These easy chocolate crinkle cookies are fudgy, rich, and taste just like a brownie in cookie form. Made with real melted chocolate and simple baking ingredients, chocolate crinkle cookies get their snowy, crackled tops from a generous roll in powdered sugar. They’re a must for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, and Christmas cookie trays.
Chocolate crinkles are one of my favorite cookies to make. The ingredients in this crinkle cookie recipe are simple, using flour, butter, and sugar along with real chocolate.
Roll the cookies in powdered sugar before baking to give them a “cracked” or “crinkled” look straight out of the oven. The cookies look like they are dusted with snow!
Make these cookies any time of the year, but especially for Christmas. They are also great for Valentine’s Day. They only take 20 minutes of prep time and are perfect for parties, cookie exchanges, or packaging up as a homemade holiday gift that everyone will enjoy.
These cookies are sometimes called brownie crinkle cookies or chocolate crinkles.
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Because they are chocolate cookies with powdered sugar, it creates a snow-dusted look from the powdered sugar “cracking” on top as the cookies bake giving a beautiful presentation.
- The texture is crispy on the outside and fudgy on the inside making them taste just like a brownie in cookie form.
- These chocolate crinkle cookies use simple ingredients. You may already have all of the ingredients in your pantry!
Ingredients for Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Unsalted Butter – Helps to temper the chocolate as it’s melting to create a smooth buttery texture inside the cookie.
- Chocolate – You can use semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks to melt down. This will create the overall chocolate flavor of the cookie.
- Sugar – Sweetens up the fudgy inside of the crinkle cookie.
- Eggs – Helps to bind all of the ingredients together. They also help create a chewy center and crispy outside when cooling and setting.
- Vanilla Extract – Infuses the cookies with a light vanilla flavor that pairs well with melted chocolate.
- All-Purpose Flour – Makes up the main dry base of the cookies. Binds with the melted chocolate to create a classic cookie texture.
- Salt – Helps balance the sweet flavor in the cookies and activates the baking powder.
- Baking Powder – Gives the cookies a slight rise making them dense yet fluffy.
- Powdered Sugar (Confectioners Sugar) – A must to create the powdery crackle coating.
How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Melt the chocolate: Place a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add the chocolate and butter and stir with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is evenly melted and combined with the butter. Set the bowl aside and let it cool to room temperature while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Combine the wet ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the eggs and sugar until the mixture is fluffy, thick, and pale, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, then the cooled chocolate, and mix until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add it to the wet ingredients and mix just until incorporated.
- Chill the dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Prepare for baking: When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, and remove the chocolate crinkle cookie dough from the fridge.
- Roll in powdered sugar: Add powdered sugar to a shallow bowl. Form the dough into 1-inch balls, roll each one in the powdered sugar until fully coated, and place them on the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart.
- Bake and cool: Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. The centers should still be slightly soft. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Crinkles
- When melting the chocolate, be sure to take it slow as melting chocolate too quickly could cause it to burn.
- Alternatively, you can also melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave in 15-30 second intervals stirring frequently until melted through.
- Cool the chocolate mixture before adding it to the butter and sugar so that it doesn’t start to cook the eggs.
- Make sure the eggs and butter start out at room temperature in order for everything to blend together smoothly.
- The center should still be soft and will set completely once fully cooled. This helps create that brownie like texture. Overbaking dries out the chocolate crinkle cookies.
Variations
- Add a chocolate kiss: Press a Hershey’s Kiss on top right after the cookies come out of the oven for extra chocolate flavor.
- Mexican chocolate: Add a pinch of cayenne and cinnamon for a light kick of spice.
- Sprinkles: Stir colored sprinkles into the dough to customize the cookies for any holiday or celebration.
- Nuts: Add chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds for a crunchy texture and nutty flavor.
- Different extracts: Swap the vanilla extract for almond, maple, or butter extract, or try peppermint extract for a holiday twist.
What to Serve With Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Something warm to sip: These are so good with Homemade Hot Chocolate, a Mocha Latte, or a cold glass of milk.
- A holiday cookie platter: Serve them with Soft Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies, Royal Iced Sugar Cookies, and Chocolate Peppermint Fudge.
- Ice cream: Crumble them over vanilla or peppermint ice cream for an easy dessert.
What People Ask About Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate crinkle cookies crack because the dough spreads and rises as it bakes, splitting the powdered sugar coating. The sugar stays on the outer surface while the cookie expands, which creates the signature crinkled look.
Make sure the dough is well chilled before rolling and baking. You can also roll the dough balls in granulated sugar first, then powdered sugar, to create a barrier that keeps the white coating bright.
Chilled dough and a lower oven temperature keep the centers soft. Bake at 325°F and pull the cookies while the centers still look slightly underdone, since they finish setting as they cool.
Yes. Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months, or freeze the dough balls without the powdered sugar and roll them in sugar just before baking.
More Chocolate Cookie Recipes
- Double Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies
- Stuffed Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
- No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Did you try these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies? Leave a recipe rating and review below!
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar until thick, pale and fluffy (about 5 to 6 minutes). Add the vanilla and mix to blend. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat until incorporated.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to shape into balls (several hours or even overnight).
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the confectioners sugar in a shallow bowl. Form the chilled dough into 1 inch balls, then roll each ball in the sugar to coat. Coat balls completely, so that no chocolate is showing through. Place the sugar-covered balls on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or just until the edges are slightly firm but the centers are still soft. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!This recipe was originally published in 2015. It was updated with new tips in December 2021.
Superb! The recipe is almost too good to be true. I can totally see these crinkle cookies being a huge hit at holiday parties. My family and friends would love these. I believe every bite tastes like heaven. Plus, your directions and pictures make the recipe so easy to follow. Putting it on my list.
Ashley, thank you so much for sharing such a fab idea and all of your precious tips. I’m so glad that I came across your wonderful blog a few days ago. Got so much inspiration. I’m looking forward to your new awesome recipes. Keep up the good work!
It wouldn’t be Christmas at our house without these cookies!
Chocolate Crinkles are my favorite! And my little girls too! They’re so beautiful and always a hit! Thank you so much for the recipe.