Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
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Satisfy your cravings with chocolate crinkle cookies—the love child of rich, fudgy brownies and chewy cookies.
With their rich chocolate flavor and chewy center, chocolate crinkles are a cross between a brownie and a cookie. 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 sugar cracks and reveals the dark chocolate center. For best results, be sure to make the dough a few hours ahead of time and chill it in the refrigerator before baking. This will allow the dough to firm up, making it easier to roll and ensuring that the cookies have a perfect crinkled texture when they come out of the oven.
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
Whisk well to combine.
Add the melted chocolate mixture.
Whisk until evenly combined.
Add the flour mixture.
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.
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.
You may also like
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans
- Double Chocolate Mint Cookies
- Double Chocolate Meringue Cookies
- Blobbs
- Double Chocolate Skillet Cookie
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Satisfy your cravings with chocolate crinkle cookies—the love child of rich, fudgy brownies and chewy cookies.
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
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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- 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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Can I chill the dough for 24 hours? I don’t plan on baking them till tomorrow.
Sure!
These cookies were very easy to make and turned out beautifully! I used only 4 oz. of chocolate because I didn’t realize the Ghiardelli bar I purchased was only 4 oz., not 5 oz.! I omitted the espresso powder because I forgot to purchase it, and chilled the dough overnight. My oven required that I bake the cookies a little longer than 12 minutes for the cracks to be almost dry. They taste delicious! Will definitely bake these again.
Hi Jenn
Can we use unsweetened cocoa powder instead of chocolate bars. If we can in which step can we add it .
Thank you!
Nadira
I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!
Hi Jenn! First of all, I wan’t to say I’m a huge fan of your recipes and that I’ve loved every recipe I have ever made (literally I’ve cooked all of your soups and most of your pies/cakes/tarts) . However these cookies went directly to the trash can. I followed the recipe exactly and froze the batter for 4 hours. The batter was firm enough to roll and the cookies had a good start in the oven; nevertheless they came out completely flat and not as dark (I used 86% Ghirardelli chocolate bar). For my second tray I figured out to put the balls in a cupcake tray so that at least they wouldn’t flatten all the way through. They didn’t look as bad as the others, but once I pulled them out of the oven they deflated completely; so, in the end, I had 1mm pancakes and deflated chocolate cups.
I thought “at least they’ll taste good”; but as it turns out, they didn’t even have a good taste. I found they were lacking a real chocolate punch and they were a bit acidic, not sweet….
Even my dad who loves everything that has anything to do with chocolate agreed to toss them out. Completely heartbroken 🙁
Do you think it is possible you used baking soda instead of baking powder? The baking soda would attribute to the acidic flavor and flatness, whereas baking powder would indeed help to puff the cookie and create the rise that baking soda does not do.
Mine started out the right dollop shape, but came out flat as pancakes after 9 minutes. What did I do wrong?
PS. happy holidays Jenn.
I’m sorry you had a problem with these! Did you chill the dough for at least 2 hours?
Yes, for 2 1/2 hours. I wonder if it’s because I used a butter substitute instead of real butter?
Yep, that would explain it. Hope you were able to enjoy them anyway!
Doh, sorry Jenn, should have followed your recipe. They tasted good anyway!
You mentioned to set your oven racks to upper and lower thirds of oven but which rack should you use to place the cookie tray? Should it be the top or lower rack?
Hi Ann, So sorry for the confusion! You’re meant to use both racks for cooking more than one sheet of cookies at a time. If you’re only baking one sheet at a time, use the middle rack. Hope that clarifies!
Have you tried making these with peppermint extract for chocolate peppermint cookies? I found another recipe that recommends 1/2 tsp. for similar cookies.
Hi Allison, I haven’t made these with peppermint extract, but think it would be a nice twist. Please LMK how they turn out if you try them this way!
Hi Jen, wanted to make the chocolate crinkle cookies. I have Medaglia D’Oro espresso Italia Roast ground coffee. Is that the same as espresso powder? Not sure if it would dissolve.
Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes and for answering all of our questions. I LOVE your cookbook!
Hi Dot, I don’t think it’s the same. I’d leave it out; the cookies will still be delicious. ❤️
Do I need to add extra flour if I live in high elevation (6035′)? I am making a handful of your cookies this Christmas.
