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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.
I’m currently trying to make these cookies, however I have run into a slight problem. The dough is very very sticky and gooey. I followed the instructions, and placed them in the fridge for 4 hours. At first, when rolling the balls they were fine but then it just started getting warmer and warmer until eventually it would just stick to my hands and it became a big mess. I added a bit more flower to try and make it less gooey, but it didn’t seem to do much. I think I’m going to place them in the freezer for a few minutes to try and chill them some more. Any advice on how to prevent this for next time??
Your measurement is off. Please check the video.
I think the dough is meant to be sticky. The colder the better! Use two spoons to drop a glob of dough into the sugar, then gently push it around until it starts to pick up the sugar and become less sticky on the outside so you can roll it into a ball shape. I rolled mine in granulated sugar first, then powdered sugar, to make it easier to handle and also to prevent the powdered sugar from totally melting in the oven. I did have to return the dough to the refrigerator before I could finish.. it needs to be super cold to even be workable.
Before rolling in ball, I put in dish with powder sugar for light dusting and then roll in ball and coat with the sugar. Also, you can coat your palm with a little powdered sugar before rrrolling rolling
How long can I keep the dough in fridge? For example I have extra dough, is it okay to keep it in long or it won’t be fresh anymore?
You can keep it for a couple of days and wrapped tight.
Hi, every time i make this I have a small problem. When I leave the dough in room temperature after taking it out from the fridge, it melts when i try to form it into balls which makes it really messy. Should I leave the dough in the freezer to prevent this from happening?
Hmmm, that’s very strange. Make sure it’s probably chilled and you can try freezer but it will be rock hard.
Hi :)
It was my first time to try baking chocolate crinkles. I just followed everything in your recipe. It turned out great. Me and my family love it!
At first, I was so scared that it will fail but NO!
100% Successful :)
Thank you for your recipe <3
By the way, if I only have the regular butter how much salt do I need to add in the recipe?
Just a pinch is fine.
If I use chocolate tablea instead of cocoa powder, how many tablets should I melt to substitute the 1 cup of cocoa powder?
Sorry Cara, I don’t know without trying the recipe with chocolate chips.
Hello! I have tried this recipe many times(I love it) and I am wondering, can you make these without powdered sugar? Or will it mess everything up?
Hi Kat, it’s not chocolate crinkle cookies without powdered sugar.
haven’t made these yet. I might be blind, but I don’t see anywhere that tells what temp the oven should be on.
The recipe card clearly stated it as “Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.”
Can I leave in the fridge overnight?
You can but it’s fine just to leave them room temperature overnight and covered.
Quick question…..melted butter or softened?
Softened. Please check the video on the post.