Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Soft and chewy, these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a must-have classic for your Christmas holiday baking, offering a rich, fudgy center enveloped in a snowy coat of powdered sugar. Simple to make yet irresistibly sweet, these cookies are the best way to bring joy to your holiday table.

You’re in luck if you want to up your holiday treats game. These chocolate crinkle cookies are the recipe your Christmas baking has been missing. Perfect for entertaining, enjoying as a treat, or giving as gifts, these little bites of holiday heaven are sure to impress. 

This melt-in-your-mouth delicacy will quickly become one of your new holiday favorites. Its soft, chewy center is reminiscent of rich brownies, providing the ultimate comfort experience. These chocolate crinkle cookies are perfect right out of the oven or once left to cool. No matter how you enjoy them, the lightly crispy exterior and delicate powdered sugar will surely make you return for more. They truly are a holiday staple. 

Why You’ll Love Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

• Easy to Make: While this recipe looks like it takes a lot of time and effort to put together, it is relatively easy. Using only a few simple ingredients and a little time, these chocolate crinkles are ready to enjoy in no time. 
• Perfect for Holiday Cookie Exchanges: Many participate in holiday cookie exchanges during the holidays. This recipe is ideal for gift-giving and exchanges as it differs slightly from other traditional cookies like gingerbread and shortbread. Their appearance and delicious taste make them stand out on a holiday cookie platter.
• Make-Ahead: The dough can be prepared and refrigerated for 48 hours. This makes it convenient to bake fresh cookies when ready to enjoy them.
• Festive Appearance: The snowy, powdered sugar coating on chocolate crinkle cookies makes them look like they’ve been dusted with snow. They are a perfect addition to holiday dessert platters and cookie trays and will become one of your favorite Christmas cookies. 

Ingredients

The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.

• Natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• Granulated sugar
• Large eggs
• Vegetable oil 
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Powdered sugar

How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

• Step One: In a large bowl, combine cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Thoroughly whisk these ingredients until they form a well-blended mixture.
• Step Two: Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Whisk the mixture once more, ensuring the dry ingredients seamlessly incorporate the wet ones.
• Step Three: Cover the bowl securely with plastic wrap, then refrigerate the dough. Allow it to chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, although you can extend the refrigeration period to 48 hours if desired.

• Step Four: While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C. Prepare your cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper (alternatively, you can use silicone mats for this purpose).
• Step Five: Retrieve the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Divide it into portions, shaping them into one tablespoon of balls for smaller cookies (around 20 grams each) or two tablespoons for larger cookies (approximately 40 grams each). Roll each portion into a ball shape and generously coat them with powdered sugar. Then, arrange these sugar-coated dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet, maintaining a 2-inch gap between each one.
• Step Six: Bake the cookies in your preheated oven, one sheet at a time. Let them bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove them from the oven while their centers are slightly underdone.

• Step Seven: After removing the cookies from the oven, allow them to rest on the tray for 10 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Equipment Needed

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• Large mixing bowl 
• Whisk 
• Plastic wrap
• Parchment paper or silicone mats
• Wire rack 

What to Serve with Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Serve this delicious chocolate crinkle cookie recipe alongside some other holiday favorites. 

• Christmas Punch
• Holiday Fluff 
• Christmas Chewy Bars
• Easy Christmas Popcorn
• Frito Candy

Variations and Substitutions

• Peppermint extract: Add some peppermint extract to the dough to create a minty flavor profile. This will elevate the cookies and create a yummy, minty bite reminiscent of a classic Christmas cookie. 
• Orange extract: Chocolate and orange go together well, especially during the holidays. Add some orange extract to your dough to change up the flavors. This creates the best chocolate crinkle cookies with a hint of orange.  
• Add-in nuts: Add chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans to your dough. This will add a nutty flavor and a delightful crunch to your crinkle cookies. 
• Make them mini: Make your dough balls smaller to create tiny bite-sized cookies. Just ensure you adjust the baking time and check them regularly to ensure they do not overcook. 

Storage Instructions

To store your Christmas cookies, you will want to allow them to cool first. Once cooled, place your chocolate cookies into an airtight container. They will keep well at room temperature for about a week. It is important to note that they are best when enjoyed within a few days of making them. 

Can I Freeze?

Yes. You can freeze your chocolate crinkle cookies recipe. You can freeze the unbaked dough and make your cookies whenever you choose. 

Prepare your cookie dough according to the recipe instructions. Roll your dough in the confectioners’ sugar. Place your dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, ensuring they are not touching.

Then, place your dough balls in the freezer to freeze solid. Once frozen, transfer your frozen cookie dough to a resealable freezer bag or airtight container.

Store the unbaked dough in the freezer for 2-3 months. When ready to bake, preheat your oven as the original recipe states, arrange your dough on a baking sheet, and bake until they are fully cooked. 

