Bake up a batch of chocolate bliss with Cocoa Drop Cookies! Rich, soft and chewy, this traditional family recipe is perfect for every occasion.
Chocolate Drop Cookies
Baking cookies with my mother is one of my most cherished memories. From the time I could stand up straight, I was propped up on a chair that reached the counter and taught to mix and roll out dough, cut out cookies, and decorate them. Our family Christmas gatherings always include plates full of different Christmas cookies, and each of us has her favorite.
This Cocoa Drop Cookie recipe comes from my grandmother. She passed away when I was young, so my earliest memories of these cookies were of my grandfather making them at Christmastime. As a kid, I always reached past them, choosing the colorful Teekuchen Cut-Out Cookies or Peppermint Bark. But as an adult, I have learned to appreciate them in a whole new way. They're deliciously chocolatey and soft, not too sweet, with the consistency of chocolate cake. It's difficult to eat just one! Most importantly, they're so easy to make. At Christmas or anytime, one bite you'll understand why this recipe has stood the test of time.
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Ingredients
- MARGARINE: the original recipe calls for margarine, but we have also used unsalted butter with success
- SUGAR: granulated sugar
- EGGS: large or extra large eggs
- BUTTERMILK: fresh buttermilk
- VANILLA EXTRACT: pure vanilla extract
- FLOUR: AP flour (All Purpose Flour)
- BAKING SODA: helps the cookies rise
- SALT: kosher salt or sea salt
- COCOA: unsweetened cocoa powder
- PECANS: finely chopped pecans
*see recipe card for quantities.
Featured review
❝ These are amazing, so chocolatey and so easy! A favorite at holiday time for sure. ❞
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
- Mix sugar, margarine, salt and eggs thoroughly.
- Stir in buttermilk and vanilla.
- Sift all dry ingredients together.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Chill for one hour.
- Drop rounded teaspoons of dough about 2" apart on greased baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
🔪 Top tip
For the softest, chewy cookies, use room-temperature margarine or butter. Avoid overmixing the dough, and bake them for 8 minutes (or less).
Storage
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Add a slice of bread to the container to keep them soft.
- Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Freeze unbaked dough portions wrapped in plastic wrap to bake fresh cookies later.
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FAQ
Cocoa crop cookies are soft, chewy cookies made by dropping spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet. They're simple to make and packed with chocolate flavor.
Unsweetened cocoa powder works best for a rich chocolate flavor. For a deeper taste, use Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
Use room-temperature margarine or butter, avoid overmixing the dough, and slightly underbake the cookies for a soft, chewy texture.
Yes! My grandmother's recipe calls for chopped pecans. You can also mix in chocolate chips, other nuts, or even dried fruit to customize your cookies and add texture.
Store cocoa drop cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Add a slice of bread to the container to keep them moist.
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Cocoa Drop Cookie recipe
Bake up a batch of chocolate bliss with Cocoa Drop Cookies! Rich, soft, chewy, this traditional family recipe is perfect for every occasion.
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 4 dozen 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup margarine
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 3 ½ cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup cocoa
- 2 cups chopped pecans
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
- Mix sugar, margarine, salt and eggs thoroughly.
- Stir in buttermilk and vanilla.
- Sift all dry ingredients together.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Chill for one hour.
- Drop rounded teaspoons of dough about 2" apart on greased baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: cookie
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 35.6 g
- Sodium: 486.5 mg
- Fat: 23.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 69.4 g
- Protein: 8.8 g
- Cholesterol: 33.8 mg
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Lori says
These are amazing, so chocolatey and so easy! A favorite at holiday time for sure.
Lori says
Amazing!
Theresa says
Hello Jackie
Superman’s Coco Drop Cookies
If I use butter rather than margarine will it change the cookie significantly?
Thankbyou
Jackie says
Hi Theresa,
Thanks for stopping by! We have made them both ways over the years, and I honestly can't tell the difference. Please let us know how they turn out.
Karl says
My mother used to make these cookies for me, I have here
recipe box, but the ink is so faded it's illegible. It looks to be the exact same recipe she used, with your recipe I was able to decipher her recipe, were making these to give away to friends at Christmas.
Thanks for the recipe.
Jackie says
Wow Karl, this makes our day!
Our mothers must have gotten this recipe from the same place! What a wonderful story. We are so happy you enjoy them as much as we do.