Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies have a rich and fudgy center with a crisp powdered sugar outer layer. Crinkle Cookies are just as important as Sugar Cookies on your holiday cookie tray.
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Hi there! My name is Natalya and I run the blog Momsdish. If you already follow me, you know I love easy meals with simple ingredients. These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are no exception.
Why these are the Best Crinkle Cookies:
- Simple Ingredients: Made with just a handful of kitchen staples you probably already have on hand.
- Fast: these cookies can be whipped up quickly and you can chill them ahead.
- Fudgy & Crisp: The centers are soft and gooey with crisp edges.
- Keep Well: most cookies are best eaten fresh but these seem to get better with time.
These cookies are perfect for gifting and they are so good, you’ll want to make a double batch!
What is a Chocolate Crinkle Cookie?
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are like a cross between gooey Fudgy Brownies and crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are rolled in powdered sugar before baking so they form “crinkles” as they expand in the oven.
The best part? Just like a good homemade Baklava, these cookies get better as they get a little stale. The outer layer just gets crunchier, while the center stays so gooey. Let’s just say you’ll find yourself hanging around your cookie jar for several days.
How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a blast to make. If you have kids around, they can help make these cookies. They will love rolling the chocolatey dough into bite-sized balls and coating them with a generous amount of powdered sugar, similar to Russian Tea Cakes.
- Whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, oil, vanilla extract, and eggs.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Slowly add flour mixture to the cocoa mixture. Mix well.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for 3 hours and up to overnight.
To Finish and Bake the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Shape cookie dough into balls (a cookie scoop makes it easy to portion) and roll into powdered sugar.
- Place cookies on a baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Cookies will come out soft but will harden as they cool down.
- Once cookies are slightly cooled, move them to a wire rack to fully cool down.
Common Questions
There are two reasons why your Chocolate Crinkle Cookies came out flat. Either the dough wasn’t chilled or you didn’t use enough flour. Make sure to properly measure flour by scooping it into your measuring cup and leveling off the top.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies first premiered in Betty Crocker’s famous cookie cookbook, “Cooky Carnival”. Crocker recounts being served the cookies by home chef Helen Fredell and begging her for the recipe. Fast forward to today and these cookies are gracing just about every holiday tray each year.
You’ll know when Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are done when they start to develop those signature cracks on top. Typically, this takes anywhere from 10-12 minutes depending on their size.
The dough for crinkle cookies should be very moist. Be sure to measure flour correctly, and it helps to roll the moist dough with wet hands.
Storing Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Room Temperature: Keep your Chocolate Crinkle Cookies stored in an airtight container on the counter. They should stay fresh for up to a week.
- Freezing: Freeze your dough balls for up to 2 months in an airtight container. When you are ready to bake, remove them from the freezer and allow them to thaw for 30 minutes in the fridge before rolling them in powdered sugar. Bake according to instructions.
Make-Ahead Tip: You can make the dough a day or two in advance. Keep it refrigerated and only bake right before serving.
Cookies Recipes You’ll Love
- Peanut Butter Cookies – These nutty cookies always hit the spot
- Snowball Cookies – Melt-in-your-mouth delicious
- Meringue Cookies – easy and so festive dusted in powdered sugar
- Madeleine Cookies – Just as good as Starbucks Madeleine cookies
- Macaroon Cookies – The mother of all coconut cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder , (unsweetened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, (or canola, or light olive oil)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, cocoa powder, oil, vanilla extract and eggs. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour together, baking powder and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture and stir to combine.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Scoop dough with a mini ice cream scoop for even portioning into 20 cookies then roll cookie dough into even-sized balls (it's easier to roll with wet hands) and generously roll each into powdered sugar.
- Place cookies on a baking sheet, being sure to leave space between each of the cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Cookies will come out soft but will harden as they cool down.
- Allow cookies to slightly cool. Then, move them to a wire rack to fully cool down.
Hi Natasha!
Have you tried adding chocolate chips and walnuts to these cookies?
Thanks,
Inna
Hi Inna, I haven’t tried that yet but feel free to experiment. I think that could work! Please let us know how it goes if you try it.
I noticed you said to “roll out the dough”. But if you are making balls why would you roll it out? I just used a cookie scoop. Maybe it’s a misprint?
Hi Lois, you are correct. Those instructions could have been written more clearly. I have updated the print friend recipe to be more clear. Thank you for pointing that out.
