With an extra-rich chocolate flavor and perfectly buttery texture, chocolate spritz cookies will be a hit on your next cookie tray. These easy chocolate butter cookies are made in a flash using a cookie press and are fun to decorate with the whole family.

Wreaths, trees, stars, and other shaped chocolate spritz cookies, some topped with sprinkles.

Forever nerding out about spritz cookies, I wanted to tinker with this seven-year-old recipe to see if I could pack in even more chocolate flavor. Really set it apart from my forever favorite butter spritz cookies, you know?

I don't think chocolate lovers will be disappointed with this update. I doubled the chocolate, slightly bumped up the sugar to counter, and used a cocoa powder upgrade to really hammer home all things chocolate. The slightly browned cookie edges are reminiscent of the deep flavor of brownie crust (just like the end pieces of chocolate yogurt cake)...tell me that's not a good thing!

Beyond the rich chocolate flavor, these cookies are the perfect option if you love the look of festive holiday cookies but aren't so skilled in decorating with royal icing. --> That's me. <-- More rustic and less polished is my speed. I purposely kept the sprinkle decorations super basic in this batch pictured to show how easy it is to crank out 7-8 dozen fun and seasonally-shaped cookies without lots of artistic skill.

Psst - If you've had the thought to prepare a spritz cookie platter for the holidays (on my list this year), keep gingerbread spritz cookies in mind, too. *Fingers crossed* I can get out two more variations this year, too.

Wreaths, trees, and various other shapes of chocolate spritz cookies, some topped with sprinkles.

Recipe Ingredients

Nothing wild here, though note that these chocolate spritz cookies don't include baking powder/soda or any leavening agent. This lessens the spread and means the cookies better maintain their shapes during baking.

Text-labeled chocolate spritz cookie ingredients in separate containers.

Butter: Two sticks! These are chocolate butter cookies after all. Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature so it properly combines with the sugar.

Unsweetened cocoa powder: While natural cocoa powder (the kind you generally find in supermarkets) will work here, I highly recommend using Dutch process cocoa powder. It has a richer, bolder chocolate flavor that can't be beat! Not every recipe will work substituting them for one another (natural reacts with baking soda but Dutch process does not), but since there isn't any leavening agent in these cookies there's no issue.

Espresso powder: Not absolutely necessary but a secret ingredient in chocolate recipes to enhance the deep, dark cocoa flavor - it won't make your cookies taste like coffee. Baking brands sell their own versions but I buy mine in the coffee aisle (it's cheaper). It comes in a small glass jar labeled "instant espresso coffee".

How to Make These Cookies

Butter and sugar creamed together in a stand mixer bowl.

Cream butter and sugar.

Beat softened butter and sugar in an electric mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light, creamy, and well-combined.

Cookie dough in a bowl before adding the dry ingredients.

Add the rest of the wet ingredients.

Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until totally combined.

Chocolate spritz cookie dough in a stand mixer bowl.

Add the dry ingredients.

Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Near the end switch to light kneading with your hands (just in the bowl - not on a surface) to help it form a cohesive, smooth dough.

A variety of pressed cookies on a large sheet pan before baking.

Press cookies then bake.

Load your cookie press and press cookies onto your ungreased baking sheet (have fun choosing shapes!) then bake in a 400°F oven for 7-10 minutes or until the bottoms and edges are firm.

I own two cookie presses (told you I was a spritz cookie nerd): one with a plastic tube and the other metal. My favorite is the metal as that's the kind my mom has used my whole life (things just go smoother!), but the plastic is less expensive and more common and I wanted to double check my recipes with that kind, too. Either works well with this recipe.

These chocolate spritz cookies pictured were made using the metal cookie press (affiliate link) with the shapes that come standard with it, including, as little me called it, the hotdog, seen below.

Baked chocolate spritz cookies on a sheet pan.

Decorating Chocolate Spritz Cookies

You can choose to decorate these chocolate spritz cookies a few different ways:

Powdered sugar - Probably the easiest method (and what I often do with gingerbread spritz). Just make sure your cookies have cooled before dusting, and if freezing them, wait to add the powdered sugar until they're thawed just prior to serving.
Non-pareils or jimmies - Lightly press these sprinkles into the tops of the cookies before they bake for an easy decorating route. Be sure the sprinkles you choose are oven-safe (won't melt all over the place).
Chocolate drizzle - This is a great way to adhere sprinkle mixes that would melt in the oven. Use dark, milk, or white! Let the chocolate harden completely before storing the cookies.

A batch of chocolate spritz cookies on a plate.

Tips and Tricks

Cookie sheets - You can read all of my in-depth thoughts regarding optimizing these pretty pressed cookies in my spritz cookies post, but the TL;DR when it comes to producing precise shapes: use cold, ungreased cookie sheets, ideally ones without non-stick coating.
Make-ahead tip - While this chocolate spritz cookie dough doesn't need to chill, you can stick it in the fridge up to a day ahead of time if it's convenient for you. Let the dough sit out at room temperature for at least 20-30 minutes to soften up some so you can more easily press shapes.
Mailing friendly - These are fairly hardy cookies and make good Christmas cookies to mail around the holidays.
Freezer friendly - These cookies freeze great. Once cooled store in an air-tight container or sealable freezer bag with all excess air pressed out for three months.

More Chocolate Cookies

Did you enjoy this recipe? I’d love for you to leave a star rating and a comment review in the recipe card below!

Recipe adapted from my mom's dilapidated copy of the Betty Crocker Cooky Book. (affiliate link)

These chocolate spritz cookies also make a great dessert for Valentine's Day - see also these cutie pink ombre Valentine's Day spritz cookies. The heart-shaped disc comes in the standard metal disc set that comes with the press I use.

Recipe Ingredients