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 chocolate—chocolate 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, peppermint mocha cookies, Andes mint chocolate cookies, 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 cookies—again—taste 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. 🙂
- 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 it’s 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 oven—they’re pure fudge. They will melt in your mouth! Have you tried these before? Let me know!
PrintDouble 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) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons (51g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 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 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) 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 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 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.
- 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.
This is my first year baking cookies, and these were amazing! My family loved them, and I made a second batch for a work bake off. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Best chocolate crinkles I’ve ever had! These cookies are a Christmas staple in my family and I’ve been using the same recipe for years, but had to give these a try since everything I’ve made from this site has been delicious. The granulated sugar is a game changer – gives it some crunch and helped the powdered sugar stick better. I used Dutch process cocoa powder so I substituted 2 tsp baking powder for the baking soda, which turned out perfect. Love that it doesn’t make a huge batch too. Highly highly recommend!
Love all your recipes!I tried making these cookies and even after refrigerating after a hour they come out super thin and flat. I noticed this with a lot of my cookies and followed the recipe. Any recommendations? Love to hear any helpful insights!
Def can taste he flavor just doesn’t have the texture or taste.
Hi Jess! This post with tips to prevent cookies from spreading should be helpful for you!
I followed the recipe exactly but the powdered sugar on the baked cookie ended up looking soggy and yellow instead of fresh and white. Any tips to prevent this from happening next time? Thanks!
Hi Marissa! Did you follow the tip about rolling the cookies in granulated sugar before confectioners’ sugar? 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.
This recipe was perfect! I tried another recipe and the powdered sugar totally disappeared during baking BUT this recipe with that tip of rolling dough in granulated sugar first then in powdered sugar was spot on. Beautiful crinkled cookies, rich chocolate taste, and a bake sale hit. Sally, your recipes are superb! ❤️
Wow my mom made a chocolate cookie that looked like this as far back as 60 years ago. Her recipe used unsweetened chocolate. They were really great.
I made the dough last night and it is in the refrigerator. Can I roll into balls tonight and put back in refrigerator to bake Sunday, or so I freeze the balls till Sunday?
Hi Ashley, that should work just fine, as you can leave the dough in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Thank you!! I baked a few to try it out and they are soooo good. Easy recipe too!
I LOVE THESE!!!
I bake all the time and just found this recipe to try. My boyfriend has ranked these in his top 5 desserts I make. Thanks for the great recipe!!
The first time I made these cookies they came out perfect. I made another batch today, and they flatted a lot. Could it be they need more time in the fridge before baking? I had them in there for 2 hours. Also, what temperature is your fridge at, perhaps mine isn’t cold enough? They are still delicious!
Hi Christina! They could need more time to chill – here’s our tips to keep cookies from spreading!
I made these cookies for the first time yesterday. They turned out perfectly. If you are a chocolate lover be careful as they are addicting. I’m planning to make a double batch today for a Christmas party. How have I never had these wonder cookies before?
I’m making these for the first time now. I made a double batch of dough last night and noticed it was very dense and not as sticky as the recipe suggested it should be. I double checked my ingredients and believe I got them all right. I just got the dough out of the fridge (24 hours later) to shape the cookies and it’s hard as a brick! I’m going to have to let it come to room temperature completely to work with it at all. What did I do wrong?
Hi Casey! After chilling for 24 hours, the dough will need to sit at room temperate for a bit to soften up. They should still be OK! How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
I had the exact same problem with my double batch of dough. It was a hard brick when it came out of the refrigerator to be rolled into balls. I planned on freezing my rolled dough balls to save for Christmas. I decided to bake a few after it softened enough to roll so I could decide whether it was worth continuing. The cookies tasted brownie like & were good but not as great as the reviews indicate. I was disappointed but I will try again sometime without doubling & see if it less dry. I will also be more careful when measuring my flour. Hope yours turn out okay.
Can I add a peppermint kiss to the recipe? Looking for a crinkle kiss cookies, but wondering if we can just add a festive kiss to this recipe without changing the integrity of your crinkle cookie…We’ve always had success using your recipes; we enjoy that you always seem to have the best tips, techniques, and recipes in general.
Hi Katie, definitely! Or you could add them to our red velvet kiss cookies as well.
Can I substitute the semi sweet chocolate chips with milk chocolate chips?
Absolutely!
My family and I made this recipe this weekend (it was a family affair with an assembly line of a scooper, a roller, a granulated sugar station and a powdered sugar station! – prep went so FAST this way!) Everyone loves them and their flavor so much! They are now my husband’s favorites. Thank you so much for all your hard work testing and posting for us! I ordered your book so the kids can look through and choose the next recipe for the holidays!
Hi Michelle, Sounds like a great family activity! We are so glad you enjoyed these!
These are SO GOOOOOD!! To make mine more festive, for half the batter, I chose to replace the chocolate chips with chopped Andes mints and the other half I rolled in crushed peppermint candies and powdered sugar!! I loved both!! Thank you so much for this recipe!! It’s a keeper!!!!
Hi there! I have a nephew who can’t eat eggs – could you substitute the egg in this recipe?
Hi Hayley, we haven’t tried this recipe with any egg substitutes, but let us know if you do!
They were a hit!
