Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (with Tips!) - House of Nash Eats (2024)

Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a Christmas classic with soft and fudgy centers and a sweet crackled exterior. Make these for your Christmas cookie platters this year!

When it comes to classic Christmas cookies, these double chocolate crinkle cookies are right up there with peanut butter blossoms and toffee pecan shortbread for me.

Planning your Christmas cookie plates for this year? Be sure to also check out our Lime Meltaway Shortbread Cookies, Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies, and Mexican Wedding Cookies [aka Russian Tea Cakes]!

What are Crinkle Cookies?

Double chocolate crinkle cookies are super rich, chocolate cookies that are coated with a layer of powdered sugar before baking, which shows off the dark chocolate interior of the cookies through the cracks that form on the top while baking.

Some people make chocolate crinkle cookies from a cake mix, but I think they are so much more delicious to make from scratch and hardly any extra effort.

Why this is the best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe

A couple things I do a little different from other chocolate crinkle cookie recipes I have seen:

• I use melted butter instead of oil. I like the extra flavor that butter gives and prefer using it in cookies over vegetable oil, but most classic chocolate crinkle cookie recipes call for vegetable oil instead of butter anyway so you know you will be fine with either choice.
• I use part brown sugar instead of all granulated sugar. The granulated sugar helps the cookies crinkle, but brown sugar gives a deeper, more flavorful taste and chewy texture. It's my secret ingredient for brownies and chocolate cake as well.
• Adding in chocolate chips boosts the chocolate-intensity of already chocolatey cookies, but nobody ever seems to complain.
• I don't chill the dough because 1. I'm a rebel, and 2. I'm impatient. Yes, the dough is sticky and soft, which is why most recipes call for chilling anywhere from 1 hour to overnight so it is easier to handle and roll into balls, but I find that if I dust my hands with a little powdered sugar between rolling every 3-4 cookies I manage just fine. If you want to chill the dough though, go for it.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe Ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Cocoa powder
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Powdered sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Salted butter
• Semisweet chocolate chips

How to make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

1. Start by whisking the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs using the paddle attachment for a few minutes until the mixture thickens and the color lightens. It's the same technique that I use when makingbrownies to get the coveted crinkly crust on top and it makes a difference in these chocolate crinkle cookies too.
3. Add the vanilla and melted butter and mix until combined. Then gradually add in the dry ingredients just until the dough comes together, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips, then set up a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and a bowl with the powdered sugar for coating the balls of cookie dough.
5. Dust your hands with a little of the powdered sugar, then scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough out and roll them into 1-inch balls between the palms of your hands. Roll each ball of dough in the powdered sugar to generously coat, then place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. You will need to dust your hands with more powdered sugar every couple of cookies. If it looks like there’s a ridiculous amount of powdered sugar on each ball of cookie dough, that’s what you want because most of it will get absorbed while the cookie bakes.
6. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 11-12 minutes until large cracks appear on the top of the cookies. It’s fine if the cookies look a bit underbaked between the cracks, because you don’t want to overbake the cookies or they will be hard. Also, cookies continue to cook after you take them out of the oven and will set after a few minutes.

Tips for making Crinkles

• Use high-quality cocoa powder and chocolate:The flavor of your cookies largely depends on the quality of your cocoa powder and chocolate. Opt for good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder and bittersweet or semisweet chocolate for the best results.
• Chill the dough:Chilling the cookie dough for at least 2 hours, or even overnight, is crucial for achieving the right texture. This helps the dough firm up and prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
• Don't skip the powdered sugar coating:Rolling the cookie dough balls in powdered sugar is what creates the signature crinkled appearance. Make sure each ball is generously coated before placing them on the baking sheet.
• Keep an eye on the cookies:Chocolate crinkle cookies are done when they've cracked on top and are just set but still slightly soft in the center. This usually takes about 10-12 minutes. Be careful not to overbake, as they can become too dry.
• Let them cool:Once you've taken the cookies out of the oven, allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them set and develop their fudgy texture.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Variations

• Leave out the semisweet chocolate chips and instead press an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Candy Cane Kiss into the top of each cookie as soon as the cookies are removed from the oven.
• Press a caramel candy like Rolos or just unwrapped Kraft caramels into the center of each ball of dough before rolling in powdered sugar and baking for caramel filled chocolate crinkle cookies.

How to store Chocolate Crinkles

These cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for around 4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze them for 2-3 months and let them thaw at room temperature before enjoying.

Can you freeze Crinkles?

Yes, these cookies freeze well after they have been baked and cooled. Just place them with wax paper between layers in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. You could also scoop the dough into balls and freeze that way. Just roll the cookies in powdered sugar right before baking and add a few extra minutes baking time if you want to bake them straight from frozen.

Crinkles FAQs

More like this Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe:

• Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
• Toffee Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Lemon Cardamom Crinkle Cookies
• Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
• Peanut Butter Blossoms