Let’s make chocolate crinkle cookies. These traditional Christmas cookies are a cut above the rest because they’re as rich and fudgy as homemade brownies. They’re thick and soft-baked in the centers with a little extra chocolate for good measure!
Today I’m showing off sparkly new photos and success tips for my classic double chocolate crinkle cookies! Originally published a few years ago, these classic Christmas cookies have become a staple in many of your kitchens. Readers have said they’re the “best cookies I’ve ever tasted” and “make a double batch right away.” These cookies disappear.
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies:
- Double the chocolate—chocolate chips included!
- Taste like brownies
- Soft centers, crisp crackly edges
- Extra thick
- Warm from the oven, they melt in your mouth
As classic as Christmas sugar cookies, as sugar-dusted as snowball cookies, and as irresistible as peanut butter blossoms and pinwheel cookies, these chocolate crinkles will outshine every other cookie on your Christmas cookie platter. And that’s a guarantee.
Behind the Recipe
These chocolate cookies aren’t anything new or groundbreaking, but that’s why they’re perfect. You might actually recognize the base dough because it’s my go-to chocolate cookie! It’s the chocolate cookie recipe I’ve been using for years in recipes like double chocolate chip cookies, inside out chocolate chip cookies, chocolate frosted cookies, peppermint mocha cookies, and Andes mint chocolate cookies. I even turned it into chocolate raspberry crinkles and let’s not forget about the epicness that is salted caramel dark chocolate cookies.
Some of you were having trouble with these cookies over-spreading as a result of the sugar coating on top, so I leave out the milk in this dough.
How are these different from Chocolate Crinkle Cookies in Sally’s Cookie Addiction? Glad you asked! The recipes are a little different. The cookbook version uses melted butter in the dough, so the cookies are a little chewier. Both super moist cookies with excellent chocolate flavor. The cookies in the book are a little thicker in the centers and crumblier on the edges. Today’s cookies—again—taste like moist brownies!
How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Mix dry ingredients together. You need all-purpose flour, natural unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Beat wet ingredients together. You need butter, white sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Room temperature butter and egg will mix more evenly into each other, creating a uniform texture among all the cookies. Additionally, both whip into a greater volume when at room temperature, producing a softer-crumbed cookie.
- Combine all ingredients. And don’t forget to add the chocolate chips! I like to use mini size so there’s more in every bite.
- Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator. The cookie dough is sticky and unmanageable, so chilling is necessary. Sometimes I chill it overnight, but 3 hours is perfect. Chilled cookie dough is not only easy to handle and roll into balls, it also bakes thicker cookies.
- Roll cookie dough into balls. After chilling, roll the cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie.
- Coat in confectioners’ sugar. Roll the cookie dough balls into granulated sugar, then a hefty dunk in confectioners’ sugar. Why granulated sugar first? That’s a new trick I discovered! See below. 🙂
- Bake. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes. If the cookies aren’t really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2-3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven for a couple more minutes.
They’ll be extra thick, extra crackly, and extra fudgy inside.
Recommendation from a reader: substitute the chocolate chips for peanut butter chips. I honestly can’t preheat my oven fast enough to try these that way!
How to Prevent the Powdered Sugar from Melting
Before today, I only rolled these chocolate crinkle cookies in confectioners’ sugar. This works great for lemon crinkle cookies, however these particular crinkle cookies are extra moist so the confectioners’ sugar always ends up melting a bit and/or turns yellow-ish as a result from melting. Not a problem, but if you want stark white confectioners’ sugar on top, coat the cookie dough balls in a little granulated sugar first. Just a light layer, then go heavy on that confectioners’ sugar topping. I learned this tip from the wonderful chefs at America’s Test Kitchen and it’s the same process we use to coat Nutella crinkle cookies.
It’s also helpful to bake these cookies on dry days. 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.
As the cookies bake, the confectioners’ sugar coating crinkles and cracks as the cookies take their shape. Hence, the cute crinkle name. I love these.
How to Freeze Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
You can freeze chocolate crinkle cookies before or after baking. To freeze the baked cookies, let them cool completely first. Freeze in single layers between sheets of parchment paper for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter.
How to freeze chocolate crinkle cookie dough: Chill the cookie dough as directed in the recipe below. After that, roll into balls, and chill the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Then place the solid and cold cookie dough balls into a large zipped-top bag. Freeze cookie dough for up to 3 months. When it’s time to bake the cookies, remove them from the freezer and thaw on the counter for at least 30 minutes. Roll into granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar as instructed in the recipe. Bake as directed.
