Chocolate Chip Cut Out Cookies

Chocolate chip cut out cookies made in an 8×8-inch brownie pan. Use cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes, even hearts for Valentine’s Day. If you put an engagement ring in one, you just might get a yes!

Chocolate Chip Cut Out Cookies

If there’s anything we can do to make chewy, soft chocolate chip cookies any better, it’s cut out cute shapes, am I right? We typically cut out hearts, but this recipe is so customizable–you can use any seasonal cutter. This year, we’re doing unicorns for my daughter’s birthday party favor bags, of course.

These chocolate chip cookies are pressed flat into a 8×8-inch brownie pan, and then baked until they’re just golden brown around the edges. If you look closely in the photo below, you can see how the edges are slightly golden brown while the centers stay a slightly lighter shade of brown. This is the ideal bake on your cut out chocolate chip cookies.

I want to mention that these are slightly different than my chocolate chip cookie bars, because those are meant to be slightly softer when sliced. The bars are meant to maximize the gooey-ness that is the best part of a chocolate chip cookie. These cut out cookies are slightly firmer so that they’re sure to hold their shape when cut. While they’re not as gooey, they are definitely chewy, thick and rich!

Cookie cutter chocolate chip cookies ingredients:

• unsalted butter: at room temperature for easy creaming, please
• brown sugar: I use light brown sugar here, because it has slightly less molasses than dark brown sugar, and these cookies are plenty chewy when baked in a small pan.
• granulated sugar
• egg
• vanilla extract 
• all-purpose flour
• fine sea salt
• instant espresso powder: Adding instant espresso powder to these cookies is completely optional, but the espresso enhances the chocolate flavor. No, the cookies don’t taste like coffee at the end–they just taste even richer.
• baking powder
• baking soda
• chocolate chips: I prefer dark chocolate chips for this recipe, but milk chocolate chips are super sweet and are great here–it really depends on your taste buds.
• optional ingredients: Nutella for frosting, sprinkles, and big flaky sea salt (like Maldon) for serving.

Normally, cut-out cookies require chill time, rolling, cutting, and fancy decorating. But these cookies, no way! You make a standard batch of chocolate chip cookie dough, press it in an 8×8″ brownie pan, bake, and cut out hearts. It’s so easy! The only caveat is that the cookies need to be cooled in before cutting out–just so they definitely hold their shape for you.

How to make chocolate chip cut out cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 and spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray lightly.
2. Cream the softened butter in a bowl with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 1 minute using an electric hand mixer.
3. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until combined.
4. Sprinkle the flour, salt, instant espresso powder, baking powder, and baking soda evenly over everything in the bowl. Beat just until combined, but do not overtax so the cookies stay tender.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips.
6.  Scrape the batter into the pan, and bake for 15 minutes. Ensure the edges of the cookie are golden brown before removing from the oven.
7. Let the cookies cool completely in the pan before attempting to cut out any shapes. Decorate cookies (completely optional) after cutting them out.

If you’re wondering what to do with the cookie scraps, I say snack on them! Or, you can use them to decorate my cookie dough cake for a special occasion!

If you’re looking for typical cut out cookies, my cut out sugar cookies are fun in any shape. I also have to admit that I make my gingerbread cut out cookies any day of the year. My kids love the spicy ginger flavor, and I think they’re great with tea in the afternoon.

These heart-shaped cookie cutters can be found almost anywhere–try the baking aisle in your grocery store for seasonal ones.

I want to suggest that you plop a diamond engagement ring into the center of one of the cookies for Valentine’s Day. This is a proposal that I would absolutely say yes to, and so I know your special someone would, too! This is definitely the time to be fancy and sprinkle on some salt! You can find big flaky salt at the store, too.

You could also plop a ring in the center of my mini chocolate chip cookie cake for two!

If you’re making these for someone who is a big chocolate lover, you’re probably going to want to frost the cookies. Do not worry-I’m not going to ask you to make chocolate frosting. It can be kind of intimidating because the butter has to be the perfect temperature. Instead, we’re going to crack open a jar of Nutella and use that as frosting. Delicious, simple, and did I say delicious?

If you love frosted cookies, my chocolate sugar cookies are another great option here for a special occasion.

When these cut out chocolate chip cookies are frosted, any type of festive sprinkles will stick to them. We always reach for more hearts, because my daughter is at that age where everything cute, heart, and pink is her favorite.

Other recipes with chocolate chips that you may love:

• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Chocolate Chip Scones
• Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you use these cookie cutter chocolate chip cookies for a special occasion and get a ‘yes!’ or an ‘I love you,’ will you please write to me and tell me? It would absolutely make my day! I love when cookies are used to express love!

I would love the chance to mention my friend Marissa Allen’s cookie shop here. It’s called Cookie Society, and it’s right down the road from me. She opened a few weeks before the p-ndemic started, and we are so happy to watch her thrive and succeed. She even got on Oprah’s list of Favorite Things. And luckily for you, she ships nationwide! I bake a lot of my own cookies, but not a week goes by that I don’t stop at Cookie Society for a box of Marissa’s cookies. I can actually taste the love in the cookies!