About Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
As promised, I’m continuing to lay low in the pumpkin department – but only because there’s still plenty of other tastes and types of desserts that I don’t mind monopolizing my time during the holiday season.
Such as chocolate, which is great any time of the year, but it’s even better now that all the specialty desserts coming out to play.
And then there are cookies, because there’s something about the end of the year that makes cookies the canvas for creative culinary works of art (try saying that five times fast).
But even with all the fun desserts out right now, I’m still more of a traditionalist. I lean (ie, crave unconditionally) toward the classics. Because you can’t fix what isn’t broken, amiright? And is there really anything more “not broken” than delicious chocolate cookies?
Not in my book!
It’s always a good time to have a chocolate cookie.
That’s what I love about recipes like this – they’re genuine crowd pleasers.
Most people have seen chocolate crinkle cookies before, and just as many have probably tried them too, but not everyone knows how to make them. These cookies are so classic that there’s typically no shortage of them around… until there is.
Until you can’t find a single crinkle cookie in the grocery store bakery and you decide right there by the fresh baked bread that you’re taking matters into your own hands and making a batch as soon as you get home.
Because even if you’re only a crowd of one you still need to be pleased and it’s always a good time for a chocolate cookie.
So I had to make a batch.
You know, “for the sake of the blog.”
That’s totally a real thing.
I do have one small confession to make: it’s been so long since I had a crinkle cookie that I actually forgot what they tasted like. I mean they’re chocolate, yes, and they’re a cookie, sure, but what the name doesn’t tell you is that these little gems are like brownie cookies, and it’s is exactly as awesome as it sounds. They’re not as thick or moist as a brownie, but the inside is just as light, flavorful, and crumbly. They really are the best of both worlds.
Plus, these cookies made for the perfect snack while I blew off my house chores and caught up on the past few weeks of my fall shows. Because I do have to thoroughly taste test each recipe before I share them with you. You know, “for the sake of the blog.”
See?
Totally a thing.
Do you have to chill the dough?
This particular recipe calls for chilling the cookie dough for a minimum of one hour (or ideally up to eight hours).
I know it can be frustrating to put your baking on hold, but when it comes to cookies, chilling the dough is totally worth the impact it as on your baking.
If you’re curious about the purpose (and benefits!) of doing this, check out this article: Chilling Cookie Dough: Does it Make a Difference?
What can you substitute for vegetable oil?
Since posting this recipe, many readers have asked if there’s a substitute for the vegetable oil.
I’ve only ever made these crinkle cookies with vegetable oil, so I don’t have any personal experience with this, but you can check out these articles for some guidance: Can I Substitute Butter for Vegetable Oil in Cake Mix? and How to Substitute Coconut Oil for Vegetable Oil.
Can you freeze the baked chocolate crinkle cookies?
Yes, these cookies freeze very well.
For best results, store the cookies in a single layer in an air-tight container. If you need to stack the cookies, separate the layers with wax paper.
Cookies can be frozen for up to three months.
Can you freeze the cookie dough?
Like the baked cookies, this cookie dough also freezes well.
Before freezing, measure and roll the cookie dough into balls and freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen solid, you can transfer them to an air-tight container or a freezer bag.
When ready to make, remove the cookie balls and let thaw on the counter for 30 minutes. From there, just roll the balls in powdered sugar and bake like normal.
And also like the baked cookies, the cookie dough can be frozen for up to three months.
Notes & tips for this crinkle cookie recipe
- If you’re doing a lot of baking, I highly recommend having some silicone baking mats or silicone baking mats on hand. Baking cookies takes enough time without having to cut or measure parchment paper. Or if you prefer using parchment paper, you can try using pre-cut parchment paper sheets instead.
- Plus, some quality baking sheets are a must for a cookie baking extravaganza!
- For this recipe, I highly recommend using a stand mixer or a hand mixer. This recipe would be difficult to make by hand with a whisk.
- Other readers have said they had issues with the cookies going flat. Before baking, be sure to check out this article – it could be a big help! One Reason Cookies Spread.
Other choclate recipes
More fun cookie recipes
Recipe Details
Classic Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate cookies rolled in powdered sugar and baked to light & crumbly perfection. They're the perfect combination of brownies and crinkle cookies!
Ingredients
Instructions
In a medium bowl, sift together cocoa powder, granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl), add vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix on low just long enough to break the egg yolks, about 10-15 seconds.
- Keeping speed on low, pour in 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, blending for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Continue adding the rest of the dry ingredients until cookie batter is thoroughly mixed. Batter will be dark and sticky.
- Cover and chill cookie dough for at least 1 hour, ideally 4 hours, or up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place powdered sugar in a shallow bowl and keep it handy for the next step.
- Scoop 1-2 tablespoons of cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Drop ball in powdered sugar and toss to coat completely. Place sugar coated cookie ball in the prepared baking sheet. Repeat this step until all the cookie dough batter is used, spacing cookies 2 inches apart.
