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 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 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.
Often baked as classic Christmas cookies, chocolate crinkles are ideal for holiday gatherings or cookie exchanges. And if you have a chocolate feen or (feens!) in the house, be sure to also check out my blobbs and double chocolate chip cookies—they’re sure to make any chocolate fan swoon!
“Fantastic, fudgy, chocolate cookie! Super easy to make and the kids always help.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the main structure for the cookie dough, ensuring proper texture and consistency.
- 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
Note: When planning to make these cookies, keep in mind the total time required, which includes prep and cook time plus two hours for the dough to chill in the fridge.
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 the cookie dough balls in confectioners sugar. (There’s no need for a cookie scoop here; 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 wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
Make Ahead, Freezing & Storage Instructions
The cookies will keep nicely in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Additionally, 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 freezer 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. If you like to get ahead when baking, check out some helpful tips on how to freeze cookie dough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Baking at a high altitude requires adjustments for the best results. This baking tips post has some guidelines for tweaks you’ll need to make (in addition to a variety of other general tips to help you avoid baking mistakes).
To get picture perfect cookies, I strongly recommend chilling the dough for at least 2 hours before baking them. This allows the dough to firm up, making it easier to roll, and ensures the cookies have a wonderful crinkled texture when they come out of the oven.
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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! 🙂