These chocolate crinkle cookies are made with a brownie-like dough, rolling it, in powdered sugar which creates a crunchy outer layer with a fudgy middle.
These brownie-like cookies are rich in chocolate flavor and are extra decadent.
These cookies are made with a rich chocolate dough that is rolled in powdered sugar before baking, giving them their distinctive crackled appearance.
The contrast between the soft, fudgy interior and the crispy exterior makes these cookies irresistible.
Whether enjoyed as an afternoon snack or served at holiday gatherings, these cookies are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.
For more cookie recipes check out my cinnamon roll cookies, coffee cake cookies, danish butter cookies, buckeyes cookies, double chocolate cookies, and pecan crescent cookies.
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Why this recipe works
- Flavor- these cookies have a delicious rich chocolate flavor that is not too overpowering and is perfect for chocolate lovers!
- Texture- these have a chewy and fudgy middle just like a brownie and a crackly outer layer that is crunchy and delicious.
- Naturally dairy free- these cookies are made with vegetable oil which makes them naturally dairy free. They do have a great flavor without using butter which is awesome and more affordable.
- Simple- these are made with super simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store and are very easy to make.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Vegetable oil- we made these cookies with vegetable oil, but you can use canola oil or melted coconut oil as well!
Dutch cocoa powder– we like to use Dutch-process cocoa powder for our brownies because we like the deep and rich chocolate taste, but the natural cocoa powder will work great as well!
Granulated sugar– we like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Eggs- you will need 2 large eggs for this recipe. Make sure that your egg is at room temperature.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor.
Kosher salt- you will need about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
Cornstarch- cornstarch helps to create a crumbly and tender texture for these cookies, plus, it keeps the cookie thick and soft.
Baking powder – baking powder helps the cookies rise and spread. Make sure that your baking powder isn’t expired. Don’t replace the baking powder with baking soda!
Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe. cake flour will work great as well.
Espresso powder- I like adding 1 teaspoon of espresso powder to the mixture for an extra rich flavor. You can skip this if you don't consume coffee.
Powder sugar- you will need powder sugar for the outer layer of these cookies in this recipe. you don’t have to buy powdered sugar, you can simply make it at home by blending granulated sugar in a blender or food processor. super easy!
Instructions
Into a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, vegetable oil, kosher salt, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, and espresso powder, and sift the cocoa powder. Mix with a whisk until well combined.
Add the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder, and mix until the mixture is just combined and there are no lumps of flour visible. Do not overmix!
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. (I like letting it chill in the freezer for an hour for a quicker process) The mixture is very sticky so this step is important so you can roll the balls.
Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the cookies or scoop the cookies with a regular tablespoon, 1 ½ tablespoons at a time.
Roll into a ball using your clean hands, and then roll each dough ball in granulated sugar and then powdered sugar.
Place the cookie dough balls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies.
Do not overbake these cookies to ensure that they are fudgy on the inside.
Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist cookies and not dense and dry cookies.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Line your sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat! This step helps the cookies to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cookies release easily from the pan.
- Use a cookies scoop to scoop out the cookies, that way you will have even-sized cookies, plus it ensures that your cookies bake evenly
- Make sure that you are using fresh ingredients! One of the most common mistakes in baking and making cookies is not noticing that your baking powder is expired. This can ruin your cookies and waste your time and money on the ingredients.
- Chill the dough! This step is crucial and prevents the cookies to spread out too much. After making the cookie dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to eat these cookies as they are pulled out of the oven, but let these cookies cool for at least 15 minutes so they will be more firm and won’t crumble up.
- We suggest letting these cookies cool for 5 minutes and then transferring them to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 more minutes. This step ensures that the bottom of your cookies will not be soggy from the steam.
Faq's
These cookies will last for up to 5 days stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
This usually means that there is too much flour in the dough. It is very important to measure your flour correctly. Check out our notes for how to measure your flour correctly.
Yes! You can double or triple these cookies. Simply use the measuring tool in the recipe card below.
We use all-purpose flour for these cookies. Cake flour will work great as well.
Storing
It’s okay to store these cookies at room temperature for up to 5 days. Make sure that you store them in an airtight container.
