Name: Chocolate Piped Butter Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar; 1 large egg, at room temperature; 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled); 1/3 cup (27g) natural or dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk, warm (plus up to 1/2 Tablespoon extra if needed); 1 teaspoon espresso powder; 4 ounces (113g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped; maraschino cherries; sprinkles or coarse sugar

There’s something utterly delightful about these buttery little swirls, and the rich chocolate flavor just makes them irresistible. This Chocolate Piped Butter Cookies Recipe is a wonderful way to impress guests or treat yourself to a cozy afternoon snack—it’s buttery, cocoa-infused, and simply melts in your mouth.

The image shows a close-up of several chocolate swirl cookies arranged tightly. Each cookie has two main parts: a dark brown swirled base with a rough texture and the top half dipped in smooth dark chocolate. The chocolate-covered part is shiny and decorated with small red, white, and green round sprinkles. Among the cookies, a few bright red glossy cherries add a pop of color. The cookies are sitting in a white bowl on a white marbled surface, giving a clean and festive look. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Chocolate Piped Butter Cookies Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Chocolate Piped Butter Cookies Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Chocolate Piped Butter Cookies Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I still remember the first time I piped these cookies out—the swirl shapes felt so fancy, yet the recipe is surprisingly straightforward. The balance of butter and cocoa creates a tender cookie that’s anything but boring.

Simple Piping Technique: Even if you’ve never used a piping bag, the dough’s forgiving texture means you’ll get beautiful shapes with a bit of practice.
Deep Chocolate Flavor: Thanks to espresso powder, these cookies have that rich chocolate punch without tasting like coffee.
Perfect Texture: They’re delicate, buttery, and melt in your mouth rather than being too crunchy or flat.
Customizable Finishes: From dipped chocolate to sprinkles and cherries, you can dress these cookies up for any occasion.

There is a green baking tray full of twelve chocolate twist cookies arranged in neat rows on a white marbled surface. Each cookie has a rich dark brown swirl texture. Six of them have a glossy red cherry placed in the center of the swirl, adding a bright pop of color. The other six are half dipped in smooth dark chocolate coating, decorated with small red, green, and white round and rod-shaped sprinkles on top. The cookies and the small sprinkles are spread closely together, showing a festive and rich look. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Ingredients & Why They Work

All the ingredients in this Chocolate Piped Butter Cookies Recipe work together to create cookies that hold their shape, pipe beautifully, and have a deep, nuanced chocolate flavor. A few ingredients like espresso powder and the careful milk addition make a big difference, so here’s what I keep in mind when grabbing supplies.

Flat lay of a small mound of soft unsalted butter, a small white ceramic bowl of granulated sugar, one large whole brown egg, a small white ceramic bowl of pure vanilla extract, a small white ceramic bowl of all-purpose flour, a small white ceramic bowl of unsweetened cocoa powder, a small white ceramic bowl of fine salt, a small white ceramic bowl of warm milk mixed with espresso powder, a small white ceramic bowl filled with finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate pieces, a few bright red maraschino cherries, a small white ceramic bowl of colorful sprinkles placed symmetrically around, all arranged with perfect balance on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Unsalted Butter: Using high-quality butter at room temperature ensures that your cookies turn out rich and smooth without being greasy.
Granulated Sugar: Classic and perfect for creaming with butter; it adds the right sweetness and texture.
Egg: Provides structure and moisture; make sure it’s at room temp for better mixing.
Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the chocolate flavor and adds warmth to the cookie.
All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cookie its body; spooning and leveling prevents adding too much flour which can make cookies tough.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Choose either natural or Dutch-process for that deep chocolate color and flavor.
Salt: Balances sweetness and brightens the flavors.
Warm Milk: Helps achieve a pipe-able dough—add carefully, as too much will make cookies spread too much.
Espresso Powder: A small but mighty addition that deepens chocolate flavor without coffee taste.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate (optional): For dipping or drizzling, high-quality melting chocolate gives a beautiful finish.
Maraschino Cherries, Sprinkles, or Coarse Sugar (optional): Fun toppings to personalize and add color or crunch.

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Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

The beauty of this Chocolate Piped Butter Cookies Recipe is how flexible it is—you can make it all chocolatey or dress the cookies up with your favorite toppings to fit any season or mood.

Variation: I once added finely chopped toasted nuts on top just before baking and loved the extra crunch and flavor contrast—it’s a nice twist if you want something beyond chocolate and sprinkles.
Dairy-Free Version: Try swapping butter with coconut oil and a plant-based milk but keep mixing time short to avoid melting dough.
Seasonal Flavors: Swap the vanilla for orange zest or almond extract for festive flair around holidays.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Chocolate Piped Butter Cookies Recipe

Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar Like a Pro

Start by beating your softened butter until it’s creamy and pale—this usually takes around 2 minutes with a mixer. Then add the sugar and keep beating until you get that smooth, fluffy mix. This step is *key* to the cookies’ tender texture, so don’t rush it.

