Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a Christmas classic with soft and fudgy centers and a sweet crackled exterior. Make these for your Christmas cookie platters this year!

chocolate crinkle cookies on a silicone lined baking sheet


When it comes to classic Christmas cookies, these double chocolate crinkle cookies are right up there with peanut butter blossoms and toffee pecan shortbread for me.

Planning your Christmas cookie plates for this year? Be sure to also check out our Lime Meltaway Shortbread Cookies, Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies, and Mexican Wedding Cookies [aka Russian Tea Cakes]!

An image of a little hand sneaking a chocolate crinkle cookie from a Christmas platter.

What are Crinkle Cookies?

Double chocolate crinkle cookies are super rich, chocolate cookies that are coated with a layer of powdered sugar before baking, which shows off the dark chocolate interior of the cookies through the cracks that form on the top while baking.

Some people make chocolate crinkle cookies from a cake mix, but I think they are so much more delicious to make from scratch and hardly any extra effort.

Why this is the best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe

A couple things I do a little different from other chocolate crinkle cookie recipes I have seen:

  • I use melted butter instead of oil. I like the extra flavor that butter gives and prefer using it in cookies over vegetable oil, but most classic chocolate crinkle cookie recipes call for vegetable oil instead of butter anyway so you know you will be fine with either choice.
  • I use part brown sugar instead of all granulated sugar. The granulated sugar helps the cookies crinkle, but brown sugar gives a deeper, more flavorful taste and chewy texture. It's my secret ingredient for brownies and chocolate cake as well.
  • Adding in chocolate chips boosts the chocolate-intensity of already chocolatey cookies, but nobody ever seems to complain.
  • I don't chill the dough because 1. I'm a rebel, and 2. I'm impatient. Yes, the dough is sticky and soft, which is why most recipes call for chilling anywhere from 1 hour to overnight so it is easier to handle and roll into balls, but I find that if I dust my hands with a little powdered sugar between rolling every 3-4 cookies I manage just fine. If you want to chill the dough though, go for it.
An image of a double chocolate crinkle cookie cut in half and stacked to show the fudgy interior and melted chocolate chips.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour
  • Cocoa powder
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Brown sugar
  • Granulated sugar
  • Powdered sugar
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • Salted butter
  • Semisweet chocolate chips
An image of chocolate crinkle cookies covered in powdered sugar and cooling on a wire rack.

How to make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

  1. Start by whisking the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs using the paddle attachment for a few minutes until the mixture thickens and the color lightens. It's the same technique that I use when making brownies to get the coveted crinkly crust on top and it makes a difference in these chocolate crinkle cookies too.
  3. Add the vanilla and melted butter and mix until combined. Then gradually add in the dry ingredients just until the dough comes together, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  4. Stir in the chocolate chips, then set up a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and a bowl with the powdered sugar for coating the balls of cookie dough.
  5. Dust your hands with a little of the powdered sugar, then scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough out and roll them into 1-inch balls between the palms of your hands. Roll each ball of dough in the powdered sugar to generously coat, then place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. You will need to dust your hands with more powdered sugar every couple of cookies. If it looks like there’s a ridiculous amount of powdered sugar on each ball of cookie dough, that’s what you want because most of it will get absorbed while the cookie bakes.
  6. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 11-12 minutes until large cracks appear on the top of the cookies. It’s fine if the cookies look a bit underbaked between the cracks, because you don’t want to overbake the cookies or they will be hard. Also, cookies continue to cook after you take them out of the oven and will set after a few minutes.
An image of a hand rolling a ball of chocolate crinkle cookie dough in powdered sugar.
An image of double chocolate crinkle cookies arranged on a Santa Christmas plate with more cookies cooling on a wire rack behind them.

Tips for making Crinkles

  • Use high-quality cocoa powder and chocolate: The flavor of your cookies largely depends on the quality of your cocoa powder and chocolate. Opt for good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder and bittersweet or semisweet chocolate for the best results.
  • Chill the dough: Chilling the cookie dough for at least 2 hours, or even overnight, is crucial for achieving the right texture. This helps the dough firm up and prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
  • Don't skip the powdered sugar coating: Rolling the cookie dough balls in powdered sugar is what creates the signature crinkled appearance. Make sure each ball is generously coated before placing them on the baking sheet.
  • Keep an eye on the cookies: Chocolate crinkle cookies are done when they've cracked on top and are just set but still slightly soft in the center. This usually takes about 10-12 minutes. Be careful not to overbake, as they can become too dry.
  • Let them cool: Once you've taken the cookies out of the oven, allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them set and develop their fudgy texture.
An image of a soft chocolate crinkle cookie with melted chocolate chips inside it and a crackly powdered sugar coating on the exterior.
  • Leave out the semisweet chocolate chips and instead press an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Candy Cane Kiss into the top of each cookie as soon as the cookies are removed from the oven.
  • Press a caramel candy like Rolos or just unwrapped Kraft caramels into the center of each ball of dough before rolling in powdered sugar and baking for caramel filled chocolate crinkle cookies.
An image of chocolate crinkles on a silpat mat.

