Let’s make chocolate crinkle cookies. These traditional Christmas cookies are a cut above the rest because they’re as rich and fudgy as homemade brownies. They’re thick and soft-baked in the centers with a little extra chocolate for good measure!
Today I’m showing off sparkly new photos and success tips for my classic double chocolate crinkle cookies! Originally published a few years ago, these classic Christmas cookies have become a staple in many of your kitchens. Readers have said they’re the “best cookies I’ve ever tasted” and “make a double batch right away.” These cookies disappear.
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies:
- Double the chocolateโchocolate chips included!
- Taste like brownies
- Soft centers, crisp crackly edges
- Extra thick
- Warm from the oven, they melt in your mouth
As classic as Christmas sugar cookies, as sugar-dusted as snowball cookies, and as irresistible as peanut butter blossoms and pinwheel cookies, these chocolate crinkles will outshine every other cookie on your Christmas cookie platter. And that’s a guarantee.
Behind the Recipe
These chocolate cookies aren’t anything new or groundbreaking, but that’s why they’re perfect. You might actually recognize the base dough because it’s my go-to chocolate cookie! It’s the chocolate cookie recipe I’ve been using for years in recipes like double chocolate chip cookies, inside out chocolate chip cookies, chocolate frosted cookies, peppermint mocha cookies, andย Andes mint chocolate cookies. I even turned it into chocolate raspberry crinkles and let’s not forget about the epicness that is salted caramel dark chocolate cookies.
Some of you were having trouble with these cookies over-spreading as a result of the sugar coating on top, so I leave out the milk in this dough.
How are these different from Chocolate Crinkle Cookies in Sally’s Cookie Addiction? Glad you asked! The recipes are a little different. The cookbook version uses melted butter in the dough, so the cookies are a little chewier. Both super moist cookies with excellent chocolate flavor. The cookies in the book are a little thicker in the centers and crumblier on the edges. Today’s cookiesโagainโtaste like moist brownies!
How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Mix dry ingredients together. You need all-purpose flour, natural unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Beat wet ingredients together. You need butter, white sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Room temperature butter and egg will mix more evenly into each other, creating a uniform texture among all the cookies. Additionally, both whip into a greater volume when at room temperature, producing a softer-crumbed cookie.
- Combine all ingredients. And don’t forget to add the chocolate chips! I like to use mini size so there’s more in every bite.
- Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator. The cookie dough is sticky and unmanageable, so chilling is necessary. Sometimes I chill it overnight, but 3 hours is perfect. Chilled cookie dough is not only easy to handle and roll into balls, it also bakes thicker cookies.
- Roll cookie dough into balls. After chilling, roll the cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie.
- Coat in confectioners’ sugar. Roll the cookie dough balls into granulated sugar, then a hefty dunk in confectioners’ sugar. Why granulated sugar first? That’s a new trick I discovered! See below. ๐
- Bake. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. If the cookies aren’t really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2-3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven for a couple more minutes.
They’ll be extra thick, extra crackly, and extra fudgy inside.
Recommendation from a reader: substitute the chocolate chips for peanut butter chips. I honestly can’t preheat my oven fast enough to try these that way!
How to Prevent the Powdered Sugar from Melting
Before today, I only rolled these chocolate crinkle cookies in confectioners’ sugar. This works great for lemon crinkle cookies, however these particular crinkle cookies are extra moist so the confectioners’ sugar always ends up melting a bit and/or turns yellow-ish as a result from melting. Not a problem, but if you want stark white confectioners’ sugar on top, coat the cookie dough balls in a little granulated sugar first. Just a light layer, then go heavy on that confectioners’ sugar topping. I learned this tip from the wonderful chefs at America’s Test Kitchen and it’s the same process we use to coat Nutella crinkle cookies.
It’s also helpful to bake these cookies on dry days. Any humidity in the air will soak into the confectioners’ sugar, slightly melting it. Sometimes you can’t avoid humidity, but if you’re wondering why the sugar melts, it could be the weather. Again, go heavy on that confectioners’ sugar layer.
As the cookies bake, the confectioners’ sugar coating crinkles and cracks as the cookies take their shape. Hence, the cute crinkle name. I love these.
How to Freeze Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
You can freeze chocolate crinkle cookies before or after baking. To freeze the baked cookies, let them cool completely first. Freeze in single layers between sheets of parchment paper for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter.
How to freeze chocolate crinkle cookie dough: Chill the cookie dough as directed in the recipe below. After that, roll into balls, and chill the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Then place the solid and cold cookie dough balls into a large zipped-top bag. Freeze cookie dough for up to 3 months. When itโs time to bake the cookies, remove them from the freezer and thaw on the counter for at least 30 minutes. Roll into granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar as instructed in the recipe. Bake as directed.
See more in my How to Freeze Cookie Dough post.
Try these right out of the ovenโthey’re pure fudge. They will melt in your mouth! Have you tried these before? Let me know!
