Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

As an experienced baker, I have a few recipes up my sleeve that are so easy to make, but the results look like they took a lot of effort. Here I am talking about my famous Chocolate Crinkle Cookies – they taste like the fudgiest, most decadent brownies, but in cookie form! Dusted with snow-white powdered sugar, these will steal the show on any Christmas dessert platter.

Since you have to chill these before baking, you’ll have to wait a bit. However, it’s the perfect opportunity to do more holiday baking! Complete your Christmas dessert spread with my dulce de leche Alfajores and cinnamon cream cheese cookies.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are one of my favorite cookies to make. They are indulgent, with a heavenly fudge-like middle I can never get enough of. They’re so delicate with the powdered sugar layer, but they also have a nice, crunchy cookie crust. Such a fun baking project too— making them is one of my favorite ways to bond as a family!

Aside from enjoying them ourselves, I also love giving these away as edible holiday gifts. These black-and-white treats look really elegant in a tin or a pretty box! Best of all, everybody loves these incredibly chocolatey cookies. Awesome not just through the holidays, but any day of the year!

Why you will love this recipe

• Make it a fun holiday tradition: This is a great way to bond with the kids. Let them roll and get their hands dirty. Or add it to the Christmas cookie list with the rest and make it an annual holiday tradition.
• They are so easy and don’t take long to make: I make the dough the night before because the dough needs to chill for at least four hours. Then, the next day, pop them in the oven for 10 minutes and eat them. They are so fudgy and delicious. Serve with a glass of milk.
• Hostess gift: These cookies are pretty enough to wrap and give for any occasion. Change the color to match the holiday, or make them as-is. They are welcome no matter what.
• The ingredients are simple: With such a simple ingredient list, you probably don’t need to go shopping. Most bakers already have these items at home, making it easy to start this recipe whenever the craving for chocolate strikes!

What is a Chocolate Crinkle Cookie?

They’re chocolate cookies with an icing sugar coating. The ideal texture is a fudgy, tender center with a crispy surface. What makes these treats special is coating balls of raw dough in a thick layer of powdered sugar right before baking. In the hot oven, the dough forms dark “crinkles” running through the white sugar powder. They turn out to look so beautiful and elegant!

What you will need

• Dry ingredients – I always use unsweetened cocoa powder because it lets me control how much sugar I add—also, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Sweetener – A combination of white and brown sugar, since the latter makes cookies moist, dense, and chewy, and gives them a caramel flavor. For a deeper, molasses-like flavor, use dark brown sugar. Plus powdered sugar for rolling the cookies into shape before baking. This deepens the color and makes the cracks more visible.
• Wet ingredients – I use vegetable oil, room-temperature eggs, and, for a pure, rich chocolate taste, melted Ghirardelli baking chocolate. For a distinctive vanilla flavor and aroma that gives the cookies a warm, sweet hint of floral essence, I use pure vanilla extract.

How to prepare

Mix: First, I mix the melted chocolate, vegetable oil, brown sugar, white sugar, and cocoa powder in my stand mixer.

Add the eggs: Then, I beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.

Dry ingredients: In another bowl, I whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. I pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat until just combined.

Chill: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill overnight (or at least four hours).

Preheat and prepare: When ready, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Place the cookies: Then, I make cookie dough balls about one and a half to two inches and roll them in a bowl of powdered sugar before placing them on the parchment paper. They should be one inch apart.

Bake and cool: After filling up the cookie sheets, I bake the cookies for 10 (for one and a half inches) to 12 (for two inches) minutes.

Cool and serve: Cool on wire racks for 15 minutes before serving.

Expert tip

How to keep the sugar bright white

An essential tip I found is to use the best-quality powdered sugar. Paying the extra dollar for the good stuff makes a difference in flavor and appearance. Another tip that I learned from a bakery owner is to roll the cookies in granulated sugar first. This helps prevent the powdered sugar from absorbing moisture before or during baking. Don’t powder them until right before they are ready to bake, either. The cookie dough will absorb the powdered sugar before it gets a chance to bake.

I also sift extra powdered sugar on top just before I put them into the oven. Don’t use your hands, because they will help the sugar dissolve. That is another tip. Keep your hands as dry as possible, and don’t handle the cookies too much, because it will dissolve the sugar as well. Finally, adding more powdered sugar is fine, but too much can make them too cakey and cause them to fall apart. 

More tips to consider:

• Chill the dough for at least four hours, but overnight is highly recommended.
• When they come out of the oven, they will be soft but will harden as they cool. The middles should stay soft.
• It is easy to tell when they are done because they start to develop those crinkle cracks on top.
• The dough should be sticky enough for the powdered sugar to stick, but not so wet that it dissolves.
• Do not handle the dough too much, or it will melt the sugar.
• Using a cookie scoop works great because all of the cookies come out the same size, so they cook evenly.
• To make chewier cookies, use more brown sugar than white granulated sugar.
• Always use thespoon-and-levell method to measure the flour for the best results.

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Add chocolate chips: For a double-chocolate cookie, add chocolate chips to the mix.
• Make them nutty: Chopped nuts are a fun way to add nuttiness to these cookies. Walnuts are perfect because they taste like walnut brownies.
• Mexican crinkle cookies: Add half a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper for a Mexican chocolate taste.
• Caffeinate them: For a caffeine boost and richer flavor, add a teaspoon of espresso powder.
• Minty crinkles: Chop up some candy canes or peppermint candies and toss them into the dough for minty crinkles.
• Give them a kiss: Place a Hershey’s Kiss on top of each cookie right after it comes out of the oven. The kids and I love this for Halloween because they look like witches’ hats.

Serving suggestions:

I enjoy these crunchy and chewy chocolate cookies dipped in my homemade hot chocolate. The adults also enjoy dipping these in this Bailey’s S’mores milkshake. It is so thick and rich, made with chocolate ice cream and Irish cream booze for an extra delicious treat. If the kids are around, leave out the booze.

For a nice brunch idea, serve these with my s’mores sliders and a warm drink like a Longo fog latte. My kids really enjoy it when I use the cookies to make ice cream sandwiches. I usually stuff Oreo ice cream in between. I’ve also tried making chocolate Oreo sandwiches by taking two cookies and adding Oreo buttercream filling. This combo is to die for.

How to store:

• Refrigerate: Store in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container.   
• Freezing: Place in freezer bags or a freezer-safe container to store in the freezer for up to four months.   
• Defrost: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for the best taste and texture.

Frequently asked questions

 

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