Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Christmas chocolate crinkle cookies are the epitome of the festive season and belong on your holiday cookie list and in your holiday cookie exchange!

Whether it’s these almond florentines or my decorated gingerbread cookies, we have no shortage of Christmas cookie recipes here.

🍪 Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Easy to make in one bowl.

• Guaranteed crinkles.

• Only 1 hour of chill time.

• Made without oil, only butter. 

• Rich and fudgy.

• Freezer-friendly.

📋 Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients.

• All-purpose flour – is also known as plain flour in Australia. 

• Cocoa powder – use either regular, unsweetened, or Dutch-process cocoa powder. The Dutch version will provide a stronger, more decadent chocolate flavor. 

• Granulated sugar – use either white or golden/raw granulated sugar. 

• Light brown sugar – not dark brown sugar. Measure your brown sugar by lightly packing it.

• Instant coffee powder – do not use granulated instant coffee, only powdered. 

• Unsalted Butter – can substitute with salted butter while removing the additional salt in the recipe list.

• Powdered sugar – is also known as icing sugar in Australia.

🥣 Step By Step Instructions (with photos)

A full and detailed recipe card is at the bottom of this post.

Step one: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. 

Step two: Whisk through the salt and set aside. 

Step three: In a large mixing bowl, add both sugars and coffee powder and whisk until well combined. 

Step four: Pour in the melted butter and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.

Step five: Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.

Step six: Add half of the flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix until it forms a soft pliable dough. 

Step seven: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 1 hour. If your bowl is too large for the freezer, wrap just the dough in plastic wrap and freeze.

Step eight: Create cookies by scooping up 1 tablespoon of dough and rolling it into a smooth ball. Place the ball in the powdered sugar and roll it around until it’s completely covered in the sugar. 

Step nine: Place on lined baking sheet, keeping it as a ball, do not flatten. Repeat method with the remaining dough. Leaving a small 2-inch gap between each cookie to allow for spreading. 

Step ten: Bake for 10-12 minutes until cracks have appeared and the edges look solid. NOTE: The tops and middle will still look soft but they will firm up as they cool. Remove, cool and enjoy!

💭 Tips For Recipe Success

• Measure your ingredients correctly, especially the flour, otherwise, your crinkle cookies can turn out flat and without crinkles, oh no! 

• Make sure your melted butter is not too hot. Let it cool slightly after baking to ensure proper emulsification of the ingredients. 

• Eggs must be at room temperature to blend seamlessly with the rest of the ingredients. 

• Roll your cookie dough balls quickly to avoid the dough warming up too much in your hands as they’ll be too sticky to handle. 

• Roll cookies generously in the powdered sugar to create a thick layer of sugar for the best crinkle results! 

⏲️ Storage Instructions

Store crinkle cookies in an airtight container, at room temperature, for 3-4 days. If desired, keep them fresher for longer by transferring them to the fridge for a further 2-3 days. 

TO FREEZE BAKED COOKIES:

1. Make and bake cookies from start to finish and allow them to cool completely. 
2. Place them on a baking sheet, not touching each other, and pop them into the freezer to freeze until solid. 
3. Transfer to a freezer-friendly sealed container, with layers of parchment paper between any layers. Alternatively, place them into freezer zip-lock bags.
4. Label them with the date and the recipe name. 
5. Freeze for up to 3 months. 

TO THAW BAKED COOKIES:

1. Remove them from their container/bag, place them onto a plate and sit at room temperature for several hours until thawed. 
2. Alternatively, thaw them overnight by removing them from their container/bag, placing them onto a plate, and into the fridge overnight. Removing them from the container/bag avoids condensation when defrosting.
3. Warm them up if desired in the oven or microwave. 

TO FREEZE COOKIE DOUGH:

1. Follow the recipe up to chilling the dough in the freezer as instructed. 
2. Roll into balls as per the recipe method, without the powdered sugar, and place them onto a lined baking sheet, with a small gap between each cookie. 
3. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until solid. 
4. Place the solid cookies in freezer zip-lock bags or into a freezer-friendly sealed container.
5. Label with the date and recipe name. 
6. Freeze for up to 3 months. 

TO BAKE FROZEN COOKIE DOUGH:

1. Remove the cookies from the container/bag and onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
2. Allow them to thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes while you pre-heat your oven according to the recipe method. 
3. Roll balls in the sifted powdered sugar as per the recipe instructions. Placing them back onto the lined baking sheet with the gap between each.
4. Bake as directed, adding a further 1-2 minutes to the baking time if needed, as the cookies were partially frozen. 

💬 Recipe FAQ’s

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