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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I have been hunting for a great Chocolate Crinkle Cookie for years after the place I used to buy them at closed down. It was a family run bakery & no one could compare to their cookies, until now. I made these, after trying many different recipes, & these are the closest to those cookies that I loved so much. I would highly recommend trying these out if you love Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, you won’t be disappointed!
Made these to add to my Christmas cookie tray – amazing!
I am visiting my family in Texas for the holidays, and have been designated the dessert maker, they will make the dinner and I do all the desserts. I will make pies and cookies galore. Will try this recipe as I had some Chocolate fudge sprinkles from our holiday parties and thought they were out of this world. Read the reviews and was wondering, do I really need to add the espresso? as I have little ones who don`t like the taste of coffee,as well as me. Loved the pictures of the kids eating the cookies, looks like my place, I have to send them outside or they will eat them as soon as they come out of the oven.
Hi Pauline, It’s perfectly fine to omit the espresso powder — I sometimes leave it out as well if I’m making these for the kids. Hope everyone enjoys, and please let me know how they turn out 🙂
So tasty with the espresso powder!
How long in advance do you suggest these can be baked?
Hi Julie, I think they keep well for a day or two — just be sure not to overcook them so they stay fudgy.
I cannot understand the problems I read here. Mine came out EXACTLY as pictured and are very good. I did not see the oven temp and cook time, so my first batch got a tad overcooked. Set it to 350* for 10 minutes and they were perfect.
Hello Jen. I’ve just made the batter for the chocolate fudge crinkles and I’m wondering if the batter is suppose resemble a cookie dough or a fudge batter? It’s a particularly wet mixture and I’m wondering if that’s how it should be. I understand it needs to be refridgerated for a few hours but I was hoping to know ahead of time as I read another person found the mix wet. Thanks in advance, Nicole
Hi Nicole, It is wet, almost like brownie batter; it should firm up in the fridge.
I have never spent so much time trying to make a batch of cookies. These will not to going on my cookie plate. They look nothing like the picture. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of adding chopped cherries to the recipe. It looked like batter and was not dark in color at all. I had hoped to freeze the dough overnight and then roll in balls and freeze. After 2 days in the freezer they are still flat as pancakes, so I lowered the temperature to 300 and baked longer, I’ve even adjusted the size of balls with no luck. I think it’s time for the trash.
Hi Melody, So sorry that you had a problem with these cookies! Because a few people had challenges with these, I retested the recipe, and made some tweaks. Please read through the updated version of the recipe if you’d like to attempt these again. Sorry again the first batch didn’t turn out so well!
When you put give the time and oven temperature are you using regular oven or convection oven. I put one cookie tray on the second rack to bottom and the other on the middle. The bottom ones burned. I left the dough over night in thefridge and they rolled nice but flattened out not like yours. What do you think I did wrong? I had enough dough for exactly 4 doz. I would like to try again.
Hi Pip, I always use a regular oven as opposed to convection. And, if the cookies are getting too well done while baking on the lower rack, rotate the cookie sheets halfway through to even things out. Also, because a few people had challenges with these cookies, I retested the recipe, and made some tweaks. Please read through the updated version of the recipe if you’d like to attempt these again. Sorry the first batch didn’t turn out so well!
Everyone loved these!
These looked so good I decided to include them in my holiday baking. But my first tray ran together! Is it because i didn’t chill the batter long enough?
Yes, Debra — that is most likely the reason.