Print
Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 35 minutes
- Yield: 20-22 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These traditional Christmas cookies are a cut above the rest because they’re as rich and fudgy as brownies. Chilling the cookie dough is important because it helps the flavors to develop, prevents spreading, and makes the otherwise sticky cookie dough easy to handle.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packedย light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons (51g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1ย cup (180g) mini or regular size semi-sweet chocolate chips
Rolling
- 3 Tablespoons (35g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and then beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour into the wet ingredients. Beat on low until combined and then beat in the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be thick and very sticky. Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this sticky cookie dough.
- Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This makes the chilled cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommendedย for cookies.)ย Set aside.
- Scoop and roll dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each. A medium cookie scoop is helpful here. Roll each ball very lightly in granulated sugar, then generously in the confectioners’ sugar. Place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft. Tip: If they arenโt really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2-3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.
- Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool.ย
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls (that are not coated in confectioners’ sugar) freeze well up to 3 months. See this post on how to freeze cookie dough for more information and a video tutorial.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Can I add peppermint extract? Yes, absolutely! If you want a chocolate peppermint crinkle cookie, I recommend adding 3/4 or 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract when you add the vanilla.
- Larger Batch: The recipe is easy to double in 1 mixing bowl without overwhelming your mixer. Simply double all of the ingredients. Dough chill time remains the same.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Has anyone made this using measure for measure gluten free flour? How did they turn out?
I’ve always used America’s Test Kitchen’s chocolate crinkle cookie recipe at Christmas. It’s complicated, doesn’t always work out and ultimately — there will be tears at some point. The problem is, everybody loves them so I have to make them! Your recipe looks much easier and is probably less likely to make me cry. My question is, can I add a teaspoon of espresso powder and, if so, at what point? Mix it with the vanilla?
Hi Cara, you can add espresso powder here! Weโd recommend 1-2 teaspoons of espresso powder. You can add it with the other dry ingredients.
This is one of my go-to cookie recipes! So easy and delicious. The cookies turn out soft and fudgy, and the powdered sugar coating makes them so yummy.
Hi Sally, I will be making these cookies for Christmas, they look delicious! Quick question: Should your “Tall Cookie Trick” be used here or just roll them as round balls? Thank you.
Hi Susan! We want the cookies to spread a bit here so that they will create the crackly tops. No need for the tall cookie trick, just rounded dough balls will do!
I havenโt made these yet, but I plan to make them and freeze the dough. You didnโt say anything about rolling in granulated sugar before freezing or how to bake them after freezing. Do you just add more minutes or do you thaw and then rechill
Hi Karen! You can lightly roll in granulated sugar before freezing. Add an extra minute or two to the bake time. See this post on how to freeze cookie dough for more information and a video tutorial.
I really loved these-I did whole wheat flour instead and they turned out great-itโs the only cookie recipe I couldnโt tell was whole wheat flour-they didnโt have the spreading issue with the whole wheat flour but they were still a tad too sweet for me so I would half the white sugar and not pack the brown sugar next time and see what happens.
When I tried this recipe, I didn’t know if after you put the cookies in the oven you would still be able to see the powdered sugar, or if it just melted. But it didn’t!!!! It was a success!!
Could I use a Dutch cocoa powder?
Hi Hannah, since this recipe uses baking soda you want a natural cocoa powder. If youโre interested in more about the differences between the two, you might find this post helpful: Dutch-process Vs Natural Cocoa Powder.
Hey! I LOVE your recipes, they are sooo good! could I leave out the chocolate chips? Thanks!!
Absolutely!
I love these chocolate crinkles! We have a special occasion coming up and I’d love to make these jumbo sized by using two scoops of the medium scooper for each cookie. Do you think that would work? And would the bake time change? Also, I’d love to frost them so would it be OK to leave off the sugar coating? Thanks so much!
Hi Megan, You can make larger cookies if you wish. The bake time will be a minute or two longer depending on how large you scoop them โ keep your eye on them as they bake and enjoy!
Whatever I try, they don’t get that snow coating texture. The sugar is melting. I tried everything, even putting the cookies to the refrigerator after coating and coating them again after that. Followed the recipe, tried also only confectioner sugar. Whatever I do, the sugar melts. The taste is good but not what I expected, tried the recipe 3 times
Hello! It could be that they haven’t cooled enough. I know when I’ve made hazelnut snowball cookies that will happen if they haven’t cooled for a few hours
I made this as a mini cookie sandwich with peanut butter marshmallow frosting inside!! I creamed butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, peanut butter, and marshmallow fluff for the frosting. It came out delicious!!!!!
Hey! Had these before and theyโre DELICIOUS! I was wondering if I leave out the rolling in powdered sugar part would they still bake the same?
Hi Kaylee, you can leave it out, or simply follow these double chocolate chip cookies instead. So glad they’re a favorite for you!
