These Crinkle Cookies are one of my favorite holiday treats. Richly chocolaty and fudgy they remind me a little bit of a super soft brownies that have been rolled in powdered sugar!
I originally shared these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies over on Spend with Pennies!
We’re going to jump right in to these Crinkle Cookies in a minute, but first, have I told you guys about my “Baker’s Club” yet? A little while ago I started a Facebook group specifically for those of you who followed the blog and enjoyed baking. It’s still pretty new and small, but I think it’s a great place for people to ask any baking related questions they might have and to share pictures of their baked goods.
I’d love it if you joined in, asked any questions, shared any advice, and especially if you’d share your baking pictures! Successes and failures welcome (I know I have plenty of the latter), and they don’t just have to be from my website, of course!
Ok, but now let’s get back to these beautiful sugar coated Crinkle Cookies, shall we?
These cookies are a classic cookie recipe and they are sometimes also called Snowcaps (I just learned this, I always thought “Snowcaps” were just nonpareil-covered chocolates) for their powdered sugar coating (which resembles snow, of course!).
These cookies have an amazingly soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and to make them as soft and fudgy as possible I substitute some of the white sugar for brown sugar for chewier and more richly flavored cookies.
I also add mini chocolate chips into the batter… they’re optional but highly recommended because I really believe you can never have enough chocolate. The end result is cookies that remind me of brownies, only softer and slightly less dense. And covered in powdered sugar, of course.
These cookies aren’t difficult to make, but they do take some patience! The crinkle cookie dough will need to chill for several hours before it can be rolled and baked; this will keep your cookies from spreading too much and will also make the dough easier to roll. This dough still tends to be a bit sticky (you’ll definitely get your hands dirty!), but the chilling makes it possible to roll the dough into neat little balls.
Don’t be shy with the powdered sugar — use as much as needed to evenly coat your cookies. I actually like to roll them in sugar, then wash and dry my hands (to get rid of all of the chocolate from the dough!) and then roll the sugared dough in my hands, pressing it into the dough and then re-rolling in sugar if needed. This helps my cookies stay well-coated in sugar after baking.
Enjoy, and if you make them I hope you’ll share a photo on my Baker’s Club Facebook page!!
Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened (170g)
- 1 ½ cups sugar (300g)
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar tightly packed (100g)
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (313g)
- 1 cup natural cocoa powder (100g)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 cups powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, stirring until completely combined.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet until completely combined.
- Stir in mini chocolate chips.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- After chilling, preheat oven to 350F (175C).
- Roll dough into 1 ½ Tablespoon-sized balls with your hands and roll thoroughly in powdered sugar.
- Transfer to baking sheet and bake on 350F (175C) for 12 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before enjoying.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Manveen
Hi Sam, made these once before and love this recipe. This time I am thinking can I freeze half of them. At what stage can I freeze it. Can I chill it, make balls of the dough and wrap it in individual cling wrap and freeze in a zip lock and may be roll in sugar at the time of baking and bake for extra 3 minutes ? Should that be ok ?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Manveen! We actually have a new post on how to freeze cookie dough that discusses this. Just scroll down to the sugar coated cookies section 😊
Barbra
These could convert a non chocolate lover in one bite – I swear! Tooo good!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We totally agree, Barbra! Thanks for trying our recipe ❤️
Michelle
Should the chocolate chips be milk chocolate or semi sweet? Also is it okay to use regular size instead of mini?
Sam
Hi Michelle! You can use either, but mini chips are normally semi-sweet. You will still use the same 1 cup you will just have less chips in each cookie. 🙂
Deb
Sam, is it suppose to be 1 T. baking powder or 1 t. baking powder? Just making sure before I make the cookies, which I am sure will be delicious.
Sam
Hi Deb! It’s one tablespoon. 🙂
Christina B
OMGGG!! These are the most decadent & fabulous cookie especially for any chocoholic!! Sam never disappoints & definitely out did herself on this one! I’m in the middle of baking for a cookie exchange & I picked a few new recipes to try. I let the batter sit overnight, prepped all the balls in sugar & kept them in the fridge in between baking. Most delicious!!
Emma
Hi Sam! I love your blog and all the recipes you post are perfection, and this recipe is no exception! We made them as gifts and we couldn’t stop eating them. They are so soft and moist! Thank you so much and merry Christmas ❤️
Sam
Thank you Emma! I’m so glad you have enjoyed everything so much. 🙂
Tiffany
Hello Sam, my family and I love your recipes. Are these freezer friendly and can I use m&ms instead of powder sugar? I would like to make crinkle and m&m cookies without making 2 different types of doughs. Thank you.
Sam
Hi Tiffany! I’m so sorry I missed this! If you want to use M & Ms here I would probably just nestle them gently on to the cookies within a minute or two of them coming out of the oven. You should be able to freeze these without any issues. 🙂
Lyn
Hi Sam…this looks so yummy. When you say chill it, does it need to be in a freezer or in the fridge ? Sorry not a baker, trying to though 😂 Thanks
Sam
Hi Lyn! In the refrigerator! Sorry for not being more clear about that, I will update the recipe to be more clear 🙂
Nayy
Hello Sam, I’ll be making these cookies for Christmas Eve & was wondering how many days in advance can I make them & how long will they last? Also I bought the “Hershey’s Cocoa Special Dark” can I use that or is there a specific one?
Sam
These cookies should last about a week at room temperature in an air tight container. The special dark cocoa powder should work, it will just change the flavor a little bit. 🙂
Nayy
Like in a bitter way or sweeter way? It’ll be my first time making these I really want them to come out perfect thanks for the response Sam 😊.
Sam
They’ll be more bitter, much the way dark chocolate is. Personally I think that’s a good thing, but I love dark chocolate 😉
Becky
These are delicious and are by far the best chocolate crinkle cookies we have made! Thank you for sharing!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the cookies, Becky! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Rebeca
Hello Sam!
I love your recipes, they are the only ones that I can follow without fear that the quantities are bad, I prepare them as is, which is a surprise for me since I love to change the proportions.
I made these cookies as part of the ones I prepared for Christmas and they were a success, they are incredibly delicious, so I will prepare them for the new year because I could only eat two before they were finished.
As advice, if one makes the dough balls with wet hands, it will barely stick in the hands, that my mother discovered when she came to help me make them.
Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Sam
Hi Rebecca! Thank you so much for your kind words about my recipes, I really appreciate that! So glad to hear that you enjoyed the crinkle cookies! Thank you for the advice about rolling out the dough, I will definitely be trying that next time! Thank you for commenting, it means a lot to me <3
Melody
Again I love all your recipes! I feel like I must of not followed it fully bc they taste great but they’re not fudgy or rich enough in the middle, I’m not sure but will definitely make again and again 😍
Sam
Hi Melody! Try baking them a minute or two less and letting them cool completely on the baking pan, that should help! They may look underdone when they come out of the oven but they should finish baking on the sheet as they cool and stay nice and fudgy in the center. I hope that helps 🙂
Deb
I made these cookies today and they are absolutely delicious! A little crisp on outside and very soft and fudgy on inside! Perfect! I’m hoping to stop eating them because it was my intention to add them to cookie trays and give as gifts! Thanks for the recipe, Sam!
Sam
I am so happy you enjoyed them so much, Deb! Thank you for letting me know!! 🙂
Paula
How should these be stored if made ahead of time?
Sam
Store in an airtight container at room temperature once they have cooled completely. I hope you love them!