This was the first year trying the Chocolate Crinkle cookies. My granddaughter and I made them and were really impressed with their rich flavor and unique “look”. Some of mine looked like your picture but others seemed to suck the powdered sugar into the cookie. Maybe I just need to be sure there is a thick coating of powdered sugar on them. But, they were great!!! The combination of crispy and fudgey was a real winner. Everybody loved them and I can’t keep grabbing one every time I pass by.
Hi Lois, great to know that the recipe was a success! Thank you for your good comments and feedback, we appreciate it.
Cookies are delicious. Definitely a keeper and a family favourite.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
This is pretty much the same recipe I’ve seen in so many other sites….but I go to yours because I appreciate and always find your additional notes and photos helpful. That was the case with these cookies as well. I made note that the flour measurement may impact the end result as did the refrigeration time. I also did not overmix. They turned out perfectly and will become a staple year round. Thank you 🙂
I’m so happy you love our recipes! Thank you so much for the fantastic review and your encouraging words. I am smiling big reading your comment
This is by far the best Crinkle cookie recipe. Thank you so much for this recipe. Was a big hit in my Christmas cookie trays.
I’m so happy you loved the cookies!
I made this yeasterday and the result was amazing 😍 very easy to follow. I used olive oil and chilled for 5 hrs. Thank you Natasha ❤️
You’re welcome, Jazzy. Good to know that you loved the result!
Love your recipes.
Keep them coming.
But as for all the pop ups, adds ouff hard to focus.
Hi Jocelyn, since we don’t sell anything on our site and our recipes are completely free for readers, the ads are what make it all possible and also create jobs (we have 3 team members) in addition to supporting my own family. Unless we moved to a paid subscription (which no one is asking for), the ads are a necessary thing.
Hi Natasha!
These cookies are amazing, my whole family loves them and they are a big hit everywhere I take them! I have a question tho… I want to make these for Christmas but I want to make them red. Would adding food coloring alter their taste? And how much would you recommend adding? Thanks in advance!
Thank you for your awesome feedback, Madelene. I honestly haven’t tried making these cookies red to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Food coloring has no taste so should not affect the cookie flavor. However, I don’t know how much that extra liquid would do to them cause you’d probably have to add a whole bottle of red coloring.
I followed the recipe to a tee, refrigerating the dough overnight. They are delicious. I’ll be sure to be extra generous with the powdered sugar next time.
That sounds like a great plan, April. Thank you so much for the review!
These cookies can be tricky. I chilled the dough for 30 hrs, and put the bowl of dough in the freezer between batches. The dough was still quite soft, but manageable. I made very small balls..large marble size, and still baked 10 mins. They were a bit flat, but the powdered sugar stayed, and the flavor was there.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Kathy! I would recommend looking through the tips to ensure adjustments weren’t made resulting in a different outcome. I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor!
Hi, Can this cookie be made into a thumbprint? – I wanted to add a rasperry jam to the middle.
Hi Kim, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Follow recipe and turn out great. Hubby loves them. Very easy to make and I am not a baker!
I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Ginny!
My dough has been refrigerting for almost four hours. It is very gooey and hard to roll into balls. Do I need to refrigerate longer?
Hi Katherine, You may cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
Hii Natasha! HUGEE fan of your recipes!
Tried this one, followed recipe and measurements exactly but cookies turned out flat and started to burn from the bottom quite early on – what could I be doing wrong
Hi Zara, there are a couple of reasons why the dough might seem flat. Please see the common questions section titled: “Why are my Chocolate Crinkle Cookies flat?”
Yeah I think perhaps the dough didn’t chill for long enough, but what can I do about the bottom burning within 5 mins of the baking time, please help
Hi Meen, if cookies are not spreading, it could be due to using too much flour. Check out our post on how to measure ingredients for baking. Also, make sure you are not using convection oven settings. This recipe is written for a conventional oven.
Can I bake with a different oil? Such as butter/ ghee or coconut oil? I don’t consume vegetable oil and wanted to know if alternates
Hi Natasha, I honestly haven’t tried using butter, ghee, or coconut oil yet to advise. I’ve tried 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola, or light olive oil)
Looking forward to try this recipe (crinkle cookies).
Only one problem, I can only PRINT in black and any of the the ingredients that are in colour ‘disappear’ on the page.
It’s OK if I remember to write them in but often get to the kitchen with blank lines!!!
Hi Wendy, The print-friendly recipe is at the bottom of each post. Once you scroll there, click on the print icon in that recipe card, which will open a print screen, then you would need to click file and print. I hope that helps! If not, please let me know exactly what steps you are taking and where you are navigating to print our recipes.
Hi! These cookies are amaaazing :
My family and I love them. Today was the second day in a row baking them 🙂 just discovered them
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Ana!
