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.
Do you think this could work with white chocolate chunks instead?
Thanks!
Hi Sangria, Yes you can use them instead of the chocolate chips. Enjoy!
I made this mistake. It occurred to me as the cookie dough was chilling in the fridge that I had used alkalized cocoa (Ghirardelli Majestic) in a baking soda recipe. I added two teaspoons of baking powder (so 1 tsp baking soda and 2 tsp baking powder total) and they turned out just like the pic and tasted great! Better to follow the recipe, but still can be saved 🙂 Thank you for such yummy cookie recipes!
Hi there!
I’m trying to make a Halloween spin on these bad boys. I was going to use red food gel coloring in the dough then coat in dark cocoa instead of icing sugar so they will be a black cookie with cracks of red. Do you think they will be too bitter not coating them in icing sugar?
Hi Kate, I don’t think they will be bitter without the confectioners sugar – but since this is a chocolate cookie it will be difficult to turn the dough red. You can use a gel food coloring (not liquid) and try for a very dark red color but I’m not confident it will give you your desired color. Let us know what you decide to try!
These were delicious! Everyone loved these! I noticed the day after I baked them they were significantly less chewy and the texture/flavor was quite different. I stored them at room temp in a closed container. A little zap in the microwave did the trick but do you think I baked them too long? Thanks for always including such thorough instructions 🙂
Hi Jean, We are so glad these were a hit! To keep leftover cookies extra soft, store them with a piece of bread. If storing cookies in a container or cookie jar, stick a regular piece of bread in there as well. The cookies will absorb all of the bread’s moisture, leaving the bread hard and the cookies extra soft. And they’ll stay soft FOR DAYS!
would you recommend light brown or dark brown sugar?
Hi Jeanette, Either one will work in this recipe!
Hi, is it alright to add espresso/coffee powder in the recipe? If yes, how much can I add?
Absolutely! I recommend 1-2 teaspoons of espresso powder.
I’ve been making these cookies for several years now and they come out perfect every single time! Whether I bake from fresh or frozen, rolled in icing sugar or not (sometimes I’m lazy!) they are absolutely wonderful.
I just finished my latest batch of dough that I froze and halfway through I discovered a LIFE CHANGING secret: you can cook them in the microwave. 1 or 2 of the frozen dough balls in a bowl, microwaved for 30-40 seconds, left to cool then crumbled on top of an ice cream sundae = ABSOLUTE HEAVEN! Often I want a single serving of cookies but it feels like such an effort to use the oven. I haven’t tried with fresh dough or attempted to keep them in shape, but they are absolutely perfect for a sundae.
Cannot recommend these enough! Thanks Sally!
Hi, could I freeze the dough for less time instead of refrigerating?
Hi Selah, unfortunately no. The dough wouldn’t chill evenly. It’s best to use the refrigerator.
These cookies are amazing!! My only regret is not doubling the recipe!
Hi, I love the texture and I used dark choco chips but it still turned out too sweet. How do I lessen the sweetness? Can I just remove 1/3 of the sugars? Thank you!
Hi Z, You can try slightly reducing the sugar but keep in mind the texture of the cookies will change (sugar is used for moisture and texture as well as taste). You can also try very slightly increasing the salt as salt helps to cut the sweetness, and also use a bit less confectioners sugar for the outside coating.
It’s a great recipe! But can I change the granulated sugar to just 1/4 cup? Or will that have an effect on the outcome?
These were just ok, not great. Chewy but not fudgy. I also found them a bit too sweet and the powdered sugar coating turned into sludge within hours… Adding chocolate chips was a good idea though!
I bake a lot of different cookies so when my husband proclaimed these the best I’ve made (and he is not one to hyperbolize) and requested I make them again as soon as we finished the last batch, I figured that I no longer have to bake any other cookie. Fabulously chocolatey. Excellent texture.
These cookies taste amazing but I’m having an issue with spread. I’ve made them several times now and end up with the same results each time which is a tasty but fairly flat cookie. I’ve weighed my ingredients each time. I’ve tried lowering the oven temp. I’ve tried refrigerating after rolling them in sugar to be sure they are staying cold before the oven. I’ve also tried the freezer. Both gave me the same results. I also tried creating a taller ball and still the same result I’m getting flat cookies. I’ve tried the recipe with and without the milk. I feel like I must be missing something I’m just not sure what. Any recommendations?
Hi Crystal, I wonder if the weather or altitude (or even brand of cocoa powder) have anything to do with this? You’re doing all the right things by chilling, weighing, even freezing too. I recommend adding an addition 2-3 Tablespoons of flour to the recipe which will help soak up some of the butter and reduce a little spread.
