Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

One of the classic cookies in my rotation, chocolate crinkles are the easy dessert I reach for all year round. Whether you’re looking to shake up your Christmas cookie spread or craving a chocolate dessert to outshine classic chocolate chip cookies, these stunning cookies are always the answer. I roll these cookies not once, but twice in confectioners’ sugar to really bring out the crackled, crinkle appearance these cookies are known for. If you're looking for the cutest cookie to add to your holiday spread or for an adorable homemade food gift to hand out to friends and family, you can't go wrong with these show-stopping treats. Read on for all my top tips on how to make them the best they can be.

What People Are Saying:
"I am not a great baker, but oh man, did these come out perfectly! So good, and easy to make. Will be making these for a cookie exchange I'm attending soon!" - Roxkirch

"These are amazing. Definitely don't overbake - leave them on your baking tray for at least 20 to 30 min. A double roll in the icing sugar really nails the dramatic crinkle!" - nikki.w88

How To Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• Flour: The perfect crinkle cookie should have a chewy, fudgy, almost brownie-like texture. For that, I start with all-purpose flour, which gives the good just the right amount of structure.
• Cocoa Powder: I use unsweetened cocoa powder so I have more control over the sweetness of the cookies. As in brownies, cocoa powder delivers deep color and rich chocolate flavor, and a delightfully fudgy texture.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: I found I needed two leavening agents to nail the texture and appearance of these cookies. The baking powder creates softer, cakier cookies, while the baking soda helps the cookies spread so they form those beautiful crinkles.
• Butter: You can’t beat the rich flavor butter imparts to these cookies, but butter is about more than flavor here: It also makes the cookies soft and chewy and helps them spread and crinkle.
• Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar: Both contribute sweetness, but the granulated sugar encourages the cookies to spread, while the brown sugar helps to make them chewy.
• Eggs: The eggs play a number of roles here: They bind the dough, add moisture and richness, and even help with the leavening.
• Confectioners’ Sugar: Rolling the cookies in this snow white sugar before baking creates the eye-catching black-white contrast when the cookies crinkle.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Get things started by grabbing a large bowl and a whisk and mix together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Next, grab a medium bowl and whisk together the wet ingredients: melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined and no dry streaks remain; you want to develop as little gluten as possible, so be sure to mix minimally. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Don’t rush this step; chilling the dough thoroughly is crucial creating those crinkles.

Preheat your oven to 350° and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. Now, let’s form some cookies. First, place confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. Working one at a time, scoop out 2-Tbsp. portions of dough (a #30 cookie scoop works well for this) and roll into balls between your palms, moistening your hands with water if the dough is too sticky. Toss the dough balls in the confectioners’ sugar to coat, then transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spacing 2" apart; give those cookies room to spread! After all the dough has been portioned out and rolled, roll each ball in the confectioner’ sugar a second time and return to the baking sheets; two turns in the confectioners’ sugar guarantees high-contrast crinkles.

Bake until the cookies are puffed in the middle, set around the edges, and cracked on top; the cookies should look slightly underbaked between the cracks. Fourteen minutes should be about right, but ovens vary and the worst thing you can do is overbake these cookies, so keep a close eye on them. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet and they’re ready to serve!

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• How do I prevent my chocolate crinkle cookies from going flat? Nobody wants a flat cookie, especially with these soft, fudgy creations. Flat cookies could be the result of two things: not chilling your dough for long enough and not using enough flour. Make sure you're refrigerating your dough for at least 2 hours before baking. Chilling the dough not only helps the cookies achieve the proper height and texture, but also aids in creating that beautiful signature crinkle.
• How do I get the best crinkle? In addition to thoroughly chilling your dough, I also suggest rolling the dough pieces twice in confectioners’ sugar to ensure each cookie is fully coated, so the crinkles have their full dramatic flair.
• Can I make chocolate crinkle cookies ahead of time? Of course! Make the dough a day or two in advance and refrigerate it until you're ready to form your cookies. If you want to freeze your dough, first form your cookie dough into balls, then chill for one hour. After chilling, place your cookie dough balls in an airtight container or storage bag and freeze for up to three months. When you're ready to bake, thaw before rolling in confectioners’ sugar and baking.

Storage

If you manage to have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Alternatively, freeze the cookies for up to 3 months.