Hi Natasha! I just made the batter but it’s kind of thin, it’s nowhere near a cookie dough, I measured everything exactly how you wrote it, I put it in the fridge now but I dont see how it’s gonna harden in there, there is no butter in it.
HI Lea, there are a couple of reasons why the dough might seem flat. Please see the common questions section titled: “Why are my Chocolate Crinkle Cookies flat?”
Excellent cookie in a sensible portion size! Followed the metric conversion, left it in the fridge for 24hrs and cookies turned out perfect. Would add a little coffee in future. Recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
Yay! I’m so glad you found a new favorite, Joanne!
Can i cut down the granulated sugar to 1/2 cup and confectioners sugar to 1/4 cup? Will it affect the cookies that are baked?
Hello May, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hi Natasha! My sister and I made this recipe today. Our family and us loved it! They tasted like a brownie. We loved the confectioner sugar on top, of the cookies. We actually refrigerated our cookies overnight. We just like the flavor better, being chilled in the fridge overnight. Thanks for the recipe Natasha!
That’s awesome, Zoie! Thanks for sharing that with us. I’m happy to know that you all enjoyed it!
Love all your recipes! Has anyone tried freezing these after they are baked?
Hi Lisa, these are freezer-friendly before baking. I haven’t tried freezing them after baking to advise on the outcome. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi! What size of your cookie scoop did you use?
Hi xtina, we used this small cookie scoop here. You can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
If I only have sweetened coco powder. Would you cut down on the sugar?
Hi Melissa, I would not recommend using sweetened cocoa powder since there are other additives and mix-ins that may affect the outcome of the cookies.
Hi Natasha, Can I add some peanut butter to this recipe for some peanuty flavor? And how is that gonna change the other ingredients ratio?
Hi Nona, I haven’t tested that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
I’m trying this right now. I’m freezing a teaspoon size of peanut butter to test with two of the cookies. I plan to roll the cookie dough around the peanut butter.
Excellent cookies. Used cookie scoop…no need to wet hands.
Great idea! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Made these cookies for our friends and everyone LOVED them. They are cookies that you can’t stop eating. Thanks for a great recipe!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Huge hit in my house and to the houses I delivered to!! Got request for the recipe!
That is so awesome! I’m very happy to hear that, thank you for sharing, Catherine!
Turned out amazing
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Made these cookies recently, very easy to make. The only issues they became flat after sitting on the counter, not sure why? But they tasted good anyways. Thanks for the recipe Natasha.
Hi Lana, please read the “Why are my Chocolate Crinkle Cookies flat?” in the recipe. I hope that helps.
Thanks for this yummy Krinkle recipe! My daughter and I have always enjoyed chocolate peppermints so we have made our own version of crinkles, we call them chocolate mint crinkles. We added Andes peppermint crunch about 3/4cup and 1.5 teaspoons of peppermint. extract. We use to crush candy canes but now that we found Andes it is so much easier. 😋
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that with me, Judie!
HI, I accidentally pour the cocoa powder with the flour mix, will it have a different result? The dough is in the fridge now as I am writing this email.
Hi Arlene, I am not so sure as that never happened to me yet. I hope it still goes well!
O my word,these cookies are amazing just made them and they to die for. I’m a baker with my own bakery but whow these cookies are a winner. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
WOW! I made these last night for family today and they came out delicious! An easy recipe and so much flavor! Thank you for sharing! Merry Christmas!
You are most welcome, Nancy. Thank you for sharing your good feedback!
Turned out GREAT! Tip: I kept a large bowl of water next to where I was rolling the balls and kept rinsing the sticky off whenever it got to be too much. It also helped keep my hands wet.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
These cookies are delicious !
BUT if you decide to use a cookie scoop not all small cookie scoops are the same size and you really need to let these chill as long as you can and longer. First try making these after chilling for 6 hours and it only produced 13 cookies using an OXO “small” cookie scoop and they never hardened. The dough was a nightmare. Way to soft. Second time around cause i know Natasha and Natalya’s recipes are always amazing I tried again. Found out that even the better quality small cookie scoops often say small (2tsps) but actually are a tablespoon or more. Was able to find a “Small” Walmart cookie scoop that looked smaller then i had. Instant success ! Chilled cookie dough for close to 20 hours and it was wonderful. Made sure to lay parchment paper on the cookie sheets. Sprayed a small amount of cooking spray on my cookie scoop. Used the smaller cookie scoop and made 20 cookies. Only 10 on a 11″x17″ baking sheet at a time and refrigerated the dough while these were baking. Hope this helps someone. Merry Christmas everyone and thank you Natalya and Natasha for all your dedicated and hard work !
