Super Soft Frosted Chocolate Swig Sugar Cookies

With an unusually soft texture and amazingly rich chocolate flavor, these frosted chocolate Swig sugar cookies are delicious!

Not only are these pressed sugar cookies incredibly easy to make (no rolling or cutting out with cookie cutters!) but they will blow your mind with their super soft, extra chocolatey texture and flavor!

Swig Sugar Cookie Dough

If you aren’t familiar with Swig sugar cookies, they originated years ago at a little soda/cookie shop in Utah. The signature pressed cookie shape with rough, crinkly edges gained popularity and spawned a lot of knockoff cookie shops AND cookie recipes.

The good news is that it is really easy to make Swig-style cookies at home. And word has it that these homemade Swig cookies are even more delicious than the originals.

This chocolate Swig sugar cookie recipe has been around for a long time. I recently updated it to help out with some reports that it was turning out crumbly for some of you.

The good news is that these small changes make this cookie better than ever! (And if you are die-hard fan of the original, rest assured the changes are minimal…and I kept the original notes of the recipe below for you if you want to stick with the older version.)

The Best Cocoa Powder to Use for Sugar Cookies

This recipe calls for cocoa powder in both the cookie dough and the frosting.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to cocoa powder for this cookie recipe:

• both natural, unsweetened cocoa powder OR Dutch-process cocoa powder can be used without any other changes to the recipe.
• no matter the cocoa powder being used, make sure to sift it in the cookie dough and the frosting to avoid tiny lumps

Dutch-process cocoa powder will result in a cookie that is a bit darker and richer in chocolate flavor (and color) than unsweetened cocoa powder.

Important Texture Notes

Yes, I guess “texture notes” are now a thing. 😉

The texture of this cookie dough is important. Too soft and the cookies will spread and bake up thin. Too thick and they’ll be crumbly and dry.

The sweet spot is a dough that is soft and scoop-able without being too sticky. This ensures the cookies will develop those signature crinkly, ruffled edges.

You can ensure the dough is just right by weighing your dry ingredients with a kitchen scale {aff. link}. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, measure the flour with a light hand. Don’t pack the ingredients into the measuring cup. Fluff the flour and cocoa powder, scoop the cup in and level off (or spoon in the cocoa and level off).

Scooping and Pressing the Cookie Dough

I use a #20 cookie scoop {aff. link} to portion out the cookie dough.

1. Roll the cookie dough into balls
2. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar to a small bowl
3. Take a flat-bottomed glass, lightly grease the bottom, dip the glass in the sugar and then press each cookie dough ball into a thick circle about 1/4-inch thick

The cookies will spread just a bit more in the oven, and they aren’t meant to be thin cookies, so press lightly. Now is not the time to get out your frustrations by pressing cookie dough into flat smithereens. 😬

Under bake the cookies just a bit. The edges should be set but the middle of the cookies will likely appear underdone. That’s when you want to take them out!

Let them sit on the baking pans for several minutes out of the oven to set up before using a spatula to remove them to a cooling rack.

While they cool whip up the divinely creamy chocolate frosting. Spread a good-size dollop across the center of each cookie, leaving a thin border around the ruffled edges.

To Sprinkle or Not?

These yummy frosted chocolate Swig sugar cookies are absolutely phenomenal just with the cookie + frosting.

However, you can definitely add sprinkles if you like.

I like to add a few crispy chocolate pearls. In the defense of all things crispy chocolate pearls, they are delicious on just about everything.

And these chocolate sugar cookies are no exception. (I usually buy the Olive Nation brand on Amazon {aff. link} or pick them up at Orson Gygi.)

Tried-and-True Cookie

Here are a few rave reviews for these chocolate sugar cookies! (See? It’s not just me that loves them!)

Mary: So so good. I have another recipe for chocolate sugar cookie cutouts, but I much prefer these thick shortbread type ones! And that frosting is amazing on top!! Thank you thank you for another fantastic recipe!

Cindy: These cookies are delicious! Also, they stay equally if not better days later. 

Molly: There are no words for these cookies. I am going to put them all away right now because I have no self-control with them. Seriously some of the best cookies I’ve ever tasted. Thanks for the unique and delicious recipe!

Sydney: These cookies are my all time favorite cookies! I’ve been making them ever since the recipe was posted, and I make them more often than any other cookie (including chocolate chip!) (Yeah, that’s how good they are!!!) They always turn out and they’re always delicious. I recommend these to anyone and everyone! So thank you for the great recipe!!

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Soft Frosted Chocolate Swig Sugar Cookies

Yield: 36 Cookies (2-3 dozen depending on size)

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

4.69 stars (79 ratings)

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Ingredients

Cookies:

• 4 cups (568 g) all-purpose flour, (if you aren't using the weight measure, scoop the flour with a light hand or the cookies will be dry)
• 1 cup (85 g) dutch-process or unsweetened, natural cocoa powder, (see note above about the flour; same applies with the cocoa powder)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 ½ cups (265 g) granulated sugar
• ¾ cup (86 g) powdered sugar
• ¾ cup neutral-flavored oil, canola, vegetable, grapeseed, etc
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• Granulated sugar, for pressing

Frosting:

• ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, softened
• 2 cups (228 g) powdered sugar
• Pinch of salt
• ⅓ cup (43 g) Dutch-process or unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• ¼ to ⅓ cup heavy cream
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line several large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• For the cookies, in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and powdered sugar until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add the oil, eggs and sour cream and mix until well-combined.
• Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. Sift the cocoa powder over the top. Mix until the dough comes together and no dry streaks remain.
• Form the dough into balls about 2- to 3- tablespoons each (I use a #20 cookie scoop).
• Place the cookies several inches apart on the prepared baking sheet(s).
• Place 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a shallow dish. Dip a flat-bottomed glass into the sugar (it helps to rub the bottom of the glass lightly with butter or oil before the first dip so the sugar adheres). Press the glass onto each cookie dough ball, flattening to about 1/4-inch or slightly thicker. Don't press too thin.
• Bake for 8-9 minutes until the cookies are set around the edges but still soft in the center. Don't over bake! They should look slightly underdone in the middle. Let them cool for a few minutes on the pan before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• For the frosting, with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and 1 cup of the powdered sugar until very light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining powered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. Sift the cocoa powder over the top (to avoid tiny lumps in the frosting). Mix for 2-3 minutes until very thick and creamy.
• Spread the frosting evenly on the cookies. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. The cookies are delicious cold or at cool room temperature. They can be made several days in advance and kept (frosted and covered) in the refrigerator.

Notes

Update: I’ve made a few small changes to this recipe to combat the crumbly texture that some have reported. The good news is that the small changes make these cookies better than ever. If you want to know the changes so you can continue to make them the old way here they are: 

2016 version: 2/3 cup oil
2023 update: 3/4 cup oil

2016 version: 1 1/4 cups sugar
2023 update: 1 1/2 cups sugar

2016 version: no sour cream
2023 update: 2 tablespoons sour cream (justification behind this is the crazy popularity of this best-ever Swig cookie recipe)

2016 version: 1/2 cup cocoa powder (frosting)
2023 version: 1/3 cup cocoa powder (frosting)
*also edited the method a bit to help the mixing come together better.

 

Author: Mel

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Method: Bake

Serving: 1 Cookie, Calories: 237kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 127mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 16g

Recommended Products

Cookie Sheet {Half Sheet Pans}

KitchenAid Stand Mixer

#20 Large Cookie Scoop

Recipe Source: adapted from Melissa at The Faux Martha and later from this Swig cookie recipe (recipe originally posted December 2016; updated July 2023 with new photos, recipe notes, etc)

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