Frosted Black Cocoa Cookies
With a fun Halloween twist, these Black Cocoa Cookies are soft, chewy, and topped with a swirl of rich black cocoa buttercream and festive sprinkles!
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It’s spooky season, which means it’s the perfect time of year to bake up these Frosted Black Cocoa Cookies. Made with dark cocoa powder, they’re rich, fudgy, and full of decadent chocolate flavor with a signature Oreo-like taste and color. These are just the right amount of spooky, super indulgent, and are sure to be a hit at any Halloween party!
What is Black Cocoa Powder?
Black cocoa powder is a type of Dutch-processed cocoa powder that is heavily alkalized, which gives it a much less bitter taste and its intensely dark color. It has a milder chocolate flavor that’s less intense than natural cocoa powder or regular Dutch cocoa. Black Cocoa is great for achieving a dark, black color in frostings and baked goods, making it a nice alternative to artificial food dyes.
How to Make Black Cocoa Cookies
- Make the cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter, oil, and sugar with the paddle attachment. Alternatively, you can use a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Then mix in the dry ingredients, which include flour, black cocoa powder, cornstarch, leaveners, and salt, just until everything is well incorporated. Chill the cookie dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Scoop and bake the cookies. Portion the cookie dough with a cookie scoop and roll each one into a smooth ball – this will help give you perfectly round cookies. Then place the dough balls on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and press down to slightly flatten each one. Bake the cookies at 350°F for 9-11 minutes, until the tops of the cookies no longer look wet.
- Make the black cocoa buttercream. Cream the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer for about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, sifted black cocoa, vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream. Mix until the mixture is completely smooth and no lumps remain. Allow the baked cookies to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost and finish the cookies. Add a dollop of frosting to each cookie, then, using the back of a spoon or a mini offset spatula, spread the frosting to the edges of the cookie and finish with a swirl in the middle. Sprinkle the tops with colorful, festive sprinkles and enjoy!
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed steps and ingredient quantities!
Recipe FAQs
What is the best way to store the cookies?
The cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Allow the buttercream to slightly crust (several hours is ideal) before stacking the cookies, and use parchment paper between the layers to prevent the frosting from getting smashed.
Do the cookies freeze well?
These cookies freeze great! You can freeze the naked cookies, without frosting, by layering them in an airtight container or zip-top bag. Allow the cookies to come to room temperature before frosting. You can also freeze the frosted cookies in a single layer and allow them to come to room temperature before enjoying.
Favorite Tools
Does the cookie dough need to chill?
Yes, the dough needs to chill in the fridge for just 30 minutes. This will help the dough solidify, which will make it easier to roll into a ball, and this will also prevent the cookies from spreading when they bake.
Can I use regular cocoa powder instead?
You can use a standard dutch-processed cocoa instead of the dark cocoa powder; however, you will lose the dark black color, but will still end up with a delicious cookie with a more intense chocolate flavor.
Can the cookies be made in a smaller size?
Yes, you can use a #40 cookie scoop (about 1½ Tablespoons) for a mini-sized cookie like my Mini Frosted Sugar Cookies!
Tips for the Best Frosted Cookies
- Allow the cookies to cool. Before adding the frosting to the tops of the cookies, make sure they have cooled completely. The buttercream will melt if the cookies are too warm.
- Add sprinkles right away. The buttercream will start to form a slight crust on the outside, so be sure to frost one cookie at a time and have your sprinkles ready. Right after spreading the frosting on a cookie, add the sprinkles. If you wait too long, you’ll have a hard time getting the sprinkles to stick.
- Make the cookies in advance. I find that these cookies are even better and slightly softer after sitting in an airtight container for a few hours. Make them the day before you plan to serve them and store them overnight. This is optional (and takes some patience), but I think it makes for an even softer and tastier cookie!
Baking Tip: Weigh Your Ingredients!
I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients rather than using measuring cups because it is the most accurate way to bake. Weighing your ingredients will give you more consistent results with your recipes and a better success rate, every time. Using a scale also saves you dishes which means easier cleanup! I provide gram measurements in all my recipes and this is the scale I love to use.
More Cookie Recipes
- Peanut Butter Oreo Cookies
- Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies
- Churro Cookies
- Frosted Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies
- Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies
If you make this recipe and love it, be sure to leave a comment below. Happy baking!
Frosted Black Cocoa Cookies
Ingredients
For the Black Cocoa Cookies
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons (42g) vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (56g) black cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 Tablespoon (10g) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Black Cocoa Buttercream
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2½ cups (300g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (56g) black cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 5 Tablespoons (75mL) heavy cream, at room temperature
For Decorating
- Halloween sprinkles, or any colorful variety
Instructions
- Black Cocoa Cookies: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil, and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl again, then add the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Once the dough has chilled, portion the dough using a #24 cookie scoop (about 3 Tablespoons). Roll each scoop into a ball and place them onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Press each dough ball down slightly with your palm to flatten.
- Bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes or until the centers of the cookies no longer look wet. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Black Cocoa Buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream to the bowl. Start mixing on low speed until the ingredients are combined, so the powdered sugar doesn’t spill out. Scrape the bowl well with a rubber spatula.
- Mix on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. The frosting should be completely smooth and creamy.
- Decorating: Use a cookie scoop to add a dollop of frosting to the top of each of the cooled cookies. Use the back of a spoon or a small offset spatula to smooth out the frosting to the edges, and finish with a swirl in the center. Top with sprinkles right away and enjoy!
