Some cookies look as good as they taste, and chocolate crinkle cookies are one of them. Each one is dark, rich, and fudgy inside, with a snowy powdered sugar coating that cracks into pretty crinkles as it bakes.
They’re made with pantry staples and simple steps, so they’re easy to fit into your Christmas cookies lineup. They also work any time a chocolate craving hits. With a 4.97-star rating from 1,110 votes, this recipe has plenty of fans.
The one thing to plan for is the chill time. The dough needs at least 4 hours in the fridge, so mix it ahead and bake when you’re ready.
Recipe Card
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Chill time: 4 hours
- Cook time: 10 minutes (the instructions say 10 to 12 minutes)
- Total time: 4 hours 25 minutes
- Servings: 48 cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (100g)
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar (350g)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (120mL)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
This recipe has two stages: making the dough and chilling it, then shaping and baking it. Here’s how each step works.
Part 1: Make the Dough
- Combine the cocoa, sugar, and oil. In a large bowl, add the granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and vegetable oil. Use a hand mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is well combined and shiny.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each one is well combined before adding the next. Then beat in the vanilla.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Bring the dough together. Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed, just until combined.
Part 2: Chill the Dough
- Refrigerate. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and chill it for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight. The dough is quite sticky at first, so it needs this time to firm up. Without it, you won’t be able to roll and coat the balls.
Part 3: Shape and Bake
- Heat the oven and prep the pans. Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Put the powdered sugar in a small bowl.
- Shape the dough. Use a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to scoop the chilled dough. Roll each portion into a ball of roughly one inch.
- Coat in powdered sugar. Roll each ball in the powdered sugar until it’s well coated. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- Coat in batches. Only coat as many dough balls as will fit on the baking sheets at one time. Keep the rest of the dough balls in the refrigerator, and roll them in powdered sugar right before baking.
- Bake. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are firm and the centers look puffed but still slightly wet.
- Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes. Then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips and Variations
Don’t rush the chilling time. The dough is sticky when it’s first made, and chilling firms it up so you can roll and coat it.
Don’t let the dough get warm. Warm dough makes flat cookies, so don’t leave it out too long once it’s chilled. This is also why the recipe says to keep unused dough balls in the fridge while the first batch bakes.
Don’t panic when the centers sink. The cookies naturally deflate in the center as they cool. That doesn’t mean they’re underbaked. It means the centers will be fudgy.
Try a flavor twist. Add 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract or orange extract to the cookie dough.
Boost the chocolate flavor. Add 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the sugar and oil mixture. Note that this ingredient isn’t in the main ingredient list, so add it only if you want it.
Serving Suggestions
The recipe doesn’t list specific pairings. It does suggest baking these for the holidays or any time a craving hits. Let the cookies cool completely on the wire rack, then serve them with their powdered sugar coating.
You might like: Best Cowboy Cookies with Chocolate, Pecans, and Coconut
Final Thoughts
Chocolate crinkle cookies are a good pick when you want something rich, fudgy, and a little bit fancy-looking. The dough is made from simple ingredients, and the chill time does most of the work for you. Mix it ahead, and bake whenever you’re ready.
If you try this recipe, leave a comment and tell me how your cookies turned out. I’d also love to hear if you tried one of the flavor twists.