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!)
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 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 sugar
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
This cookie batter freezes very well. You can roll them into balls, place on a baking or cookie sheet
and freeze until firm. Then you can transfer them into a freezer-friendly container or Ziploc bag
.
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 things up.)
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.)
Looking for more cookie recipes for holiday cookie swaps? Check these out:
- M&M cookie bars 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.
- Chewy double chocolate M&M cookies 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.
Very Chocolatey Chocolate Crinkles
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 pcs large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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).
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Happy baking!
Did you make chocolate crinkle cookies? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
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Liz Anderson
I’m not sure where I went wrong, but the dough was very fine and crumbly. When I shaped them into balls and baked them, they stayed in that shape and didn’t crinkle. I followed the recipe exactly, so I don’t understand.
Jolina
Hi Liz, this cookie dough is very sticky so perhaps there was a bit more flour added to the batter than needed? Too much flour is also a common reason for cookies not spreading.
Shelly
Great recipe!! My teenage boys gobble these up. I used 1 tsp vanilla and a tsp peppermint extract as a fun twist. Halfway through the batch I also added mini chocolate chips. These are so fun to play with using different ingredients but also amazing as is!!
Jolina
Those are delicious variations Shelly! Glad you and your boys liked them 🙂
Isabel
This is my 2nd time to bake these for my 5 year old, it’s a staple!
Jolina
Hi Isabel! Awesome! How wonderful that your 5-yr old likes it 🙂
Isabel
Baked a batch of crinkles this weekend, my daughter loovvveed it! Will bake another batch this week!
Jolina
That’s awesome! Glad you and your daughter loved it 🙂
Jessy
Hi Jolina. Your chocolate crinkles have become a family favorite since we first tried the recipe all those many months ago. I made tweaks here and there with the sugar (hubby can’t eat too much sweets) and their perfect now for our family. I just made another batch my kids can’t get enough! We eat them on Halloween and Christmastime and all yearound it seems. I meant to thank you sooner…so thank you!
Jolina
Hi Jessy! You’re most welcome! We can’t get enough of these crinkles too, I’m so happy you enjoy them as much as we do 🙂
Stanka
I made chocolate crinkles out of the blue and they were so good! Better than what we buy from the store. My cookies spread more than I’d like but they were still delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Jolina
Hi Stanka! Glad you liked them! And yes, they’re definitely better than the ones from the store 🙂
Marisa Franca
These cookies look so cute. I’ve tasted them before, and loved them, but I’ve never made them. I’m trying to make a few different cookies for my cookie gift box and this recipe would be perfect.
Veena Azmanov
These chocolate crinkles are one of my favorites and don’t know why but I only ever make them during the holidays!
Jolina
I know! I want to eat them all year 🙂
Denise
This post is killing me. Cookies are my downfall and you have so many good ones to pick from ! I have a cookie swap coming up and I’m going to give this one a try!
Jolina
These are perfect for cookie swaps 🙂
Gloria
These are always a hit on the holiday treat tray. Love the intense chocolate flavour, and they look pretty too. So addictive you HAVE to eat more than one!!