Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe

Chocolate crinkle cookies are a classic holiday favorite, and this recipe is the best of the best. These cookies are perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, with a rich chocolate flavor you’ll love. So, what are you waiting for? Give these cookies a try today!

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In the holiday season, we like to get busy; we’ll make chocolate truffles to gift to our family and friends, but what they also love are cookies!

Why you’ll love this easy cookie recipe

• Chocolate crinkle cookies are great for the holidays and feel so festive!
• They’re easy to make, and the kids love to help!
• You can make them ahead and freeze them so you have them when you get a craving.
• All the ingredients are 100% vegetarian. 

Ingredients you’ll need

You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.

If you love chocolate, you HAVE to try these cookies! A delicious and easy-to-make cookie recipe that’s perfect for the holidays!

How to make chocolate crinkle cookies with step-by-step instructions

Making our chocolate crinkle cookie recipe is easy if you follow our simple instructions.

A full printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.

In a medium bowl, mix unsweetened cocoa powder, white sugar, and vegetable oil.

Then, beat your eggs in, one at a time, until they are fully combined; then add vanilla extract and stir it in.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt, then using a handheld electric mixer, gradually mix them into the bowl with the cocoa powder mixture.

Cover your cookie dough with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 4 hours.

Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C.

Using a scoop, we love this one; roll your chilled dough into 1-inch balls and then roll them in powdered sugar (also known as confectioners sugar or icing sugar).

Place your cookie dough balls on a prepared baking sheet approximately 1 inch apart.

Put them into your preheated oven and bake for approximately 10 – 12 minutes, then remove them from the oven.

Let the cookies stand on the baking sheets for a couple few minutes; if you try to move them too soon, they may crumble, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Enjoy your cookies, and merry Christmas!

Recipe notes and expert tips

• Chill the dough
  Don’t be tempted to skip this step, if you do, then you will get very flat cookies. 
• Don’t touch them
  When your cookies are fresh out of the oven, don’t lift them off the baking sheet as they may crumble, leave them a few minutes before transferring them to a cooking rack.
• Storage
  Keep in an airtight container for up to a week and freeze either baked cookies or cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. 

What’s the best cocoa powder to use?

When it comes to baking cookies, the type of cocoa powder you use can make all the difference. Dutch processed cocoa powder is widely considered to be the best type of cocoa powder for cookie recipes.

This is because Dutch processed cocoa powder has a rich flavor that enhances the flavor of cookies. Additionally, Dutch processed cocoa powder also gives cookies a deep, dark color that is so visually appealing.

Can you make cookies ahead?

Absolutely you can!

If you have a family of cookie monsters, then you’ll always want cookies on hand, and speaking of cookie monsters, you should try these cookie monster cookies.

You can bake your cookies, and they’ll keep for a week in an airtight container.

Or you could freeze chocolate crinkle cookies one of two ways.

The first way is that you could bake the cookies as the recipe directs and then you can freeze the baked cookies, simply remove however many you want and let them defrost, they don’t take long.

Or you can freeze the cookie dough balls if you open freeze them, but what does open freeze mean?

You place the cookie dough balls on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and place them in the freezer for 30 minutes.

This means that they will have hardened and will no longer freeze together, so you can throw them all in a freezer bag but when you want them, you just pull out what you need – no need to have to use them all!

The beauty of this is that you can bake from frozen, just add a few extra minutes, and you can have freshly baked chocolate cookies in minutes – great, eh?

And if you’re making them ahead, why not try this delicious variation and make molasses cookies?

How to store leftover chocolate crinkle cookies

Any leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

Freeze baked cookies or cookie dough for up to 3 months (see making ahead for extra tips).

More easy cookie recipes for you to try at home

If you love our crinkle cookies, then you’ll love these easy recipes. 

• Christmas cookies – ‘Tis the season to get baking!
• Double chocolate chip cookies – deliciously decadent!
• White chocolate and macadamia cookies – so simple and SO tasty!
• Air fried peanut butter cookies – the new way to bake cookies!
• Chocolate chips and oatmeal cookies – a real crowd pleaser!

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