Chocolate Crinkle Cookies {Best Recipe} - Two Peas & Their Pod (2024)

This post may contain affiliate links. Read mydisclosure policy.

Quick Summary

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies-these soft and chewy, brownie-like cookies covered in confectioners’ sugar are a favorite Christmas cookie! A must for every holiday cookie platter!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies {Best Recipe} - Two Peas & Their Pod (1)

In my opinion, you can’t fully experience the holidays unless you eat at least one chocolate crinkle cookie. I tend to indulge in more than just one because I love these cookies! The chocolate crinkles are fudgy with a soft and chewy center, but still have a slightly crisp edge. The brownie-like cookies are coated in confectioner’s sugar, giving them a sweet, snow-kissed look.

The recipe makes a lot of cookies so they are perfect for sharing and gifting! When the cookies melt in the oven, they crackle with the perfect snow affect. They remind me of a winter wonderland! They really are the perfect Christmas cookie!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies {Best Recipe} - Two Peas & Their Pod (2)

Secret Ingredient

This is hands down the best chocolate crinkle recipe. Trustme, I have tried a few recipes and always come back to this one!

What makes this chocolate crinkle recipe so special? This recipe uses melted unsweetened chocolate instead of unsweetened cocoa powder and I am telling you it is a game changer. The flavor is SO much better. I actually did a side-by-side taste test and everyone picked my recipe with the melted chocolate over the crinkles made with cocoa powder.

Using melted chocolate intensifies the chocolate flavor. Sure, it takes a little extra time to melt chocolate, but it is SO worth it. I promise the flavor is the BEST! Make sure you use unsweetened chocolate and a GOOD quality chocolate.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies {Best Recipe} - Two Peas & Their Pod (3)

How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Crinkle cookies are easy to make, but you HAVE to chill the dough, it is mandatory. If you don’t chill the dough, the dough will be too sticky, and you will end up with a chocolate cookie mess….and no crinkly tops! So just plan in advance, I like making the dough one day and baking one day. Makes life easier!

Let’s get CRINKLE-ING!

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • Place unsweetened choppedchocolatein a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, untilmelted. Alternatively, you can use a double broiler to melt the chocolate. Remember, the melted chocolate is going to make the BEST chocolate crinkles. Make sure you use unsweetened chocolate.
  • Mix together the melted chocolate, oil, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until combined. Mix in the room temperature eggs and vanilla extract.
  • Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. The dough will be sticky and that is ok.
  • For the dough into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Chilling the dough is a MUST!
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line large baking sheet with Silpats or parchment paper.
  • Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls, don’t roll the cookies too big or they will spread and be too flat. You want a smaller cookie.
  • Completely cover the cookie dough balls in confectioners’ sugar. You want to make sure they are completely white all around! The kids can help with this step, it’s ok if it snows in your kitchen, that is all part of the fun. Pro tip-if you want to prevent the confectioners’ sugar from melting into the cookies, you can roll the cookie dough balls in granulated sugar before rolling them into confectioners’ sugar.
  • Place the cookie balls onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are set around the edges, but still soft in the center. Don’t over bake.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes or until set. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
  • The cookies will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to four days.

How to Freeze

Yes! Chocolate crinkle cookie dough freezes well. Roll the dough into balls, but don’t roll them in the powdered sugar. Place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, and freeze until firm, then store in an airtight container or plastic freezer bag. Label, date, and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, roll the frozen cookie dough balls in confectioner’s sugar and add a few extra minutes to the baking time.

You can freeze the baked crinkle cookies, but note, they won’t be quite as pretty after being frozen, but still tasty. Put a layer of parchment paper in between cookie layers to prevent sticking.

Chocolate Crinkle Variations

If you want to mix things up, try these chocolate crinklevariations!

  • Chocolate Chip: Stir in one cup of mini chocolate chips or regular chocolate chips.
  • Mint Chocolate: Reduce the vanilla extract to 1 ½ teaspoons and add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract.
  • Kiss Crinkle Cookies: Gently press a chocolate kiss into the center of the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. We like to use the candy cane kisses at Christmas time. Pro tip-freeze the kisses first so they don’t melt!
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies {Best Recipe} - Two Peas & Their Pod (5)

More Christmas Cookie Recipes:

  • Snickerdoodles
  • Chewy Molasses Cookies
  • Chocolate Kiss Cookies
  • Mexican Wedding Cookies
  • No Bake Cookies
  • Shortbread

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies {Best Recipe} - Two Peas & Their Pod (6)

Cookies

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These soft and chewy, brownie-like cookies covered in confectioners' sugar are a favorite Christmas cookie! A must for every holiday cookie platter!

4.61 from 43 votes

Prep Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Cuisine American

Servings 50 cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces 99% unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

  • Place chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted. Alternatively, you can use a double broiler to melt the chocolate.

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the melted chocolate, oil, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until combined.

  • With the mixer running on low, add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Stop and scape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary.

  • Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed, stopping once to scrape down the sides. Mix until just incorporated. The dough will be sticky and more like a thick brownie batter and that is why you HAVE to chill It.

  • Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line large baking sheet with Silpats or parchment paper.

  • Pour the confectioners’ sugar onto a plate or into a shallow bowl. Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Drop the balls onto the sugar and roll until all sides are completely covered in sugar. Place the cookie balls onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

  • Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are set around the edges, but still soft in the center. Don’t over bake. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Notes

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 85kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Sodium: 29mg, Potassium: 45mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 19IU, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 1mg

Keywords cookies

Have you tried this recipe?

Leave a comment below and share a photo on Instagram. Tag @twopeasandpod and hashtag it with #twopeasandtheirpod

Photos byDishing Out Health

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies {Best Recipe} - Two Peas & Their Pod (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you don't chill crinkle cookie dough? ›

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies can come out flat if the dough wasn't chilled long enough before rolling or the rolled dough balls sat at room temperature too long after being popped into the oven. The dough should be chilled at least for 3 hours and the cookies baked as soon as they are rolled.

Why didn't my cookies crinkle? ›

For this to happen, you need to dry the surface of the cookie by coating them in sugar, use sufficient leavening for the cookie to rise, and bake in a hot oven. Issues with cracking usually derive from the sugar coating, not enough or expired baking powder or baking soda, or the oven temperature isn't hot enough.

Why are my crinkle cookies not flat? ›

Flat cookies are often the result of too little flour or butter that's too soft. In the case of crinkle cookies, if you don't let the dough firm up in the fridge before scooping and rolling, they'll spread too much in the oven and lose their domed crackled topping.

How to make chewy vs crunchy cookies? ›

Use a higher ratio of white to brown sugar

While brown sugar keeps your cookies moist and soft, white sugar and corn syrup will help your cookies spread and crisp in the oven. Using more white sugar in your cookies will result in a crispier end product.

Should you refrigerate chocolate chip cookie dough before baking? ›

Chilling cookie dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies. As the cookies bake, the fat in the chilled cookie dough takes longer to melt than room-temperature fat. And the longer the fat remains solid, the less cookies spread.

Why is my crinkle cookie dough dry? ›

Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

How can I make my cookies fluffier instead of flat? ›

Baking powder or flour in excess will cause cookies to rise more, making them more fluffy and cakey. Increased sugar will make them caramelize more and increased fat will make the dough heavier and richer, all increasing retention of water in the dough- these all add up to chewier cookies.

Is confectioners sugar the same as powdered sugar? ›

Like powdered sugar, confectioners' sugar is made of finely ground granulated sugar. However, the key difference is the addition of cornstarch. Adding cornstarch to powdered sugar serves to prevent the sugar from caking up and getting clumpy over time. It protects the integrity of the sugar's powdered form.

What ingredient contributes most to a crisp cookie? ›

Fat is a very important ingredient in cookies – it tenderizes, crisps and browns, adds color and a wonderful flavor that is impossible to duplicate. Butter, our fat of choice, ensures good baking results and adds the most desirable taste, texture and appearance.

What is the secret to chewy cookies? ›

The science is simple: According to the flour authorities over at Bob's Red Mill, cornstarch can help “soften the rigid proteins of the flour, resulting in a light and chewy dessert.” “The cornstarch complements the flour in absorbing the liquids, but won't develop gluten structure like the flour will,” stresses ...

What happens if I don't chill my cookie dough? ›

Sure, you can skip the chilling step and bake the dough right away, but doing so runs the risk of flat disks with dry edges and a brittle texture; a far cry for the plush, chewy cookies with fudge-like centers we all crave.

Is chilling cookie dough important? ›

Since most cookies are made with softened butter, which is then creamed with the sugar to act as the foundation, it's best to chill the dough after mixing to allow that butter to cool off. “Cookies made from chilled dough expand more slowly as they bake,” Hill says.

Can you freeze cookie dough instead of chilling? ›

That's right, you can freeze it for a bit to shave quite a bit of time off the chilling suggestion in the recipe. Here's what our Test Kitchen recommends when quickly chilling cookie dough in the freezer: Place the cookie dough in the freezer for one-quarter of the recommended refrigerator time.

Does cookie dough need to cool? ›

The longer you chill the dough, the more flavor will develop. The flour will also absorb more of the moisture so the thicker and chewier the final texture will be.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Sen. Emmett Berge

Last Updated:

Views: 6047

Rating: 5 / 5 (80 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Sen. Emmett Berge

Birthday: 1993-06-17

Address: 787 Elvis Divide, Port Brice, OH 24507-6802

Phone: +9779049645255

Job: Senior Healthcare Specialist

Hobby: Cycling, Model building, Kitesurfing, Origami, Lapidary, Dance, Basketball

Introduction: My name is Sen. Emmett Berge, I am a funny, vast, charming, courageous, enthusiastic, jolly, famous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.