These chocolate molded cookies look so elegant and dramatic you wouldn't guess just how easy they are to make. They are perfect for gifting, or enjoying as a cozy afternoon treat.
I love making these to bring to a girls night or as gifts for teachers. They sure make whoever is on the receiving end feel extra special.
The dough for these chocolate molded cookies is smooth, rich, and easy to work with - soft enough to press neatly into molds, yet firm enough to hold its shape once released. It has a deep cocoa flavor and a buttery base that bakes into cookies with clean edges and a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
This dough is versatile too - perfect for wooden molds, stamps, thumbprint cookies, or simple cut-out shapes if you want a classic look without the mold.
These chocolate molded cookies use a similar dough to my vanilla molded cookies, or my gingerbread molded cookies, and were equally inspired by the beautiful tradition of molded cookies from countries like Germany with their anise-flavored Springerle, the Netherlands with their spiced Speculaas, among others.
The deep chocolate flavor of this dough is a fun twist on this traditional type of cookies.
I can't get over how beautiful and fancy these cookies look - and they taste even better. The dough holds its shape perfectly as it bakes, capturing every tiny detail of the mold.
I especially love the vintage charm that comes from the light dusting of flour, giving them that timeless, heirloom feel straight out of an old-world bakery.
Jump to:
- Ingredients For Chocolate Molded Cookies
- Choosing and Using Cookie Molds
- Care and use tips
- Secrets For Perfect Chocolate Molded Cookies
- Equipment Needed To Make Chocolate Molded Cookies
- Key Steps To Make Chocolate Molded Cookies
- Storage
- Make Ahead Instructions
- Substitutions
- FAQ
- Chocolate molded cookies
- Related Recipes
- subscribe to get my recipes
Ingredients For Chocolate Molded Cookies
This recipe uses simple pantry ingredients, but each one has a purpose in giving the cookies their rich flavor and perfect structure. Butter adds softness and flavor, sugar and vanilla give sweetness and help create the perfect texture, while eggs bring the dough together. Dutch-Process cocoa powder is where the magic happens, giving that dark, chocolatey taste while keeping the dough soft and pliable. Flour provides structure, baking powder gives a little lift, and salt balances all the flavors.
- Unsalted butter
- Dark brown sugar
- White granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla paste or extract
- All-purpose flour
- Dutch process cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Salt
See recipe card for quantities.
Choosing and Using Cookie Molds
When it comes to molded cookies like these, the mold you use plays a huge role in both appearance and ease of making.
Traditionally, molds were hand-carved from solid wood. Nowadays, you'll find three main styles:
- Wooden molds, which deliver beautiful detail, hold up well, and develop a lovely patina over time.
- Silicone molds, which are flexible and easy to pop cookies out of, though they may lack the depth and traditional look of wood.
- Plastic or resin molds, which are budget-friendly, but often less sharp in design detail or durable for repeated use.
With the right mold, your chocolate-molded cookies will not only taste amazing but look like they were pulled from a European bakery's display case.
Here are the links to the molds I used for this recipe pictures:
Here are some other cookie molds I own. Keep in mind sometimes Amazon changes links to products, specially if they are not currently available.
- All seasons: Set of 3: heart, wreath, and couronne
- Winter: Set of 2 Snowflakes, Gingerbread house, Set of 2: pinecone and pine tree,
- Spring: Set of 2 eggs, Easter bunny
- Fall: Pumpkin, Set of 4 (Jack-o-lantern, skull, bat, spider),
Care and use tips
- For wooden molds: Lightly coat them with a bit of vegetable oil once, then dust with flour each time before pressing in dough to help the cookie release cleanly.
- Keep dough cool and slightly firm before pressing-warmer dough may leak and lose crisp detail.
- Clean wooden molds gently with a brush-avoid soaking them, as water can warp or crack the wood.
- For display or gifting: some vintage decorative molds double as wall art when not in use.
Secrets For Perfect Chocolate Molded Cookies
Molded cookies are all about texture and temperature. The dough should be soft enough to press easily into the mold but firm enough to release cleanly and bake without spreading - that balance is key.
Always start by lightly greasing your wooden mold with a dash of oil, either sprayed or brushed. Before pressing in each piece of cookie dough, lightly flour your molds, making sure to tap out any excess.
Work with small pieces of dough at a time and keep the rest covered to prevent drying. If your kitchen is warm, you might want to keep the dough covered in the fridge and bring out the pieces as you mold the cookies, to help the designs stay sharp.
Once shaped, let the cookies rest covered on the baking tray in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before baking. This helps the butter firm up, preventing spreading and preserving those beautiful details.
And to ensure they stay soft for days, don't overbake - pull them out when the edges are set and the surface starts to look matte.
Equipment Needed To Make Chocolate Molded Cookies
This dough comes together super easily by hand, but I love using my handheld cordless mixer to cream the butter and sugars evenly and to properly incorporate the eggs and vanilla.
If you want to make sure you get the same results as me, I recommend using a kitchen scale and the recipe in grams, but using cups/spoons is fine too. Totally up to you 🙂
Equipment you'll need:
- kitchen scale
- cordless mixer
- large bowl
- set of measuring cups and tablespoons
- sturdy spatula (I love the one in this set)
- container for chilling the cookie dough
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- cooling rack
- oven thermometer
Key Steps To Make Chocolate Molded Cookies
From pressing into the molds to tapping them out, these steps will guide you through shaping your cookies so they come out looking just as beautiful as they taste.
