Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are chewy chocolate cookies that are perfect for holiday gatherings and cookie exchanges. Rich, dark chocolate cookies coated in bright white powdered sugar make for a pretty cookie that’s surprisingly easy to make!
Table of Contents
- Fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Why We Love This Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe
- Ingredients / Shopping List
- Substitutions and Additions
- Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Storage Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Other Easy Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies have become a cookie recipe that I make every year around the holidays. These cookies are so easy to make, and delicious, too! The cracked, chewy chocolate cookies topped with sweet powdered sugar are so pretty.
These cookies look like they would take a while to make because they are so striking, but in reality, they couldn’t be easier. The magic comes when they bake. The cracks happen all on their own and give them their gorgeous appearance. Plus, they are absolutely delicious -the perfect chewy, chocolate cookie.
Why We Love This Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe
- 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.
Ingredients / Shopping List
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Vegetable oil
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Powdered sugar
Substitutions and 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.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Cookie scoop
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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.
Storage Tips
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
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.
