

Chocolate Crinkles are fudgy, chewy, “please don’t interrupt me” delicious! And they are cookie #1 in my 12 Days of Christmas Cookies posts. This recipe is one that I made as a kid and have continued baking for my own crew. It’s a hands-down family favorite! I think you’ll love it, too.
PrintChocolate Crinkles
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3 dozen 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup cocoa
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- powdered sugar, to roll cookie dough in
Instructions
- Mix butter, cocoa, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of your *stand mixer (or by hand).
- Beat in the eggs.
- Add the flour baking powder and salt and mix until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes to an hour to make it easier to handle.
- Once the dough has chilled, use a *cookie scoop to drop 1 1/2 inch diameter cookie dough balls into a bowl of powdered sugar. Roll the dough around until all sides are covered.
- Place cookie dough balls on a greased or lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 8–11 minutes. Tops will lose their damp sheen and have cracks in them, but the insides will still be soft when the cookies are done. Allow them to rest on the sheet when you first take them from the oven and they will continue to set up.
- Remove from the oven and allow to stay on the sheet for 3–5 minutes, before removing to a cooling rack.
- Store in an airtight container.
- Category: Desserts, Cookies
- Cuisine: American

How to Make Chocolate Crinkles
Chocolate Crinkles are simple to make. They require a little pre-planning because the dough needs to chill, but the actual mixing of the dough requires 10 minutes or less. Mix it up. Cover the dough and pop it in the fridge. Come back to it when you have time to roll them and get them baked. I have successfully kept the dough in the refrigerator for an entire week, just baking a few cookies at a time, as we needed them.
This recipe deviates a little from the typical “cream the butter and sugar; add the eggs” method, so I’m including a couple of photos for you. Start by putting the butter, sugar, cocoa and vanilla in the bowl of your mixer (or in a mixing bowl if you’re making these by hand). Mix them until everything is combined. (The mixture will look grainy and chocolatey.) Then you can mix in the eggs.

Once the eggs are mixed in, you can add the dry ingredients. Then, when everything is incorporated, the dough will still seem pretty sticky. That’s just right. It is thick, but too soft to roll in your hand. So that’s where the chilling comes in.

Once the dough has chilled and you have a few minutes to bake them, take the dough out of the fridge. Roll the dough into 1 1/2″ balls. (I use a *cookie scoop to make it easier to keep them uniform, but you can definitely do it just by hand.) Put the balls into a bowl with some powdered sugar in the bottom. Roll them around to be sure the outside of each one is completely coated.

This is the point where you will roll the dough into a smooth ball. The powdered sugar will help, but you’re still going to get a little messy. It’s definitely worth it!
Determining Doneness of Chocolate Crinkles
Once you have the dough balls rolled and shaped, place them on a greased or lined baking sheet and bake. I put a time range of 8–11 minutes on the recipe card, since I understand all ovens are different. I want to stress how important it is not to overbake these, though.

Start with the shortest time and add one minute at a time until they are done. The cookies will puff up. The tops will be cracked and the chocolate part of the tops will be dry to the touch. The cookies will still seem very soft in the middle, though, when you touch them. That’s exactly perfect. They will continue to set up on the cookie sheet, even after they’re out of the oven.
Set the sheet on a cooling rack and let the cookies rest for 3–5 minutes. Then, you’ll be able to put them directly onto the cooling rack to finish cooling and you can keep working on a new pan of cookies.
Store Chocolate Crinkles in an airtight container. They are celebrated at every gathering I’ve ever shared them and they are beautiful in Christmas cookie trays. You’ll be a hero anywhere you decide to take them. Enjoy, my friend!


More Cookie Recipes from the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Event
Here are three more DELISH cookie recipes from our 12 Days of Christmas Cookies blogger event.
- Almond Spritz Cookies, from Arlene, at Flour on My Face
- Heart-Shaped Shortbread Cookies, from Lois, at Walking on Sunshine Recipes
- Bourbon Cookie Balls, from Lenny, at Fat Dad Foodie
And, if you’re looking for even more cookie recipes to add to your holiday repertoire, check out my recipe for these yummy Potato Chip Cookies.
THE GIVEAWAY
ENTER THE 12 Days of Christmas Cookies
KITCHENAID MIXER GIVEAWAY
One lucky winner will receive a KitchenAid Artisan Series 5‑Qt Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield!
FEATURES OF THE KITCHENAID ARTISAN SERIES STAND MIXER

- 10-speed slide control ranges from a very fast whip to a very slow stir
- Includes Flat Beater, Dough Hook and Wire Whip
- Power Hub for Additional Attachments
- Unique Mixing Action
- Assembled with Pride in Greenville, Ohio.Electrical: 60 Hz
- Choose from all the color options to find the one that best matches your style and personality.
- The power hub turns your stand mixer into a culinary center with more than 15 optional attachments available.
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- Includes coated flat beater, coated dough hook, 6‑wire whip and 1‑piece pouring shield. The flat beater and dough hook are dishwasher-safe.
Official Rules and Conditions for the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Giveaway:
- One winner will be receive a KitchenAid Artisan Series 5‑Qt. Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield (Value $279.00 USD).
- Open to US residents adults 18+.
- One (1) winner will be chosen.
- Prize must be claimed within 48 hours of announcement or a new winner will be drawn.
- Prize will be delivered via Amazon.
- All entries will be verified.
- This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Rafflecopter, Amazon, KitchenAid or any other entity unless otherwise specified.
- Giveaway ends December 12th, 2019 at midnight.
- Bloggers are not responsible for the delivery of the prize.
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I love chocolate crinkle cookies! Haven’t made them in years. Your recipe today reminded me of them. Thanks!
★★★★★
It’s funny how recipes can be so nostalgic and transport us to a different time. Thanks for stopping by Lois!