This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Let’s upgrade chocolate crinkle cookies! I’m excited to share the fudgiest and chocolate-ist crinkle cookies, complete with all my best tips to get that perfect crinkle cookie look with no baking experience required.
This Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe is a family favorite!
Why was I avoiding chocolate crinkles all my life?!
I don’t think I even ever tried one until I baked these!
For some reason I was throwing shade at chocolate crinkles because I assumed that since they were rolled in powdered sugar that they would taste similar to Russian tea cakes, which looked dry in my opinion.. so I figured that chocolate crinkles were dry too. And who wants a dry Christmas cookie?
I now know that this chocolate crinkle cookie recipe is nothing like a tea cake and they are not dry AT ALL! I have been missing out on the FUDGIEST & CHOCOLATE-IST cookie of my life.
And when I say fudgiest and chocolate-ist, I mean you are going to need a glass of milk or something to consume with these cookies.
I am going to admit that I don’t like milk and hardly drink it.. unless it’s in cereal, so I’ll be the weirdo eating these cookies with a glass of water.
What is a Chocolate Crinkle Cookie?
A crinkle cookie is a cross between a chocolate cookie and a brownie. These cookies are chewy edges like cookies, but the inside texture is fudgy and chewy like a brownie!
Why this is the best recipe for Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- So chocolatey. The melted chocolate and cocoa powder makes these cookies extra chocolatey!
- Simple ingredients. You probably have most of the ingredients already in your pantry!
- Soft & chewy. The texture of these chocolate crinkle cookies is out of this world! They remind me of fudgy homemade brownies.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe Ingredients
- all purpose flour or all purpose gluten free flour
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- baking powder
- salt
- unsalted butter
- unsweetened chocolate bar
- eggs
- granulated sugar
- powdered sugar
How to Make Chocolate Crinkles Cookies
- Dry ingredients. In small mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Melt. In a small pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Stir occasionally until melted, remove from heat.
- Eggs and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugar, whisk together. Then add the melted chocolate mixture, whisk again.
- Dry ingredients. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Refrigerate. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, you can refrigerate it overnight too.
- Scoop. Using a small cookie scoop, form the dough into balls, then roll each bag in a generous amount of powdered sugar.
- Bake. Place the cookies around 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 16-20 minutes and allow the cookies to cool on the pan before removing them since they will be so fudgy.
Refrigerator Christmas Cookie
This is a refrigerator cookie. Meaning, you have to refrigerate the dough before you can bake it. And I know.. it’s almost like I can hear the groaning because the last thing you want to do when making cookies is halt the process for 2+ hours to chill the dough.
Even as a baker I don’t like recipes that call for chilling. BUT if you know in advance that a recipe needs to be chilled, you can use that down time to make other cookies or watch episodes of your favorite show.
How to Properly Measure Flour
- Whisk the flour
- Use a spoon to scoop the flour into your measuring cup
- Use a butter knife to level the measuring cup
Do not pack the flour down into the measuring cup.
Do not stick the measuring cup into the flour bag and scoop it out. This will result in too much flour in the recipe, making it dry.
Tips for making this Recipe For Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chill the dough for at least 2 hours. The dough can also be refrigerated overnight or up to 48 hours.
The more powdered sugar you use when rolling the dough balls, I think the better the cookies look after they bake!
Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before removing them since they will be very fudgy.
Time Required
- 10 minutes to assemble the cookie dough
- 2 hours to chill the dough, this is mandatory!
- 16-20 minutes to bake
Storing Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Room temperature: Store crinkle cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 1 week.
Freeze the dough: Roll the dough into balls and store in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then roll the cookies in powdered sugar before baking.
Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies FAQs
You’ll know the cookies are done when will puff up and form those famous cracks or crinkles on the outside.
This dough is wet and sticky because it uses melted chocolate and butter. Because those ingredients are so liquid-y, the dough needs to be refrigerated before you can roll them.
I have made these cookies multiple times with King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour with great success.
Be sure to generously roll the cookies in powdered sugar. You want the entire cookie covered in powdered sugar, no cookie dough should be showing when they go into the oven.