Bake cookies for 10-13 minutes or until tops of cookies are lined with cracks (as pictured).
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Always good to return to the old recipies we love. I like to add peppermint for a added bonus sometime. For the sake of the blog!
I love the idea of adding peppermint!
I have made these a few times, and they are delicious. My families new favorite. It is very important to chill the dough. I found if you just drop a tablespoon full of dough in the powdered sugar, it is easier to make them into balls. Also if you do not have parchment paper just line your cookie sheet with foil and lightly spray with oil.
Thank you for a yummy recipe.
OH my gosh this look SOOOO good!!
-Lee Anne
http://www.lifeinatx.com/
Thanks Lee Anne!
Great photos! These are one of my favorite cookies on the holiday treat platter.
Thank you Jamie!
Oh my goodness Chrisy, these look absolutely stunning! I can’t believe the perfection of the crackle and that tender looking middle. I could just reach out and grab one now!
Thank you so much Alisa! 😀
Oh goodness, I don’t think I’ve had a crinkle cookie in quite awhile either! They sound so good!
Thank you Becky! These cookies are definitely worth a revisit 😀
It’s *so* rough sometimes to be a food blogger and having to make and sample stuff like this 😉 In all seriousness, these look great. I love chocolate crinkle cookies, but I’ve somehow never made them. I guess I’ll *have* to now
Thanks Mary! And indeed – gotta love those “food blogger problems” 😀
This is perfect for my housewarming party this weekend! I’m going with a black and white theme and this looks perfect!
That does sound perfect! I hope they turn out great 😀
I bet these are dangerously addictive.
That they are 😀
I’m with you on the classics, all the new and decadent dessert are amazing and delicious but sometimes you just need a good ol chocolate cookie! These look simply delicious.
Totally agree Jane 😀 Thanks!
These look so good, and really easy to make! Thanks for sharing!
Molly and Stacie
Thanks Molly!
This is my favorite cookie! I make a version every year. These photos are just gorgeous!
Thank you Kelly!
I love that, haha. “for the sake of the blog” I do that too sometimes… oh I need to make Oreo cookie butter “for the blog” and not for breakfast/lunch/dinner/every moment in between, haha. These cookies look AMAZING by the way, I kind of need one in my life now that I saw these amazing pictures.
Thanks Sabrina! I know you’re with me on all the “food blog struggles” 😀
Yay the Holiday season is here! Nothing makes it feel more official than Crinkle Cookies
I agree Kiano 😀 Thanks!
OMG, yes, Crinkle Cookies are the BOMB!! I need this in my life now. No seriously, I’m hungry RIGHT NOW and could do with some cookies! Yum!
Thank you so much Levan!
These look so good! I love desserts with powdered sugar!
Thank you! 😀
I am not into the pumpkin flavor so it is nice to see a yummy recipe that doesn’t have “pumpkin” in the title. These look so good!
I know what you mean Dia 😀 Thanks!
One of my all-time favorite cookies! And you are 100% correct – it’s Always a good time ot have a chocolate cookie!
Glad someone understands 😀 Thanks Renee!
I always wanted to try my ands on crinkled cookies, and this must be the recipe I will try! Love their rustic look! Pinned!
Thanks Katalina!
I really need this cookies, love so much chocolate ^^
These are just so gorgeous! Thanks for bringing me (temporarily) out of a pumpkin spice overload 😉
2-3 heaping tablespoons? Or teaspoons? Every time I use tablespoons they come out way too big and make less than 22 🙁
Hey Alysha! When I made these I was aiming for 2-3 heaping TABLEspoons, but I know what you mean about cookies that tend to come out a little too big. I think a good rule of thumb is that once you’ve rolled the cookie dough into a ball, it should fit comfortably in your palm and only cover about 25%-40% of your palm. Anything more than that and the cookies might end up mega cookies.
I have friends who are gluten intolerant. I feel bad because all the recipes I find that I want to try, are NOT Gluten Free. Do you have any recipes (like this chocolate cringle cookie) that ARE gluten free?
Hey Dana! I have a few recipes that are gluten free (https://homemadehooplah.com/dietary/gluten-free/), but it’s not my specialty. If you’d like more gluten free options, check out Lindsay’s blog over at http://www.cottercrunch.com/ or Arman’s blog at http://thebigmansworld.com/
I found this incredibly difficult to mix (as did my electric mixer). Super sticky at the end and it was impossible to even finish mixing in the dry ingredients!
These looked so good…but I could NOT get them not to stick. I coated the pan liberally with Pam and they all stuck, so I used the parchment paper and they stuck again. They are more cakey than the texture of a cookie.
Sorry you had trouble Terry! The texture is a little different than a “normal” cookie, but it should still be manageable. I’m at a bit of a loss about the sticking to the pan and parchment paper. May I ask what type of oil did you use?
I’m going to try putting a bit of caramel in them!
