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Chocolate Sour Cream Cookies

Thanks for sharing!

If soft chocolate cookies with a light not too sweet finish are what you are after, these chocolate sour cream cookies are for you. Dress them up with a little buttercream frosting for an extra special treat.

bite missing from chocolate cookie with buttercream flowers on top.

Sour cream cookies are already so soft and delicious, but if you add a little cocoa powder you end up with a yummy chocolate version. These cookies are not overly sweet, it’s just enough to be a treat.

They don’t knock you out with chocolate either, they are the ultimate in moderation.  That makes them the perfect balance for a fabulous frosting!

I originally posted this cookie recipe before Valentine’s day in 2015. I had rolled out a bunch of cookies and decorated them with royal icing for the holiday.

It seemed like a great time to revisit the recipe. This time I decided to share them more how we would normally enjoy them.

While the dough makes a delicious cut out cookie, it is a bit sticky. So you have to be careful to really dust everything well with flour and/or cocoa powder.

fresh baked chocolate sour cream cookies on cooling rack.

Generally we just scoop and bake the cookies. Then you can top them with frosting. My aunt who got us hooked on sour cream cookies loves using cream cheese frosting.

This time I went with buttercream so I could play with my Russian piping tips and rosettes. Both are quick and easy ways to dress up the cookies.

Because the cookies themselves are not overly sweet, the frosting doesn’t make them too much. That is especially the case if you just spread a little on and use sprinkles to dress them up.

chocolate cookies on cooling rack with bowls of colored frosting.

Anyway, with updated pictures and a printable recipe card it seemed like a great time to share them with you again. Make some for those you love and let me know what you think.

Original post from 2015

I knew I wanted to make some decorated cookies for Little Dude’s Valentines Day treat.  Marlene’s Sour Cream Cookies were at the top of my list and I knew they would be perfect for making little x’s and o’s.

But it seemed like there needed to be some chocolate involved.  It is Valentine’s day after all!

So, I decided to try a batch of chocolate dough as well.  I have never had a chocolate sour cream cookie before, but they have to be good right?!  Yep!

frosted thick chocolate cookies on cooling rack

Making the cookies

This dough is soft and a little bit sticky.  However, it is possible to roll and cut it.

While the dough doesn’t need to be chilled for drop cookies, you will want to wrap it in plastic wrap and let it chill for at least an hour if you plan to roll it out and cut it with cookie cutters.

Just be sure to use plenty of flour on the counter and your rolling pin, or use half flour and half cocoa powder.  A bench scrape can help transfer the shapes to a cookie sheet.

Scooping the dough is another great option.  For these big round cookies I used a medium cookie scoop.

The cookies don’t spread much, but they do puff a bit. I gently pressed them down a bit and shaped them with damp fingers before I baked them.

I knew I was going to decorate them with buttercream, so I wanted that flatter top. If you don’t care about a hump in the middle feel free to just scoop and bake.

That resulted in about 5 dozen pretty good sized cookies.  I baked them for 9 minutes and that resulted in soft and delicious cookies.

soft chocolate cookies topped with pink and purple buttercream flowers.

Storing cookies

These cookies are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The only exception would be if you used a frosting that needs refrigerated.

If you are storing the cookies without frosting, add a slice of sandwich bread to the container to help keep them soft for longer. Using buttercream will also help keep them softer for an extra couple of days.

Store in a single layer if possible. If you are going to stack them, place a layer of parchment paper or wax paper between the cookies to keep them from sticking together.

For storage up to three months, you can freeze the cookies in a freezer safe container or bag. Ideally you would freeze the cookies without frosting.

You can freeze frosted cookies, but the frosting may weep or lose definition as it defrosts. They will likely still taste great but may not look as fabulous as they once did.

Love this recipe? Give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review in the recipe card below!

Yield: 60 Servings

Chocolate Sour Cream Cookies

bite missing from chocolate cookie with buttercream flowers on top.

If soft chocolate cookies with a light not too sweet finish are what you are after, these chocolate sour cream cookies are for you. Dress them up with a little frosting for an extra special treat.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softenend
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Cream together sugar and room temperature butter. Stir eggs, sour cream and vanilla into creamed mixture.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
  4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just incorporated. The dough will be loose.
  5. If you want to make drop cookies: drop rounded tablespoons full (or a medium cookie scoop) onto a cookie sheet. Bake in a 350° F oven for 8-10 minutes. They should be set, but you don't want them to take on much color.
  6. For rolled cookies: wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. Roll out on a floured surface and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 350° F for 5-10 minutes depending on size of cookies.
  7. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

60

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 101Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 75mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g

All nutritional information is estimated and will depend on the exact ingredients you use.

Did you make this recipe?

I'd love to see it! Share a picture on Instagram or Pinterest and tag me @carleecooks to let me know how it went!

More Great Cookies

If you are in the mood to make all the best cookies, check out this collection. There are more soft chocolate cookies and sour cream cookies too!

If soft chocolate cookies with a light not too sweet finish are what you are after, these chocolate sour cream cookies are for you. Dress them up with a little frosting for an extra special treat.

Thanks for sharing!

Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies

Wednesday 26th of February 2020

Oh my, I need to try these!!

Carlee

Monday 2nd of March 2020

You do!

Amy

Saturday 15th of February 2020

Sour cream cookies are the best! And I do love how you added the cocoa to make them chocolate. And of course, mine would need the frosting as well.

Carlee

Monday 2nd of March 2020

Frosting is a given, for sure!

juliepollitt

Friday 14th of February 2020

These look so delicious! You decorated them beautifully!

Carlee

Monday 2nd of March 2020

Thank you so much!

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