so much.
I'm glad you still liked the way they taste, and I hope you make them again with better success :)
Jodi says
Hi Christina,
They didn't spread or crack, they're completely smooth. The oven is virtually brand-new, so I don't think it's that. I did get exactly 12 cookies. I was a little low on the powdered sugar, so I might not have used enough. Oh well, the important thing is that they taste good! Which they do. :)