Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

If you haven’t had them before chocolate crinkle cookies are soft brownie-like and so rich. Some people think they’ll be crunchy or crisp because of the exterior but that isn’t the case! These are great over the holidays but you can freeze them and have a special treat whenever you have a chocolate craving. If you love chocolate cookies, then you should also check out my Chocolate Brownie Cookies, Chocolate Sugar Cookies, and double chocolate chip cookie recipe!

What You’ll Need for This Recipe

Cocoa: I like to use a nice Dutch processed cocoa powder but you can use natural cocoa or unsweetened cocoa powder if preferred. 

Eggs: Room temperature eggs will mix best.

How to make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

1. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl and whisk together. 

2. Add the oil and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until well combined.

3. Add the cocoa powder to the oil mixture and mix until combined. You can add the espresso powder now if using. 

4. Add the eggs and vanilla in and then mix. Scrape bowl down and mix again.

5. Dump the flour mixture in and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl down and fold in any remaining pockets of flour. Chill overnight.

6. Roll chilled dough into one inch cookie balls.

7. Roll the dough balls in powdered sugar.

8. Place the cookie dough balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake until the edges are set.

Pro Tips for this Recipe

• Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
• Try to make the dough a day ahead, it really needs time to set up and will be so much easier to roll.
• I actually love making chocolate crinkle cookies with olive oil instead of vegetable oil; give it a try!
• If you’re not into cookies covered in powdered sugar or icing sugar, then try rolling them in sanding sugar. They’ll still have some visual interest and there’s no chance of inhaling sugar when you bite into them. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make crinkle cookies without a stand mixer?

You can easily make this recipe with an electric mixer OR even do it all by hand. The oil and sugar isn’t getting whipped or anything, just mix until combined. If you’re mixing by hand then I do recommend a strong spatula though! 

What’s the Best cocoa powder to use for these cookies?

I love using a high-quality Dutch processed cocoa powder. Dutch processed cocoa powder is darker, less acidic, and fudgier in baked goods. You’ll usually get less rise out of it though. My go to company is Valrhona but there are lots of great brands out there including Guittard, Callebaut, Ghirardelli, and lots of organic and fair trade options too!

Why do you have to chill the dough?

This cookie dough really needs to rest, come together and harden in the fridge. It’s a VERY soft dough at room temperature but that’s the tradeoff for a soft rich chocolate cookie with a brownie-like texture.

Can you make these ahead of time?

These cookies taste best fresh out of the oven BUT you can make the dough months ahead of time and freeze it making them perfect for a holiday cookie exchange. Roll the balls out and chill them in the fridge or freezer until solid, then transfer to a sealable freezer bag and store them until ready to use. When you’re ready for cookies just thaw a few minutes while the oven heats up then roll in powdered sugar and bake! You’ll probably want to add 2 minutes to the bake time.

If you’ve tried this chocolate crinkle cookie recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!