Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are very chocolatey cookie that is dairy-free. These cookies are pretty to look at and they taste even better than they look. You can prepare these cookies with great ease.
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Crinkle Chocolate Cookies
With their crisp, sugary coating and fudge-like interior, Chocolate Crinkles Cookies are always the first to go at a cookie exchange. But, if you miss out, don’t worry, they are fun and easy to make.
Baking a batch of these crinkle cookies is a great (although a bit messy) way to spend a day in the kitchen with your kids.
Why Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are the Best Holiday Cookies
Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are great any time of the year but are especially popular during the holiday season. The powdered sugar coating makes them feel festive, and everyone from kids to grandparents loves the flavor.
But, maybe the best part of the Chocolate Crinkle Cookies recipe is that you probably have everything you need to make them in your kitchen right now.
Classic Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies have been a favorite of mine throughout the years. I have made so many batches of these cookies it is insane. I have to tell you never a cookie was left. These cookies are rich, full-flavored, and perfect for the chocolate lover in your home.
Crinkle cookies are like little round brownies. They are crispy on the outside and the inside is soft, tender, and chewy.
Powdered sugar on the outside gives these cookies their classic look and an extra touch of sweetness. The cookie dough balls flatten and spread while baking causing their crinkled appearance.
What Do You Need to Make Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
To make chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, you will need these ingredients:
- Cocoa Powder
- Sugar
- Vegetable Oil
- Large eggs
- Vanilla
- All-purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Powdered Sugar
Don’t skimp on the cocoa powder in this recipe. Although a bit more expensive, using a premium brand like Ghirardelli Majestic Premium Cocoa Powder or Black Cocoa Powder from Modern Mountain Flour Company delivers superior flavor and color.
How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Making these cookies isn’t difficult, but because of the required resting time for the dough, they can take a long time:
- Mix the unsweetened cocoa and granulated sugar together in a large bowl. You don’t need to use an electric mixer to make this recipe, but it helps. If you want to stir by hand, use a heavy-duty wooden spoon or, better yet, a Danish whisk.
- Pour the oil and add the eggs to the cocoa mixture. Mix until well combined.
- Add vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and mix a few times to combine thoroughly.
- Add the flour slowly while continuously mixing at a low speed. After adding all the flour, turn up the mixer to medium and work all the ingredients together. Use a dough scraper to scrape off the mixer attachment or spoon.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least three hours and up to overnight. Chilling the chocolate crinkle cookie dough is a critical step, so don’t rush it.
- Roll the cookie dough into one inch balls. You can use a cookie scoop to make things a whole lot easier.
- Coat each cookie dough ball with powdered sugar and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure that there are at least 2 inches of space between each cookie and the sides of the baking sheet.
- Once the cookies have come up to room temperature, bake them at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell when the cookies are done, so starting at 9 minutes, use your fingers to check every minute if the sides of the cookies are set and remove them. It is better to slightly undercook these cookies than to overcook them.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for a minute before moving them to a wire rack.
Recipe Notes
It is important to mix the batter then let it rest in the refrigerator. The dough must be fully chilled before you make the cookies.
The cookies are even better if you have time to let them rest for 24 hours. The cookies become very chewy.
How to Work with a Sticky Cookie Dough
Yes, the dough for this Chocolate Crinkle Cookies recipe is sticky. It should be, so don’t add more flour to try to make it easier to handle. There are some tricks you can use to make things easier for you.
- Keep the dough cold. The cold temperatures make it less sticky, but be sure to let the cough come up to room temperature before baking, or the cookies won’t spread out enough.
- Dip your hands in ice water before working with the dough. The cold water helps prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
- Use a dough scraper to get all of the dough off your hands and your working surface.
- Wear food-safe vinyl or nitrite gloves. The dough won’t stick to them.
How to Prevent the Powdered Sugar from Melting
The powdered sugar should not melt before the cookies bake, but adding three teaspoons of cornstarch to the powdered sugar in this recipe will give you a bit of extra protection.
How to Store Crinkle Cookies to Keep Them Chewy
While hard Chocolate Crinkle Cookies aren’t the end of the world, they are much better when soft and chewy. If you plan on storing your cookies for up to three days, your best bet is to keep them on the counter in an air-tight container.
To ensure they stay chewy, try adding a piece of bread to the container.
How to Freeze Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
You can freeze baked cookies for up to three months by letting them cool, stacking them between sheets of wax paper, and then putting them in a freezer-safe container, but they won’t have the same consistency once thawed.
However, freezing the raw dough for these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and then baking them later gives you the same chewy consistency everyone loves.
How to Freeze Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Dough
- Follow the recipe up to forming the dough into balls.
- Instead of rolling the dough balls in the powdered sugar, put them on a tray in the fridge for about an hour. Doing this helps dry out the outside of the dough balls and keeps them from sticking to each other.
- Transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to three months.
- To use, thaw the dough balls and roll them in powdered sugar. Bake as written.
Best Christmas Cookies Recipes
- Chinese Almond Cookies
- Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
- Cream Cheese Cookies
- Ginger Snaps
- Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookies
- How to Dip Oreos in White Chocolate
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Pineapple Cookies
- Pecan Sandies
Best Chocolate Brownie Recipes
Be sure to check out more tasty cookies and the best copycat dessert recipes.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine unsweetened cocoa and granulated sugar.
- Add vegetable oil and eggs to the cocoa mixture. Mix until blended.
- Add the vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until the dough is combined.
- Place the dough in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before preparing cookies. Ideally, the dough should be refrigerated overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Take 2 teaspoons of dough and roll it into a ball.
- Drop the dough ball into the powdered sugar.
- Place the sugar-covered ball on the parchment-lined baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring them to a wire rack.
Lynda
I followed your recipe and these cookies turned out splendid. I took your advice and chilled the dough for a “good” 24 hours. Thanks
Morgan
My girls loved these cookies.
Rosamonde Simone @ KetoBotyToneAvis
Your recipe of chocolate crinkle cookies is looking so yummy. I love chocolate and thank you for sharing it.
GamerGirl
I loved these!
Ester
Why are we preheating oven as stated first in the directions if dough needs to never refrigerated for hours?
Are they still great if not chilling dough?
Getting ready to make now. ; )
Stephanie
It’s most likely I didn’t know where to put the preheated oven. I hope you weren’t preheating your oven for 2 hours.
Bella Hardy
These chocolate crinkle cookies are so Instagrammable and adorable! Definitely, I will prep it on the weekend for my family.
Jill Roberts @ WellnessGeeky
I am obsessed with desserts like your chocolate crinkle cookies! It would be perfect breakfast with coffee! I found your post from Pinterest! I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing!
Ami@NaiveCookCooks
Never made crinkle cookies before but now that needs to change!!
Amy
These are an all tie favorite in our house.