Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies | Recipe with Video Tutorial (2024)

These Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookiesare soft and turn out picture-perfect! The super easydough make these the best Christmas cookies for your holiday baking!

Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies | Recipe with Video Tutorial (1)

Chocolate Crinkles are one of my favorite Christmas cookies. An extra-soft, chewy, fudgy cookie that’s dipped in powdered sugar before baking – what’s not to love?!

And they are so easy to make pretty: All you have to do is make sure the powdered sugar coating is thick enough before baking, and they’ll crinkle and become all beautiful during baking.

My mom used to make these every year when I was a kid, only she dipped them in granulated sugar vs powdered sugar for the crunch. She was wrong (sorry, Mom!). The powdered sugar coating is the best!

Watch the recipe video

These chocolate crinkles

  • are incredibly easy to make!
  • come out wonderfully soft and chewy
  • have the perfect cracked pattern
  • are wonderful for cookie swaps
  • many readers have reported winning cookie contests with these!

Ingredients you’ll need

This is just an overview of the ingredients you’ll need (great as a visual guide at the store!). Scroll down to the recipe for exact quantities.

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Ingredient notes

  • Cocoa powder: Make sure to use the unsweetened kind. I used regular, but many readers have told me they used Dutch processed successfully.
  • Butter: You can use stick margarine in place of the butter. Please do not use buttery spread or a spreadable margarine. I do not recommend using oil in place of the butter.
  • Powdered sugar: I do not recommend using organic powdered sugar without anti-caking ingredients for these. I always get the regular powdered sugar to make sure it’s completely powdery and coats the cookie dough evenly.

How to make chocolate crinkle cookies

1) Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together.

2) Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat in until 3) just combined.

4) Combine dry ingredients and 5) add to egg mixture.

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6) Slowly mix until dough forms – chill one hour.

7) Shape dough into balls and 8) roll in powdered sugar.

9) Place the cookie dough spread out on baking sheets and bake.

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Recipe tips

Cookie size

To make larger cookies, use 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. They will bake in 12-15 minutes.

To make smaller cookies, use 1 generous tablespoon of dough per cookie. They will bake in around 10 minutes.

Baking time

The exact baking times will depend on your oven and how hot it runs, so remember to check on your cookies frequently.

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.

Dough

  • When beating in the eggs, only do them for max 10 seconds each, otherwise they will get too frothy and your cookies will blow up too much in the oven.
  • Yes, it’s a sticky dough, and even after chilling it will start sticking to your palms – that’s normal. Just wash your hands after every few cookies you rolled and it will be fine.
  • Make sure you stick to the ingredient amounts the recipe calls for. Otherwise the dough could be too sticky to ever roll, or you could end up with dry cookies.

Powdered sugar

Make sure you coat the cookies with a thick, even layer of powdered sugar without any gaps – that’s the only way to get that beautiful look!

How to make taller/softer crinkles

If you prefer your chocolate crinkles tall and soft, here are a few ways to achieve it:

  • chill the dough for a longer amount of time
  • place the cookie dough balls on a chilled baking sheet
  • bake the cookie dough balls straight after rolling them without letting them come to room temperature first
  • let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes without touching them before transferring them to a cooling rack

How to make your crinkle cookies more chewy

If you want your chocolate crinkles to be a little denser and more fudgy (that’s how I love them!), here’s what to do:

  • chill the dough just as long as neededplace the cookie dough balls on a room temperature baking sheet
  • let the cookie dough balls stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before baking
  • if the cookies are still very tall when they come out of the oven, you can gently press them down with the bottom of a drinking glass – you just have to do it RIGHT as you take them out!
Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies | Recipe with Video Tutorial (5)

Storage tips

On the counter:The crinkle cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3-4 days.

In the freezer:If you want to keep the cookies for longer, they freeze well for up to 3 months (see blow).

Freezer instructions

To freeze unbaked dough:

It’s easy to freeze the rolled cookie dough balls (don’t dip them in sugar though!). Freeze on a lined baking sheet in a single layer until firm (about 2 hours, then transfer to freezer bags and freeze for up to 2 months.

To bake, just take as many balls as you want to make from the freezer and let sit on a plate on the counter for 30 minutes, then roll in powdered sugar and bake.

To freeze baked cookies:

Place the cooled cookies in layers in freezer containers, separating layers with baking parchment. Label with the name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months).

