Best Ever Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate crinkle cookies are soft, brownie-like cookies with a strong chocolate flavor and a crackled powdered sugar coating.

These cookies are delish but known for being a bit tricky.

If your crinkle dough has ever been too soft to roll into balls or spread too much or didn’t crack, you’re not alone. A few key tips make all the difference.

My reader Marissa had great success with her chocolate crinkles.

Before You Start

• This dough is very soft and sticky. Chilling is not optional.
• Plan to chill the dough for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).
• Roll in granulated sugar first. That helps the powdered sugar avoid dissolving into the cookie.
• Then roll balls twice in powdered sugar for the best crinkle effect.
• Crinkle cookies rely on leaveners to crinkle. They will puff up in the oven and then fall and crinkle. Make sure your baking powder is fresh. See how to test your baking powder quickly.

How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies From Scratch

Whisk your dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt) together first.

Beat the sugar and oil until smooth and glossy. The dough will look shiny—that’s normal. The real crinkle effect comes from rolling the dough in granulated and powdered sugar before baking.

Add eggs one at a time and beat for a full 2–3 minutes. The dough should look slightly thickened.

Cover well with plastic wrap and chill.

When it's time to bake, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350F° degrees.

Use a cookie scoop to portion one-inch balls of dough. Roll into granulated sugar. Then roll balls into powdered sugar twice. 

I use this Winco #40 scoop for most all of my cookies.

Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Let cookies rest for three minutes on cooling rack. 

One of the biggest complaints with chocolate crinkle cookies are that the dough is too soft to form a ball.

If that happens, most likely you didn't chill the dough long enough. Two hours is the minimum but overnight is best.

Put the bowl of dough back in the fridge while you're waiting for each batch to finish baking.

 Why Didn’t My Crinkle Cookies Crack?

• Your baking powder wasn't fresh. Here's an easy test.
• You used too much flour. Weigh flour for the best accuracy. I use and love this digital scale. (affiliate link)
• There wasn't enough powdered sugar coating. Roll first in granulated sugar first. Then roll balls in powdered sugar at least twice. The sugar dries out the exterior of the cookie leading to the cracked appearance.

PIN FOR LATER

If you’re troubleshooting cookies, you’ll also want to check out:

• Why did my cookies turn out puffy?
• 7 Reasons Your Cookies Are Flat
• How to fix dry cookies
• How to freeze cookie dough

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Recipe

Yield: 36

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (Easily Customizable)

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Chocolate Crinkle cookies are fudgy deliciousness rolled in powdered sugar.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar divided (¾ cup for dough + ¼ cup for rolling dough balls before powdered sugar roll)
• ¼ cup canola oil or vegetable oil (can use butter if preferred)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

1. Measure dry ingredients flour through salt in medium bowl
2. Put ¾ granulated sugar and oil or butter into a large bowl and beat for one minute.
3. Add eggs one a time, beat for two minutes or until pale yellow and fluffy.
4. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and stir to combine
5. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and beat until just combined. The dough will be dark and glossy and very soft.
6. Spoon dough into a Ziplock bag or other container and put it in the freezer for at least two hours, preferably overnight.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
9. Using a small cookie scoop, portion out balls of dough and roll in granulated sugar then roll in powdered sugar.
10. Bake 12 one-inch cookies at a time for 10 minutes.
11. Let cool on a wire rack after baking.

Notes

Chilling the dough for two hours before baking these chocolate crinkle cookies is essential. This is a very soft cookie dough, almost similar to a brownie batter.

This is a sticky soft dough. Have you ever make brownies using a box mix? That's what chocolate crinkle cookie dough is like. The dough is soft, thick and oozy.

In fact, when you make this recipe, I recommend pouring the "dough" into a sturdy Ziplock bag.

Put the Ziplock bag into a large two-cup measuring cup or sturdy, oversized mug to hold it steady while you pour and push the dough into the bag. Then seal up the Ziplock and put it in the refrigerator or freezer. 

Chill for at least two hours and for up to 24 hours.

Don't worry about having trouble scooping it out, even 24 hours chill time, chocolate crinkle dough will be easy to portion out with a cookie scoop.

Recommended Products

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  Katbite 200Pcs 12x16 In Unbleached Parchment Paper for Baking, Precut Parchment Paper Sheets, Heavy Duty Flat Baking Paper, Half Sheet Baking Sheets for Baking Cookies, Cooking, Air Fryer, Oven
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  Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet, 2-Pack, Silver
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  KitchenAid 5 Speed Ultra Power Hand Mixer - KHM512

Nutrition Information

Yield 36 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 72Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 10mgSodium 50mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 0gSugar 9gProtein 1g

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