After mixing all the ingredients, the dough might look a little sticky.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before portioning. Alternatively, you can transfer the dough to a lightly greased square or rectangular container with a lid. This will help you easily divide the dough later.
Bring the dough out of the fridge and dump it onto a lightly floured counter and bring it together gently with your hands.
You see a lot of flour on my counter because I use the extra flour to dust my mold after shaping each cookie.
Divide the dough into 16 portions of about 42 grams each.
Lightly brush or spray a tiny amount of oil onto the mold, just enough to create a thin sheen.
Dust the mold with flour and move the mold around so every crevice is evenly coated.
Tap the mold gently on the counter to remove any excess flour.
Place one portion of dough onto the mold and press it gently, starting from the center and moving toward the edges, making sure the dough fills all the details.
Use your fingers to gently lift around the edges
Turn the mold upside down and lightly tap it on your hand or on the counter to release the cookie. Place each shaped cookie on a lined baking sheet.
See recipe card for detailed step by step instructions.
Top with jam or other toppings
Some molds naturally create a small hollow or valley in the center - perfect for filling with a little jam, ganache, caramel, or any topping you like after baking.
This dough is also versatile enough for thumbprint-style cookies: simply press an indentation in the center before baking, then spoon in your favorite filling once they've cooled or right before serving.
Storage
Once baked and cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They will stay crisp on the outside and tender inside.
For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature when ready to serve.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can easily make this dough ahead of time. Once mixed, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
If you'd like to store it longer, shape the cookies first, freeze them flat on a tray until firm, then transfer to an airtight container for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, let the frozen cookies rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes (no need to thaw completely), then bake as directed in the recipe, but adding 2-3 minutes to the total bake time.
Substitutions
You can absolutely make this recipe your own, but it's worth remembering that every change, even a small one, will influence the final texture, flavor, and color.
If you prefer to bake dairy-free or egg-free, vegan butter and egg replacements will work, though the cookies may bake a little differently - often spreading a touch more and developing a slightly softer crumb.
Different sugars can be used too, but they'll noticeably change the outcome. Dark brown sugar will give a deeper, more caramelized flavor and darker hue, while white sugar creates a lighter color and crisp edges. The combination in this recipe gives the best balance of flavor and texture.
For cocoa, both natural and Dutch-process varieties work - natural cocoa adds a bit of tang and lighter color, while Dutch-process yields that deep, velvety chocolate tone and smooth flavor most bakeries go for.
If you're tempted to experiment with different flours, keep in mind that results will vary. All-purpose flour is ideal here; bread flour tends to make cookies tougher, so it's best to skip it.
Want to make a sourdough version? Instead of 2 eggs, use one egg + one egg yolk. Add 50 grams of active sourdough starter, and let the dough rest in the fridge for at least 8 hours. This resting time allows gentle fermentation that enhances both flavor and texture.
FAQ
Check out my Cookie FAQ and Troubleshooting Guide
Before you start making this or any other type of cookies, make sure to check out my Cookie FAQ and Troubleshooting Guide, covering everything from ingredient swaps and techniques to chilling times and common baking issues. Reading this guide will help you avoid common mistakes so you can achieve the same results you see in the pictures.
Lightly flour the mold and press the dough from the center outward. If it still sticks, chill the dough for 10-15 minutes to firm it up.
Absolutely. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, cut into shapes, and bake - the flavor and texture stay the same.
Yes! Once cooled, they're perfect for filling, dipping, or drizzling with chocolate or glaze. I love how some bakers might paint details on the raised designs with edible food coloring once the cookies are baked and cooled.
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Chocolate molded cookies
Ingredients
- 113 grams (½ cup) unsalted butter at 65°F (18°C)
- 100 grams (½ cup) white sugar
- 60 grams (¼ cup) dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 5 grams (1 teaspoon) vanilla paste or extract
- 270 grams (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour
- 30 grams (¼ cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 3 grams (¾ teaspoon) baking powder
- 2 grams (½ teaspoon) sea salt
Instructions
To Make The Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and mix until smooth, then add the vanilla and mix again until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before portioning.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare The Mold
- Lightly brush or spray a tiny amount of oil onto the mold, just enough to create a thin sheen.
Molding the Cookies
- Bring the dough out of the fridge and dump it onto a lightly floured counter and bring it together gently with your hands.
- Divide the dough into 16 portions of about 42 grams each. Shape each piece as desired to match your mold - typically into balls, squares or rectangles.
- Dust the mold with flour and move the mold around so every crevice is evenly coated. Tap the mold gently on the counter to remove any excess flour.
- Place one portion of dough onto the mold and press it gently, starting from the center and moving toward the edges, making sure the dough fills all the details.
- Use your fingers to gently lift around the edges
- Turn the mold upside down and lightly tap it on your hand or on the counter to release the cookie.
- Transfer the shaped cookie to the lined baking sheet. Use a small silicon brush to gently brush any excess flour off from the top of shaped cookies.
- Repeat steps 3 to 7 with the remaining pieces of dough. Leave at least 2 inches between each cookie on the baking sheet.
- Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the surface starts to look matte.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before adding any toppings and wait 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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