See more in my How to Freeze Cookie Dough post.
Try these right out of the oven—they’re pure fudge. They will melt in your mouth! Have you tried these before? Let me know!
Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 35 minutes
- Yield: 20-22 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These traditional Christmas cookies are a cut above the rest because they’re as rich and fudgy as brownies. Chilling the cookie dough is important because it helps the flavors to develop, prevents spreading, and makes the otherwise sticky cookie dough easy to handle.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons (51g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (180g) mini or regular size semi-sweet chocolate chips
Rolling
- 3 Tablespoons (35g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and then beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour into the wet ingredients. Beat on low until combined and then beat in the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be thick and very sticky. Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this sticky cookie dough.
- Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This makes the chilled cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Scoop and roll dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each. A medium cookie scoop is helpful here. Roll each ball very lightly in granulated sugar, then generously in the confectioners’ sugar. Place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft. Tip: If they aren’t really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2-3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.
- Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls (that are not coated in confectioners’ sugar) freeze well up to 3 months. See this post on how to freeze cookie dough for more information and a video tutorial.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
- Can I add peppermint extract? Yes, absolutely! If you want a chocolate peppermint crinkle cookie, I recommend adding 3/4 or 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract when you add the vanilla.
- Larger Batch: The recipe is easy to double in 1 mixing bowl without overwhelming your mixer. Simply double all of the ingredients. Dough chill time remains the same.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hey Sally! I was wondering if you can add cinnamon and nutmeg to this recipe and if you can how much should be added. Thanks!
Hi Kat! We’re unsure of amounts needed, but you could try 1/2-1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4-1/2 tsp nutmeg. Let us know what you try!
If I make these to freeze would I thaw and roll in confectioners sugar before baking?
Hi Shannon! You can bake from frozen – roll in confectioners’ sugar before baking. Enjoy!
Is the flour in the recipe correct? I made them and refrigerate the dough for 3 hours and they came very flat and oily.
Hi Carmela! It’s correct. Here’s our best tips for preventing cookies from spreading!
I cried the first time I made and tasted these because they are the most delicious thing you will ever eat. I make them every Christmas, now!
I made these with GF flour for our staff bake-off and won first prize!!!!
They work really nicely as a gluten-free cookie.
I love the idea of double chocolate crinkles with the chocolate chips. How many does 1x recipe make?
Hi Madeline, this recipe yields 20-22 cookies.
I just made them for the first time. I used black cocoa…delicious…
Hi! Delicious cookies, very fudgey, but even after rolling in granulated sugar, then a heavy layer of powdered sugar, the powdered sugar melted. Any other recs for fixing this? Would this still work even without the powdered sugar coating? Thanks!
Hi S! It is particularly humid where you are? Humidity is the enemy of powdered sugar. You could also try a different brand of powdered sugar, we prefer to use Domino brand. You can certainly make these without the coating, but the crinkles will be less obvious!
These cookies absorbed the confectioners sugar – even with the white sugar base. They came out looking terrible. I’ve had luck with the majority of the recipes here- but wouldn’t make this again.
This recipe is an absolute favorite, especially around Christmas and when shared with friends after they welcome a new baby. I have quite the reputation now that I’ve made these for several years. They are always a crowd favorite!
Thanks Sally and team for amazing recipes. I’ve never been disappointed!
Hi Sally! Me and my son just name these cookies! When I looked at all of the reviews I was a bit worried, a lot of people didn’t get them to work, but I don’t know why, they turned out beautiful and absolutely delicious! I will be making these again before Christmas! Thanks for an excellent recipe!
Do I have to you have to use chocolate chips?
You can leave them out, Franki!
Hello! I made these and they turned out PERFECT! I froze a batch and a half to make later. I rolled them in just the granulated sugar before I froze them. How should I handle baking them? Should I thaw them before rolling in powdered sugar?
Hi Kenza! You can bake from frozen – just roll the frozen dough balls in powdered sugar before baking.
Awesome, thanks! They turned out perfect at 10 mins from the fridge. Should I bake longer since they’re frozen?
They’ll need an extra minute or two!
I followed the recipe with the exception I used a 1 inch scoop. Grandchildren tested and identified this as their favorite!
