Chocolate crinkle cookies are a perfectly rich and deliciously fudgy drop cookie that are great for a get-together or simple dessert! Tasty, decadent chocolate dough is rolled in both granulated and powdered sugar so that the cookies crackle beautifully when baked in the oven! No matter the reason, these crinkle cookies are always a welcome treat!
Easy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate crinkle cookies are an elegant and easy dessert to whip up for any get-together, work party, or potluck! These brownie-like cookies have a rich chocolate flavor and a unique texture that everyone will enjoy.
If you love baking delicious treats for your family (like me), you can't go wrong with a cookie that has a crisp powdered sugar exterior and a soft gooey center. Once you make a batch of these beautifully sugar-frosted cookies, you'll be hooked!
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🥘 Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Ingredients
These elegant crinkle cookies only require a handful of common baking ingredients! You may have most of them already in your pantry if you frequently bake.
Cookies
- Unsweetened Chocolate - 4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate (chopped).
- Butter - 4 tablespoons of butter (cubed).
- Sugar - ¾ cup of sugar.
- Light Brown Sugar - ¾ cup of light brown sugar (packed).
- Eggs - 2 large eggs (at room temperature).
- Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- All-Purpose Flour - 1 cup of all-purpose flour (spoon and leveled).
- Cocoa Powder - ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted).
- Baking Powder - 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
- Baking Soda - ¼ teaspoon of baking soda.
- Salt - ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Candy Canes - 4 candy canes (crushed).
For Rolling
- Sugar - ½ cup of sugar.
- Confectioners Sugar - ½ cup of confectioners sugar.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
If you've made cookies before, these chocolate crinkle cookies will be a breeze! To get started, you'll need a silicone spatula, mixing bowl, measuring cups, and a baking sheet.
1 batch of this recipe will make 15 cookies. You can easily double the ingredients if are serving cookies for a large party!
Preheat Oven & Melt Chocolate
- Prep. To begin, preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Melt. Add your 4 ounces of chopped chocolate and 4 tablespoons of cubed butter to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir. Continue to heat the chocolate and butter in 15-second increments, stirring in between. Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, set the bowl aside to cool slightly.
Mix the Cookie Dough
- Mix. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 2 large eggs until just combined.
- Stir. Stir in ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Add ingredients. Pour in the cooled melted chocolate and whisk until smooth. Then, slowly add in the 1 cup of flour and the sifted ½ cup of cocoa powder until just incorporated.
- Rest. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Roll Cookies & Bake
- Pour. Pour the ½ cup of confectioner's sugar and ½ cup of white sugar into two separate, shallow dishes.
- Roll dough. Roll the cookie dough into balls that are about 1½-inches thick. Roll the balls first in the granulated sugar followed by the powdered sugar. Make sure the balls are completely coated then arrange them onto your prepared baking sheet.
- Bake cookies. Bake in the oven at 325°F (160°C) for 14-15 minutes, making sure to rotate the pans halfway through cooking. The cookies are done when they have puffed up and the edges are set.
- Cool and serve. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Chocolate crinkle cookies are one of my favorite treats to make. If you are a fan of chocolate desserts, be sure to check out my Christmas fudge and chocolate peppermint cookies! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- For best results, you should use a spoon to fluff up your flour and spoon it into your measuring cup before leveling it off. If you scoop it directly with the measuring cup, you could pack too much flour into the cup and make your cookies very dense.
- Rolling your cookies into the granulated sugar before the powdered sugar helps the cookies to crackle while also keeping the powdered sugar coating from dissolving.
- You can make this dough 1-2 days in advance and just store it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator (before forming balls and rolling sugar).
🥡 Storing
Keep your crinkle cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Keep your dough balls frozen for up to 2 months (before baking). Allow them to thaw for 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling in sugar and baking as directed.
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❓ FAQ
If your chocolate crinkle cookies did not crack, it could be two different things. First, your oven may not be hot enough. The tops of the cookies need to cook first so that the middle will rise and cook thoroughly. Secondly, the baking powder may not be fresh enough or has expired.
Chocolate crinkle cookies may be hard and dry if you overcook them. Also, the powdered sugar may dry out the cookies if you don't take them out in time to set while cooling.
Absolutely! I would freeze the cookie dough before you go to bake the cookies if you need to prepare them ahead of time. The cookie dough balls will last in the freezer for up to 2 months! All you need to do is thaw the cookie dough at room temperature for 30 minutes, roll them in sugar, and bake as directed above.
🍪 More Delicious Cookie Recipes
- Cowboy Cookies - These thick cookies have all of the delicious add-ins to make a filling cookie that everyone will love!
- Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies - This cookie recipe only takes 10 minutes to make and it might even be your new favorite!
- Oatmeal Raisinet Cookies - Classic oatmeal cookies are delightfully elevated when you add chocolate-covered raisins!
- Black & White Cookies - If you are a fan of chocolate and vanilla, these delicious cookies have both flavors!
- Fruitcake Cookies - These cookies feature a soft cookie base filled with mixed fruit peel, candied cherries, and dried raisins!
- Whipped Shortbread Cookies - This Christmas shortbread cookie recipe is beginner-friendly and perfect for cookie exchange parties!
📋 Recipe
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 4 oz unsweetened chocolate (chopped)
- 4 tablespoon butter (cubed)
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (spoon and leveled)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
For Rolling
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup confectioners sugar
Instructions
- To begin, preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Add your chopped chocolate and cubed butter to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir. Continue to heat the chocolate and butter in 15-second increments, stirring in between. Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, set the bowl aside to cool slightly.4 oz unsweetened chocolate, 4 tablespoon butter
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs until just combined.¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt.1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Pour in the cooled melted chocolate and whisk until smooth. Then, slowly add in the flour and sifted cocoa powder until just incorporated.1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Pour the confectioner's sugar and white sugar into two separate, shallow dishes.½ cup sugar, ½ cup confectioners sugar
- Roll the cookie dough into balls that are about 1½-inches thick. Roll the balls first in the granulated sugar followed by the powdered sugar. Make sure the balls are completely coated then arrange them onto your prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven at 325°F (160°C) for 14-15 minutes, making sure to rotate the pans halfway through cooking. The cookies are done when they have puffed up and the edges are set.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Equipment You May Need
Notes
- For best results, you should use a spoon to fluff up your flour and spoon it into your measuring cup before leveling it off. If you scoop it directly with the measuring cup, you could pack too much flour into the cup and make your cookies very dense.
- Rolling your cookies into the granulated sugar before the powdered sugar helps the cookies to crackle while also keeping the powdered sugar coating from dissolving.
- You can make this dough 1-2 days in advance and just store it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator (before forming balls and rolling sugar).
- To store: Keep your crinkle cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- To freeze: Keep your dough balls frozen for up to 2 months (before baking). Allow them to thaw for 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling in sugar and baking as directed.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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