A recipe for Homemade Chocolate Sandwich Cookies! These dark chocolate cookies are decorated and filled with a sweet vanilla buttercream for a fun seasonal treat.
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While trying to decide on which new recipes to share for fall and Halloween this year, Claire asked to make “homemade Oreo cookies with Halloween colors.”
I have been meaning to try chocolate sandwich cookies for a while, so it was definitely the perfect idea and I am so excited with the results.
As I looked through ideas, I came across Baking a Moment’s Homemade Halloween Oreos. She used cookie stamps to design the tops of the cookies and it is such a special touch for the holiday.
I happened to have a set of cheese cutters in Halloween shapes from an onigiri set and used that to carefully press into the top of each cookie before baking (be careful to not cut all the way through).
The shortbread-like quality of the cookies hold the designs so well. I can’t wait to play around and make other varieties for throughout the year.
Assembling the Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
These cookies come together with a dark chocolate cookie base and a sweet vanilla buttercream filling.
After bringing together the cookie dough, form into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. This will make it easier to roll and cut without sticking. If still too warm to roll, refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
I rolled the chilled dough between two large sheets of parchment to create a thin and even sheet. If it continues to stick and is too difficult to roll, very lightly dust with a little more dark cocoa powder. Do not use flour or you may end up with white streaks.
I cut the cookies with a 2 1/2 inch (6 centimeter) fluted round cutter. You can make them smaller or slightly larger, thicker at 1/4 inch (6 millimeter) or thinner (3 millimeter) based on personal preference. The amount of cookies and baking time may vary.
Make sure the cookies are completely cooled to room temperature before filling with the vanilla buttercream. Otherwise, the butter in the frosting will melt and soak into the cookie.
The cookies are best the day they are baked, but will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. After assembling, allow to rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour to let the filling set. It will be very soft immediately after piping.
A Few More Cookie Tips
For a more firm filling, some recipes use half butter/half vegetable shortening.
Make sure the butter is softened at room temperature before beating to create a creamy, smooth texture.
Do not pack in the flour when measuring or you may end up with too much. To measure flour, gently spoon it into the measuring cup and level with a knife without pressing down. The most accurate way to measure is by weight.
While we ran with the whole Halloween theme, these Homemade Chocolate Sandwich Cookies can easily be customized for holidays year-round or simply left with a plain white vanilla buttercream to contrast with the dark chocolate cookie for a more traditional treat.
If coloring the vanilla buttercream, only add a drop of the liquid color at a time. It won’t take much, especially if you are dividing the frosting to make multiple colors.
Black Cocoa Powder
I used dark cocoa powder to create the deep dark chocolate color and notable flavor in the Homemade Chocolate Sandwich Cookies. It can be found in the specialty baking section of some grocery stores or on Amazon: Black Cocoa Powder.
If unavailable, you can substitute with plain unsweetened cocoa powder. The color just won’t be as dark.
Looking for more recipes with dark cocoa powder?
Try my:
Homemade Chocolate Sandwich Cookies Recipe
Adapted from Baking a Moment
Homemade Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Cookies:
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) black or dark cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Vanilla Buttercream:
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 2 cups (260 grams) powdered sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) heavy cream
- Food coloring if desired
Instructions
To make the dark chocolate cookies:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, followed by the vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, dark cocoa powder, and salt. Beat into the butter mixture until just combined with no streaks remaining and a dough is formed.
- Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap and pat into a disc. Wrap in the plastic and refrigerate 1-2 hours until chilled.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Line two baking sheets with parchment or lightly grease.
- Once chilled and no longer sticky when touched, remove the dough from the plastic wrap and place between two large pieces of parchment.
- Roll the dough into a large sheet about 1/8-1/4 inch (3-6 millimeters) thick.
- Gently remove the top parchment sheet and cut the dough into circles using a plain or fluted 2 1/2 inch (6 centimeter) round cutter.
- Carefully transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) apart. If desired, stamp the top of the cookie with a design, taking care not to push all the way to the bottom.
- Collect the scraps of cookie dough and roll out again between two sheets of parchment to make more cookies. If too soft to handle, refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven until set, about 8-10 minutes.
- Allow to rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Repeat with remaining dough.
To make the Vanilla Buttercream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a large bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the salt, followed by the vanilla.
- Slowly add the heavy cream to reach desired consistency.
- If coloring the buttercream, divide the frosting evenly into three (or desired amount) bowls. Add food coloring, one drop at a time, and fold in to create the desired shade of color.
- Transfer the buttercream into piping bags or a ziplock bag with a piece of the corner snipped off.
To assemble:
- Pair together the cooled dark chocolate cookies that are similar in shape.
- Pipe the buttercream filling onto half of the bottom side of the cookies. Top, bottom side towards filling, with remaining cookies.
- Gently twist until the buttercream filling reaches the edges. Repeat with remaining pairs.
- Allow the cookies to rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour to set the filling before serving or store in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dark place for up to 3 days.
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