The Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
These are the best chocolate crinkle cookies! They are a delightful cross between a soft, chewy chocolate cookie and a rich, fudgy brownie. They stay fresh for days!
Literally one of the most dangerous cookies to keep around my house, these chocolate crinkle cookies are irresistible! (Especially if you store them in the fridge and eat them chilled; SO GOOD.)
Chocolate Cookie Dough
We’re making a very delicious chocolate cookie dough here. It consists of the usual suspects:
- brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- butter
- eggs + vanilla
- flour
- cocoa powder
- baking soda + salt
As someone who is usually an anti-sifter when it comes to every day cookie dough, I actually prefer sifting the cocoa powder and flour into the batter for this recipe. Cocoa powder often has pesky little lumps that are hard to smooth away without excess mixing.
In a brownie batter, mixing for a long time is all fine and good. But you don’t want to over mix cookie dough. So, I sift. And I encourage you to do the same. 😉
Chilling: Not Optional
Now that I’ve hit you with the sifting news, let me also break it to you that this dough benefits greatly from a bit of chilling in the refrigerator.
I know. I KNOW. Along with sifting, I despise having to take the time to chill cookie dough.
But it is needed here due to the soft dough, and the result is one thousand billion times worth it. (It doesn’t work to skip the chilling in favor of adding more dry ingredients to the dough to help stiffen it up…you’ll end up with a dry and tasteless cookie.)
Scoop and roll the chocolate cookie dough into balls and then roll each one around in powdered sugar until evenly coated.
Bake, Cool and Chill
Bake the cookies until they are puffed and crackly on top, right around 10 minutes. Don’t over bake! They should still be soft in the center.
Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
The puffy centers will settle a bit as the cookies cool.
Another Unpopular Opinion
These cookies taste infinitely better once they are all the way cooled…and even better, chilled.
I mean, I’m never going to say no to a warm cookie, and I certainly made sure to taste test several of these warm cookies for research purposes. They are yummy, no doubt.
But once I experienced the cookies a few hours later (and even the next day), I was like: WOW. Wow, wow, wow. They transform from “yummy chocolate cookie” to “ultra rich and fudgy brownie cookie of epic proportions that will tempt every last stitch of self-control.”
They stay fresh for days if stored in the refrigerator and are the perfect cookie for so many occasions!
One Year Ago: Cranberry Brie Bites
Two Years Ago: Raspberry White Chocolate Blondie Bars
Three Years Ago: Cranberry-Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip
Four Years Ago: Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeye Cookies
Five Years Ago: Easy Cinnamon and Sugar Candied Pecans
Six Years Ago: Easiest Ever Fudge {Tons of Add-In Options}
Seven Years Ago: Russian Potato and Mushroom Leek Soup
Eight Years Ago: White Chocolate Gingerbread Truffles
Nine Years Ago: Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Pretzel Bark {Snappers Knock Off}
Ten Years Ago: Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Pretzel Bark {Snappers Knock Off}
The Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (106 g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large (100 g) eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cup (237 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (43 g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (57 g) powdered sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl with an electric handheld mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until the batter has lightened in color, 2-3 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt (or sift these ingredients right into the bowl with the cookie batter). Mix until evenly combined.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes but preferably an hour (and up to overnight). If refrigerating the dough overnight, consider scooping the soft dough into cookie dough portions before refrigerating as it will make it much easier to scoop than waiting until the dough has chilled/set up more.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two, large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place the powdered sugar in a bowl or shallow dish. If you haven't already, scoop the dough into heaping tablespoon-sized balls (I use a #40 cookie scoop) and roll into a smooth ball shape.
- Roll each ball in the powdered sugar and place several inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes until puffed and crackled on top. Remove from the oven. Let the cookies rest a few minutes on the baking pan before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (slightly adapted from this fun holiday recipe)
I have made these 4 times in the past 2 weeks. They are that delicious. Thank you Mel!
Do these freeze well?
The powdered sugar gets a bit soft/absorbs more into the cookie after freezing and thawing.
Love these! I am a bit of a sweet tooth, though, so on my second batch I added 2/3 cup of both sugars (instead of a 1/2 cup). I had to add just a little extra flour too (probably due to elevation). They are divine!! And requested frequently at my house!
My 7 year old just requested these for his birthday cake. My kids call them brownie cookies. They have quickly become one of our favorites!!
I made these for a birthday and they were a hit! So easy to make and they are delicious. I added some mini chocolate chips like you have in the peppermint crinkle cookie just to give it a little more chocolate (because, why not?!) Next time I will be making a double batch because they are just that good!!
Amazing! These cookies are perfection! They taste so good and they look pretty. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!
Delicious!
I did add peppermint extract because I love the combination of peppermint and chocolate.
Easy and delicious – and it’s true – so good room temp or chilled.
Wonderful chocolatey chewy goodness! Big hit at Christmas this year!
I had to send this to myself so that way I know where to locate it at. I doubt that I’ll get a notification / email to let me know that I got a message from Mel’s Kitchen. I am definitely looking forward to making these cookies. I just found this recipe 15 minutes ago at 2:01 a.m. on December 29th, 2023.
Amazingly, after three days in a cookie jar, these are still delicious. A definite winner. Doubled the batch, because chocolate cookies, and it was the best choice.
They were absolutely delicious and I stored them in the fridge as you suggested………oh my!
I think I am going to make these for neighbor cookie plates. Would Dutch processed cocoa powder work for this recipe? Just trying to judge if I need to make a grocery run or not.
Hi Jen, Dutch-process should work fine, I think, but I’d adjust the baking soda to 1/2 teaspoon and add 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
The perfect cookie for Christmas in my opinion! My kids will still vote rolled sugar cookies but these are mine and Santa’s favorite! Merry Christmas Mel!
