Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Close-up of Chocolate Crackle Cookies with crisp, snowy powdered sugar coating scattered across a dark surface.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are crackly on the outside, fudgy in the middle and packed with that nostalgic, brownie-meets-cookie magic everyone loves. They bake up deeply chocolatey, lightly crisp on the edges and perfectly soft inside. Chill the dough and you'll get those gorgeous powdered-sugar cracks and melt-in-your-mouth texture that keeps everyone reaching for just one more.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Chocolate Crackle Cookies, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 12

Chilling Time 3

Servings cookies

Calories 132kcal

Author Heather

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup neutral oil *I used avocado oil, See Note #1 below
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate *melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs *room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt *See Note #2 below

Rolling the Cookies

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar *See Note #3 below

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Melting the Chocolate

Place the chopped unsweetened chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan with about 1 inch of gently simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water). Stir occasionally until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly before adding it to the batter. See Note #4 below.

Wet Base

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, melted chocolate and vanilla until well combined.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. The mixture should look thick and smooth.

Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the chocolate mixture in two additions, stirring gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. (Do Not Overmix. You want a tender, brownie-like crumb.)

Chill the Dough

Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. (Chilling allows the chocolate to firm and the flour to hydrate, which helps in creating that signature crinkle pattern and soft center.)

Shape and Bake

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350℉ and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the sugars for rolling into small bowls.
Scoop chilled dough by heaping teaspoon (about 1 tablespoon). Roll quickly between your palms into smooth balls. Roll first in granulated sugar and then generously in the powdered sugar. The thicker the coating of powdered sugar, the more dramatic the crinkle.
Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are crackled and the centers look just set. (The cookies should feel soft, they'll firm up as they cool.)
Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Video

Notes

Note #1- Use a neutral-tasting oil such as avocado, sunflower, canola, or light olive oil. I used avocado oil, which keeps the cookies tender without adding any strong flavor.

Note #2- If your sea salt is coarse, use a mortar and pestle to grind it into a finer texture. This helps it dissolve evenly into the dough.

Note #3 - For a snow-white crinkle that doesn't melt away, roll once in granulated sugar then in powdered sugar. The first layer helps the powdered sugar cling better during baking.

Note #4- If you don’t have a double boiler, you can easily make one. Set a heatproof glass or metal bowl over a small pot of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is above the water and warmed only by the steam. Stir the chocolate until fully melted and silky, then let it cool slightly before using.

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