To defrost, put them on a wire rack and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Do not let them sit in the container or on a plate, or they will get soggy.

If you want warm, freshly-baked cookie flavors, you can place the thawed cookies on a baking sheet and warm them at 275°C for 5-6 minutes.

Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies | Recipe with Video Tutorial (6)

More chocolate cookies

  • Chocolate Crinkle Blossoms
  • The Best Double Chocolate Cookies
  • Peppermint Brownie Cookies
  • Double Chocolate Cookies with Hazelnuts

PSIf you try this recipe, please leavea review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along onPinterest,FacebookorInstagram.

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Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Try these soft and chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies for Christmas this year – my simple recipe makes these the best easy treat for your holiday baking!

Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings

made it? tap the stars to add your rating!

4.80 from 386 votes

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Recipe details

Prep 15 minutes mins

Cook 30 minutes mins

Chilling Time 1 hour hr

Total 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Servings 32 cookies

Difficulty Easy

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder I recommend sifting it if it is very lumpy
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • cup butter softened
  • 1 ½ cups white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Combine dry ingredients: Combine cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

  • Cream wet ingredients: Place butter, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix on medium-low speed just until combined – about 10 seconds each.

  • Make cookie dough: Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated.

    Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies | Recipe with Video Tutorial (12)

  • Chill cookie dough: Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least 1 hour or up to overnight (the longer you chill, the thicker the cookies will be).

  • Roll cookies: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and cover them well with the sugar.

    Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies | Recipe with Video Tutorial (13)

  • Bake cookies: Place on a lined baking sheet with enough space between them (bake in batches) and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until spread and crackled. Cookies will still be soft, so let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

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Notes

Baking tips

Cookie size:

To make larger cookies, use 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. They will bake in 12-15 minutes.

To make smaller cookies, use 1 generous tablespoon of dough per cookie. They will bake in around 10 minutes.

Baking Time:

The exact baking times will depend on your oven and how hot it runs, so remember to check on your cookies frequently. Do not overbake.

Dough:

  • do not overheat the eggs or the cookies may be tough
  • dough will be sticky, that’s normal
  • it helps to slightly dampen hands OR cover them liberally with powdered sugar when rolling cookies

Powdered Sugar:

Coat cookies with thick, even layer of powdered sugar for the best look.

How to make taller/softer crinkles:

If you prefer your chocolate crinkles tall and soft, here are a few ways to achieve it:

  • chill the dough for a longer amount of time
  • place the cookie dough balls on a chilled baking sheet
  • bake the cookie dough balls straight after rolling them without letting them come to room temperature first
  • let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes without touching them before transferring them to a cooling rack

How to make your crinkle cookies more chewy:

If you want your chocolate crinkles to be a little denser and more fudgy (that’s how I love them!), here’s what to do:

  • chill the dough just as long as neededplace the cookie dough balls on a room temperature baking sheet
  • let the cookie dough balls stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before baking
  • if the cookies are still very tall when they come out of the oven, you can gently press them down with the bottom of a drinking glass – you just have to do it RIGHT as you take them out!

Storage tips

On the counter: The crinkle cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3-4 days.

In the freezer: If you want to keep the cookies for longer, they freeze well for up to 3 months (see blow).

Freezer Instructions

To freeze unbaked dough:

Freeze rolled cookie dough (do not dip in powdered sugar!) on a lined baking sheet in a single layer until firm (about 2 hours), then transfer to freezer bags and freeze for up to 2 months.

To bake, just take as many balls as you want to make from the freezer and let sit on a plate on the counter for 30 minutes, then roll in powdered sugar and bake.

To freeze baked cookies:

Place the cooled cookies in layers in freezer containers, separating layers with baking parchment. Label with the name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months).

To defrost, put them on a wire rack and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Do not let them sit in the container or on a plate, or they will get soggy.

If you want warm, freshly-baked cookie flavors, you can place the thawed cookies on a baking sheet and warm them at 275°C for 5-6 minutes.

Nutrition is an estimate.

More recipe information

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

This is one of the cookies we usually leave out for Santa, and he takes his with a mug of Hot Chocolate and a Snickerdoodle on the side ???

I hope you’ll love these as much as we do! Enjoy!

Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies | Recipe with Video Tutorial (14)
Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies | Recipe with Video Tutorial (15)
  • The Perfect Soft Gingerbread Cookies
  • The Best Cut Out Sugar Cookies
  • Chewy Gingersnap Cookies
  • Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms

Recipe first shared on December 3rd 2018. Updated to make the post more helpful on 07/14/2020 (recipe unchanged and as good as ever!).

Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies | Recipe with Video Tutorial (2024)

FAQs

Why are my crinkle cookies not crinkling? ›

Why are my crinkle cookies not crinkling? If the dough is too wet, then it will dissolve the sugar and the crinkle will get lost. In order for a defined crinkle to form, the surface of the dough needs to be dry. If your cookies are not crinkling then there is too much free water in the dough.

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.

How to get crinkle top on cookies? ›

While we found that multiple factors can affect how quickly the top dries out and thus how many cracks are formed (including the temperature of the dough and how rapidly it spreads in the oven), a simple tweak turned out to be key to producing a maximum number of fissures: rolling the balls of dough in granulated sugar ...

How do I make my cookies chewy instead of crunchy? ›

How To Make Cookies Chewy Without Cornstarch
  1. Go heavy on brown sugar. It has more moisture than its granulated counterpart, which means the cookie comes out less crispy. ...
  2. Choose margarine or shortening instead of butter. ...
  3. Use baking powder instead of baking soda. ...
  4. Rest your dough. ...
  5. Shorten baking time.
May 14, 2023

Why are my crinkle cookies spreading too much? ›

Why did my cookies spread so much? One of the most common causes of cookie spread is that the fat is too warm. Make sure to chill your dough thoroughly if the recipe calls for it. If you're forming dough balls and the dough is too sticky to work with, this is a sign that your dough may be too warm.

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.

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.

What are three factors that contribute to a chewy cookie? ›

Salted butter, softened – I prefer salted butter but you can also use unsalted and add an extra pinch of salt to the dough. Brown sugar – Just brown sugar because we will get the 'granulated sugar' flavor from the corn syrup. Corn syrup – The corn syrup is what makes these cookies CHEWY FOR DAYS.

Why are my crinkle cookies hard? ›

Most cookies are soft and flexible, so the dough evenly expands as the cookies bake. In crinkle cookies, however, the powdered sugar dries out in the oven, creating a hard outer shell that is not flexible. As the cookie expands, it cracks the rigid powdered sugar, producing an attractive crinkly, cracked exterior.

How to get powdered sugar to stick on crinkle cookies? ›

The secret to a well coated crinkle cookie - the double sugar roll! I roll my cookies in granulated sugar first before powdered sugar - this helps it to stick, and means still get a lovely sugary coating without the powdered sugar being toooo overpowering.

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.

Why did my cookies not crinkle? ›

Issues with cracking usually derive from the sugar coating, not enough or expired baking powder or baking soda, or the oven temperature isn't hot enough. Solution: Granulated sugar is more effective at drying the surface than powdered sugar.

What is the secret to a crunchy cookie? ›

A lower oven temperature will give your cookies more time to spread before they start to rise, resulting in a crispier cookie. I recommend baking your cookies for a bit longer at a lower temperature to achieve the texture you're looking for. You can also play around with the type of pan you're using.

Why are my crinkles not moist? ›

See note above about baking times. The most likely reason that the cookies are not moist is that they've been overbaked. With cookies, overbaking by only a few minutes can be the difference between a perfect cookie and a dry, crumbly one. Another reason could be that they haven't been stored in an airtight container.

Why don't my cookies come out crispy? ›

To make cookies crispy, add less liquid or bake it in the oven for longer to dry out the dough. Generally bake around 13-15min at 180C for a crispy cookie. But if you want a thoroughly crispy cookie – not those just charred on the outside – decrease the temperature to 140C and bake for 30min.

Why are my cookies not puffing up? ›

The Problem: The Butter Is Too Soft

Room temperature butter is just the right consistency to incorporate air when it's creamed with sugar. These trapped air pockets result in risen, fluffy cookies. If the butter is any warmer, it won't incorporate enough air and your cookies will have less rise.

Why didn't my cookies crackle? ›

The oven isn't hot enough. (it needs to set the top before the middle's fully risen) Not enough leavening (it needs to be strong enough to crack the top once it's set) Using a single-acting baking powder (double acting gives extra rise when it gets heated)

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