Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

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Satisfy your cravings with chocolate crinkle cookies—the love child of rich, fudgy brownies and chewy cookies.

chocolate crinkles on serving plate.

With their rich chocolate flavor and chewy center, chocolate crinkles are a cross between brownies and cookies. The secret to their crinkled appearance? A simple trick: rolling the dough balls in confectioners’ sugar before baking. As the cookies puff up in the oven, the powdered sugar coating cracks and reveals the dark chocolate center. For best results, be sure to let the dough chill in the refrigerator before baking. This will make it easier to handle and ensure the cookies have a perfect crinkled texture when they come out of the oven.

Often baked as classic Christmas cookies, chocolate crinkles are ideal for holiday gatherings or cookie exchanges. And if you have chocolate feens at home, be sure to also try my double chocolate chip cookies—they’re sure to make your chocoholics swoon!

“Fantastic, fudgy, chocolate cookie! Super easy to make and the kids always help.”

Victoria

What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

chocolate crinkle cookies ingredients
  • All-Purpose Flour: Provides the main structure for the cookie dough; always measure flour using the spoon-and-level method to ensure accuracy.
  • Baking Powder: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the cookies to rise.
  • Unsweetened Chocolate: Adds intense chocolate flavor to the cookies, contributing to their rich taste.
  • Butter: Provides moisture and richness to the cookies, resulting in a tender crumb.
  • Instant Coffee or Espresso Powder: Enhances the chocolate flavor, adding depth and complexity. Optional but a wonderful addition.
  • Large Eggs: Bind the ingredients together, providing structure and texture to the cookies.
  • Granulated and Dark Brown Sugar: Sweeten the dough and add moisture. The brown sugar adds a very subtle hint of caramel flavor to the cookies.
  • Vanilla Extract: Two teaspoons vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor profile, adding warmth and aroma.
  • Confectioners’ Sugar: The confectioners’/powdered sugar coats the cookies before baking, creating a crackly surface and adding a touch more sweetness.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-By-Step Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

whisked dry ingredients in bowl

Combine the chocolate and butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each bout of heat, until almost melted. The chocolate will continue to melt as it sits. (This technique ensures the chocolate mixture will not get too hot and scorch.) Add the espresso powder and stir until completely melted and smooth.

melted butter and chocolate mixture with espresso powder added

In a large bowl, combine the eggs with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.

eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla in large bowl

Whisk well to combine.

whisked egg and sugar mixture

Add the melted chocolate mixture.

whisking in the melted chocolate mixture

Whisk until evenly combined.

chocolate crinkle batter with chocolate whisked in

Add the flour mixture.

adding the flour mixture to the chocolate crinkle cookie dough

Whisk until evenly combined. (Note that the mixture will be very wet, more like cake batter than cookie dough.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until firm enough to roll, at least 2 hours or longer if necessary.

wet chocolate crinkle cookie dough before chilling

Position two racks in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and place the Confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. Roll the chilled dough into 1½-inch balls, then roll the cookie dough balls in confectioners sugar. Arrange 12 balls evenly on each baking sheet, then place remaining dough back in the refrigerator.

rolling the dough balls in confectioners' sugar

Bake the cookies for 9 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back midway through, or until puffy and almost dry between the cracks.

baked chocolate crinkle cookies on cooling rack

Cool the cookies on the pans for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough. The cookies will keep nicely in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days; freeze for longer storage. (The cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. See my tips on how to freeze cookie dough.)

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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Satisfy your cravings with chocolate crinkle cookies—the love child of rich, fudgy brownies and chewy cookies.

Servings: 48 cookies
Prep Time: 45 Minutes
Cook Time: 12 Minutes
Total Time: 60 Minutes, plus at least 2 hours to chill the dough

Ingredients

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with knife
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (best quality, such as Ghirardelli)
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder (optional)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Confectioners' sugar

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Combine the chocolate and butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each bout of heat, until almost melted. The chocolate will continue to melt as it sits. (This technique ensures the chocolate mixture will not get too hot and scorch.) Add the espresso powder and stir until completely melted and smooth.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Use a whisk to smash any lumps of brown sugar. Whisk in chocolate mixture.
  4. Add the flour mixture and whisk until evenly combined. (Note that the mixture will be very wet, more like cake batter than cookie dough.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until firm enough to roll -- at least 2 hours or longer if necessary.
  5. Position two racks in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and place the Confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Roll the chilled dough into 1½-inch balls, then roll each ball in confectioners sugar. (If the dough gets sticky, wash your hands and then dust them with confectioners sugar before proceeding.) Arrange 12 balls evenly on each baking sheet, then place remaining dough back in the refrigerator. Bake the cookies for 9 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back midway through, or until puffy and almost dry between the cracks. Cool the cookies on the pans for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
  6. Freezer-Friendly Instructions:The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Scoop the dough into balls, roll in confectioners' sugar, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To freeze after baking, let the cookies cool completely and then store in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Serving size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 100
  • Fat: 4g
  • Saturated fat: 2g
  • Carbohydrates: 16g
  • Sugar: 11g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 1g
  • Sodium: 30mg
  • Cholesterol: 21mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • I made these a few years ago, but did not keep the recipe. This recipe has more sugar than most that I have been seeing. Can the sugar be decreased at all? Thanks.

    • — Jacque on October 20, 2024
    • Reply
    • Sure, you can cut the granulated and brown sugar by 1/4 cup each. Any more than that and it will begin to impact the texture. Hope you enjoy!

  • Yum!!! So easy and so delicious! My advice though is SCOOP DON’T ROLL! Apparently, chocolate crinkle cookies can be finicky and like to be cold like pie crust. So, I chilled 3 hours then scooped with a small 2t cookie scoop four at a time directly into a shallow bowl of powdered sugar. Then, use two forks to roll them until covered and transfer to sheet with the flatter side down. I scooped and covered a dozen in five minutes this way, not rushing at all, and they came out beautifully puffed, crinkled, and delicious! They were picture perfect with no evidence of not rolling by hand. So many folks comment on this sticky messy dough, and I couldn’t tell you if it’s messy or not as I didn’t touch it until I ate it. I also put the remaining dough back in the fridge during baking and used a cool, new sheet for each batch. Honestly, so much easier than a lot of cookies as you don’t have to soften your butter, but you do need to plan ahead for chilling. Will definitely make again! Thanks for another amazing cookie! 🙂

    • — Erin on December 17, 2023
    • Reply
    • Thank you–your comment was very helpful!!

      • — Leanne on January 25, 2024
      • Reply
    • Erin…a note of “thanks” for your review. I’m making these today,and will be sure to follow your tips😊.

      Lisa in Laton

      • — Lisa on May 23, 2024
      • Reply
  • This is one of the best cookies I’ve ever had. I don’t get excited about brownies or cookies, but my daughter wanted to make these for a neighborhood Christmas drop-in we hosted. They were one of everyone’s favorite cookie and we haven’t stopped talking about how good they are!

    • — Andrea Spears on December 14, 2023
    • Reply

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