People of the world, spice up your life! These Cayenne Chocolate Cookies take the classic chewy chocolate cookie and gives it a little extra kick! Heat from cayenne, and a well-rounded background spice from some extra cinnamon and allspice, pairs beautifully with the rich dark chocolate cookie.
Chocolate and spice goes back to the Mayan times when unsweetened cocoa was mixed with peppers and spices and served as a hot drink. Frankly, it sounds bitter and unpleasant and we’ve come a long way as a society in our hot chocolate beverages.
Ingredients
For the most part, these Mayan-inspired chocolate cookies have the standard chocolate cookie ingredients, with a few notable exceptions – cayenne pepper and a mix of other spices!
- All-purpose flour.
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder. This is also sometimes advertised as “special dark” cocoa. This more pronounced cocoa flavor stands up well to the spices. You can read more about the different varieties of cocoa powder at King Arthur Flour’s article.
- Baking powder and baking soda. A small amount of both gives us a rich and chewy cookie.
- Instant espresso powder. This is an optional ingredient, but the espresso brings out the flavor of the chocolate. You won’t actually taste the coffee flavor, you will just notice a more flavorful chocolate.
- Unsalted butter.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar. The higher ratio of brown sugar gives us that extra chewy texture we deserve in a chocolate cookie.
- Egg.
- Cayenne pepper. Cayenne is a pretty sharp “clean” spice. And by that I mean, it doesn’t that smoky undertone that some peppers have. It pairs well with chocolate and cinnamon. I do have a range included in the recipe below because I think spice level is the most subjective thing in the culinary world. I tried more than the below, but it completely overpowered the chocolate, so I think the range shown is a good balance of spice and chocolate.
- Cinnamon and allspice. Going back to the traditional Mayan hot chocolate, a blend of spices with chocolate is a balanced combination. The cinnamon and allspice help to round out the flavors so these are more than just a “spicy chocolate cookie”.
Making Cayenne Cookies
These cayenne cookies come together easily, it’s one of the reasons why I love make a quick batch of cookies. In just a few minutes and very low effort, I have dessert (or afternoon snacks) made!
Here are just a few tips for an incredible batch of cookies!
Sift ingredients. Especially when I am using flour and cocoa powder, I like to sift my ingredients. A whisk also works, but sifting really ensures you do not have any pockets of white flour in the cookies. And cocoa is notoriously clumpy as well. A quick sift will make sure all clumps are gone and the spices are nicely distributed.
Cayenne to taste. Everyone’s level of “spicy” is going to be different. These cookies are meant to be a balanced heat with very much still a sweet cookie. So for me, I like the lesser amount of the cayenne noted in the recipe. However, if you really like a kick, feel free to increase the amount.
Any more than what is listed below I believe is too spicy for a dessert and the chocolate is a little lost. But these are your cookies, I will not stop you from adding a touch extra.
Mix butter and sugars the right amount. Cookies do not need the butter and sugars to be blended and whipped quite as much as you would for something airier like a cake. Mix on high just until well blended, 2-3 minutes, to avoid flat cookies.
Use chopped chocolate. In almost all cases, except when I’m feeling a little lazier, I prefer to use chopped chocolate bars instead of chocolate chips. Chips have a lot of extra ingredients to keep the chip shape and we lose some of the taste of the chocolate.
You don’t need to get super fancy imported chocolate to level-up your game. Those chocolate baking bars right next to the chocolate chips are about the same price but are so much better!
Reserve chocolate. When making the cookie dough, keep out a handful of the chopped chocolate to place on top of the scooped cookie dough for that perfect bakery-window worthy look. When the cookies bake, the pieces on top will stay nicely in view.
Pre-scoop dough. Ok, this is just an easier life hack. Instead of scooping dough after it’s chilled and hard as a rock, scoop the dough when it’s first made and easy to handle. Then chill! If you don’t have room in the fridge for a sheet pan, scoop onto a dish and transfer to a pan when you are ready to bake. Trust me, your arm will thank me!
Chill the dough. This dough is improved by letting it sit for a bit. Think about making chili (which, yum, but I digress). When you make chili, the flavors are always better the next day because the spices have had a chance to bloom and meld making for a more well-rounded flavor. This cookie dough is the same theory.
So, you have my permission to be forgetful and let this dough hang out in the fridge for a bit longer. The butter won’t spread in the oven so you will have a thicker cookie, and it will have better flavor. Win-win!
Avoid over baking. To keep the chewy chocolate cookie texture, don’t over bake too much. It’s difficult to tell when these are done because you cannot go by sight (there’s no golden brown here!) so we rely only on texture. When the edges are set but the center still looks everrrrr soooooo doughy, it’s time to pull!
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope, if you aren’t a spice lover, leave the cayenne at the door! I would increase the amount of cinnamon and allspice to still give you have chocolate-spiced flavor!
Absolutely! In fact, it’s better to let the dough sit a little longer in the fridge to really let the flavors meld. Make this cookie dough up to 2 days ahead in the fridge, or up to 3 months if you chill the scooped dough.
Store these in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Cayenne Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 165 g all-purpose flour
- 28 g dutch-processed cocoa
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper*
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 113 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 105 g brown sugar packed
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 113 g chopped semi-sweet chocolate 1 chocolate baking bar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk or sift together flour, cocoa, baking power and soda, spices, espresso powder (if using) and salt. Set aside.165 g all-purpose flour, 28 g dutch-processed cocoa, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper*, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon allspice, 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- In a mixing bowl, or in the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2-3 minutes. Add egg on low.113 g unsalted butter, 105 g brown sugar, 50 g granulated sugar, 1 large egg
- Slowly add the flour mixture. Once flour is mostly incorporated, stir in chopped chocolate. (If desired, reserve about a handful of chocolate for sprinkling on top of scooped cookie dough).113 g chopped semi-sweet chocolate
- Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop cookie dough using standard cookie scoops (1 1/2 tablespoons). Place reserved chopped chocolate on top if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.**
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350℉ (175℃). Bake for 9-11 minutes, until edges are set but center is still soft. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
Notes
- *Cayenne amount is per spice preference. The smaller amount will be a subtler heat.
- **Longer chilling time will allow the spices to meld better.
- Store baked cookies at room temperature in air-tight container for up to 5 days.
- Unbaked scooped cookie dough can be frozen in ziplock bag for up to three months. Bake from frozen adding an additional 1-2 minutes to baking time.
Disclaimer: We test all recipes using the metric weights shown, we cannot guarantee outcomes when switching to US measurements.
Other Chocolate Desserts
Looking for other chocolatey desserts? Look no further! Give the below a try!