Easy recipe! Thank you.
I am 60 years old, been baking since 12 years old. I have made these cookies several times, ALWAYS come out flat as a pancake and follow directions to a “T”. Even bought a oven thermometer to make sure temperature was right. Measure Everything properly, even use a scale. So, i have exhausted Every troubleshooting issue it could be. So, what is going on that i am still doing wrong? Love these cookies, just wish they turned out right.
Hi Sheila, happy to help! If you decide to try these again, we recommend adding an extra tablespoon or two of flour to your dough. And here’s our best tips for preventing cookies from spreading.
Is this cookie like the Toll House Chocolate Chip in taste and texture? The recipe is similar except for adding the cocoa powder.
I have to say I thought I made a mistake in measuring the ingredients – the dough was SO dense and hard. But second year making this recipe and I guess it’s just got the award for the toughest-to-stir cookie dough on the planet. My arthritic wrists complain, but the family cheers the result, so I guess I’m doing it right!
Hi! Super excited to try these! Would they taste okay without the extra chocolate chips?
Absolutely!
I skip the extra chips and add crushed candy cane abs peppermint extract
Do you think these cookies will hold up well for shipping being they have the powdered sugar?
I mail my son’s family cookies and would love to include these if you think they’ll be ok.
Thanks!
Hi KC, these should work just fine for shipping. This post on the best way to ship cookies may also be helpful.
Two of my favorite things in one delicious cookie! Now that I have prepared cookie trays to gift to friends there are only 4 left. I’m going to make another batch asap!
This looks great! May I check for the oven temperature 177c, is it in fan or convection setting? Thanks!
Hi Julyana! We always recommend conventional settings for baking (not convection/fan). The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
I made these last year for Christmas and liked them but thought they were just a bit too bitter for my taste. Would you recommend a different kind of cocoa powder or perhaps a different flavor of chocolate chip – like milk chocolate – to change the flavor profile just a bit? Thank you.
Hi! Are you using natural cocoa powder? If you are using dutched cocoa, the baking soda will leave a bitter taste since it’s not activating properly.
Hi, thanks for the reply. I used regular Hershey’s cocoa powder. I think it’s natural unsweetened. Maybe a different brand, or perhaps my taste buds are just too sensitive. I’ve gotten many recipes here and have loved all of them.
Hi there! I’ve made these before and loved them! If I wanted to freeze for the holiday, I would just bake from frozen? I read your guide but wanted to make sure 🙂 thanks in advance!
Yes! You can lightly roll in granulated sugar before freezing and roll in confectioners’ sugar before baking. Add an extra minute or two to the bake time.
Would I need to make any changes if I wanted to use a different cocoa powder? I got a bag for your ultra-yummy black velvet cupcakes and thought about using it instead. Thanks!
I weigh my ingredients because not everyone has the same type of cups for measuring. The flour someone may be using may be of a different density, too, so that will make a noticeable difference when measuring in cups.
Question: If I freeze these cookies after they are completely baked and cooled, will the powder sugar melt as they defrost? TIA!
Hi Cathy, that shouldn’t be too much of an issue, but you can always use a small sieve to dust more on top after cooling if you wish.
All of your recipes are amazing! Thank you so much for being so detailed & thorough. Question: I know you usually say light or dark brown sugar, but do you have a preference? Or does it really not make a difference unless you specify one over the other?
Hi Hanna, we typically use light for something like chocolate cookies, but dark for a recipe where you want that deeper molasses flavor to really come through.
I really liked the way these came out! One problem I ran into is that the cookies hardened and got really tough after the first day. Any advice?
Hi Sam, how did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure the flour isn’t over measured, which can make cookies hard and dry. Adding a slice of bread to the container where you store your cookies can also help keep them nice and fresh. We’re so glad you enjoyed these!
Yeah, I usually stick the measuring cup right into the container – I’ll have to be better about that!
I’ll try the bread thing, thank you!!
I have found, much to my surprise, that the cheaper, lower fat content cocoa (I.e.Hershey’s) makes The cookies spread LESS than if I use my expensive, higher fat content cocoa (I.e. Valrhona)
A favorite, must have for the holidays every year. They come out perfectly when using gluten free flour too!
What if I only have salted butter??
Hi Wendy, you can omit the salt in this recipe. See our salted vs unsalted butter post for more details.