Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These soft and fudgy chocolate crinkle cookies are made with butter instead of oil, like many recipes call for. This gives these cookies more flavor and helps keep the cookies nice and thick. 

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Overview

• Skill Level:Beginner
• Techniques Used: Measuring Flour Properly

Chocolate crinkle cookies are a rich chocolate cookies that are rolled in powdered sugar before baking. As the cookies start to spread out in the oven, the powdered sugar starts cracking creating the classic crinkled look of the cookies. 

Chocolate crinkle cookies are typically made with either cocoa powder or melted unsweetened baking chocolate. I tested both methods and found the chocolate crinkles made with cocoa powder to have a better flavor and texture. I also found in my extensive testing, that chilling the dough is absolutely necessary for these cookies to achieve the classic crinkled look. 

How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

The cookie dough for chocolate crinkle cookies is more similar to a brownie batter than a traditional cookie dough. A mixer isn’t needed for this dough because you do not need to cream butter and sugar together. 

Step 1: Mix Cocoa Powder, Sugar, and Butter

Because chocolate crinkle cookies typically use oil, we are going to melt the butter for this recipe rather than creaming it together with the sugar. This will also help prevent spread when the dough chills and the butter re-solidifies. The mixture will be very thick and grainy at this point. 

Step 2: Mix in the Eggs and Vanilla

Next, whisk in the eggs and vanilla into the mixture. This will loosen it up and create more of a smooth batter. 

Step 3: Mix in the Dry Ingredients

I like to start by mixing in the salt, baking powder, and espresso powder (if you use it). This way these ingredients can get evenly distributed before the flour is added. 

The espresso powder is an optional addition, but I find it really elevates the flavor of the chocolate crinkles. It doesn’t make them taste like coffee, rather it makes the chocolate taste more chocolaty! 

Next you can add in the flour. Switch to a spoon or a silicone spatula for this part. A whisk will be difficult to use to stir in the flour and can lead to over-mixing. 

As soon as the flour is absorbed, stop mixing. It should only take about 15 seconds of stirring. 

Step 4: Chill the Dough

It is extremely important to chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to achieve the classic crinkle look. I tested rushing this process by putting it in the freezer, and the crinkle effect did not work. You can also chill it overnight if you want to prep the dough the day before baking. 

Step 5: Roll in Powdered Sugar

After the dough has chilled, scoop dough balls and roll them in powdered sugar to coat. I made mine about 1 1/2 TBSP in size. I suggest going with about 1-2 tablespoons per cookie. 

Place the prepared dough balls on parchment lined baking sheets. They will spread out as they bake so make sure you give them enough room. I put about 8-10 cookies per baking sheet. 

Step 6: Bake

Bake until the edges are set and the middles still look slightly underdone. They will solidify as they cool. 

FAQ

• How can I make my crinkle cookies more fudgy?: The key to having fudgy crinkle cookies is measuring your flour and cocoa powder properly and not over-baking them. Make sure lightly spoon the flour and cocoa powder into your measuring cup without packing down and level it off. Also, pull the cookies out of the oven when the centers still look slightly underdone. 
• Why are my chocolate crinkle cookies flat?: If your cookies are starting to spread too much when baking and are flat, you can place the sheet pan in the freezer for about 10 minutes before baking. This will help re-solidify the butter so they will stay nice and tall. 
• Can I freeze chocolate crinkle cookies?: You can freeze your crinkle cookies. Place them in a freezer ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.