What happens if I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter?
Can I substitute light brown sugar for dark brown sugar?
Hi Deb, I don’t have experience baking at high altitudes so, unfortunately, I don’t have any wisdom to share – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful though. Yes, you can use light brown instead of dark brown sugar. And regarding the butter, while it varies by brand, most salted butter has approximately 1/4 tsp. salt per stick, so you can use the salted butter and reduce the salt in the recipe as needed. Hope that helps!
Love, love, love all your recipes!! Your cookbook is one of my favorites! Can I make the dough then leave it in the refrigerator overnight and bake them the next day?
Sure, Kathy – that’s fine.
I read a different recipe for this cookie & what intrigued me was….roll the dough balls in granulated sugar FIRST…then confectionery sugar. The purpose is the confectionery sugar will stick better. Have you heard of this process & does it work? Again, many thanks for your fab web-site. Merry Xmas, Nancy
I can’t say I’ve heard of that method but I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it. And Merry Christmas to you! 🙂
Hi! Before I ask my question I have to say that you and your recipes are absolutely amazing! I never go anywhere but to your website when I need a recipe or inspiration for a meal.
I am going to make this dough ahead of time and freeze it. I would like to confirm that I roll the balls in the confectioners sugar before I freeze them? I can’t wait to try these!
Hi Lori, I’d wait until before you bake them to roll in the confectioners’ sugar. (And so glad you like the recipes! ❤️)
Hi Jen 🙂 Let me start by saying that my family is a big fan of your site. We have tried dozens of your recipes and loved them all. You have changed our lives by providing so many practical, tasty, foolproof recipes to choose from.
Yesterday I made a batch of these cookies as a trial for a cookie swap and they turned out perfect so can’t wait to share them with my friends. I need several dozen so wondering if you have ever used the whisk on a mix master to combine the dough or do you always make the cookie dough by hand?
Hi Noni, so glad you like the recipes!! And regarding these cookies, I do think a whisk attachment on an electric mixer will work. If you find the batter is too thick, you could always swap out the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment. Hope that helps and the cookie swap is fun!
Oops!! I bought semisweet chocolate bar by mistake. Do I need to make a trip to the store or could I get away with using it? Fyi this is for a potluck, if it was just for the family I’d give it a try!
I think it’s doable but I’d reduce the granulated sugar by 2 tablespoons to make up for the additional sweetness. Hope everyone enjoys!
These came out great. Never worked with chocolate this way, but is was pretty easy.
I just made this yesterday for the second time. My printout of the recipe says 2 C of flour, and I notice this recipe, also from your site has 2.5 cups of flour. Was this a revision of the same recipe? I know my printout is an older recipe in that I made it way back in 2012. Meanwhile, I will go ahead and rate the recipe using the 2 C of flour…very delicious, but the dough was very sticky…a very rich cookie.
Yes, if your printout was from 2012, I have updated it since then. (Some readers were having challenges with the recipe so I retested it and added another half cup of flour.) Glad to hear you enjoyed them, Karen (and sorry for any confusion)!
This is my daughter’s favorite chocolate cookie. and my husband loves them too. I tried this using a chocolate bar but i found it so sticky so I switched to using Ghirardelli 100% cocoa powder, i just mixed it to the melted butter and the results were wonderful. It was easier to roll into balls, and when it’s baked, it taste better too.
What percent cacao Ghirardelli bar did you use? There is a 100% cacao baking bar made by Ghirardelli, is that the one you recommend? I used a bittersweet baking bar and it still turned out great, just curious to know what you recommend. Thanks!
Hi Jane, Glad you enjoyed these. I use 100 percent. 🙂
We made these for Santa! My kids enjoyed making and eating them. While I liked them, they were not as fudgy as I’d hoped. I wonder if it’s because I used light brown sugar (what I had on hand) and omitted the coffee/espresso? While I’ll probably make these again, I’ll do it next time with the dark brown sugar and see how they come out. Thanks again for a lovely recipe! Santa enjoyed his cookies! 😉
Hi Anita, Try underbaking them just a bit so that they are more fudgy – and the espresso also brings out the chocolate flavor.
