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–+ servings
Chocolate crinkle cookies on a plate next to a spool of red and white twine
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4.80 from 393 votes

Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Try these soft and chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies for Christmas this year - my simple recipe makes these the best easy treat for your holiday baking!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Chilling Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 32 cookies
Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder I recommend sifting it if it is very lumpy
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup butter softened
  • 1 ½ cups white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Combine dry ingredients: Combine cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • Cream wet ingredients: Place butter, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix on medium-low speed just until combined - about 10 seconds each.
  • Make cookie dough: Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated.
    cookie dough for chocolate crinkle cookies
  • Chill cookie dough: Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least 1 hour or up to overnight (the longer you chill, the thicker the cookies will be).
  • Roll cookies: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and cover them well with the sugar.
    unbaked chocolate crinkle cookie on a baking sheet
  • Bake cookies: Place on a lined baking sheet with enough space between them (bake in batches) and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until spread and crackled. Cookies will still be soft, so let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Video

Notes

Baking tips

Cookie size:
To make larger cookies, use 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. They will bake in 12-15 minutes.
To make smaller cookies, use 1 generous tablespoon of dough per cookie. They will bake in around 10 minutes.
Baking Time:
The exact baking times will depend on your oven and how hot it runs, so remember to check on your cookies frequently. Do not overbake.
Dough:
  • do not overheat the eggs or the cookies may be tough
  • dough will be sticky, that's normal
  • it helps to slightly dampen hands OR cover them liberally with powdered sugar when rolling cookies
Powdered Sugar:
Coat cookies with thick, even layer of powdered sugar for the best look.

How to make taller/softer crinkles:

If you prefer your chocolate crinkles tall and soft, here are a few ways to achieve it:
  • chill the dough for a longer amount of time
  • place the cookie dough balls on a chilled baking sheet
  • bake the cookie dough balls straight after rolling them without letting them come to room temperature first
  • let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes without touching them before transferring them to a cooling rack

How to make your crinkle cookies more chewy:

If you want your chocolate crinkles to be a little denser and more fudgy (that’s how I love them!), here’s what to do:
  • chill the dough just as long as neededplace the cookie dough balls on a room temperature baking sheet
  • let the cookie dough balls stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before baking
  • if the cookies are still very tall when they come out of the oven, you can gently press them down with the bottom of a drinking glass – you just have to do it RIGHT as you take them out!

Storage tips

On the counter: The crinkle cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3-4 days.
In the freezer: If you want to keep the cookies for longer, they freeze well for up to 3 months (see blow).

Freezer Instructions

To freeze unbaked dough:
Freeze rolled cookie dough (do not dip in powdered sugar!) on a lined baking sheet in a single layer until firm (about 2 hours), then transfer to freezer bags and freeze for up to 2 months.
To bake, just take as many balls as you want to make from the freezer and let sit on a plate on the counter for 30 minutes, then roll in powdered sugar and bake.
To freeze baked cookies:
Place the cooled cookies in layers in freezer containers, separating layers with baking parchment. Label with the name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months).
To defrost, put them on a wire rack and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Do not let them sit in the container or on a plate, or they will get soggy.
If you want warm, freshly-baked cookie flavors, you can place the thawed cookies on a baking sheet and warm them at 275°C for 5-6 minutes.