Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
For all of the Christmas cookies, candy and goodies that my family has always made for the holidays, somehow crinkle cookies have never been something to show up on cookie trays. I guess we’re always a little too occupied with peanut butter blossoms, snowballs, buckeyes, pizzelle, biscotti and peppermint bark. Those beautiful powdered sugar-covered chocolate crinkle cookies have always been something that I wanted to try and I finally put them on my baking list for this year. If I had known how easy they were to make (no electric mixer required!) and how absolutely phenomenal they tasted, I would have started making them years ago.
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While I love my KitchenAid mixer, I am a huge fan of any recipe that can be made with a couple of bowls, a whisk and a spatula. These cookies fit the bill and the resulting flavor is outstanding. The cookies themselves taste like dense, fudge-like brownies, and the dusting of powdered sugar looks like a fresh snowfall (which I am still impatiently waiting for!).
Are you a crinkle cookie newbie or have you been making them for years? If they’re not part of your holiday repertoire yet, add them to your baking list immediately. Do as I say, not as I do!
One year ago: Classic Thumbprint Cookies
Five years ago: Date Nut Spice Bread
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (43 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1½ cups (330 g) light brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Whisk together the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Combine the unsweetened chocolate and butter in a small bowl and microwave at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until combined. Fold in the flour mixture until no dry streaks remain. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Place the granulated sugar and powdered sugar in separate shallow bowls. Working with 2 tablespoons dough (or a medium cookie scoop) at a time, roll into balls. Drop dough balls directly into granulated sugar and roll to coat. Transfer dough balls to powdered sugar and roll to coat evenly. Evenly space the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until puffed and cracked and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), about 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cool completely on sheet before serving. The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
These are some of my favorite, classic cookies. I always make a triple batch and refrigerate the dough (heck, when it’s cold enough outside I just leave the covered bowl on the car in the garage) They are on my list for this weekend.
HELP! While the tasted great, mine were too soft (even after the 10 minutes) to roll into balls. Any suggestions? I would love to make them again and add them to my holiday baking list.
This happened to me as well! There was very little chance of rolling them!
In the past when I’ve used a similar recipe, I chilled the dough in the fridge for up to 2 hours before forming into balls, and then kept the dough in the fridge between batches! I hope this helps!
yes, thanks for confirming that. I will definitely make them again. Even without the rolling, they tasted really good!
I just made the batter, waited the 10 minutes and mine are way too soft to roll into balls, too. I’m going to try putting the batter in the fridge for a while. I’m hoping that works. Fingers crossed!
Made them again yesterday after refrigerating the dough-OMG!!! So good-and now one of my favorites. I didn’t time how long I had them in for, but any baker can really judge that anyway. I could actually put them in my hand with no problem and they tasted amazing!!!
I have made these for years! They are my son’s favorites and I have to make a batch just for him, otherwise he doesn’t get any! One of my best cookies ever!
Michelle,
The cookies look delicious. My Mom loves these cookies too.
Annamaria
Do you know if the dough for these should be frozen after it’s formed into balls?
Hi Sierra, No, they should not be frozen. However, if you’d like to freeze for future use, that might be okay. I haven’t baked them from frozen so I can’t say for sure.
This is the worse recipe, my dough came out runny
The dough is SUPPOSED to be that way. That’s why it said to drop the dough balls directly into the rolling sugar. Once you coat it in the granulated you can better mold it into a ball before dropping in the powdered. My dough was wet as well, and these came out perfectly!
People need to READ the recipe before getting all bent out of shape.
These are my all-time favorite cookie!! And I must say one of the best cookie doughs ever!! Half of the dough baked and half raw! Yum!
Yummy!
These cookies are beautiful, and so festive looking! The sugar crinkles look like glittery holiday decorations. This recipe looks good and easy to make!
I’ve grown up on these amazing cookies! Glad you love them as much as I do.
Yum! These cookies look amazing, Michelle!
Are these cookies okay to freeze?
Yes, definitely!
I have made the Cook’s Illustrated recipe you referenced here. I used 3t of espresso in addition to the original ingredients. This recipe is far better than my old recipe…softer and more chocolaty. I only baked them for 10 minutes. They also freeze well.
I discovered these a couple years ago (don’t know how I’ve missed them for so long?) and their
definitely a favorite for my husband and I.
(grandkids too) So pretty sitting on a plate…..but so addicting that they don’t last long!
Delish! Next time I will sift the dry ingredients first. (Have some dry cocoa powder balls in the cookie)
They look truly delicious
I LOVE crinkle cookies, but they never make it onto our holiday cookie platter, either! I’ll have to change that this year :)
My babysitter gave us a recipe for chocolate snappers when I was 2, so we’ve been making them for 32 years! They’re similar to crinkle cookies but with a crisp texture, rolled in granulated sugar, and have a hint of cinnamon. It wouldn’t be Christmas without them!
A wonderful classic cookie! Always so pretty and so delicious!
These are so very good! I have been making them for years using the recipe found in a Betty Crocker cookbook that my mom had. I won a blue ribbon with them in the county fair in the 70’s! Wow, does that bring back memories…
I have made them two times at least. I know the recipe is much different. Will have to find it to see how much but know I could keep the dough cold and make a batch anytime I wanted. It made a lot.
Are you saying keep the dough on the fridge for some days? That would be great if it doesn’t go off and if the dough doesn’t go hard and unmanageable ?
Yes, have been making these for ages-they ARE great.
But love your buckeyes even more!! -Everyone does.
Need to give you white bark balls recipe.
Do you have that one?
Hi Rena, I have never heart of white bark balls!
Should I send you the recipe?
Sure!
Are these pretty soft or are they crispy? I have had soft/chewy crinkles which taste divine. I have had crispy ones that I haven’t liked nearly as much. You said these are fudge – like so I am thinking (hoping) they are soft. Thanks!
Hi Laura, They are definitely soft!
Everyone in the family gets one “must have” for our Christmas baking and this is the only one my son requests. I have always used a recipe from the old Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book that my mom used, but will give this one a try with the slight variations. Thanks!
This is one of my favorite cookies to make at Christmas time! Thank you for the reminder to add them to my baking list!
I agree, sometimes its nice to not pull out your mixer. I love crinkle cookies, its the one request I get from my husband every year
I make these, but I use mint chips instead of chocolate :) They go very quickly in my house!
I’ve been making these for years. They’re one of the few cookies that make the cut. My ex-husband used to call them “cowpies in the snow”.
These crinkles are my all time favorite Christmas cookie!!!! PINNED!
These look like THE perfect holiday cookie! Love all those big crinkles! Pinned :)
This looks absolutely delicious… I love the look of the powdered sugar, looks like snow :)
I made the Red Velvet Crinkle with white chocolate they are beautiful on a Christmas plate.