How long did you cook smaller cookie…because I would like to make mine smaller also thank
Yum! These are really delicious if a tad sweet for me. I think I’d add fewer chips next time but otherwise no changes. I made them small, ended up with 45 cookies, and I still baked them for 12 minutes (because I wasn’t thinking but let’s say it’s because I just knew). Beautiful crispy outside and soft and brownie-ish inside. I don’t think these will last long in this house.
These are the best cookies! If I wanted to make the cookies smaller- 30 cookies from this recipe rather than 20- how would I adjust my baking time and/ or temperature? Thanks so much for your help.
Hi Patti! For smaller cookies, you can use the same temperature and the bake time would be a little less (we’re unsure of the exact time).
I’ve made these several times, and they’re always hugely successful. In fact, last year everyone unanimously picked these as their favorite cookie of all of my xmas bakes. I am wondering if there’s a way to modify these to make a red velvet crinkle cookie, as that would be a bit more festive? Any suggestions?
Hi Jay, you can tint these cookies red if desired but we recommend you use our Red Velvet Kiss Cookies and roll them in powdered sugar instead of granulated (you can leave off the kiss). Would love to hear how they go!
These cookies are absolutely amazing. They are by far my family and my favorite cookie. My daughter calls them Oh My Gosh cookies because every time I make a batch, after her first bite she says “Oh My Gosh these are sssssoooo good”. So now when I’m in a baking mood she’ll say please make some OMG cookies and of course I always do. Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe.
i tried this recipe and followed all the instructions but when i baked them it just melted into one blob. i’m not sure what i did wrong. it still tastes good though!
Love these cookies! Do you feel they would last if I ship them for Christmas??
Hi Pam, these should work just fine for shipping. This post on the best way to ship cookies may also be helpful!
Hi! Can this be made using gluten free 1:1 flour?
Hi Kelsey, we haven’t tried it ourselves and are unsure of the results, but many readers have used this swap in our cookie recipes. Let us know if you try!
So good!
Question: I live in southwest Florida and so non-humid days are rare. Like almost never. So the crinkles cover never remains. My question is this – can I just do a granulated sugar coating only on these cookies? They sound like a chocolatey bite of heaven and I want to make them – I just know what will happen if I do the confectioners.
Thank you! This is my go-to site for cookies and desserts. I made the salted caramel apple bars and pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. 🙂
Hi Lynn! You could just cover them in granulated sugar instead, but they will not have the crinkled look. They’ll still be delicious!
I was wondering if you could add peppermint extract to this batter to make a chocolate peppermint crinkle cookie. If so, how much would you add?
Hi Judy, We love adding peppermint! I recommend adding 1 teaspoon peppermint extract (not mint extract) in addition to the vanilla. You might also enjoy the recipe for Peppermint Mocha cookies.
Hi so this is my first time making these and I already mixed and set in fridge but I forgot to add the chocolate chips… can I still add them? I don’t wanna mess them up
Hi Anna, you can try removing the dough from the refrigerator, letting it soften back up, and try adding and mixing in the chocolate chips. Then chill again before baking. Let us know how it goes!
Hi Sally,
These cookies are delicious! I do have a question though – I have a small oven and can only fit one baking sheet on the middle rack. I also like to make cookies in large batches, so presumably the correct thing to do is to put the cookie balls back in the fridge while waiting to do the next batch.
But how long should I keep them at room temperature after taking them back out, assuming they’re in the fridge long enough to be totally chilled? Maybe 20 minutes (the 15 minutes from the original recipe and a few extra minutes to account for the time it would usually take to form the balls?) Or maybe a little but shorter since the balls will warm up faster than the full mound of dough? Maybe it’s not even a big deal, I’m just not sure! I want to make sure every batch is at the right temperature so they spread just the right amount. Thanks!
Hi Aaron! You can bake your cookies straight from the fridge – just be sure to chill all the dough balls (even the first batch) so they all spread the same when baked. If you find they aren’t spreading enough, you can try taking them out 15-20 minutes before baking. Hope this helps!
I loved that I read the reviews first and learned some things about natural vs dutched cocoa powder — figured out my powder was dutched. I subbed 2 tsps baking powder for the 1 tsp baking soda and they turned out amazing. I also did another double batch with two tsps of peppermint extract — perfect for Christmas. Definitely becoming a part of our Christmas rotation!
I make chocolate crinkle cookies every Christmas and will doing a trial batch using mini chocolate chips. I love all your recipes however, I have only used oil making these cookies and concerned about using butter instead. What is the difference in texture and taste using butter.
Hi Julie! Using butter produces a richer cookie with a softer crumb. Let us know if you give our recipe a try!
I baked these exactly as instructed unfortunately they came out very thin not puffy like my previous recipe. I double checked my measurements and refrigerated the dough for a day. Is there anything you can suggest to save the dough as it tastes rich.
Juliane,
Are you at a higher altitude? When I moved from almost sea level to about 5000 feet, I discovered all my cookie recipes needed more flour. About 1/4 cup more per cup of flour.
I made these cookies for a party at my grandson’s middle school. They turned out beautifully. I will definitely save this recipe! They are wonderfully chocolatey, and delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you!
This was my first time making chocolate crinkles and they were amazing! I just omitted the chocolate chips and they were the right balance of sweetness… I wish i could post a picture here to show you how delightful they were, perfect texture, perfect cracks.. amazing recipe…