These were the perfect addition to my niece’s college care package! Just like brownies, but in cookie form. I’m going to try to make a tray of the dough to use as the base of a homemade ice cream sandwich. I think it will be perfect!
Delish! This cookie is a great addition to my Christmas cookie list. Moist and not too sweet, as some cookies can be. Not to mention pretty. Next time I will half the recipe because it makes more than I need.
I make over 20 gift trays of assorted cookies for family and friends. Because of this I must start baking a week ahead of time. How long will these keep in air tight cookie tins or should I bake them and freeze them until I put together the gift trays? I just put a double batch together and they are in the refrigerator cooling now. I was going to bake them in the morning.
Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes, you are my “go to” chef whenever I am looking for a recipe
Hi Margaret, they keep nicely for a day or two, so I’d suggest freezing the ones you’ve made. (The dough can also be frozen.) And glad you like the recipes! 🙂
I had great success with these cookies this evening. I prepared the dough yesterday evening and let it chill in the refrigerator for 24 hours, and it was just firm enough to roll into the balls to hold shape. Mine did puff up nicely and do taste very much like a brownie (but who could complain about that??), but overall an attractive cookie. As long as you read through the recipe before starting, these cookies will be great. Thanks Jenn!
I’ve been making this style of cookie for years following my grandmother’s recipe. She used baking cocoa and oil. I made both versions today and find both recipes delicious (I think I ate 5 in 15 minutes). I’m more likely to have baking cocoa on hand though. I do like how this batter is firmer after refrigeration which makes it less sticky for rolling. I find that the cookies have a puffier shape after baking if you don’t roll the dough until right before you’re ready to pop them into the oven.
Hi,
I made these cookies but Im not sure they came out right. They tasted like a brownie. Is that the consistency? My chocolate bar was only 4 oz so I added 3 T cocoa and 1 T oil to make an ounce of chocolate for recipe to make 5 oz total.
Please let me know
Denise
Hi Denise, It sounds like you got it right – these are similar to brownies but in a cookie form.
Unfortunately this recipe did not work for me at all, the cookies came out completely flat and light brown in color, nothing like the pictures above. Given the rave reviews I think I must have done something wrong (any ideas?) even though I followed the recipe EXACTLY..
Hi Bianca, I’m sorry these didn’t turn out for you! That’s definitely a head-scratcher – you said you followed the recipe exactly but is there any chance you could’ve made a measuring error?? I wonder that because not only should the cookies not be flat, but they should definitely be dark brown in color.
I made these chocolate crinkles without the espresso powder and everyone loved them. My daughter suggested adding mini chocolate chips and that satisfied her ultra-chocolate craving.
I am a HUGE fan, I have loved all of your recipes! But for some reasons this recipe didn’t turn out at all. I don’t know what went wrong! Only thing different I did was use semi sweet chocolate. The cookies didn’t rise or crinkle and were a light brown instead of dark. Any ideas as to what happened?
Thank you!
So sorry you had a problem with these, Katie! Did you let the dough firm up in the fridge for 2 hours?
One word: YUM!!!!
I’ve made three batches of these now, as they were finished so quickly each time! A favorite for my whole family.
Made these last week. They were fudgy and as pretty as your pictures, but I think I would prefer a darker chocolate. I used the Ghiradelli unsweetened baking bar sold at Giant. What percentage chocolate do you use?
Hi Sarah, I use the same. For a darker chocolate flavor, you might try reducing the sugar by just a bit.
I’m going to a cookie holiday exchange and would like to take this recipe and make them red velvet. Would I just add red food coloring? If so at what step in the process and how much would you recommend? I don’t trust other recipes like I trust yours. Thank you for always being so consistent with your ingredient lists and amounts. Always always spot on!
Hi Vikki, you could add red food coloring along with the eggs. Although it will give the cookies a red hue, they won’t have the same taste as traditional red velvet. (The cookies are very fudgy.) I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try them this way.
I chickened out and kept them as your recipe!! Glad I did because they turned out amazing and look so pretty. Thanks for another winner Jenn!
I wanted to let you know that I made these for a cookie contest and mine won best taste!!!
Yay!
what are the ingredients?