More Christmas Cookies
Tap stars to rate!
The Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, 1/2 cup
- 4 oz unsweetened chocolate
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- Powdered sugar for rolling the cookies, about 1 cup
Instructions
- In small mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a small pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Stir occasionally until melted, remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugar, whisk together. Then add the melted chocolate mixture, whisk again. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours (you can refrigerate it overnight!).
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Pour powdered sugar into a bowl (about 1 cup).
- Using a small cookie scoop, form the dough into balls, then roll each bag in a generous amount of powdered sugar. Place the cookies around 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 16-20 minutes and allow the cookies to cool on the pan before removing them since they will be so fudgy. Serve and enjoy!
They turned out so good, Mine didn’t turn out as pretty as the photo, But mine never do. But they are so soft and light and the chocolate is just right, My husband and daughter said that I can make them again, The only thing is I didn’t use the 4oz. Unsweetened chocolate, In its place I used 4oz of the 70% cocoa.
We’re so glad your family loves this recipe too!
Hi! I tried these and they turned out more caky than fudgy. Any suggestions on what I might’ve done wrong? Thanks!
Hi Adel! Did you refrigerate the dough as redirected? How did you measure the flour?
Hi Beth! I measured the flower using measuring cups. I accidentally measured 1.5 cups first, so I calculated the difference in Tbsps and added it (I think 1.5 or so). And yes, I did refrigerate for approximately 3 hours. One thing is that I didn’t mix all the dry ingredients together before adding them to the wet ingredients; I used a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisked the eggs + sugar, then added the melted butter + chocolate, then added the dry ingredients one at a time: flour, then baking soda and salt, then cocoa powder.
Thanks Adel! I’m thinking that the dry ingredients could have been over mixed, since you added them one at a time and a stand mixer can be pretty powerful and over mix easily. I would recommend mixing the dry ingredients together then mixing that into the wet ingredients just until incorporated. It’s okay if there are some flour streaks. Use a spatula and mix by hand to give it one last mix. Over mixing can really lead to dry cookies!
Hi- dough tastes fabulous, but is SUPER sticky coming out of the fridge. As in, there’s no way I can roll them into balls. Do they just need to chill longer?
Hi Jamie! How long did you refrigerate the dough? You can definitely definitely longer if necessary or spray your hands with a little bit of cooking spray when rolling the balls.
Baked these cookies and they turned out amazing. Can I freeze them?
I have made these for years. I only bake them for 12 minutes. After I take them out of the oven I press a nonpareil I the middle of the cookie. They are so good!
I don’t have cocoa powder can I just use the bars.
Hi Colleen! I haven’t tried making this recipe without cocoa powder.
Hi. Can these be frozen either before or after baking?
Hi Denise! To freeze the cookie dough (before you baked it)
1. Form the dough balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with silicone mat. You can place the dough balls close together since you won’t be baking them. Place the baking sheet in the freezer until the cookies are frozen solid, about 1 hour.
2. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to a ziplock freezer bag. Label the bag with baking directions. Freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months.
3. To bake: remove the dough from the freezer. Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Roll the balls in powdered sugar and bake for the regular time. Frozen cookies may need to bake for 1-3 minutes longer than non frozen cookies.
Hi. Looks look yummy!! Any substitute for the 4oz of unsweetened chocolate? I don’t have any, darn! Thanks. Jen
P.S. Mexican Wedding Cake cookies are super yummy -if you make a good one. Lol.
You can use any type of chocolate chips you have on hand! 4 oz chocolate chips is equal to about 1/2 cup.
Refrigerated overnight. The cookie dough once refrigerated overnight was hard as a rock. Cookie scoop would not penetrate. Did I do something wrong? I am baking them now. I will see how they turn out.
Let the dough sit out for 20-30 minutes since you refrigerated overnight!
We made these last night and not only do they look pretty but they taste delicious! We added a little peppermint Hershey’s kiss to add a little Christmas twist and they came really cute!!