Thank you so much for sharing all your helpful tips! I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
These cookies are amazing really good taste like a brownie
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I’ve been baking all morning your choclate chips, peanut butter cookies and now these!! they are beautiful and a keeper!!! everyone of your recipes are winners!! Thank you so much💕
That’s just awesome!! I’m so glad you’re enjoying our recipes, Betsy!
Just made these today and they are AWESOME! Definitely a keeper for future Christmas baking traditions.
Thank you for sharing, Betsy! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Hi Natasha, can we put the dough in the freezer for a while to quicken the process instead of putting them in the fridge for 3 hours? And if so, how long do you think they should stay in the freezer?
Hi Melissa, I haven’t really tried that yet to advise on the timing. This is the only process that I have tried so far.
I would like to try to make these using an egg substitute, like Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer. Do you or anyone else here know if that would work? Or maybe someone may have tried using this instead? My grandson is allergic to eggs. Thank you! I love your recipes Natasha! God Bless You!
Hello Mary, I haven’t tried that yet to advise maybe someone else here has tried that and could give some recommendations?
I just made these. They taste great,but some cookies are classic white w/ dark cracks. Others are cracked but no white sugar areas. They’re grayish:brown. I measured flour correctly, dough was chilled… what am I doing wrong?
Hi Joanne, make sure to coat the cookies adequately and thoroughly in powdered sugar before baking.
Try shaking them around in the powdered sugar instead of hand rolling them. That made the difference for me.
I made the cookies but I could not form balls because the dough was quite watery and it was sticking to my hands a lot. As a result, I ended up forming flat cookies. They were still tasty but I don’t know why the dough wasn’t firm enough to make the intended round shape. I followed the recipe as directed but maybe you have some suggestions what else I can do to improve the cookies in the future?
Hi Lucy, please see the section titled “Why is my dough too sticky or wet?” which may help.
Any adjustments for high altitude? I’m eager to try these but live at 6,500 feet…
Hi Karen, here is a great resource with high altitude baking advice.
Thank you. Sometimes recipes work with no adjustments! I never know…
Maybe someone who has made these at high altitude will comment!
Hi. Going to try these. Just wondering if they would freeze well?
Hi Cathy, please see the storing section and “freezing” subsection in the post. I hope you love the crinkle cookies!
Super simple. My go to cookies. These are delish! Thanks for all your great recipes. Love you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Joy!
Hey Natasha this recipe looks superr can’t wait to bake these. I have a question .Can I use sunflower oil instead of canola/olive oil?
Hi Rinbky, you can use canola or vegetable oil.
I baked these today (prepped them yesterday) and they are so, so good! They came out perfectly and taste delicious. And now I’m sharing this recipe!
Yay, so excellent! Thanks for your wonderful feedback, Nina. Appreciate it.
These are melt in your moutb delicious, there are a hit in my household!
Love it! Thanks for your great review, Nancy!
Hi!! I’ve made these and followed the whole recipe and measured everything but just used olive oil instead of vegetable oil. I chilled the cookies for 24 hours and the dough was very runny and impossible to form into balls. Do you have any tips?
Hi Krystyna, see the section above that says “Why is my dough too sticky or wet?” which has some helpful tips.
These cookies are so delicious!
Love how easy it is to put together. Thank you, Natasha! I love all of your recipes!!
Susan
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Just made the dough..it seems to be really soft. Like I didn’t put enough flour in…..its in saran wrap and in the fridge. Put it in a bowl.
Hi Shari! The dough is very sticky in chocolate crinkle cookies. That’s who you have to keep the dough really cold. It helps to make your hands wet when working with the dough. I hope that is helpful!
Hi
Can I add chopped walnuts?
Fatuna
Hi Fatima, I haven’t tried that yet but feel free to experiment. I think that could work! Please let us know how it goes if you try it.
Could I make them with almond flour? will they still have the same texture?
Hi Victoria, I have not tested that substitute to advise. If you happen to experiment, I would love to know how you like that!
Made the batter yesterday and plan to roll/bake today but the batter was very wet. Is the right consistency?
Hi Jillian, I haven’t had that experience, I’m curious how this turned out for you.
I want to try this amazing recipe, but can i use aluminum foil instead of a cookie sheet ?
Hi Carina, you can bake cookies on aluminum foil, but you should be aware that they will cook faster and the bottoms will brown more and get crispy.