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Sift the Cocoa Powder: Sifting the cocoa powder helps remove lumps and ensures a smooth texture in your cookies. You want to avoid lumps in the dough because you want them to cook evenly. 
• Chill the Dough: Don’t skip chilling the chocolate crinkle cookie dough. The chilling process makes it firmer and easier to handle, resulting in thicker, fudgier cookies. 
• Use Good Quality Cocoa Powder: Since cocoa is a prominent flavor in these cookies, high-quality cocoa powder can significantly enhance the taste. If you opt for a lower-quality cocoa powder, the cookies won’t be as fudgy as you want. 
• Properly Measure Flour: When measuring flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge. Avoid packing the flour into the cup, leading to dry and crumbly cookies.
• Rolling the Dough Balls: When rolling the dough into balls, make sure they are uniform in size for baking. If you’re having trouble with the dough sticking to your hands, you can lightly grease your hands with oil.
• Coating in Powdered Sugar: Roll the dough balls generously in powdered sugar. The sugar coating creates the signature crinkled appearance as the cookies bake.
• Spacing on Baking Sheet: Leave enough space (about 2 inches) between the dough balls on the baking sheet to allow for spreading while baking. If you place the cookies too close together, they will bake into one another, creating a mess. 
• Underbake Slightly: Remove the cookies from the oven when the centers are still slightly underdone. They will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet as they cool, resulting in a soft and fudgy interior.
• Cool on Baking Sheet: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This allows them to set correctly.

Where Did Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Originate?

Chocolate crinkle cookies are a classic treat that likely emerged in the mid-20th century. While their origin story remains a mystery, they’ve become a beloved part of American baking tradition, especially during the holidays. These cookies are famous for their rich chocolatey flavor, delightful crackled appearance, and the joy they bring to cookie lovers of all ages.

Why Are My Cookies Flat?

Several factors could be at play if your cookies turn out flat instead of fluffy. 

• Overmixing the dough
• Using warm dough 
• Excessive butter or oil
• Incorrect leavening agent amounts
• Warm baking sheets
• Overly soft butter 
• Incorrect flour measurement
• Cookie size
• High oven temperature
• Insufficient dough resting time

These things can all contribute to flat cookies. To achieve the desired thickness, be mindful of these factors in your baking process, ensuring that your dough is appropriately mixed, the temperature is controlled, and ingredient measurements are accurate.

How to Tell When The Cookies Are Done?

Retrieve these cookies from the oven as soon as the glossy sheen on the dough has disappeared, leaving them with a matte finish. It’s important not to wait for any browning since the chocolate dough is already dark, and browning might not be easily visible. Overbaking your cookies will not give you the desired texture or rich chocolate flavor you are looking for, so it is important to be mindful of your timing. 

Why Do You Have to Chill The Dough?

• Texture and Thickness: Chilling the dough helps control the spread of the cookies during baking. When the dough is cold, it takes longer to melt and spread in the oven. This results in cookies that are thicker and maintain their shape, producing a more desirable brownie-like texture.
• Flavor Development: Chilling the dough allows the flavors to meld and intensify. The resting period in the fridge allows the ingredients to harmonize, enhancing the overall taste of the cookies. This is especially important for cookies with prominent flavors like these.
• Easier Handling: Cold dough is easier to work with. It’s less sticky and more manageable when forming into balls. A sticky dough is inevitable if you don’t follow the chilling process. Chilling also makes it easier to roll dough in powdered sugar. 
• Crinkle Appearance: For chocolate crinkle cookies specifically, chilling the dough helps create the signature crinkled appearance. The powdered sugar coating adheres better to cold dough, forming cracks as the cookies bake.

How to Properly Measure Flour

You will want to use the spoon and level measurement to measure your flour for these cookies properly. 

The spoon-and-level method is a precise way to measure flour accurately, preventing the risk of using too much flour in recipes, which can lead to dry or dense baked goods. 

To use this method, first fluff up the flour in its container to aerate it. Then, gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup, avoiding any tapping or shaking to level it. Once filled, level off the flour with a flat-edged utensil, such as a knife, to ensure it aligns perfectly with the rim of the measuring cup. 

This process ensures that your flour measurements are consistent and accurate, resulting in the desired texture and flavor for your cookies. 

Can I Make Ahead?

Yes. These cookies can be made ahead of time. You can easily make the dough and allow it to rest in the fridge for up to 48 hours before baking. You can also make the dough for these cookies ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. 

Christmas Cookies

• Christmas Cake Mix Cookies
• Ritz Cracker Cookies
• Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
• Whipped Shortbread Cookies
• Snowball Cookies
• Sweetened Condensed Milk Cookies
• Bear Paw Cookies
• Christmas Spritz Cookies
• Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

FAQ

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• White Chocolate Chunk Cranberry Cookies
• No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Haystacks
• Chocolate Cream Tarts

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