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.
Excellent cookie! This is my second year to make them. However, I have noticed that they are pretty fragile tend to fall apart in my hand. Any solutions to this?
Hi Kristella, I’m glad you enjoyed these! For a sturdier cookie, you can slightly extend the bake time (a couple minutes).
I have made other crinkle cookies before, but wow!!!! These are AMAZING!!! My family loves to eat them straight from the oven and served with ice cream!!! So Good!! Words do not do these cookies justice!!!! No going back to any other recipe!! These cookies are always gone within a few days, even with making a double batch!!! The chocolate chips add an amazing depth to the cookie as well, you don’t know what you are missing in a cookie until you have had these!!!!
Is it okay to flatten the balls a little, instead of leaving them rolled in a ball before I cook them? My cookies didn’t flatten much during baking, and I tried what you suggested at minute 9.
Hi Anna, there’s no need to slightly flatten before baking, but you can!
My daughter and I love making these cookies. They tick all the boxes. Easy to make. And they taste delicious. I like the size of the recipe too. They turn out just like the photo. Foolproof.
I left the dough in the mixing bowl overnight in the fridge. It became rock solid. I know that I used all of the proper amount of ingredients. Any idea of how to soften the dough quickly? Thank you. I can’t wait to try them.
Hi Carol! See step 3: 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.
Holy crap. These are my favorite cookies … and this recipe DID NOT disappoint! Super flavorful, not too sweet, perfectly, chocolately, and fudgy deliciousness.
This recipe is the bomb! I’ve been making chocolate crinkle cookies from my grandma’s recipe for years, which used oil instead of butter. Your recipe is sooo much better, and the cookies stay fresh longer (day 4 today and still delicious). They were a decadent chocolate addition to my Christmas cookie tins, and I’ll be making them from now on. Thank you!
How many crinkles I can make in this recipe?
Hi Nikey, This recipe will yield 20-22 cookies. Enjoy!
my coworkers and her roommates heated up these cookies a few days after i made them and the first words out of her roommates mouth was “she’s gonna make a great wife one day”. i laughed so hard. these cookies are so good. i was wondering if it would be good to add a little espresso powder? would that benefit the chocolate taste at all?
Hi Kat, Absolutely! We recommend 1-2 teaspoons of espresso powder.
A chocolate lovers dream cookies!! These were so easy to make. I doubled the recipe to make a large batch to bring to a Christmas party, and used margarine as I am lactose intolerant. I didn’t have icing sugar, so instead I rolled them in green and white sugar. They became sparkling, crinkle cookies! Everyone said they looked so pretty and festive, and they loved the flavour. They were gone so fast! They are like brownie cookies. SO good!!
First time making these today. They are delicious and coming out perfect! I will definitely make these again!
Could I use baking chocolate instead of cocoa powder?
Hi Julie! This recipe is formulated using cocoa powder and using melted chocolate would take some testing.
this recipe is amazing! i made 2 small changes…
– additional 2 teaspoons of peppermint extract
– rolled in peppermint sugar (1:1 mix of pulverized candy canes and granulated sugar)
the result provided a beautiful background wafting note of mint that complimented the deep chocolate flavor. it’s going to become a holiday staple in my house!
Amazing! I added 1tsp peppermint extract (like in the peppermint mocha cookies) and used Andy’s Candy baking chips instead of chocolate chips. Took to work at the hospital, everyone loves “like a thin mint had a baby with a krinkle cookie.” Thanks!
Can you make these without using chocolate chips and also can you use peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips
Hi Janine, yes and yes. Feel free to omit the chocolate chips or replace with peanut butter chips.
I absolutely loved this recipe! My mom said and I quote “it was a chocolate dream come true!” I do wish that I had baked it a minute less (so it could be a little softer) but besides that they were some of the best cookies I’ve had. Thank you so much!
I just noticed the comment on the bottom of the recipe that says you can double it in one bowl without overwhelming your mixer. I did this yesterday, and burnt out my mixer! It was 14 years old, so not the recipe, but I found that pretty funny!
