Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

4.7
(2,468)

These chocolate crinkle cookies are coated in confectioners' sugar for a decadent chocolate treat. They look beautiful on Christmas cookie trays and taste so good!

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five cake-like chocolate crinkle cookies coated with powdered sugar on a red plate
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Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
30 mins
Additional Time:
4 hrs 10 mins
Total Time:
5 hrs
Servings:
72
Yield:
6 dozen

Whether you need to make a big batch of easy cookies for your holiday cookie exchange or you're just craving fudgy, cake-like chocolate cookies, let us present you with the best chocolate crinkle cookie recipe you've ever had.

This is a foolproof recipe for the dreamiest chocolate crinkle cookies that will look as beautiful as they are delicious.

What Are Chocolate Crinkle Cookies?

Chocolate crinkle cookies have become a holiday staple, but they're also great any time of year. 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.

They're the perfect cookie for brownie or Devil's food cake lovers because of their rich, fudgy flavor and texture.

How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

You'll find the full recipe below, but here's what you can expect to make these chocolate crinkle cookies.

  1. Make the dough.
  2. Chill the dough.
  3. Form the cookies into balls, then coat each ball in confectioners' sugar.
  4. Bake the cookies, then let cool on a wire rack.

Mix your wet ingredients together in a stand mixer or with your hand mixer. Then slowly add the dry ingredients until combined.

Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least four hours. This step is very important because it will harden the sticky dough and make it easier to work with.

Form the dough into 1-inch balls and coat each ball with a generous amount of confectioners' sugar.

Bake in a 350-degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

How to Store Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for at least a week. After that, the cookies will start to get dry and crumbly.

How to Freeze Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

You can freeze chocolate crinkle cookies, both baked and unbaked.

  • For baked cookies, simply stash them in an airtight container or zip-top bag in layers with a piece of parchment paper in between each layer. Freeze them for up to three months.
  • For unbaked cookies, you can place the dough balls (without the confectioners' sugar) on a sheet pan and freeze until solid. Once they're solid, transfer the dough balls to a zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to three months. When you're ready to bake them, simply let the dough thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then coat them in confectioners' sugar and bake — you may need to add an extra minute or two for the baking time.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"A showy cookie that is rich and moist with a little crispy coating. Delightful. Would be good in variations too. Nuts would be good, mint would be good, almond would be good, cinnamon and chili might be great," suggests Debra.

"These are my absolute favorite cookies. Very much like a brownie...but not. I refrigerate the dough till firm, then I roll the balls. I freeze the balls before I roll in sugar and bake," says Crystal G.

"Super yummy and very easy recipe. I made sure to really coat the cookie balls in powdered sugar before baking, and it did not disappoint! They turned out beautifully and they were a nice, chocolate addition to my Christmas cookie exchange," according to JennaJ.

Editorial contributions by Bailey Fink

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 72 servings

  • 2 cups white sugar

  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • ½ cup vegetable oil

  • 4 large eggs

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

  1. Gather ingredients.

    an overhead view of ingredients for chocolate crinkle cookies gathered in small bowls on a marble kitchen countertop.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Mix sugar, cocoa, and oil together in a medium bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Stir in vanilla.

  3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl. Gradually stir flour mixture into the cocoa mixture until thoroughly mixed. Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

    an overhead view of wet and dry ingredients combined in a medium bowl.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

  5. Roll or scoop chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Coat each ball in confectioners' sugar and place 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets.

    an overhead view of chocolate crinkle cookie dough being rolled in powdered sugar and placed on a prepared baking tray.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.

    an overhead view of baked chocolate crinkle cookies straight out of the oven cooling on the baking sheet.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to make remaining batches.

  8. Enjoy!

    a close up, overhead view of several chocolate crinkle cookies sitting on craft colored parchment paper.

    DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS 

Cook’s Note

I like to use a #50 scoop to help form the dough balls.

If you don't want to make the cookies all at once, you can wrap any extra dough and freeze it for later.


4,827 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

58 Calories
2g Fat
10g Carbs
1g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 72
Calories 58
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 34mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 1g 2%
Calcium 11mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 26mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.