Sparkly Chocolate Snickerdoodles recipe - These rich, fudgy, and crackly snickerdoodles shimmer with sugar.

Iiiits cookie time! It’s the time of year when so many of us bite off more than we can chew. Literally and figuratively. I mean, there are so many cookies to be made this time of year!

In years past, I’ve headed home from the grocery store loaded up with bags of ingredients for no less than eight different types of cookies. And then set out to make all of them inside of one day. Even before I had a kid (and therefore much less leisure time), eight different kinds of cookies were tough to turn out in one day. Let alone one season.

This year, instead of handing out cookie plates with a vast variety of cookies in all shapes and sizes, my labor of love for the season is not quite so laborious. I’m planning to give out mason jars filled with just one delicious variety of cookies: Sparkly Chocolate Snickerdoodles.

Sparkly Chocolate Snickerdoodles recipe - These rich, fudgy, and crackly snickerdoodles shimmer with sugar.

Eight of ’em fit perfectly into a wide-mouthed jar. Screw on a jumbo cupcake liner and tie on some kitchen twine and we’re good to go. Who wouldn’t want to receive a jar of chocolate snickerdoodles for Christmas? I’m hoping for no one, because I’ve got a busy week full of mason jars and cinnamon and sugar up my sleeve. Not literally, because that would be uncomfortable and sticky.

Sparkly Chocolate Snickerdoodles recipe - These rich, fudgy, and crackly snickerdoodles shimmer with sugar.

Because these cookies are dark, the sugar in the cinnamon-and-sugar coating shimmers and shines. Hence the “sparkly” in the name. Perfect for the season!

Plus, these little suckers are so easy. They’re basically a traditional snickerdoodle recipe with some of the flour swapped out for cocoa powder. Not even “basically” – that’s exactly what they are. I kept everything else the same, down to rolling copiously in cinnamon and sugar before baking.

Sparkly Chocolate Snickerdoodles recipe - These rich, fudgy, and crackly snickerdoodles shimmer with sugar.

The result is chewy but a little soft, chocolatey but still clearly snickerdoodles. And crinkly and cracked along the top, just like a good snickerdoodle should be.

Sparkly Chocolate Snickerdoodles recipe - These rich, fudgy, and crackly snickerdoodles shimmer with sugar.

Another bonus with these cookies is that they’re great to make with the little ones. My toddler loves forming the dough balls and rolling them in cinnamon and sugar. But they still turn out perfectly round after baking. Win win!

Sparkly Chocolate Snickerdoodles recipe - These rich, fudgy, and crackly snickerdoodles shimmer with sugar.

Yup, just one Christmas cookie this year. Simplification is a good thing (and so are Sparkly Chocolate Snickerdoodles).

Sparkly Chocolate Snickerdoodles
5 from 1 vote

Sparkly Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Author: Kare
Yield: 2 dozen
Snickerdoodles gone chocolate! These rich, fudgy, crackly snickerdoodles shimmer with sugar. Perfect for the holidays, but totally appropriate for any time of year.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter (room temperature (softened)*)
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (divided)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer affixed with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the the butter and 1 cup sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and the vanilla; mix well.
  • Place a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl and sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat on low speed just until combined.
  • In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon until combined.
  • Roll dough into approx. 1-inch balls (I use a cookie scoop). Add the balls to the bowl with the cinnamon and sugar and roll until well-covered. Set about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake until set and lightly browned, about 9 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Cookies keep well at room temperature in an airtight container (3-4 days). They also freeze well.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a portion of the proceeds. More about this here.