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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies on a wire cooling rack.
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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Satisfy your chocolate cravings with this easy chocolate crinkles recipe. We use granulated sugar and confectioners sugar to create the signature crackly exterior. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 22 cookies
Calories 155kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
  • In a large bowl whisk the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
  • In a small bowl add the finely chopped chocolate and butter. Microwave at half power stirring often, until melted.
  • Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until combined. Fold the flour mixture into the chocolate and egg mixture until just combined and no flour streaks remain. The dough will be fairly soft.
  • Place the granulated sugar and powdered sugar in two separate small bowls. 
  • (See note #1) Portion the chocolate cookie dough into 2 T. size balls. Drop the balls into the granulated sugar and roll to coat, then roll the dough balls in the powdered sugar to coat. Place the sugar and powdered sugar covered balls on the baking sheet. Repeat until all of the cookie dough has been used.
  • Bake cookies 1 tray at a time for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will look raw between the cracks and appear undone, but that’s normal. 
  • Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Notes

We only chill the dough for the 5 minutes I mention. Chilling the dough for any longer will prevent the cookies from spreading sufficiently enough in the oven to get the crinkled look.
When portioning the dough I've found it's hard to roll the dough into balls using my hands (the dough is too soft). So I like to use a cookie scoop and scoop a ball of dough straight into the granulated sugar bowl, slowly forming it into a nice ball as I go. Then I'll transfer it to the powdered sugar and continue until all of the dough has been used up.
Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the cookies. Place them in an airtight container or a zip top bag and store in the freezer for 1 month. 
Can I use Dutch-processed cocoa powder instead of unsweetened cocoa powder? Unfortunately, no. Dutch-process cocoa powder is made from cocoa beans that have been soaked in an alkaline solution to neutralize the acidity. This means Dutch-process cocoa powder is not acidic and unsweetened cocoa powder is — resulting in the ingredient reacting differently to the other ingredients.
Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen.

Nutrition

Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1.7mg