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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies - sweet, easy and the BEST chocolate crinkle cookie recipe with butter, cocoa and powdered sugar. These cookies are great for Christmas and holidays!
Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe
Chocolate crinkle cookies is one of the most popular Christmas cookies, other than butter cookies and melting moments cookies.
This is an easy recipe that yields the best chocolate crinkle cookies ever! The recipe is 100% fail-proof and novice baker friendly.
I love the cracked look and the contrast of the powdery white against the dark cocoa. These cookies have a brownie-like texture, moist, soft and a bit chewy.
They look absolutely festive and make the best Christmas and holiday gifts to neighbors, friends and family.
How To Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
This is an easy recipe that calls for a simple 3-step process:
- Make the cookie dough using a stand mixer. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
- Roll the dough into balls, flattened with your hand and then coat with powdered sugar.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Just follow the step-by-step method and instructions in the recipe card and watch my video above to make homemade chocolate crinkle cookies.
Baking Tips
- To get the cookies extra white with powdered sugar, coat each cookie with a ton of powdered sugar before baking.
This ensures the cookies don’t absorb the powdered sugar during bake time. - To make the cookies extra festive, substitute the vanilla extract with peppermint extract to make chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can certainly make the cookies with a store-bought cake mix and brownie mix, but this recipe is so easy that you don’t really have to buy packaged cake mix.
Yes, you can use unsweetened chocolate to replace cocoa powder in the recipe. If you use real chocolate, just melt the chocolate in a microwave, for about 1 minute. Stir the melted chocolate after 1 minute. If the chocolate hasn’t melted smoothly, heat in the microwave for another 10 seconds.
I don’t recommend freezing these cookies, especially after they are dusted with powdered sugar. If you have to freeze them, do not dust powdered sugar before baking in the oven. To serve frozen cookies, heat them up in a toaster oven and then dust with powdered sugar. I recommend storing the cookies in an air-tight container, at room temperature for up to a week.
This recipe is only 48 calories per cookie.
What To Serve With This Recipe
Serve the cookies with other festive desserts and cookies. I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Cookie Recipes You Might Like
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , preferred or oil
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cocoa, granulated sugar, and butter (or oil) on medium speed. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined.
- Mix in the remaining ingredients in the order listed, except for the powdered sugar. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and coat them with powdered sugar. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Allow the cookies to rest on the hot cookie sheet for 1 minute before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks Rasa for the Chocolate Crinkle Cookies recipe. I moved a while ago and can’t locate my cookie recipes that I always made for Christmas. This recipe we called Pixie Cookies when I was growing Up! So glad you posted it on Pinterest, as I made them tonite and they came out perfect! ?
Awesome, happy holidays!
I love making this cookies! The first one i made turned into such cute sizes! But for some reasons when i made it again they all went flat :( ive made it 4 times now and it wouldnt turn the way i want them to turn into >_< please help!!
I made these and now I have to make another batch for our Christmas cookie plates because the family has eaten over half of them! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Sonja, LOL, that’s a good problem to have I guess. Happy holidays! :)
I just made them. My batter was very runny and couldn’t roll them into balls. What could have happened? Still yummy but disappointed on how they looked.
I am not sure Chris, maybe you can add more flour? Did you measure correctly?
Did you refrigerate?
Same here. Using oil instead of butter was MY problem. Butter firms up when chilled; oil does not. A big, big mess trying to roll dough that hasn’t firmed up into balls! I strongly suggest using butter, and Rasa, I also suggest that you remove the option of using oil. I even chilled the dough overnight. I know I am trying to help way too late; this recipe was from years ago, but it’s worth a try, to save others the frustration I experienced.
Hi Lynne, updated the recipe per your suggestion. Thanks!
I have been making these for a few years now with this recipe and have always used oil. I was confused when I just logged on since the oil option was removed. My cookies have always turned out using the oil. It is a family favorite. I think it is a nice option especially if making last minute and you don’t have butter at room temp.
Hi Heather, I removed the oil as some people are having problems with oil. So I removed it. You can use oil if you have success.
Is it OK to leave the cookies in the fridge for more than four hours? I’d like to prep tonight and then bake in the morning. Can’t wait to try these!
Actually I am not too sure how it might affect the texture. Sorry but I haven’t tried.
I just made the Chocolate Crinkle Cookies yesterday and they are so yummy! I made a double batch using butter instead of vegetable oil. Mine had to bake longer in the oven. For about 14-15 minutes. They came out a little gooey but as they rest they cook a little more. I allowed them to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to the baking rack. They a great chewy cookie! Awesome recipe~
Hey Meg, thanks for trying this chocolate crinkle cookies recipe!!
These cookies look amazing! Do you really need to heat up the oven to 350 C? I cook meat on 200 degrees. Isn’t 350 too hot? Sorry but I’m not an experienced baker so I just want to make sure… Thanks!
Just follow the recipe. It’s 350F.
Where is the butter how much not in recipe ???????
You can use butter or vegetable oil for this chocolate crinkle cookies recipe!
I find the crackle effect is even better if you roll the balls in granulated sugar then the icing sugar. It dries the surface a bit and allows more of the icing sugar to cling without melting as the cookie bakes.
Great tasting cookie
Great tip! Thanks for sharing, yes I love these chocolate crinkle cookies.
The description says “Chocolate Crinkle Cookies – best, homemade, classic Christmas holiday cookies recipe! Homemade, sweet, fudgy with butter, cocoa, sugar.”
I don’t see anty butter in the ingredients. Did you purpodely put oil in instead?
Did you ever get an answer about the butter?
You can use unsalted butter or vegetable oil. I updated the recipe. Sorry.