I made these with my daughter. What an easy cookie to make. Have you ever used mint extract instead of vanilla? We bought some the other day to experiment with.
Hi Amanda, I haven’t tried that yet but I think it’s a good idea to try and experiment!
I have a similar recipe that calls for the addition of chocolate chips. Sometimes we’ve used mint chocolate chips and they turned out really good.
so I made it, it was so easy I couldn’t believe it. very deish and it’s gone lol
So great to hear that, thank you for your good feedback!
I followed the recipe to a T by measuring/leveling flour and chilled for about 6 hours but cookies were flat. Couldn’t roll them because would stick to hands. Don’t know what I did wrong.
Hi Jeney, please read the “Why are my Chocolate Crinkle Cookies flat?” in the recipe. I hope that helps.
Love these cookies! Do you think its safe to freeze the finished cookies?
Thanks.
Hi Diana, these are freezer-friendly before baking. I haven’t tried freezing them after baking to advise on the outcome. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I had to up the temperature to 375. I did 350 for 12 min. The center was raw. The center was cooked at 375. Good cookie .
I plan to make these this year for my family.I always add a new cookie,this one will be my choice this year. Have you ever added white chocolate chips to the recipe? Good idea? THANKS.
Hi Toni, I haven’t added white chocolate chips but I think that would hinder how they spread and form the crinkles. If you experiment, let me know. If you want to hide chocolate morsels in the center, you might try that with our Russian Tea Cakes instead.
Hi, can i use Dutch processed cocoa powder?
Hi Chin, yes that should work well with dutch processed cocoa powder.
Hi natasha, thank you for sharing this recipe.. Love the crinkles, it is so delicious and my nephew and nieces love it..
I’m glad to hear that, Chin. You are so welcome!
Do you have to sift the flour? Above it says “sift”, but in the recipe it just says to “combine”…
Hi Desiree, yes, we used sifted flour but then combined it with the other ingredients.
I haven’t sifted the flour it turned out great
Oh my those look delicious! I have been on the hunt for a Ukrainian cookie recipe. At a recent potluck, there were these really soft, moist cookies, shaped like little logs. They had almost like a ricotta cheese texture, I don’t think they are baked at all. Anyway, maybe you happen to know something like it for a future recipe post 🤷♀️
Hi Ines, I’d love to know the name of them!
Just made these cookies, they turned out perfect. Didn’t flatten and were so gooey on the inside. I was worried they would be too sweet with the powdered sugar on top, but the cocoa provided a nice balance and they were just right. I’m just sad there’s none left to try how they taste a few days later… Guess I need to make them again.
Hi Larisa, so great to hear that it was a hit! Thanks for your great comments and feedback, we appreciate it!
I have been looking for a recipe like this except I want to roll the ball in sugar instead of powdered sugar. Will it get the crinkled effect if I do that? Thanks!
I haven’t tried that yet but you can do an experiment on a few cookies first and see how it goes.
One of my most favorite cookies ever!!!! My 3 year old and I had so much fun making them! Definitely will be making another batch for Christmas 🎄
These cookies are so festive and perfect for Christmas!
Hi, I’m a new baker, I’m wondering does the recipe use milk
Hi Rosemary, it doesn’t have milk. Please go through the recipe again and it’s list of ingredients.
Can you please do tomba chicken please 😢😢😢🙂🙂🙂
Thank you for that suggestion, Malak!
Hi! Can I replace the vegetable oil with melted butter in this recipe?
Hi Jacqueline, I honestly haven’t tried using butter yet toa advise. I’ve tried 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola, or light olive oil)
Did you know you can also use chocolate cake mix to make these as well. I’ve also used lemon cake mix to make lemon crinkle cookies
Thank you so much for sharing that tip with me, Donna! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Donna would you mind sharing your recipe that you used to make your Lemon crinkle cookies please.
Can I replace the sugar with stevia sugar in this recipe?
Hi Carol, I haven’t tested that substitution to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
what type of Hand mixer do u use Natasha?
Hi Amy, you can find our favorite tools in our Blog Shop here or our Amazon shop here.
Don’t need mixer. Easy by hand
Seriously such a delicious cookie! My family love them!
Glad to hear that, Melissa. Thank you!
So easy and so good! Loved the powdered sugar with the chocolate cookies.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
These are one of our very favorite holiday cookies! So easy to make and so soft and chewy!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Do you need to butter cookie sheets before baking?
Natasha!!!! ive been looking for a crinkle cookie recipe from you and you’ve finally posted one! can’t wait to try it this Christmas!
I hope you love this recipe!