I agree it’s wayyy better cooked! I had to speed up the process and put it in my freezer. Tasted delicious! Never heard of cookies being better cool but it is true for this cookie!
I’m so confident in Mel’s recipes that I made a double batch first try! They were a bit more puffy than hers, but still a pretty good texture and great taste. Next time I’m going to try to lessen the flour a little bit so that they flatten a little bit more and the fudgy soft middle is bigger. (I’m in TX so elevation isn’t an issue:)
Hi Ann, glad you liked these and thanks for trusting me! Sounds like you could probably cut the flour back to 1 1/2 cups (do you weigh your flour? If not, how do you scoop it into a cup? that might account for the difference).
The cookies were perfect. Easy, soft, and really yummy! I’ll definitely be making these again and again.
These were so good! I scooped mine out and let them rest overnight before rolling in sugar and baking. I also had some black cocoa powder on hand and used that. Highly recommend.
forgot the stars(:
These turned out so well! The most lovely texture of any chocolate crinkle recipe I’ve tried.
Yay, Alli! I’m so happy to hear that!
easy and delicious! Mine baked up a little puffier than what Mel’s did but I just gently pressed them with a glass. They were still delicious though. I only had an hour for the dough to chill so maybe that was why. Either way I would definitely make them again.
Thanks for the feedback, Jared! If you make them again, try about 2 to 3 tablespoons less flour and see if that helps!
Ate them from breakfast, lunch and dinner
*for
I 100% support this
Perfection! Best chocolate crinkles I’ve made. The taste, texture, and look is absolutely perfect. Thank you for another amazing recipe Mel!
I’m so happy you love these, Carly! Thanks so much for letting me know!
90% of the things I make come from Mel, but I’ve never commented on or rated a recipe. But I made these the day after they were posted, and I won my friend’s cookie baking competition. Highly recommend.
Oh my goodness, Courtney, I love this! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment! And congratulations!
Delicious Cookie! Perfect baked at 10min. Baked one cookie sheet’s worth too long but not a loss –crumpled them up and sprinkled on vanilla ice cream! Would these work with some chocolate chips? Always love your recipes Mel.
Ok, I think I’m going to have to deliberately bake longer just to try that! And yes, I think these would work great with chocolate chips, but I’d probably use mini-size
Mel mine cracked, but they did not flatten as much as yours did. Mine were still puffy in the center after cooling. I’m in Utah County. I used your measurements on the recipe and chilled the dough for an hour. Any suggestions?
Hi Nicole, try adding 1/4 cup less flour – that should do the trick (and might be due to difference in elevation?)
I tried these cookies today. I am not entirely satisfied how i cooked them. A bit too crunchy and in my opinion something misses inthe taste, maybe chicolate chips? I will try again…
Sorry you didn’t entirely enjoy these, Anna!
These cookies were easy and perfect. Mine were even a little puffy in the middle. Great texture and flavor. Would make them again!
Thanks, Katie!
I put these on my need-to-make list as soon as I saw it and they did not disappoint. They are a hit with the whole family. I appreciated the reassurance that chilling and sifting was necessary. Your reasoning behind it made me put in the extra effort! Yum!
Thanks for that feedback, Keri!
These are amazing. Came just in the knick of time as my husband needs cookies for tomorrow. I made the dough last night and chilled overnight. I just baked them up this afternoon and they were definitely a good height and not flat at all. Very pretty also. And they taste divine. I tried just one. Wish I could have another lol. I got about 30 out of the batch. Thank you! Can’t wait for the book to come.
Love the review, Teresa! I’m so happy you loved these! My self-control wishes I would have eaten just one. 🙂
How long do you think these would last frozen once baked? I have company arriving over the next few weeks and want tons of cookies pre made for their arrival.
Thank you for all your amazing recipes. I already ordered your book. Merry Christmas.
Thanks, Angela! These would last for a month or two in the freezer if they are well-covered, so I think you’re good to go!
Made this morning! I made mine tiny (maybe 1 or 1.5 tsp) and put 3 peppermint chocolate chips inside before rolling. They are so cute and delicious!
Adorable idea, Rikki!
Made these today! Agree that they are divine! Like a perfect inside piece of fudgy brownie, with crispy edges, and a delicious powdered sugar coating. I added a couple teaspoons of peppermint extract to make them more festive! 10/10!
Nola! You’re amazing!! Thanks for taking the time to let me know what you thought…I’m so happy you loved them!
I had to make some extra cookies for a teacher appreciation this week, perfect timing! They’re in the fridge waiting to bake off!
They turned out delicious and beautiful!
Yay, Megan! Thanks for taking the time to make them and let me know!!
I’ve been looking at recipes for red velvet crinkle cookies because I like the color for Christmas. Would I just add red food coloring to make this dough red?
Good questions, Christie – I think it’s definitely worth experimenting and probably stands a good chance of working…I just don’t know how enough food coloring to turn the dough red might affect the consistency?
The first step to preheat the oven may not be a good idea if the dough chills first 30 min to overnight 😉
Ha ha! I got excited thinking maybe these crinkles didn’t need to be chilled first, then I continued reading
Noted!
I’m so stressed with work this week and all I want to do is get into my joggers and make these cookies. Sigh. Hopefully I’ll get to start my holiday baking soon! Thanks, Mel!!
Wearing joggers and baking is the ultimate dream day. I hope you get to do it soon!!
When is your cookbook available?
Hi there, it’s available for pre-order right now and the books will arrive in early March. Let me know if you have other questions! You can pre-order at this link: https://melskitchencafeshop.com/