Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (2024)

  • Cookies
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  • Christmas Cookies

These classic cookies are soft and fudgy, with a deep chocolaty richness and a bitter espresso backbone that stands up to the powdered-sugar coating.

By

Carrie Vasios Mullins

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (1)

Carrie Vasios Mullins

Carrie Vasios Mullins is the former national editor at Serious Eats, with a focus on all things sweet.

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

and

Daniel Gritzer

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (2)

Daniel Gritzer

Senior Culinary Director

Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.

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Updated February 03, 2023

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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (3)

Why It Works

  • A heavy coating of powdered sugar gives these cookies a distinct cracked, black-and-white appearance.
  • Adding espresso powder to the dough balances the sweetness of the powdered sugar coating.
  • Resting the dough for an hour allows the flour to fully hydrate, improving texture.

The list of foods I hate is incredibly short. Despite how few items are on it, though, my disdain for them is nearly endless. Right at the top of that list: fudge. I will never understand what the appeal is. It masquerades as chocolate, but any true chocolate lover knows it for what it really is—a soulless, treacly pablum that offers nothing but unchecked sweetness. Fudge is the Muzak of sweets.

"Fudgy," though, as an adjective, is something else entirely. Ilovefudgy things. They're soft, verging on gooey; indulgent and, yes, chocolaty. These classic crinkle cookies, contributed by Carrie Vasios Mullins, are a prime example. Made with unsweetened cocoa powder and instant espresso powder, they have a deep chocolaty richness with a slightly bitter backbone that stands up to the powdered-sugar coating. As Carrie notes:

Most recipes for crinkle cookies rely on a 1:1 ratio between flour and sugar, yet the cookies aren't overly sweet. Unsweetened cocoa powder adds a deep chocolate flavor which I enhance with instant espresso powder.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (4)

Inside, they're moist and chewy, delivering that perfect fudgy consistency, while the exteriors are crisp and covered in those telltale crackles, signaling the textural shift between brittle crust and tender core. It's like the geology of Earth itself, rendered in miniature, chocolate-cookie form.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (5)

Perhaps you feel the same as I do about how terrible fudge is, or perhaps you don't. No matter. Regarding how good these fudgy cookies are, I'm confident we'll be in agreement.

This recipe was written and developed by Carrie Vasios Mullins, while the headnote was written by Daniel Gritzer.

March 2012

Recipe Details

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe

Active30 mins

Total105 mins

Serves36 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (11 1/4 ounces; 320g)

  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (9g)baking powder

  • 3/4 teaspoon (4g) instant espresso powder

  • 3/4 teaspoon (3g)kosher salt

  • 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar(15 1/2 ounces; 425g)

  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (6 ounces; 150g)

  • 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (4 1/2 ounces; 130g), melted and cooled slightly

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon (5ml)vanilla extract

  • About 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (6 ounces; 170g)

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, instant espresso powder, and salt.

    Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (6)

  2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat together granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and melted butter, starting at low speed and increasing to medium speed, until crumbly.

    Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (7)

    Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (8)

  3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Add vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients. Beat until combined, scraping bottom and sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Dough will be crumbly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

    Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (9)

    Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (10)

  4. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour confectioners' sugar into a shallow bowl. Scoop dough into 1-tablespoon balls and roll in confectioners' sugar to coat. Make sure dough balls are heavily coated. Transfer dough balls to the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches of space between each ball. You should be able to fit about 18 balls on each sheet.

    Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (11)

    Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (12)

  5. Bake cookies until cracked on top but still slightly soft in the middle, 13 to 15 minutes, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Be careful when handling to avoid ruining the sugar coating.

    Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (13)

Special Equipment

Baking sheets, hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, 1-tablespoon cookie scoop (optional), wire rack

Read More

  • The Serious Eats Guide to Cookie Styles
  • What's the Difference Between Dutch Process and Natural Cocoa Powder?
  • Our Favorite Cookies to Spread the Holiday Cheer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
148Calories
4g Fat
26g Carbs
2g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 36
Amount per serving
Calories148
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g5%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Cholesterol 28mg9%
Sodium 71mg3%
Total Carbohydrate 26g9%
Dietary Fiber 1g4%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 22mg2%
Iron 2mg11%
Potassium 19mg0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (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 makes cookies crinkle? ›

The part that makes this a 'crinkle' cookie is the generous coating of powdered sugar that the cookie dough ball gets before going into the oven. As it bakes and spreads on the baking sheet, cracks develop and are exposed, giving the perfect crackle cookie.

Why my crinkles did not 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. Be sure to allow plenty of time for your oven to heat, and use a fresh container of baking powder!

How do you keep powdered sugar from melting on crinkle cookies? ›

How to Prevent the Powdered Sugar from Melting. The trick is to coat the dough with granulated sugar first, and then with powdered sugar. This way, the granulated sugar draws out moisture from the surface to create that crinkled exterior while the powdered sugar remains on top.

How do you make cookies soft instead of crunchy? ›

Baking cookies quickly in a hot oven – at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature – will make for soft results. They'll bake fast instead of sitting and drying out in the oven's hot air. Ever so slightly underbaking your cookies will give you softer results than cooking them the full amount the recipe says.

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

What are crunchy cookies called? ›

Most English-speaking countries call crunchy cookies "biscuits", except for the United States and Canada, where "biscuit" refers to a type of quick bread. Chewier biscuits are sometimes called "cookies" even in the United Kingdom.

Why is my chocolate crinkles hard? ›

If crinkle cookies are baked at 350°F, the outside bakes and hardens more quickly, which doesn't give the dough enough time to spread. As mentioned earlier, the spreading of the dough is essential to a good crack.

Why are my homemade cookies crunchy? ›

Butter contributes milk solids and water to a cookie, both of which soften it. Brown sugar contributes molasses – again, a softener. Using lower-moisture sugar (granulated) and fat (vegetable shortening), plus a longer, slower bake than normal, produces light, crunchy cookies.

Can you fix crunchy cookies? ›

Another way to soften cookies is by placing the cookies in an airtight container with a damp paper towel. The paper towel will release moisture and help to soften the cookies without making them too soft or mushy. Another way is to place the cookies in a plastic bag with a slice of apple or a damp tea towel.

What happens if you use powdered sugar instead of granulated in cookies? ›

All levels of powdered sugar grind can be used interchangeably with each other in cookie recipes. But take note: powdered sugar is not to be substituted for granulated sugar or brown sugar, since the added cornstarch in powdered sugar changes cookie chemistry and texture.

What can I use instead of confectioners sugar in crinkles? ›

Combine 1 cup of coconut sugar with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot powder if you need confectioners' sugar.

What if I use powdered sugar instead of granulated in cookies? ›

Can powdered sugar be substituted for granulated sugar in recipes? A. It is not recommended to substitute powdered sugar for granulated sugar. Since powdered sugar has a much finer texture, and it contains a small percentage of cornstarch to prevent caking, substituting can give you unexpected results.

Why are my cookies not puffing up? ›

If the butter is any warmer, it won't incorporate enough air and your cookies will have less rise. Moreover, butter that's warmer than room temperature melts in an instant in the oven, encouraging the dough to spread quickly with it.

Why do my cookies not stay crispy? ›

Summer, though welcomed for the sun and fun, also brings humidity that makes your cookies limp -- not so fun. Keep those cookies crisp by storing them in an airtight container. Some people toss a piece of bread in with the cookies to help absorb any excess moisture.

Why are my chocolate chip cookies crunchy and not soft? ›

Possible causes: (1) you don't use enough liquid, (2) you don't use enough fat/oil, (3) you over mix them, (4) you cook them too long, (5) you cook them at too low a temperature. Every time I bake chocolate chip cookies, the cookies are either too soft or crunchy.

Why have my cookies not flattened? ›

The most common culprit behind non-spreading cookies is too much flour. This may seem counterintuitive—after all, isn't flour a key ingredient in baking? Yes, but if you add too much flour, your cookies won't spread as they bake.

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