These chocolate crinkle cookies are soft, fudgy and full of rich chocolate flavor!
With their beautiful crackled tops and generous powdered sugar coating, they look just as good as they taste. They’re a delicious cross between a brownie and a cookie, with slightly crisp edges and a chewy center.
These classic cookies are perfect for gifting, holiday cookie swaps or anytime you’re craving a chocolatey treat. Use my tips and tricks below for foolproof results!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Rich chocolate flavor: These fudgy chocolate cookies have an intense chocolate flavor that makes every bite taste like a brownie.
- Picture perfect: The white powdered sugar coating creates a gorgeous contrast against the dark chocolate cookies.
- Easy to make: You don’t need any fancy ingredients or equipment to make these delicious chocolate crinkle cookies.
- Perfect for the holidays: Chocolate crinkles are a classic addition to Christmas cookie trays, cookie swaps and holiday parties.
- Soft and chewy: The centers stay soft and brownie-like while the edges develop just a little bit of structure.
- Make-ahead friendly: You can prepare the dough in advance, making holiday baking much easier.
Ingredients
- Flour
- Sugar
- Cocoa powder
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Butter
- Eggs
- Instant coffee
- Baking powder
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Powdered sugar
How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Combine the Wet Ingredients
Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Then, stir in the cocoa, eggs and vanilla extract.
Make the Coffee Mixture
Dissolve the instant coffee in hot water. Then, add it to the other wet ingredients.
Create the Cookie Dough
Slowly stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Last, stir in the chocolate chips.
Roll the Cookie Dough in Sugar
Use a 1 Tbsp. cookie scoop and then roll the dough in between your palms to make a ball. Then, coat the cookie dough balls in powdered sugar.
Now, this part is important: shake off any excess sugar and roll them a second time. The double dip is key to getting that beautiful crinkled result!
Bake the Cookies
No need to chill this dough – simply bake the cookies until the edges are set and the centers are still a little underdone. They’ll finish cooking on the baking sheet.
Variations
- The chocolate chips: Swap out the semisweet morsels for dark chocolate chips if you like an even richer flavor, or milk chocolate chips for a milder flavor.
- Amp up the coffee: Try instant espresso powder instead of instant coffee for a bolder flavor profile.
- Add peanut butter: Mix in peanut butter chips for a delicious chocolate and peanut butter combination.
- Make black forest cookies: Stir in dried cherries for a killer flavor combo.
- Make larger cookies: Use a 2 or 3 Tbsp. cookie scoop to make bakery-style cookies. Just remember that larger cookies may need additional baking time.
Storage Instructions
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
For the best results, arrange the cookies in a single layer if possible. If you need to stack them, place a piece of parchment paper between the layers to prevent them from sticking together.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can prepare the chocolate crinkle cookie dough up to 2 days in advance. Form the dough into a disc and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap.
When you’re ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to soften slightly if needed. Scoop and shape dough into balls, then roll them in confectioners’ sugar just before baking.
You can also prepare the cookie dough balls ahead of time. Arrange them on a lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm. Transfer the dough balls to an airtight container and keep refrigerated until ready to bake. Wait to add the powdered sugar coating until just before baking for the prettiest crinkle effect.
Do I Need to Chill the Dough?
For this particular recipe, you can choose to chill the dough or you can skip it. If you’re making the dough ahead of time, it’s fine to chill it.
When I’m baking these cookies, I go straight to the oven. The cookies you see in these photos did not have the dough chilled first.
Can I Freeze These Cookies?
Sure! You can freeze both the baked cookies and the unbaked cookie dough.
To freeze baked cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Separate layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
To freeze cookie dough: Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls and arrange them on a prepared cookie sheet. Freeze until firm, then transfer the cookie dough balls to freezer bags or a freezer container.
Thaw the cookies in the refrigerator before rolling them in the powdered sugar and baking.
Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Measure your flour correctly: Too much flour can make the cookies dry instead of soft and fudgy. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off.
- Double dip the dough balls: Rolling the cookie dough in sugar two times ensures a beautiful end result.
- Don’t overbake: The cookies may look slightly underdone in the center when you remove them from the oven. That’s exactly what you want for chewy chocolate crinkle cookies!
- Leave room between cookies: The cookies will spread as they bake, so leave enough space between each ball of dough.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet: Allow the baked cookies to rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack or cooling rack.
- Use a cookie scoop: The best way to get uniformly sized cookies that all bake at the same pace is to use a cookie scoop.
When you make these chocolate crinkle cookies, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more holiday cookie recipes, try these:
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp. instant coffee
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in 4 Tbsp. of hot water.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the coffee mixture, cocoa powder, eggs and vanilla.
- Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Using a 1 Tbsp. cookie scoop, form the cookie dough into balls. Roll the dough balls in the powdered sugar. Shake to remove excess sugar. Roll them a second time, and place them onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes. They will look slightly underbaked in the center. This is okay. They will finish baking on the cookie sheet. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack.
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