Step 2: Mix in Egg and Vanilla

Pop the egg and vanilla in, and beat again until fully combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl—it helps everything mix evenly, and you won’t get streaks of unmixed flour later.

Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients and Milk-espresso Mix

On low speed, add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Once it’s mixed in, warm your milk and dissolve espresso powder in it. Slowly add this warm mixture to the dough, beating until creamy. If you find the dough too stiff to pipe, add an extra half tablespoon of milk—just be careful not to go overboard or the cookies will spread too much.

Step 4: Pipe Away Your Cookie Swirls

Fit a large piping tip onto your bag and spoon some dough inside. Try piping a few test swirls onto your baking sheet. If the dough feels too stiff, add a little milk and mix again. When you get that smooth swirl, pipe your cookies about 3 inches apart—remember, they will spread a bit. Sprinkle in cherries or colorful toppings if you like, then chill the shaped dough in the fridge for 20–30 minutes.

Step 5: Bake and Cool

Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Bake the chilled cookies for around 12–15 minutes until the edges just set. They’ll keep their piped shape thanks to chilling, but still have that lovely soft texture. After baking, let them cool on the sheets briefly before transferring to a wire rack.

Step 6: Optional Chocolate Dip

Melt your semi-sweet chocolate carefully in short microwave bursts or a double boiler. Dip each cookie halfway, then add sprinkles if you want. Let the chocolate harden at room temp or refrigerate just to speed it up. These make extraordinary gifts or party treats!

Top Tip

I’ve made these cookies countless times, and a few tricks made all the difference for me. I want to share these tips so your first batch is as enjoyable and successful as mine.

Don’t Chill the Dough Before Piping: While chilling shaped cookies is a must, pre-chilling the dough makes it too stiff to pipe smoothly—work at room temp and tweak milk amount.
Practice Piping First: The first few cookies can be tricky and feel stiff, but the dough softens as you go and your hand loosens up too.
Use the Right Piping Tip: I recommend a large star tip like Ateco 849 or Wilton 8B for beautiful swirls.
Cool Completely Before Dipping: Warm cookies will melt the chocolate dip, making a mess—patience here pays off for neat results.

How to Serve Chocolate Piped Butter Cookies Recipe

chocolate piped cookies - Serving Suggestion

Garnishes

I love topping mine with maraschino cherries right in the center—it adds a pop of color and a burst of sweetness. Sprinkles or a dusting of coarse sugar adds playful texture and sparkle, perfect for sharing at festive gatherings.

Side Dishes

These cookies go wonderfully with a hot cup of coffee or a glass of cold milk. For a party, I like serving them alongside fresh fruit or a small board of cheeses to balance the buttery sweetness.

Creative Ways to Present

For birthdays and holidays, I’ve arranged these cookies on tiered cake stands or in decorative tins with parchment layers. Dipping half the batch in chocolate and leaving others plain creates a charming presentation with contrast.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

After baking and fully cooling, I store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies with chocolate or cherries last about 4 days this way; plain ones keep up to a week. Make sure the container keeps moisture out to maintain their tender texture.

Freezing

I’ve frozen both shaped unbaked dough and fully baked cookies. For unbaked, freeze on the tray first, then transfer to a sealed bag—when ready, bake from frozen with just a couple of extra minutes. Baked cookies freeze well, too, and thaw perfectly at room temperature.

Reheating

To warm leftovers, I use a low oven for just a few minutes or a quick zap in the microwave. This refreshes the texture and brings back that fresh-baked magic without drying them out.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use a different type of piping tip?

You absolutely can. While I recommend a large star tip for those classic swirls, a round tip or even a simple cut corner on a plastic bag works too—just expect different shapes. The dough is thick enough to hold shape well with various tips.

What if I don’t have espresso powder?

If you don’t have espresso powder, you can use a small amount of instant coffee powder dissolved in warm milk. It won’t taste like coffee but will still deepen the chocolate notes nicely. You can also skip it if needed—the cookies will still be delicious.

Can I roll out this dough and use cookie cutters?

This particular dough is quite soft and meant for piping, so it won’t hold shapes well if rolled out. For cut-out cookies, I recommend a different chocolate sugar cookie recipe designed to roll and cut, otherwise these may spread and lose their edges.

How long do the cookies last?

When stored properly in an airtight container, cookies without chocolate or cherries stay fresh up to 1 week at room temperature. Cookies with chocolate or cherries keep about 4 days at room temp, or up to a week refrigerated. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.

Final Thoughts

This Chocolate Piped Butter Cookies Recipe holds a warm place in my kitchen—it’s one of those recipes that’s both elegant and inviting. Whether it’s the comforting aroma filling the air or that perfect tender bite, I hope these cookies bring you the same joy and cozy moments they bring me. Give it a go—you might just find your new favorite chocolate butter cookie!