Was less than impressed tbh. They spread WAY too much, look like they may not be done all the way, and (bc they spread out so much) are way thinner than ones Iโve made before. I couldnโt find the recipe I normally use so I used this one and followed it to the letterโฆ. Iโll be looking the other recipe a little harder next time .
Maybe try refrigerating a little longer next time to solidify the dough.
My cookies spread too much. What did I do wrong? Tasted amazing but totally made a 3โ wide cookie!
Hi Cathy, if you decide to try these again, we recommend adding an extra tablespoon or two of flour to your dough. And hereโs our best tips for preventing cookies from spreading.
I love this website, and I love these cookies. They are so delicious and beautiful.
so true!!!
Can I make this without using any sort of electric mixer?
Hi Catelyn, You can certainly mix it by hand if necessary, but it will take quite a bit of arm muscle! Particularly when it comes to properly creaming the butter and sugars. We find a sturdy wooden spoon works best. Let us know how it turns out for you.
Delicious cookie recipe. Maybe this tip will help someone else. I find after rolling them into balls and then into the two types of sugar they bake up nicer if they are flattened just a bit. The ones I didn’t do this with had the powdered sugar basically coming off the cookie in like flakes so to speak and the cookie opened up like a flower.
Mine turned out delicious, but spread too much… What could have caused it?
Hi Virginia, if you decide to try these again, we recommend adding an extra tablespoon or two of flour to your dough. And hereโs our best tips for preventing cookies from spreading!
Hello! I was just wondering what the serving size of these cookies are.
Hi Jane, this recipe yields 20-22 cookies.
This recipe is FABULOUS!
Years ago I had a crinkle cookie recipe that was thick and chewy. Iโve misplaced that recipe so I thought Iโd give yours a try. I chilled the dough for 8 hours but the cookies are really flat. Iโm an experienced baker so I canโt figure out why.
These came out perfect, exactly as pictured! I had never made or eaten a chocolate crinkle cookie. These were a big hit. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Sally
I have been following instructions on your recipes for a while now and with this one I have two quick questions
1. Any reason this doesnt use cornstarch like in your chewy choco chip cookies?
2. For this and the choco chip cookies, your baking time is in the low 10 minute ball park. On my oven it takes almost triple the time to bake. I know all ovens are different, but any chance you may know why so much time difference?
Hi Diego! These chocolate cookies already have cocoa powder in them, which is very fine, and would not benefit from the cornstarch. Are you making your cookies a little larger, maybe? We also always recommend using an in-oven thermometer for best results. Most ovens aren’t the temperature they say they are!
Absolutely LOVED this recipe. I didnโt have chocolate chips (not a big fan of double chocolate anyway) so I didnโt fully do the recipe justice but they came out so moist and chewy and the perfect amount of chocolately for me! I almost donโt wanna share them with my coworkers. Guess that means Iโll have to make another batch soon!
The cookies turned out to be one of my favourites!! They were easy to throw together, and the end results were just as I’d hoped.
Do you have lemon ones?
Hi Chris, here’s our lemon crinkle cookies recipe.
Iโm using these cookies for my school bake sale; theyโre so delicious!! Everyone in my family loves them โค๏ธ
Made these today with the kids and they turned out so good! My favorite recipe for these by far! Thank you!
These cookies are fabulous! They were gone in a flash so next time I’ll make double batch. I compared this recipe to the lemon crinkle cookie recipe. Other than the flavoring they are essentially the same. Why is cornstarch not used in the chocolate recipe? Thank you.
Hi Joe, glad you loved the cookies! Cocoa powder is a very drying ingredient, so adding cornstarch to this recipe would be overkill; whereas the lemon cookies don’t have cocoa powder and need a little something to keep them soft.
I love all your recipes and made them successfully but I can never bake this right. I’ve followed everything but my crinkles either turn hard, not spreading or butter separating. Sometimes it looks perfect but when I taste it, I can still chew on the sugar. I can’t figure out my mistake. Aside from following the recipe, I use a convection oven at bake these at 170c for 12mins. Maybe my oven temp is wrong? I so wanna do this right
Hi Iana, happy to help troubleshoot. Does your oven have a conventional setting in addition to convection? We recommend using a conventional baking setting if possible, because convection/fan can dry out baked goods. If you don’t have that option, reduce the temperature–try 160C or even 150C. Are you making any other substitutions to the ingredients?
Is there a way that I can reduce the quantity of sugar in this as my family finds it to sweet.
Hi Elvina, while you can certainly try reducing the sugar if you wish, keep in mind that it plays an important role in the taste, texture, and overall structure of the cookies. Results will vary with less sugar.
Iโve tried doing that and it seems to work; it just brings out the cocoa flavor a bit more (so you may want to reduce that too). Hope this helps!
Thus us a great recipe! I made these, crispy peanut butter cookies and double chocolate chip cookies all from your website. All very good! Thanks so much!!!