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These easy chocolate crinkle cookies are my go-to treat for any occasion! I love their chewy, fudgy centers and crackled powdered sugar coating, and they’re so simple to make, they’re always a hit. Follow this easy recipe with a step-by-step video and bake your own crinkle chocolate cookies at home.
Table of Contents
Easy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Chocolate crinkle cookies are a holiday favorite, right alongside Butter Cookies, Spritz Cookies and Melting Moments Cookies. They’re easy to make, beginner-friendly, and always turn out perfectly.
I love their cracked tops and the contrast of the powdery white sugar against the rich, dark cocoa. The texture is what makes them stand out—soft, moist, and chewy, just like a brownie.
These cookies aren’t just delicious; they’re also a beautiful addition to any holiday cookie platter and make thoughtful homemade gifts for friends, family, and neighbors. If you’re looking for an easy, fail-proof recipe that delivers the best chocolate crinkle cookies, this is it! Don’t forget to check out the tips below to make these cookies the best they can be!
Why This Recipe Is The Best
My old-fashioned chocolate crinkle cookies are the best because:
- Chewy and fudgy texture. These crinkle chocolate cookies have that perfect brownie-like chewiness that makes every bite totally satisfying.
- Made with butter. My crinkle cookies are made with butter, giving them that rich, chocolate-y flavor that’s just irresistible.
- Signature cracked look. The powdered sugar coating adds a gorgeous contrast against the dark cocoa, creating those signature cracks everyone loves.
- Newbie-friendly. This recipe is super easy to follow and guarantees delicious results every time. The recipe video and tips below are here to help you achieve the best results!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – For the best results, it’s important to use a good quality cocoa powder—brands like Valrhona, Ghirardelli, or Guittard are known for their rich, fudgy flavor.
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter – Use room temperature butter.
- Eggs – Use room temperature eggs for the best results. If you forget to take them out ahead of time, no worries! Just pop them in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes before using.
- Vanilla extract – I wouldn’t recommend using vanilla essence—it just doesn’t have the same rich, natural flavor as pure vanilla extract. To make the cookies extra festive, substitute the vanilla extract with peppermint extract to make chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies.
- Salt
- Baking powder
- All-purpose flour
- Powdered sugar
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.
How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Step 1: 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.
Step 2: 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.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: 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.
Secrets To The Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- I use high-quality cocoa powder, like Valrhona, Ghirardelli, or Guittard, for a rich, fudgy flavor. Avoid Dutch-process cocoa, as it may alter the taste.
- To get the cookies extra white with powdered sugar, I coat each dough ball generously before baking. This thick layer ensures the powdered sugar won’t absorb during bake time, keeping the cookies bright and giving them that perfect cracked appearance.
- Chilling the dough in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours helps firm it up, making it easier to roll into balls and ensures a better crack in the cookies.
- I let them cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack. This prevents them from breaking apart and helps them set properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, margarine is not recommended for this recipe. It doesn’t provide the same rich, buttery flavor as butter, and the cookies may spread more when baking.
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
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
- I use high-quality cocoa powder, like Valrhona, Ghirardelli, or Guittard, for a rich, fudgy flavor. Avoid Dutch-process cocoa, as it may alter the taste.
- To get the cookies extra white with powdered sugar, I coat each dough ball generously before baking. This thick layer ensures the powdered sugar won’t absorb during bake time, keeping the cookies bright and giving them that perfect cracked appearance.
- Chilling the dough in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours helps firm it up, making it easier to roll into balls and ensures a better crack in the cookies.
- I let them cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack. This prevents them from breaking apart and helps them set properly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these a couple years ago but lost the recipe. If you think all recipes will end up with the same result, think again! There is something about starting with the gritty paste at the beginning that make these cookies superior to all others, These are by far my favorite, so much that I found a way to cut the wait time in half. Split your dough into two bowls and refrigerate them for about an hour and 45 minutes. You should be able to scoop and roll the dough by that time. I call it “Playing in the mud because it ain’t pretty and you will get messy. Once you have them in ball form roll them in granulated sugar and put them on parchment paper in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes. Reshape as needed and roll them in powdered sugar and bake as normal.
Also… I saw a couple of posts asking why your cookies ended up being flat….Most cookies are made with baking SODA but these bad boys are make with baking POWDER. The two are not interchangeable and if you think they are…Try making pancakes with baking soda some day when you’re not that hungry. Happy baking everyone and thank you Rasa for the recipe.
Hi Rick, thanks for the tips. :)
Just made them. They turned out beautifully. For those who were concerned with size and timing, they are rolled a little smaller than I normally roll cookies, but make the size indicated and they bake perfectly. I cut the sugar by 1/4 but otherwise followed as directed. Also, as Rasa says, you do roll in a liberal amount of icing sugar and they come out very pretty. Thank you Rasa!
can we use normal cocoa powder instead of the unsweetened cocoa powder ???
Yes you can!
Hi. I haven’t tried this recipe yet but I was thinking 6 dozen is a lot. I only need two at the most. Could I free the rest of the dough? With out coating them in sugar and glaze.
I think so or you cut down the quantity into half.
Do you if know if swapping the vegetable oil to ‘Bali Virgin Coconut Oil’ would effect it the cookies in anyway? (Got into an argument with my dad on what oil to use, he ‘insists’ on the coconut oil but I’m not to sure how it’ll effect the recipe, so…)
Hi there! Those cookies look so good! I can’t wait to try this recipe! If I were to use unsalted butter, do I have to melt it?
Yes.
Do you have to chill for 4 hours?
With these kinds of cookies, if you chill for any less than four hours, they will not hold a shape. The dough should be very firm and moldable. The colder the better. Not frozen, of course. But yes, at least four hours is key
I was to gift these to a friend cs she love crinkle cookies. Also what could be the reason for it to become flat. These were yummy only thing I wish it didn’t flatten so much and looked good to the eye.. plz help..
Are you using Baking Powder or Soda? This recipe calls for powder which will give it the lift. If you’re using baking soda your cookie would be flat like a normal cookie
Urgent help I made these and they went flat I followed the recipe as per given but it was all flat when I baked it
Hi Mariam, I am so sorry but I can’t troubleshoot not knowing that you did during the process. This recipe works and the results should be like the pictures.
If using butter, do you melt it or just use softened?
Melt.