How to store Chocolate Crinkles

These cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for around 4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze them for 2-3 months and let them thaw at room temperature before enjoying.

Can you freeze Crinkles?

Yes, these cookies freeze well after they have been baked and cooled. Just place them with wax paper between layers in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. You could also scoop the dough into balls and freeze that way. Just roll the cookies in powdered sugar right before baking and add a few extra minutes baking time if you want to bake them straight from frozen.

An image of a plate of chocolate Christmas cookies generously covered in powdered sugar.

Crinkles FAQs

Why are my Chocolate Crinkle Cookies flat?

Flat chocolate crinkle cookies can result from a few things. You might want to chill the dough before baking, as warm dough spreads. Overmixing the dough can also lead to flat cookies, so mix until just combined.

Why aren't my Crinkle cookies crinkling?

If your crinkle cookies aren't crinkling, it could be that a measurement was off or too much flour was added. You should also double check your oven temperature with an inexpensive oven thermometer to make sure it is properly preheated.

Why are my Crinkles not moist?

If your crinkle cookies are turning out dry instead of moist, the two biggest culprits are usually adding too much flour so that the ratio of ingredients is off, or overbaking them, which will definitely dry them out. When in doubt, I would prefer underbaking to overbaking these cookies.

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.

Stay in the know

Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe

5 from 15 votes
Amy Nash
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 21 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 30 cookies
Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a Christmas classic with soft and fudgy centers and a sweet crackled exterior.  Make these for your Christmas cookie platters this year!

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (353g)
  • 1 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (118g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 8 Tablespoons salted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, for rolling

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
  • Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat both sugars and the eggs for 3 minutes on medium speed until thick and light. Reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla and melted butter while mixing.
  • Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar and eggs while mixing on low speed, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure everything gets mixed together. Add the chocolate chips.
  • Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl and dust your hands with a little of the powdered sugar. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough and roll them into 1-inch balls, then roll them in the powdered sugar to generously coat each cookie. Place the balls of sugar covered dough on the parchment or silicon mat lined baking sheet about 2-inches apart.  
  • Bake for 11-13 minutes until cracks appear in the top of each cookie but they are still slightly underbaked in the centers. Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.

Notes

  • Storage: Keep the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
  • Freezing: You can freeze the finished cookies for 2-3 months. Thaw on the counter for a few hours before serving.
  • Freezing Dough: You can also make the dough ahead up to 2-3 months. Roll into balls and roll in powdered sugar, then freeze on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once frozen, transfer balls of dough to a freezer-safe ziploc bag for longer term storage. Bake from frozen, increasing the bake time by 1-2 minutes.
  • Chilling Dough: Chilling the dough might make rolling it into balls slightly less likely to stick to your hands, but I always skip this step.  I actually don't think it makes any difference in flavor or texture and is mostly just to make the dough slightly easier to work with since it is so soft and sticky.  You could always chill the dough in the freezer for 45 minutes or in the fridge for 2 hours before rolling into balls to make it a little easier to work with, but I find that dusting my hands with a little powdered sugar works just fine and I don't have to wait a couple extra hours for cookies!  
Adapted from All Recipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 132IU | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @HouseOfNashEats or tag #houseofnasheats!

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About the author

Hi, I'm Amy

I enjoy exploring the world through food, culture, and travel and sharing the adventure with mostly from-scratch, family friendly recipes that I think of as modern comfort cooking.

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Reader questions and reviews

  1. 5 stars
    Chocolate Crinkles and Peanut Blossoms are must-makes for us every Christmas, too! They remind me of my childhood, and your rendition with the extra chocolate here? Yeah, we're going to have to try them this year because YUM. (And because we are all, not surprisingly, super into chocolate.)

    Thank you so much for participating in this year's exchange and joining us in sharing some cookies and spreading the love!

  2. 5 stars
    I made these cookies for Christmas right before my daughter was born. (Maybe delicious cookies induce labor?) Fantastic recipe and my husband loved them! I too could not wait for the cookies, and I can attest that the dough is quite sticky. Didn't hinder me since I used the powdered sugar for my hands like you suggested.

  3. I LOVE this recipe! I tried it for the first time this year for Christmas cookie boxes and they were a hit! I substituted one of the teaspoons of vanilla extract for a teaspoon peppermint extract to make them chocolate mint cookies and it was delish! 9.4/10 highly recommend.

  4. 5 stars
    The children in my Sunday School class loved these!! Perfect recipe. I found it quite manageable to not refrigerate the dough as well, turned out just fine!
    I made these for the December Flavor Challenge! Thank you!

  5. 5 stars
    I did this for the December Challenge. I made these for this weekend and my sisters keep digging into them already! They are so good they may not last long. It was a bit too chocolatey for me!

  6. 5 stars
    Love that you actually let me have the recipe without buying or watching a video just love that and I will continue to get on your site for the recipes. Thank you so much Laura.