Chocolate Drop Cookies Recipe

Chocolate Drop Cookies
Claire Cohen
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 42 servings
Yield: 42 cookies

These chocolate drop cookies offer loads of flavor, and they have a wonderful chewy texture. The chopped walnuts add texture as well but feel free to omit them if you aren't a fan. Or add another ingredient to the cookies. Chocolate—milk or semisweet—morsels or white chocolate chips are an excellent addition to just about any cookie dough, with or without the nuts. Or add some toffee chips or brickle bits to the cookies.

The cookies freeze nicely, so don't worry about making too many. Freeze them in airtight containers for up to six months. Or simply scale the recipe down and make half a batch.

The recipe makes about 3 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies—more if you make them small.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 8 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 cups finely chopped walnuts, or pecans, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for chocolate drop cookies.
    Diana Rattray
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or grease them lightly.

  3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

    Combine the dry ingredients.
    Diana Rattray
  4. Combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

    Beat the butter and sugars together.
    Diana Rattray
  5. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

    Beat the eggs and vanilla into the first mixture.
    Diana Rattray
  6. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour mixture a little at a time until well blended and smooth.

    Add the flour and cocoa mixture to the chocolate cookie dough.
    Diana Rattray
  7. Fold in the finely chopped walnuts.

    Fold the nuts into the cookie dough.
    Diana Rattray
  8. Drop the chocolate cookie dough onto greased baking sheets by rounded tablespoons, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.

    Chocolate drop cookies ready for the oven.
    Diana Rattray
  9. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until set. If desired, sprinkle with some granulated sugar while they're hot or dust with confectioners' sugar when cool.

    Sprinkle with sugar if you like.
    Diana Rattray
  10. Let the cookies cool on the pans on a rack for about 5 minutes; transfer chocolate cookies to the rack to cool completely.

Tips

  • Use a small cookie scoop to keep the cookies uniform in size.
  • Make sure you taste the walnuts or pecans before you add them to the cookie dough. If the nuts are rancid, the cookies are ruined.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container or food storage bag. To keep them soft, add a piece of plain white bread to the container or bag. The bread will dry while the cookies stay soft.
  • Freeze the cookie dough. Drop cookie dough on the baking sheets as directed and then place the baking sheets in the freezer. When the cookie mounds are frozen solid, move them to a freezer bag and freeze them for up to two months. To reheat, take them out of the freezer and arrange them on the baking sheets. Let them stand while the oven preheats. They will still be quite cold, so you might have to add an extra minute or two to the baking time.

Recipe Variations

  • Gussy the warm cookies up with granulated sugar, vanilla sugar, or larger grain decorating sugar. Or sprinkle confectioners' sugar over them after they cool.
  • Replace the chopped nuts with regular or mini chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, brickle bits, or butterscotch chips.
  • Drizzle melted chocolate or white chocolate over the cooled cookies.
  • Drizzle royal icing over the cookies after they cool.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
97 Calories
5g Fat
13g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 42
Amount per serving
Calories 97
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 20mg 7%
Sodium 30mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 14mg 1%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 17mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)