Sugar Crusted Chocolate Cookies are the perfect way to ring in the holidays and the New Year! Rich with butter and lightly sweetened, these cookies have a way of disappearing before you know it. I’ve added a sugar coating on the outside for texture and flavor. I hope you love their chocolatey goodness with every bite!
Santa will be here before we know it! With all the work he has to do and the millions of children he visits in just one night, he needs nourishment to give him energy. There is nothing better than homemade cookies and a cold glass of milk to reenergize our favorite elf!
Christmas season is always magical, but even more so when I was young. My mother would transform our home into a wonderland. My grandmother would send me letters from Santa complete with stickers and written in red ink. Elfie was perched in the tree watching to be sure we were behaving. As the baby of the family, my brothers helped build the excitement, never giving away the secret. It wasn’t until many years later that I realized how much fun it was for them to help my parents maintain the illusion.
Nothing was more exciting than waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve. We would turn off all the lights except those on the tree and sit in front of the fire listening to carols on the radio, singing along to those we knew. Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, and Andy Williams provided the soundtrack for our holidays.
We would set a plate with store bought cookies (Mom wasn’t a baker), a glass of milk, and a thank you note for Santa next to the fireplace. Right where he was sure to see them before going up the chimney and heading to the next house.
The weeks of anticipation made falling asleep nearly impossible, but somehow exhaustion overtook enthusiasm. Before I knew it, it was morning (no doubt the crack of dawn) and Christmas was here! The chaos would begin … ripping of wrapping paper, squeals of delight as boxes were opened, laughter when jokes were played on one another, music playing, the fire popping, the aromas of hot cider and breakfast filling the house.
Over the years I have made hundreds of Santa cookies, always on the lookout for something new and fun to share with the family. Sometimes they were ornately decorated, other times simple chocolate chips made an appearance, but they were always appreciated and quickly disappeared.
This year, in honor of our love of all things from France, I thought a chocolate sable would be the perfect choice to bring to family dinner. Sables are a cross between a butter cookie and shortbread. Lightly sweeten you take a bite. Yep, perfect for this year’s Santa Cookie.
What are your favorite treats to leave for Santa? Do you make the same cookies every year or switch it up? Even if you don’t make these Sugar Crusted Chocolate Cookies for Santa, I’ll bet they will show up in your home soon – they are too good to miss!
Happy Chocolate Monday and I hope you enjoy the beautiful and festive holiday season!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Sugar Crusted Chocolate Cookies:
- GF flour or regular flour, cocoa powder, salt, butter, confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla, egg whites, sugar, turbinado sugar
PRO Tip:
Because these are so delicious and freeze so well, I doubled the original recipe so I could have some extra stashed in the freezer for The Artist and me to bake when we need a chocolate treat. Homemade slice and bake cookies!
How to make Sugar Crusted Chocolate Cookies:
- Make the Dough: Use a food processor to blend the flour, cocoa, and salt; add the butter and process until sandy. Then add the sugar, milk, and vanilla, and process until a firm dough forms.
- Divide the dough into four equal pieces (use your scale to weigh them) and form into logs about 1-1/2 inches (4 cm) thick and wrap each one in a separate sheet of plastic wrap. Refrigerate until very firm, at least 4 hours.
- Sugar Crust the Dough: Place beaten egg whites in one bowl and the sugar on a sheet of parchment, waxed paper, or small baking sheet. Brush the egg whites on the surface of one of the dough logs and roll it in the sugar, pressing it on all sides.
- Bake the Cookies: Work with one log at a time, keeping the rest of the dough refrigerated. Cut into 1/4-inch thick (6 mm) slices and place 1/2-inch (1 cm) apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until just firm to the touch.
- Leave the cookies on the baking sheet and place the whole pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
PRO Tip:
Gluten-free flours tend to separate more easily than regular all-purpose flour. Whisking often and thoroughly, especially when you are ready to get in the kitchen, will help give you better baking results.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
Gluten-Free Tips:
* You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of flour or regular flour, whisk it, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial gluten-free blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
** If your gluten-free flour blend does not contain xanthan gum, add 1/2 tsp to the flour and whisk thoroughly. Then combine with the remaining dry ingredients and pulse several times before continuing with the recipe.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Sugar Crusted Chocolate Cookies (GF)
The dough for these Sugar Crusted Chocolate Cookies needs time to chill so plan to make the dough at least several hours or up to a couple of days in advance.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 3-1/2 cups (420g*) all-purpose flour or gluten-free blend*
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum** only if your GF blend doesn't already contain it
- 1 cup (84g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
- 2-1/2 sticks (10 oz; 284g) unsalted butter, sliced
- 1-3/4 cup (198g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup (57g) cold milk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Sugar Crust
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 cup (198g) granulated cane sugar or 1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar and 1/2 cup (90g) turbinado or other coarse raw sugar
Instructions
1. Make the Dough: In a large food processor, pulse the flour, cocoa and salt. Add the butter and process until sandy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla extract and process until you get a firm dough and it cleans the sides of the bowl.
2. Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Transfer the dough to 4 sheets of plastic wrap and form into four logs, each about 1-1/2 inches (4 cm) thick. Make them as even as possible and nicely rounded. The shape of the log will determine the shape of the cookies. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until very firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and position racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with sheets of parchment paper.
4. Sugar Crust: Beat the egg whites in a small bowl. Sprinkle the granulated sugar on a sheet of waxed paper, parchment, or a small baking sheet. Holding the log of dough vertically above the bowl, brush the egg whites on all surfaces of the dough and roll the log in the sugar, pressing to help it adhere. Make sure all surfaces are thickly coated.
5. Bake the Cookies: Work with one log of dough at a time, keeping the remaining dough chilled in the refrigerator. Using a very sharp knife cut the log into 1/4-inch (6 mm) slices and transfer to a baking sheet, cut side down, leaving about 1/2-inch (1 cm) between disks (cookies won’t spread much). Bake the cookies (one sheet at a time for the best results) for about 20 minutes, until just firm to the touch, spinning pan halfway through for even baking. They will not be noticeably different, but they will puff up a little.
6. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet and place the whole pan on a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough and sheet pans.
7. Make Ahead: Cookies can be made ahead and frozen. Make the dough and roll it into logs but do not put the egg white and sugar on the rolls. Wrap the logs in plastic and then in parchment. On the parchment label the cookies, including the oven temperature and baking time and any specific directions. In this case it would also include the directions for brushing with egg whites and rolling in sugar. Wrap again in plastic to hold the parchment in place. You can now freeze them and anyone in the house will have all the information needed to make freshly baked cookies any time they like!
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
* You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
* * If your gluten-free flour blend does not contain xanthan gum, add 1/2 tsp to the flour and whisk thoroughly. Then combine with the remaining dry ingredients and pulse several times before continuing with the recipe.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Adapted from a Jacques Torres recipe
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
48Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 28Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 19mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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