Chocolate Crinkles Easy Recipe (2024)

by Jolina | | | 64 Comments
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Chocolate crinkles are soft, chewy, very chocolatey and also ridiculously easy to make. They’re on everyone’s favourite Christmas cookie list every year!

(What to try something different this year? Make a batch of delicious ube crinkles or molasses crinkle cookies and wow your family and friends!)

Chocolate Crinkles Easy Recipe (1)

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What are chocolate crinkles

How to make

Make ahead

Storage and shelf life

Holiday cookie swap recipes

Very Chocolatey Chocolate Crinkles

And just like that Thanksgiving is over. Hope you had a wonderful one! Did you score any good deals on Black Friday? It’s Cyber Monday today so if there are any last-minute things you want to buy, now is the time.

You also know what this all means, right? Everyone’s now looking to Christmas! It will be here sooner than we think –Christmas parties, menu planning, gifts (…calories…just sayin’).

This week we are doing Christmas cookies.

Whether you want to give them out as gifts, bring them to your office potluck or serve them at your next get-together (or for when Santa comes to visit!), these cookies are crowd pleasers at Christmastime (or anytime).

First up are these soft, chewy and so very chocolatey chocolate crinkles.

What are chocolate crinkles

Chocolate Crinkles Easy Recipe (2)

Chocolate crinkles are simply chocolate cookies that have those distinctive cracks on top (some people call them chocolate crackle cookies).

That happens because you roll the dough in sugarChocolate Crinkles Easy Recipe (3) which then bakes, expands and crackles into these delicious, textured and pretty-as-a-snowflake cookies (or, in simpler terms, oven magic happens).

They are chocolatey, not very sweet (despite being rolled into sugar) and most definitely chewy (so right up my alley! Have you seen these chewy double chocolate chip cookies?)

How to make

Chocolate crinkles are very easy to make, another reason they’re a favourite holiday cookie.

1. WHISK FLOUR MIXTURE. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. COMBINE COCOA MIXTURE. In a larger bowl, stir cocoa powder, sugar and oil until combined.

3. ADD EGGS. Then you want to add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add vanilla extract and stir. Your mixture should be quite thick at this stage.

3. ADD DRY TO WET INGREDIENTS. Add your flour mixture on top of your cocoa mixture and, using a fork, stir to combine until smooth and well incorporated. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours (I like to chill mine overnight).

4. PREHEAT OVEN. When your cookie dough is ready, preheat your oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

5. SCOOP AND ROLL. Scoop your dough into 1 to 2 inch balls (2-inch balls will give you jumbo cookies like the ones you find in Starbucks). Thoroughly coat each ball with confectioner’s sugar before placing it on the cookie sheet. The cookies will spread a bit so space your cookies about 2-3 inches apart.

6. BAKE AND ENJOY! Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges start to brown and the tops start to crack. Cool slightly on the cookie sheet (about 2 minutes) then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make ahead

Chocolate Crinkles Easy Recipe (12)

This cookie batter freezes very well. You can roll them into balls, place on a baking or cookie sheetChocolate Crinkles Easy Recipe (13) and freeze until firm. Then you can transfer them into a freezer-friendly container or Ziploc bagChocolate Crinkles Easy Recipe (14).

When you’re ready to bake, simply get as many balls as you like from the freezer, thaw for about 30 minutes (watch that it doesn’t become too soft otherwise they will spread too thinly), roll in the sugar and bake as directed.

(Buttermilk scones also freeze very well and are perfect to make ahead and serve on Christmas morning! Check out this classic buttermilk scones no-fail recipe or this lemon buttermilk scones recipe to mix thingsup.)

Storage and shelf life

Once baked, assuming we don’t eat it all lol, these chocolate crinkles will last 2-3 days in an airtight container. So that’s something to keep in mind if you’re planning to give these out as presents (great idea by the way!).

(Another easy and delicious foodie gift for Christmas? Homemade chocolate bark! Fun to make and even funner to give away.)

Holiday cookie swap recipes

Looking for more cookie recipes for holiday cookie swaps? Check these out:

  • are chewy, chocolatey and so easy to make! Perfect if you’re looking for a last-minute holiday treat.
  • White chocolate pistachio cookies are delightfully sweet and salty in one delicious bite.
  • are the best kind of chocolate cookies — soft and chewy, so chocolatey and a breeze to make!
  • While soft and chewy ginger molasses cookies are sweet, indulgent and will make your house smell like Christmas.

Chocolate Crinkles Easy Recipe (15)

Very Chocolatey Chocolate Crinkles

Author: Jolina

Soft, chewy and very chocolatey, chocolate crinkles are also ridiculously easy to make. They’re on everyone’s favourite Christmas cookie list!

5 from 12 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Chilling Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine North American

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 170 kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.

  • In a large bowl, stir 1 cup cocoa powder, 2 cups sugar and ½ cup oil until combined.

    Chocolate Crinkles Easy Recipe (16)

  • Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add 2 teaspoons vanilla and stir. Your mixture should be quite thick at this stage.

    Chocolate Crinkles Easy Recipe (17)

  • Add your flour mixture on top of your cocoa mixture and, using a fork, stir to combine until smooth and well incorporated. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours (I usually chill my cookie dough overnight).