I live in Hawaii and the weather/altitude has only ever effected fondant work , lots of moisture in the air. I use Barry Callebaut extra brute cocoa powder. This is the powder I always use and I’ve never had an issue with it disrupting a recipe. Who knows maybe this was the time for it to do so. Your page is one of my go-to places when I’m looking for new recipes and this cocoa as always work. I’m going to give the extra flour a try the next time I make these. Too much spread or not they are still very tasty cookies. Thank you for the response I appreciate it! It’s very rare I can’t get a recipe to cooperate so it’s making me a little crazy.
Hi Sally! So, I made these cookies but they ended up really flat (even after chilling overnight). Any idea why I’m having this issue?
Hi Catarina, For troubleshooting flat cookies you can take a look at 10 Guaranteed Tips to Prevent Cookies from Spreading. I hope this helps!
A great cookie for choco-holics!! They are easy to make and I will put these into my Christmas cookie rotation.
I’ve made these cookies with multiple different recipes, and this one is FAR AND AWAY the best. They stay perfectly crunchy on the outside/chewy on the inside for days after making them, and they have been a huge hit every time I’ve made them. Tip if you don’t have time to chill them for 2+ hours: I’ve had success putting them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Good fix if you’re in more of a rush but want to make these!
This is the best chocolate crinkle cookie recipe ever. So easy and forgiving. I appreciate all your notes, and tips.
Your wide expanse of recipes inspires me to keep on baking! You have made my quarantine truly a “sweet” experience. Thank you for everything 🙂
Hi Sally,
Followed this recipe and as expected, turned out absolutely delicious!
Just a question tho, my sugar crystallized… And now I’m having problems with the texture of my powdered sugar. I made sure to roll them in granulated then go heavy on confectioners.
What can I do to maintain the powdery texture of the confectioners?
Thanks!
Hi Paula! I’m so glad you enjoy these cookies. I’m not sure I understand your question though. I wonder if it’s the brand of powdered sugar you’re using or if the powdered sugar is old or clumpy before using? Try sifting it first– that always helps!
Hi Sally! I would love to make these but don’t have chocolate chips on hand. Would they still come out good if I left them out, or are they an essential ingredient?
Hi Kiara, You can leave out the chocolate chips.
I tried this recipe and it turned out great! However, i used 2 eggs bc i didnt know whether my egg is considered large? So i just assumed it was regular or small hahahah The only issue was that the batter was quite hard to roll even after chilling!! But the taste was amazing.
Delicious! Made them with my grandson and had to hide them. We couldn’t stop eating them. I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you Sally!
This recipe is amazing, and the milk worked just fine with the cookies. Highly recommend this! Thank you.
The crinkles came out very delicious but my confectioner’s sugar seem to always melt. I coated it with granulated sugar, I also tried adding a bit of cornstarch to the confectioner’s sugar but it all comes out melted. I’ve experimented quite a bit with the confectioners sugar but the outcome is always the same – melted. What to do?
Hi Ally, After you coat the cookies with granulated sugar be sure to then go heavy on that powdered sugar topping!
Hello! Is it possible to coat the cookies in something else than sugar and to look the same? Like coconut flakes?
Thank you! I am so happy I found you!
Hi Georgiana, I haven’t tried coating these cookies with coconut flakes. If you wish to try it I recommend pulsing them in a food processor first so that they are smaller and stick better.
I followed this recipe and the crinkles were really delicious! I’m curious if I can use the same ingredients and same amount to make red velvet chocolate crinkles? I read your Cream Cheese Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies recipe but I like the crinkles than cookies. Can I just add 1 tbsp of the red food coloring? I’m planning to use the cream cheese filling recipe from your Cream Cheese Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies. Thank you!
Hi Michelle, you can tint these cookies red if desired but I recommend you use my red velvet chocolate chip cookies recipe. Skip the chocolate chips, then roll into confectioners’ sugar before baking.
Came out delicious! Highly recommend making these cookies
Just finished making them for a second time and had to say how amazing they are! One of the highest compliments I got on them was from a coworker saying that they loved them and they are not a huge fan of chocolate. That was a big win for me! On top of them being delicious, they also look so pretty. Thanks Sally!
Sally!
I just made a batch and I added milk like you normally would when I added the chocolate chips! Would be putting them in the oven in the morning! Excited for the result!
Hi! Love your recipe! Everyone loved these cookies.Just a question. Is it possible to add whisky into the recipe? Will it change the texture? Thank youQ