Adding caramel? Genius! If you made them, I’d LOVE to hear how they turned out 😀
These were AMAZING. They are so easy to make. Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks Hayley! I’m glad they turned out so well 😀
Can I use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil
I made these and they didn’t turn out, they were flat, what happened? I followed all of the steps
Hey Hailey! I’m so sorry they didn’t turn out 🙁 There’s a couple of things that could have caused flat cookies. Normally I’d ask questions about the butter you used, since that can be problematic with cookies, but there isn’t any in this recipe. I found this article that has a few suggestions – hopefully some of these will help? http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2014/10/26/one-reason-cookies-spread/
Hi my daughter and I made these but I thought I’d let you know that we picked up 2 tablespoons of mixture and they were HUGE so not sure if it was a typo and you meant teaspoons or whether they are meant to be gigantic 🙂 either way we absolutely loved them 🙂 will be making again
I have to make these every Christmas for my youngest daughter that is a Senior in HIGH School! She just Loves them (:
Hi! I was wondering if I can replace the vegetable oil with coconut oil?
Hey there! Yes, you should be able to substitute the vegetable oil for coconut oil. Just melt the coconut oil and make sure that all of the other ingredients are room temperature or warmer (so that the coconut oil doesn’t cool down to a solid again). You can find more tips on coconut oil substitution here: http://www.coconutoil-online.com/Recipes_and_Tips_for_Using_Coconut_Oil.html
Its look nice…can I replace the vegetable oil to melted butter..?
Hey Tina! I haven’t tried making this substitution before, but I *think* you should be able to. This article might help talk you through it: http://www.livestrong.com/article/427972-can-i-substitute-butter-for-vegetable-oil-in-a-cake-mix/
What are some ingredients that you can replace the vegetable oil with? Does olive oil work?
Hey Georgie! Yes, you can substitute for olive oil (just not extra virgin). The taste might be a little different, but not enough to worry about.
Can I make those in advance and freeze them? I would love to make multiple batches of Christmas treats but I am planning on making it early and freeze them. Is this type of cookies would work as freezable?
Hey Kayla! I haven’t tried freezing these, but in theory, yes, they should be freezable 🙂 Just be sure to freeze the cookies out the sugar coating – save that for before you bake. Here’s some more tips: http://www.thekitchn.com/the-best-cookies-to-freeze-and-how-to-do-it-tips-from-the-kitchn-213638
Hi, how many cookies does one recipie make?
Hey Heather! This should make about 22 medium-to-large sized cookies.
These cookies were so easy and incredibly delicious! I made them for my coworkers at Christmas and they were such a hit! I used; gluten free flour, coconut oil and coconut sugar for the batter. I did however roll them in confectioners sugar. Don’t over cook them. They are like little soft brownie bites. I will definitely be making these again.
Thanks for writing in – I’m SO glad they turned out so well! 😀
how long did you cook them for
i make it but don’t know why it took longer than 20 min to cook
Hey there! It could be the size of the cookies? I know I have a hard time “eyeballing” dough measurements when I’m baking. When I make these cookies again, I’ll double check my measurements vs the time – it’s been a bit since I wrote this recipe so I’m not 100% sure if I was using a cookie soup or my best judgment when I wrote everything down 🙂
thanks for ur reply 🙂
i found that if i let the dough rest for 4 hours it will take more time to cook but, if i let it for one hour it will be fine with me (Y)
thanks again 🙂
Hi! I tried them and must have done something wrong because they turned out flat! Any suggestions for my next batch? Thank you!
Hey Flavia! Sorry to hear about the cookies 🙁 There’s a couple different causes for flat cookies – the most common one would be too much air in the batter, which can come from mixing a little too much. Usually you want to mix up until the ingredients look “about” 90% incorporated. Another cause that’s a little more tricky is the temperature of the cookie tray. I used to put my cookie tray on the oven while it preheated (due to limited kitchen space) but I read that sometimes a hot cookie tray can have a negative impact on how cookies bake. I know these causes can be a little vague, but hopefully it will give you a few places to start 😀
These cookies turned out amazing!! They were so easy, and they look so beautiful!!!! and taste even better!!!!
I consider a small family, but my an old friend of mine is one of 7 children so I get that big family feel when we have family gatherings on his side. I must like it because we are on baby #6 (and possibly we are the reason that the average here in the US is 2 rather than 1 like in Canada and most of Europe according to your chart!)
Wow! not sure what I did wrong followed recipe exact and let batter sit in fridge over night and they turned out like pancakes but even flatter. I new something was wrong when I could not roll in a ball so I only baked a couple first. Have to throw out the double batch I made. Lesson learned never double a batch until you do a trial run.
They are awful!!! flat & a waste of time and money!!
Can I mix the granulated sugar into the liquids instead of leaving the sugar with the flour, cocoa, and etc? I tried your making it with sugar in the flour and cocoa and the cookie turned out great, except I can crunch on the sugar crystals in the cookie. There is still sugar bits in the cookie. Is there a reason for leaving sugar with the dry ingredients?