I made a batch of both the lemon and the fudge crinkles. Both are chilling for baking tomorrow. I noticed the lemon uses a 1TBS and the chocolate 1.5. Could I use the 1TBS here too? Would the cookies spread enough to be substantial? Thank you.
Yes, you can reduce the size of each cookie to 1 Tablespoon of dough. The bake time will just about be the same, maybe a minute less.
I made these for the first time four years ago and now they are requested every year! So good!
I made these last year and they were a huge hit! I love this recipe. Would I be able to use milk chocolate chips instead of semisweet or will it make them too sweet? Thank you!
Hi Jenna! They will be sweeter, but if you like a sweeter cookie they would be great!
Is it okay to omit the chocolate chips all together? Or would that alter the recipe too much
Hi Julia, you can leave out the chocolate chips if desired. Enjoy!
These are one of the best cookies I have ever made! Was looking for a chocolate cookie to include in my Christmas baking and boy did I hit the jackpot with this recipe, you must try these cookies.
Mixed up the dough and cooked four of these last night for us to try. These are amazing, the only trouble I had was after refrigerating and letting them sit out for a while the dough was pretty solid and hard to scoop.
The next time I make these I’m going to try to scoop and roll them into balls and
then refrigerate them. I did have to drop the pans on the counter a couple of times to make them flatten a little bit. This recipe will not disappoint you.
I made these and sent them to my daughters house. They called me the next day asking for more. They loved them.
Used Dutch coca powder before I even thought about how it’s different from regular coca powder! Hopefully these turn out. Do you foresee me having a problem?
Hi Heather, since this recipe uses baking soda you want a natural cocoa powder. If you’re interested in more about the differences between the two, you might find this post helpful: Dutch-process Vs Natural Cocoa Powder.
Can I skip the “crinkle”, and instead add peppermint extract and crushed candy canes to the dough? Or would the crushed candy canes give off an unpleasant texture?
Hi Kathryn! You definitely could. Or you may love our peppermint mocha cookies or peppermint frosted chocolate cookies.
I made this recipe last year, and I loved it. I made it again this year, and my cookies have turned out flat. What could I have done wrong?!
Hi Catherine! Here’s our best tips to prevent cookies from spreading.
Unfortunately mine spread and didn’t hold shape at all!! I did everything the recipe said and chilled overnight. I used hold shape chocolate chips as recipe didn’t mention which one to use. What could have gone wrong? 🙁
Hi Ylenia! Here’s our best tips for preventing cookies from spreading for your next batch.
Hi Sally, I’d like to make these and was wondering if there would be an issue swapping the natural cocoa powder for Dutch process in this recipe. Thank you!
Hi Christina, Since this recipe uses baking soda you want a natural cocoa powder. Switching between the two would take some recipe testing for us to be confident in the amount of baking powder you would need, and the flavor of dutch/alkalized cocoa is different from natural. If you’re interested in more about the differences between the two, you might find this post helpful: Dutch-process Vs Natural Cocoa Powder.
Hi Sally, I made these and they were absolutely delicious. I stored them in an air tight container at room temp and they were very hard the next day. Any advice? Thanks!
Hi Andrea, it sounds like the cookies may have been slightly over baked if they were hard the next day. For next time, you can try taking them out a minute or so earlier. And, adding a slice of bread to the container of cookies is an easy trick to help keep cookies nice and soft!
Hello, do you know if I could replace the butter with oil for these cookies?
Hi Jennifer, I don’t recommend it. You need butter to cream with the sugar. You can try solid coconut oil, but the cookies may over-spread.
Rave reviews! Brought a cookie tray of a few different types from your website (sugar cookies, snickerdoodles) and these were the star ! Kids and adults loved them!
Fudgy centers. Delicious.
Made these for the first time yesterday and brought them to a Christmas gathering. They are gone!! Absolutely delicious and super easy to make.