How to Make Chocolate-Dipped Sugar Cookies From Scratch

If you depend on those tubes of cookie dough at the supermarket to make rolled sugar cookies, it’s time you learned how to make sugar cookies from scratch! Spoiler: It’s not hard. These homemade sugar cookies can be cut into any shape you like, embossed (or not), and dipped in chocolate (or not).

Round homemade sugar cookies with embossed pattern.

How to make sugar cookies from scratch

The ingredient list for making homemade sugar cookies is basic. Measuring and mixing doesn’t take much time at all. Rolling the dough and cutting out shapes takes a bit of time, but it’s always been a social event around here. Admittedly, we only make them for holidays and special occasions, but since we can all gather around and talk while we make them, I consider it to be bonding time, too.

What I like about these is that the embossed rolling pin does the work of making them pretty. Even a simple shape like a circle looks fancy.  (And you don’t run the risk of losing a camel’s leg or a gingerbread person’s arm!)

Creaming the butter and sugar together assures that there are no butter lumps in the dough. This can be done with a stand mixer or a hand mixer, or even by hand. When making the dough by hand, I like to use a pastry blender. Once blended, you’ll add the eggs and vanilla, then mix in the dry ingredients.

You’ll need to allow time for this dough to chill. Give it a minimum of an hour in the fridge, but if you’re trying to get ahead of a long to-do list, you can make this cookie dough a couple days ahead of time.

making homemade cookies with embossed rolling pin design

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Homemade sugar cookies your way

You can use a round cookie cutter (or a highball glass) to make circles, or choose a fun shape to celebrate a special person. A baker might love this stand mixer cookie cutter and your chicken-loving friend will appreciate this one. Have fun with it — making rolled sugar cookies is such a fun family activity!

round homemade sugar cookies with embossed rolling pin design

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Working with rolled sugar cookie dough

You can re-roll the dough that remains after cutting cookie shapes, but the more you work the dough, the less tender the cookies will be. Be sure to liberally flour the rolling surface to prevent sticking.

Chocolate dipped homemade sugar cookies

These cookies are pretty as-is, but to really indulge, you can give one edge of cookies a dip in chocolate. You can also use this sugar cookie dough recipe to make this peach cookie dough tart.

homemade cookies with embossed rolling pin design chocolate dipped

★ Did you make these homemade sugar cookies? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! ★

round sugar cookies with embossed rolling pin design

Chocolate-Dipped Embossed Sugar Cookies

Yield: 30
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

What I like about these homemade sugar cookies is that the embossed rolling pin does the work of making them pretty.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup granulated organic cane sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2.75 cups unbleached organic all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

Instructions

  1. Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer, or in a large bowl  Beat in egg and vanilla. 
  2. Combine flour and baking powder. Blend dry ingredients into wet ingredients in several batches. Be sure to mix thoroughly before adding more dry ingredients.
  3. Refrigerate dough for an hour or so. 
  4. Divide dough the dough in half. Roll dough out to 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface. Use a patterned rolling pin to emboss the dough.
  5. Use a round cookie cutter or a highball glass to cut into simple circles, or use your favorite cookie cutter shapes.
  6. Place cut out cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. I like to line mine with one of these. Cool slightly then remove to wire rack. Cool completely before attempting to dip in chocolate.
  7. Pre heat oven to 400F degrees. Bake for six to ten minutes or until cookies are light brown around the edges.

To make chocolate dipped sugar cookies

  1. Melt one bag of chocolate chips in a double boiler stirring constantly. Chocolate can burn over high heat; a double boiler prevents this from happening. If you don't have a double boiler, you can set a small saucepan into a larger saucepan partly filled with water.
  2. (Be sure that you don't get any water in the chocolate.)
  3. Once the chocolate is melted, dip one edge of each cookie and set cookies onto a wire rack.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 30 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 124Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 56mgCarbohydrates: 15gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g

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About the author: Kris Bordessa is an award-winning National Geographic author and a certified Master Food Preserver. Read more about Kris and how she got started with this site here. If you want to send Kris a quick message, you can get in touch here.

12 comments… add one
  • Evie Dec 8, 2022 @ 12:40

    I love the embossed rolling but its currently unavailable. Hope it comes back soon. Cookies are beautiful without any particular effort. Excellant.

  • Clare R Dec 21, 2021 @ 20:17

    You mentioned you like to line your cookie sheets with “one of these.” One of these whats? Is parchment paper OK to use

    • AttainableSustainable Dec 23, 2021 @ 7:16

      Sorry, there is meant to be a link there. Yes, parchment paper will work great!

  • Joyce Nov 19, 2020 @ 13:31

    Dough was very dry, hoping I can roll it out.

  • Kathie Feb 21, 2019 @ 11:21

    Bought rolling pin for embossing. Can’t wait to use it.

  • Suzanne Dec 19, 2018 @ 10:17

    Aren’t Steps 6 & 7 mixed up?

    • Kris Bordessa Dec 27, 2018 @ 16:15

      There’s definitely some cut and paste errors there — thanks for alerting me to this!

  • Lisa Smith Nov 4, 2018 @ 17:10

    how much flour is 2.75?

    • Kris Bordessa Nov 4, 2018 @ 18:00

      2-3/4 cup. Fractions don’t always translate in my recipe card form!

  • Michelle Mar 24, 2018 @ 17:04

    These were so good. They were also easy to make.

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