These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a dream for any baker – rich in flavor with a perfect chewy texture. A delightful blend of deep chocolate and sweet powdered sugar, they are surprisingly simple to make, requiring just a few pantry staples and a bit of your love and time.
BEST Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a beloved treat in our kitchen, and it’s easy to see why. Their rich, deep chocolate flavor offers a satisfying indulgence for any chocolate lover. The cookies strike a delightful balance between the intense cocoa and the sweet, snowy dusting of powdered sugar, creating a taste that’s both bold and comforting.
What sets these cookies apart is their unique texture. They’re wonderfully chewy, with a slightly crisp exterior that gives way to a soft, fudgy center. This delightful contrast in textures makes each bite a delightful experience, ensuring these cookies are always a hit, whether it’s a casual family gathering or a festive holiday party.
Lastly, the ease and simplicity of making these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies add to their charm. The recipe is straightforward, using common pantry ingredients, and the process is as fun as it is simple. It’s a joy to watch these cookies transform in the oven, developing their characteristic cracks, making them as beautiful to look at as they are delicious to eat!
Why We Love These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Quick and easy prep -only takes 20 minutes.
- Easy ingredients list, using many pantry staples.
- Simple cookie recipe that’s perfect for gatherings and exchanges.
- Finished result is a beautiful cookie with the contrast of dark chocolate and bright white powdered sugar.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Vegetable oil
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Powdered sugar
Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Tools:
Chocolate Crinkle Substitutions & Additions
- CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Try adding ½ cup of milk or dark chocolate chips to this recipe.
- NUTS: Adding ½ cup of finely chopped pecans or walnuts would make these cookies taste just like the holidays and add a really nice crunch to them.
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How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
These cookies come together super easily! The preparation of the dough will only take about 20 minutes and baking will take a quick 10 minutes. You will have to wait at least 1 hour for the dough to chill, so it’s a great time to run errands or get something done around the house.
- Mix together dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, mix together wet ingredients.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Cover the bowl with plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Remove dough from the fridge and form 1 tablespoon sized cookie balls.
Pro-tip: Most Chocolate Crinkle Recipes call for the balls to be rolled in your hands. I’ve found that this is a messy process and chocolate ends up all over your hands, and also everything you touch. To prevent the mess I use a small cookie scoop and drop the cookie dough right in the powdered sugar. There is no need to roll these into perfect balls. - Drop the dough balls into the powdered sugar and roll the ball around to coat them evenly, covering all sides.
- Place each ball on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe storage
How to store chocolate crinkle cookies
Store your cooled cookies in an airtight container on the countertop or in the refrigerator. Careful when putting them into the container! You don’t want to mess up the pretty powder.
How to freeze chocolate crinkle cookies
Once placed into an airtight container, you can also pop the cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe FAQs
We made these a few times to get the crinkle just right. They should puff up and spread just enough that you can see the dark chocolate in the cracks, while the powdered sugar still stays white and beautiful. It’s important to make sure that you are using fresh baking powder! This is the secret ingredient that will ensure the cracks. The other trick is to make sure that you roll the dough balls well, and coat the entire ball evenly in powdered sugar. Then, the magic will happen while they bake.
There could be a few reasons that your chocolate crinkle cookies would turn out flat. Make sure that you let the dough chill for a full hour or more! This will help to ensure they are fluffy and chewy. Also, make sure that you use the correct amount of flour. Too little flour can cause cookies to go flat.
Yes! Chocolate crinkle cookie dough can be frozen for up to 6 months. Follow all of the instructions up until baking. When you have your dough balls rolled and coated in powdered sugar on a baking tray, place them in the freezer until they are firm. Then, transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container and store them. When ready to bake, allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator.
Your Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are done when the edges are set but the centers are slightly soft, usually after 10-12 minutes of baking.
Chewy cookies are made with ingredients that retain moisture like brown sugar, while crunchy cookies use more white sugar and are baked longer.
Yes, refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or more to enhance flavor and prevent excessive spreading during baking.
Other Easy Cookie Recipes
- Pop-Tarts Cookies
- Ginger Cookies
- Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies
- Jello Cookies
- Cookies and Cream Cookies
- Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Strawberry Pudding Cookies
Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
Coating
- ½ cup powdered sugar for coating
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl add 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Use a whisk to combine.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl add 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 3 large eggs, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/2 tsp almond extract. Use a whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or more.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silpat liner, or parchment paper.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Form 1 tbsp sized cookie balls using a 1 tbsp cookie scoop. Drop the cookie dough balls into a small bowl filled with ½ cup powdered sugar. Roll the balls to ensure all sides are covered. Place each ball on the baking sheet, evenly spaced apart. These cookies won't spread much so you can space them about an inch apart.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool 2-3 minutes before moving cookies to a wire cooling rack.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store your cooled cookies in an airtight container on the countertop or in the refrigerator. Careful when putting them into the container! You don’t want to mess up the pretty powder.
- To Freeze: Once placed into an airtight container, you can also pop the cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Most Chocolate Crinkle Recipes call for the balls to be rolled in your hands. I’ve found that this is a messy process and chocolate ends up all over your hands, and also everything you touch. To prevent the mess I use a small cookie scoop and drop the cookie dough right in the powdered sugar. There is no need to roll these into perfect balls.