It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, you can click the “recipe” button right under the recipe title. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I’d like to make your Chocolate Fudge Cookies for a Cookie Exchange. I live at 7,500 ft. What modifications should I be making for altitude?
Thanks,
Petra
Hi Petra, Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with baking at high altitudes, but these tips may help. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
My grandson loves these cookies (as do I)! They really are moist and deeply chocolate – you can’t eat just one! (The only thing I do differently from the recipe is that I give them a light sprinkling of additional powdered sugar before serving.)
These are my hubby’s favorite cookie. The chocolate taste is wonderful. As soon as the first batch was done, he asked me to make more.
I love these cookies! However I use the recipe from cooks illustrated and it has a helpful tip for you to add! If you roll the dough in granulated sugar first then in the powdered sugar they come out perfectly! This allows the powdered sugar to stay unmelted in appearance and the taste is awesome. There recipe is also slightly different so check it out!
We made these for part of our Christmas cookie trays and they were so chocolatey and delicious! Super easy and looked so pretty. A real good recipe when you are having the kids help. Thank you Jenn!
Can you add chocolate chips? My husband remembers his mom making chocolate crinkle cookies with chocolate chips in them. Thanks
Hi Lisa, I haven’t tried the cookies with chocolate chips, but a few readers have commented that they’ve added them with good results. LMK how they turn out!
Do these freeze well once baked? Need to make for someone who will stick in their freezer and pull out as needed to help them through an illness (chemo treatment)…would these be good candidates for this or perhaps the chocolate chunk or chocolate chip with cream cheese in batter? Don’t want them to dry out, loose their flavor, etc.
I do think they’d freeze well, Diane. You could also freeze the dough balls so they could be baked fresh anytime.
Great to know. Thanks so much!
That is a great suggestion!
I gave these as presents to neighbors and co-workers with reference to your website. They couldn’t believe how something so delicious and pretty was fun and easy to make.
Mine did not puff up or crinkle like the pictures. To my knowledge, the only thing I did a little differently than the recipe was to use powder fine ground up coffee beans. Would that have made a difference? They taste very good, although not really much better than a good brownie recipe. However, it is a lot more work to spoon them out individually rather than putting the browning batter in one pan.
swoon! these are melt in your mouth, make your toes curl, and your heart skip a beat…. delicious! I followed the recipe.. using SCHARFFEN BERGER 90% unsweetened dark chocolate. And… instead of using my hands, I used a small scoop for the dough and then a fork to push it around in the powdered sugar so that my hands wouldn’t soften the dough
Can i use powdered cocoa for this instead of chopped chocolate?
Hi Donna, Chopped chocolate is what makes these so much better than most crinkle cookies out there. Sorry!
Please can I have the metric recipe. I am in the UK and do not know what a stick of butter is!
Hi Sarah, I just added them. Please let me know if there are any other recipes you need conversions for. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Thank you!
These are the best chocolate crinkles ever!! They turn out just like the picture!! Simply beautiful…Since they only last a day or two, I decided to freeze the rest, single layer…My husband suggested adding some nuts?
Wow! These are BY FAR the best chocolate crinkles ever! The coffee gives them a very deep, rich flavor. I will make these again and again! I made them for my book club last night and everyone raved about them. By the way 3 of us in the book club are Once Upon A Chef followers. The followers were not surprised that this was your recipe.
These are amazing! They are the best crinkles I have EVER had. The key is tons of chocolate and some coffee also. Deep, rich, full flavor. No whimpy crinkles here!
I’ve tried several recipes for this cookie and yours is the most fantastic! The second time, I added some mini choc. chips….not a good idea, as they keep the cookie from rising, and spread too much. I’m a dark chocolate fanatic and these really fit the bill. Great job, ….
Oh I forgot….I added 1/3 C mini chocolate chips, omitted espresso, and let chill overnight. Thanks again.
I give this 5 stars…I have tried several crinkle recipes, and this is the first to turn out exactly as it shows and to my enjoyment. I use an Oster countertop oven, because my baking is just for me, and no need to use the big one. Yours is the first not to specify any flattening, and to use real chocolate instead of cocoa. First batch, I halved, to try, and it came out perfect. Thanks so much for coming along…I was almost ready to give up, and tired of wasting products.