Chocolate Crinkle Cookies have a rich and fudgy center with a crisp powdered sugar outer layer. Crinkle Cookies are just as important as Sugar Cookies on your holiday cookie tray.
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You know I love easy desserts with simple ingredients. These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are no exception.
Why these are the Best Crinkle Cookies:
- Simple Ingredients: Made with just a handful of kitchen staples you probably already have on hand.
- Fast: these cookies can be whipped up quickly and you can chill them ahead.
- Fudgy & Crisp: The centers are soft and gooey with crisp edges.
- Keep Well: most cookies are best eaten fresh but these seem to get better with time.
These cookies are perfect for gifting and they are so good, you’ll want to make a double batch!
What is a Chocolate Crinkle Cookie?
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are like a cross between gooey Fudgy Brownies and crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are rolled in powdered sugar before baking so they form “crinkles” as they expand in the oven.
The best part? Just like a good homemade Baklava, these cookies get better as they get a little stale. The outer layer just gets crunchier, while the center stays so gooey. Let’s just say you’ll find yourself hanging around your cookie jar for several days.
How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a blast to make. If you have kids around, they can help make these cookies. They will love rolling the chocolatey dough into bite-sized balls and coating them with a generous amount of powdered sugar, similar to Russian Tea Cakes.
- Whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, oil, vanilla extract, and eggs.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Slowly add flour mixture to the cocoa mixture. Mix well.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for 3 hours and up to overnight.
To Finish and Bake the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Shape cookie dough into balls (a cookie scoop makes it easy to portion) and roll into powdered sugar.
- Place cookies on a baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Cookies will come out soft but will harden as they cool down.
- Once cookies are slightly cooled, move them to a wire rack to fully cool down.
Common Questions
There are two reasons why your Chocolate Crinkle Cookies came out flat. Either the dough wasn’t chilled or you didn’t use enough flour. Make sure to properly measure flour by scooping it into your measuring cup and leveling off the top.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies first premiered in Betty Crocker’s famous cookie cookbook, “Cooky Carnival”. Crocker recounts being served the cookies by home chef Helen Fredell and begging her for the recipe. Fast forward to today and these cookies are gracing just about every holiday tray each year.
You’ll know when Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are done when they start to develop those signature cracks on top. Typically, this takes anywhere from 10-12 minutes depending on their size.
The dough for crinkle cookies should be very moist. Be sure to measure flour correctly, and it helps to roll the moist dough with wet hands.
Storing Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Room Temperature: Keep your Chocolate Crinkle Cookies stored in an airtight container on the counter. They should stay fresh for up to a week.
- Freezing: Freeze your dough balls for up to 2 months in an airtight container. When you are ready to bake, remove them from the freezer and allow them to thaw for 30 minutes in the fridge before rolling them in powdered sugar. Bake according to instructions.
Make-Ahead Tip: You can make the dough a day or two in advance. Keep it refrigerated and only bake right before serving.
Cookies Recipes You’ll Love
- Peanut Butter Cookies – These nutty cookies always hit the spot
- Snowball Cookies – Melt-in-your-mouth delicious
- Meringue Cookies – easy and so festive dusted in powdered sugar
- Madeleine Cookies – Just as good as Starbucks Madeleine cookies
- Macaroon Cookies – The mother of all coconut cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, (unsweetened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, (or canola, or light olive oil)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar, cocoa powder, oil, vanilla extract and eggs. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour together, baking powder and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture and stir to combine.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Scoop dough with a mini ice cream scoop for even portioning into 20 cookies then roll cookie dough into even-sized balls (it's easier to roll with wet hands) and generously roll each into powdered sugar.
- Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, being sure to leave space between each of the cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Cookies will come out soft but will harden as they cool down.
- Allow cookies to slightly cool. Then, move them to a wire rack to fully cool down.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home. 
These cookies are amazing really good taste like a brownie
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I’ve been baking all morning your choclate chips, peanut butter cookies and now these!! they are beautiful and a keeper!!! everyone of your recipes are winners!! Thank you so much💕
That’s just awesome!! I’m so glad you’re enjoying our recipes, Betsy!
