Dirty Chocolate Cookies are rich chocolate cookies rolled in sugar with a crispy outside and a soft, chewy center. Using two kinds of chocolate in the cookies makes them a decadent and indulgent treat with a deep chocolate flavor in every bite. They are worth the crumbs and sugar that may get everywhere! If you are craving more chocolate, try my Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with chocolate frosting in between.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Chocolate: I used both semisweet and milk chocolate chips in this recipe. The semisweet chocolate chips provide a deep, chocolatey flavor while the milk chocolate chips provide a sweet flavor. Together, they create a delicious and indulgent cookie experience.
Eggs: Be sure the eggs are at room temperature before adding them to the cookie dough.
Sugar: You will use granulated sugar in both the cookie dough and for rolling the dough into the sugar before baking. This gives the cookies a little crunch and added sweetness.
Can I Melt the Chocolate and Butter in the Microwave?
Yes, you could melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave (but it is quite a bit of chocolate). However, melting chocolate using the double-boiler method helps you control the heat more so it doesn’t burn. If you do use the microwave, melt the chips and butter in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until melted and smooth.
Do I Have to Chill the Dough?
The dough should chill in the refrigerator for an hour, and it does make a difference. When you chill cookie dough, it solidifies the fat. Then, when you are ready to bake the cookies, the chilled dough takes longer to melt and remains solid longer, meaning the cookies spread less. Chilling the dough also gives you more flavorful cookies. The dry ingredients have time to soak up the wet ingredients, allowing them all to come together. Baking will be more even as well.
Can I Make These Cookies Ahead of Time?
Yes! The cookie dough can be made and frozen to bake at a later time. To freeze the dough, place the balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until the dough balls are completely frozen. Once frozen, transfer the dough to freezer-safe zipper bags. When ready to bake, simply bake as many of the cookies as you need from frozen. You may need to increase the baking time by 1-2 minutes.
How to Store Dirty Chocolate Cookies
These cookies are best in an airtight container at room temperature. They should last up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2-3 months.
More Popular Cookies
Dirty Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (½ stick / 57 g) unsalted butter
- 2 ¾ cups (500 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (62.5 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 bag (12 ounces) milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Fill a pot about halfway full of water. Bring it to a simmer over low heat. Find a heat-safe bowl (glass or stainless steel) that can be set into the pot of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. The steam is what will melt the butter and chocolate.
- Add the butter and semisweet chocolate chips to the heat-safe bowl. With the heat on low, use a rubber spatula to stir the chocolate until it is melted and smooth. This takes about 5 minutes.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add eggs and 1 ½ cups sugar. (Reserve ½ cup sugar for rolling the dough.) Beat on medium speed until combined. Add in the vanilla and melted chocolate and beat until combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add in the flour and baking powder and mix until combined.
- Gently fold in the milk chocolate chips.
- Cover the bowl of cookie dough and store it in the refrigerator for one hour.
- When ready, preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, drop the cookie dough onto the lined baking sheets. Roll each ball of dough into the reserved granulated sugar and place back onto the lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each.
- Bake for 17 minutes, or until the edges appear dry.
- Let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheets before enjoying them.
Video
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
Oh My Gosh. This cookie is DIVINE! It's ooey gooey on the inside, filled with so much chocolate flavor, and the outside has the slightest crunch from the sugar coating. The flavors are perfectly balanced, you are going to LOVE this one!
Elizabeth
Yum! I loved the fudgy center of these cookies with the crispy outside. Don't mind the sugar crumbs that are all over my hands after I dig into one (or two) of these cookies. I mean, they are called 'dirty' cookies, right?!?
Bella
This is soooo good. It is extremely sweet and chocolatey. It is perfectly soft on the inside. It has a very slight crunch from the sugar it was rolled in! If you like chocolate cookies, you'll enjoy this.
Selena
These cookies are super fudgey on the inside and have a nice crunch on the outside from the sugar. They are such a decadent and delicious cookie!
Has anyone tried freezing these before baking or after baking without the frosting?
These cookies are wonderful! They have a crispy edge and a soft center. I was afraid that the frosting would be too sweet but it was just perfect. This has become my go to chocolate cookie recipe.
How many carbs
Amazing so yummy. I sub 1/2 almond extract for 1/2 vanilla. Then added just a quick drip of amaretto in the frosting tasted like german chocolate cake in cookie form.
Wht is it granulated sugar and confectioners sugar please let me know
I made this cookie and it’s great. Everyone loved them. I dipped the cookie half way in white chocolate and then put chocolate sprinkles on the white chocolate. It tastes great. Thank you for a great cookie!
In the dirty chocolate cookies do you sweeten or unsweetened cocoa powder
I just made these dirty chocolate cookies and we are in love. My husband would like to know if we can freeze them and bake later. He like to bake them at the hunting camp and cookies travel better if frozen and baked there. Thanks
I made your dirty chocolate cookies, delicious, I put a cup of chopped walnuts and a cup of unsweetened chocolate chips in the batter, smashing success. However my frosting wasn’t as thick as yours and dont know why but still very good
They look awesome and seem to be easy to make. Would love more recipes from you. Thank you for sharing them.