Introduction
Welcome to my recipe for Chocolate Crinkle Cookies! These cookies are a classic holiday favorite, and they are sure to be a hit with your family and friends. They are soft and chewy on the inside, with a crunchy exterior that is coated in powdered sugar. The combination of cocoa powder and melted chocolate gives these cookies a rich, chocolatey flavor that is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. Plus, they are easy to make and require minimal ingredients. So, let’s get started!
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies – Jessica Gavin
Ingredients:
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-2 large eggs
-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until combined.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.
6. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Roll the ball in the powdered sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are set. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Chocolate crinkle cookies have a soft brownie texture and a flavor enhanced by two sources of chocolate; unsweetened cocoa powder and chopped bar pieces. Once baked, each delectable cookie is rolled in powdered sugar for a beautiful crackly surface.
Table of Contents
When the holiday baking season hits, this chocolate crinkle cookie recipe is at the top of my must-bake list. If you’re a fan of cakey brownies, these cookies are like mini handheld versions. The dough has a thick and sticky consistency, like a rich, fudgy cake, and they bake with a similar texture.
These crinkles are the perfect solution if you’re looking for an easy cookie exchange recipe that will impress your family and friends. The contrast of snow-white sugar with brown cracks and crevices looks like a piece of art. The overall texture is fudgier and doesn’t disappoint in the flavor department.
Ingredient functions
All-purpose flour is selected because it has a moderate amount of protein for gluten formation. It’s combined with a generous amount of cocoa powder and adds volume to the cookie without the added protein for balance. The acidity in the naturally processed cocoa powder also reacts with the baking soda to create carbon dioxide for internal lift, not to mention some baking powder for the extra puff.
A cakey texture is about making a light, airy, and moist base. Eggs are efficient at holding air when whipped and keep the dough light while binding everything together. It prevents the cookie from crumbling into pieces. It’s combined with brown sugar and pure vanilla extract to balance the bitterness of the chocolate.
Brown sugar is a humectant that loves to bond to water molecules, so not only does it add a slight molasses flavor, but it also keeps the cookies soft.
Let’s talk about chocolate
The best way to have the most chocolate flavor impact is to add cocoa powder and unsweetened chocolate to the cookie dough. Cocoa powder is the dried leftover solids from cacao beans that have been fermented, roasted, and processed.
I also use 100% cacao unsweetened baking chocolate bars, not chips. It’s got a clean, rich chocolate flavor without sugar or emulsifiers. It melts smoothly with the butter to create a silky, fudgy cookie base.
Brownie batter-like consistency
Making the cookie dough for crinkle cookies is similar to making a fudgy chocolate brownie mix. The chocolate mixture is combined with the wet ingredients. Then the flour mixture is folded in. The batter has a similar consistency as a ganache filling for truffles. Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes so the melted chocolate can cool down and become more solid for scooping.
It will feel sticky like a thick brownie batter, but don’t worry. Once you place it in granulated sugar, it will be easier to roll into a ball.
Roll and bake
Portion the cookie dough into 2 tablespoon-sized mounds. Roll them in granulated sugar, shaping them into a ball. Coat with powdered sugar, then transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 325ºF (163ºC) until the cookies puff up and look crackly on the surface, about 12 minutes. I let them finish cooking on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. It’s hard not to eat them when still warm!
Important baking tips
- Allow the batter to cool at room temperature and firm up. This makes it easier to scoop and creates just the right-sized cracks. Don’t refrigerate the dough before baking. It reduces spread and causes too wide of cracks.
- Chemical leavening agents are used; baking soda and baking powder. Once the dough heats up in the oven, carbon dioxide bubbles form and quickly break through the surface. The result is numerous thin cracks and a textured white surface.
- Do a double roll of the cookie dough, first in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar, for the most attractive crinkle appearance.
More cookie recipes
Granulated sugar causes the crinkles
Rolling the cookie dough balls first in granulated sugar helps to dry the surface quicker during baking. While the surface hardens, the interior is still spreading and setting. Gradually the force pulls apart the surface and causes more cracks than just confectioners sugar alone.
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Preheat the Oven – Set the rack to the middle position. Preheat to 325ºF (163ºC). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Mix the Dry Ingredients – Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl.
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Prepare Wet Ingredients – Whisk brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla together in a large bowl.
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Melt the Chocolate – Microwave chopped unsweetened chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted, heating for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes.
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Make the Dough – Whisk the melted chocolate into the wet mixture until combined. Fold in the dry flour mixture until no dry streaks remain.Let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. The dough will be thick, like fudge, and feel sticky. It solidifies more as it cools but does roll nicely into balls.
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Roll Out the Cookies – Spread the granulated sugar into a shallow dish. Spread the powdered sugar into a separate shallow dish.Scoop 2 tablespoons (1 ounce, 32 grams, #30 scoop) sized rounded dough balls and drop one at a time into the granulated sugar, roll to coat and then form into a ball. Transfer to the powdered sugar bowl and roll to coat generously. Repeat with the remaining dough.Evenly space the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, 11 cookies per sheet pan.
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Bake – Bake one sheet at a time until puffed and the edges set, but the centers still look soft and raw between the cracks, about 12 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.
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Let Them Cool – Leave the cookies on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Cool completely before serving.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Substitute gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour. I recommend Bob’s Redmill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour.
- Storing: Airtight container for up to 5 days, freeze for up to 1 month.
- Recipe Adapted From: America’s Test Kitchen, The Perfect Cookie.
Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 164
Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Cholesterol 30mg10%
Sodium 81mg3%
Potassium 126mg4%
Carbohydrates 29g10%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 21g23%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 100IU2%
Calcium 33mg3%
Iron 1.7mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.