Freezing
There are two ways to freeze these cookies, first way is to prepare the cookies according to the instructions, before baking, freeze them in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, place the cookie dough balls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven according to the instructions.
The second way you can freeze these cookies is by baking them according to the instructions, letting the cookies cool completely, and freezing them in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months.
Substitutions
Gluten-free- you can make these cookies gluten-free by swapping the flour with gluten-free flour. I recommend using Bob's red mill 1 to 1 gluten-free flour.
Variations
Double Chocolate- make these cookies double chocolate by adding ½ a cup to the batter and baking it according to the instructions.
Hershey's kiss- If you like to spice things up, you can add a Hershey’s kiss on top of the cookies.
Topping- add your favorite toppings like caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, tres leches, nuts, and more!
Making these ahead of time
These cookies taste the best when they are fresh, but you can freeze the dough for up to 3 months and use it as needed!
Simply make the cookie dough according to the instructions, roll each cookie dough into a ball and place it into an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, take the cookie dough out of the freezer, and let them thaw at room temperature for a few minutes.
Dip each cookie dough in powdered sugar and bake in a preheated oven according to the instructions. These cookies will taste just as delicious and will satisfy your cookie and chocolate cravings.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl (set of 3)
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together
- Baking sheet and rack set (our fave)
- Cookies scoop set of 3 (the best cookie scoop we used)
More chocolate cookies
Triple chocolate cookies- These triple chocolate cookies are made with cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and chocolate chunks! These are the ultimate cookies for real chocolate lovers.
Turtle cookies- These turtle cookies are made with fudgy chocolate cookie dough that is filled with chopped pecans, stuffed with caramel, and topped with chocolate drizzle.
Oreo brownie cookies- These oreo brownie cookies are made with a delicious and fudgy brownie cookie, filled and topped with oreo chunks!
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and a comment below. We love love love love hearing from you.
If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Vegetable oil or canola oil
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Espresso powder
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- ½ cup Cocoa powder we used dutch processed
- 1 ⅔ cups Flour AP or cake flour
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
Topping
- ⅓ cups Powdered sugar
- ⅓ cups Granulated sugar
Instructions
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, vegetable oil, kosher salt, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, and espresso powder, and sift the cocoa powder. Mix with a whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder, and mix until the mixture is just combined and there are no lumps of flour visible. Do not overmix!
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. (I like letting it chill in the freezer for an hour for a quicker process) The mixture is very sticky so this step is important so you can roll the balls.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the cookies or scoop the cookies with a regular tablespoon, 1 ½ tablespoons at a time.
- Roll into a ball using your clean hands, and then roll each dough ball in granulated sugar and then powdered sugar.
- Place the cookie dough balls onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies.
- Do not overbake these cookies to ensure that they are fudgy on the inside.
- Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist cookies and not dense and dry cookies.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Line your sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat! This step helps the cookies to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cookies release easily from the pan.
- Use a cookies scoop to scoop out the cookies, that way you will have even-sized cookies, plus it ensures that your cookies bake evenly
- Make sure that you are using fresh ingredients! One of the most common mistakes in baking and making cookies is not noticing that your baking powder is expired. This can ruin your cookies and waste your time and money on the ingredients.
- Chill the dough! This step is crucial and prevents the cookies to spread out too much. After making the cookie dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to eat these cookies as they are pulled out of the oven, but let these cookies cool for at least 15 minutes so they will be more firm and won’t crumble up.
- We suggest letting these cookies cool for 5 minutes and then transferring them to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 more minutes. This step ensures that the bottom of your cookies will not be soggy from the steam.
Katie Clinkscales
What temperature do I bake them at?
RichandDelish
180c (350f) for 9-10 minutes!
Kate
Hmmm… my dough is looking and behaving like batter. Very wet and much thinner than any other cookie dough I e ever made. Going to chill it and see if it will become workable into balls, otherwise brownies it will be!
RichandDelish
Hi Kate, your dough actually should do that, that's why it's really important to chill this dough for at least 2 hours. Let me know how It turned out!
Rema Railsback
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RichandDelish
Wow! Thank you so much for the sweet comment!