    Chocolate Crinkles Easy Recipe (18)

  • When your dough is ready, preheat your oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

  • Scoop your dough into 1 to 2 inch balls (2-inch balls will give you jumbo cookies like the ones you find in Starbucks).

    Chocolate Crinkles Easy Recipe (19)

  • Thoroughly coat each ball with confectioner's sugar before placing it on the cookie sheet. The cookies will spread a bit so space your cookies about 2-3 inches apart.

    Chocolate Crinkles Easy Recipe (20)

  • Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges start to brown and the tops start to crack. Cool slightly on the cookie sheet (about 2 minutes) then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Video

Notes

  1. The number of cookies you get from this recipe depends largely on how big (or small) you scoop the cookie dough. I typically get around 24-28 cookies using my 1.5 TBSP cookie scoop.
  2. These chocolate crinkles will look soft out of the oven but will continue to set while cooling on the pan. Do not over bake.

Nutrition

Calories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 50mgPotassium: 107mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information are estimates only.

Tried this recipe? Leave a star rating today!Also tag @iamtheunlikelybaker I’d love to see your creations.

Happy baking!

Did you make chocolate crinkle cookies? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

Andlet’s get social!Find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Chocolate Crinkles Easy Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to making soft and chewy cookies? ›

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

Why didn't my crinkle cookies crack? ›

Why didn't my chocolate crinkle cookies crack? The most common reason for cookies that don't crack is either that the oven was not hot enough or the baking powder was expired.

What is chocolate crinkles made of? ›

They're cake-like cookies made with unsweetened cocoa powder, vegetable oil, and a handful of other pantry staple ingredients. Before baking, the cookies are coated in confectioners' sugar. When they bake up, they end up with a cracked (or "crinkled") effect.

Why are my crinkle cookies not flat? ›

Why are crinkle cookies not flat? Chilling the dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much while the cookies are baking, creating, thick, soft cookies.

What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›

Light corn syrup is another ingredient that you can add to cookie dough that will help it stay softer longer. The corn syrup you buy at the grocery store is not the high-fructose corn syrup that soft drinks are made with; it's a sugar that is liquid at room temperature and helps other sugars say liquid at high heat.

How do you make cookies soft and chewy vs hard and crisp? ›

Different types of sugars affect the texture because they absorb different amounts of water. Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies.

How to know if crinkles are done? ›

Crinkle cookies are generally ready when you can see the crackly texture appear on the cookies and, when you gently poke the edges of the cookies, they feel 'set'. Just remember that when you take them out of the oven HOT they will be a lot softer than when they've fully cooled!

Why is my crinkle cookie dough dry? ›

To avoid this, try using as little flour as possible while preparing to roll your dough. 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.

What makes cookies crackle? ›

Coating the cookies with either type of sugar draws out moisture from their surface, promoting cracks by drying out their tops before the interiors set. But granulated sugar does so more efficiently because of its coarse, crystalline structure.

Why is my chocolate crinkles hard? ›

Don't overbake or they will be hard – they'll be soft like pudding when you take them out of the oven, but they'll firm up as they cool! If you overbake, they will be tough AND they will not sink back down to reveal their beautiful crinkle pattern.

Why is powdered sugar melting on crinkles? ›

Any humidity in the air will soak into the confectioners' sugar, slightly melting it. Sometimes you can't avoid humidity, but if you're wondering why the sugar melts, it could be the weather. Again, go heavy on that confectioners' sugar layer.

Can I bake crinkles without parchment paper? ›

Can you bake crinkles without parchment? Yes, you can bake Chocolate Crinkle Cookies without parchment paper. Grease the baking sheet with cooking spray, oil, or butter. Don't overdo it because it can cause the cookies to spread out too much.

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

Try using baking powder instead of baking soda. Baking soda encourages spreading while baking powder puffs the cookies up. If your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda, you would use 3 to 4 teaspoons of baking powder. Caution: This could result in an unwanted flavor shift.

Why are my crinkle cookies spreading too much? ›

Cookies Spreading Too Much or Too Little

If your cookies are spreading out and losing that crinkle effect, your kitchen might be a tad too warm or you might not have refrigerated the dough enough. Make sure to chill your dough sufficiently (for at least 2 hours).

Why are my crinkle cookies cakey? ›

When cookies are too cakey, there are two main culprits: too much leavening (baking powder or baking soda) or too much egg. If there is too much baking powder or baking soda in the dough, the cookies will rise too much when baking, creating a cakier structure.

What makes cookies stay soft and chewy? ›

Use Brown Sugar

Add two tablespoons of light or dark brown sugar to your cookie recipe. Brown sugar can hold extra moisture because of its molecular structure (science!). The glucose and fructose found in it are hygroscopic, which means they suck up and hang onto moisture and moisture = soft, chewy cookies.

What factors cause a cookie to be crisp soft and chewy? ›

The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.

What gives a chewy cookie is chewy texture? ›

Well, the long and short answer to chewy cookies is it's all about the moisture content. Cookies that are dense and chewy incorporate more moisture into the batter. This can be achieved by making substitutions with wet and dry ingredients, or even just changing the way you incorporate certain ingredients.

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