Just made these today and they are AWESOME! Definitely a keeper for future Christmas baking traditions.
Thank you for sharing, Betsy! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Hi Natasha, can we put the dough in the freezer for a while to quicken the process instead of putting them in the fridge for 3 hours? And if so, how long do you think they should stay in the freezer?
Hi Melissa, I haven’t really tried that yet to advise on the timing. This is the only process that I have tried so far.
I would like to try to make these using an egg substitute, like Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer. Do you or anyone else here know if that would work? Or maybe someone may have tried using this instead? My grandson is allergic to eggs. Thank you! I love your recipes Natasha! God Bless You!
Hello Mary, I haven’t tried that yet to advise maybe someone else here has tried that and could give some recommendations?
I just made these. They taste great,but some cookies are classic white w/ dark cracks. Others are cracked but no white sugar areas. They’re grayish:brown. I measured flour correctly, dough was chilled… what am I doing wrong?
Hi Joanne, make sure to coat the cookies adequately and thoroughly in powdered sugar before baking.
Try shaking them around in the powdered sugar instead of hand rolling them. That made the difference for me.
I made the cookies but I could not form balls because the dough was quite watery and it was sticking to my hands a lot. As a result, I ended up forming flat cookies. They were still tasty but I don’t know why the dough wasn’t firm enough to make the intended round shape. I followed the recipe as directed but maybe you have some suggestions what else I can do to improve the cookies in the future?
Hi Lucy, please see the section titled “Why is my dough too sticky or wet?” which may help.
Any adjustments for high altitude? I’m eager to try these but live at 6,500 feet…
Hi Karen, here is a great resource with high altitude baking advice.
Thank you. Sometimes recipes work with no adjustments! I never know…
Maybe someone who has made these at high altitude will comment!
Hi. Going to try these. Just wondering if they would freeze well?
Hi Cathy, please see the storing section and “freezing” subsection in the post. I hope you love the crinkle cookies!
Super simple. My go to cookies. These are delish! Thanks for all your great recipes. Love you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Joy!
Hey Natasha this recipe looks superr can’t wait to bake these. I have a question .Can I use sunflower oil instead of canola/olive oil?
Hi Rinbky, you can use canola or vegetable oil.
I baked these today (prepped them yesterday) and they are so, so good! They came out perfectly and taste delicious. And now I’m sharing this recipe!
Yay, so excellent! Thanks for your wonderful feedback, Nina. Appreciate it.
These are melt in your moutb delicious, there are a hit in my household!
Love it! Thanks for your great review, Nancy!
Hi!! I’ve made these and followed the whole recipe and measured everything but just used olive oil instead of vegetable oil. I chilled the cookies for 24 hours and the dough was very runny and impossible to form into balls. Do you have any tips?
Hi Krystyna, see the section above that says “Why is my dough too sticky or wet?” which has some helpful tips.
These cookies are so delicious!
Love how easy it is to put together. Thank you, Natasha! I love all of your recipes!!
Susan
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Just made the dough..it seems to be really soft. Like I didn’t put enough flour in…..its in saran wrap and in the fridge. Put it in a bowl.
Hi Shari! The dough is very sticky in chocolate crinkle cookies. That’s who you have to keep the dough really cold. It helps to make your hands wet when working with the dough. I hope that is helpful!
Hi
Can I add chopped walnuts?
Fatuna
Hi Fatima, I haven’t tried that yet but feel free to experiment. I think that could work! Please let us know how it goes if you try it.
Could I make them with almond flour? will they still have the same texture?
Hi Victoria, I have not tested that substitute to advise. If you happen to experiment, I would love to know how you like that!
Made the batter yesterday and plan to roll/bake today but the batter was very wet. Is the right consistency?
Hi Jillian, I haven’t had that experience, I’m curious how this turned out for you.
I want to try this amazing recipe, but can i use aluminum foil instead of a cookie sheet ?
Hi Carina, you can bake cookies on aluminum foil, but you should be aware that they will cook faster and the bottoms will brown more and get crispy.