Homemade chocolate crinkle cookies are quick to make with no chill time. A rich and fudgy chocolate crinkle is rolled in powdered sugar for a perfect crackle cookie finish. This recipe will be a holiday or any time crowd pleaser!
Hi hi! I am just popping in to share the recipe for these chocolate crinkle cookies! I am slowly adding to my collection of holiday cookie recipes, although these chocolate crinkles definitely don't just have to be christmas cookies - they are an amazing year-round crinkle cookie recipe.
This chocolate crinkle cookie recipe is super easy to make. Unlike a lot of other crinkle cookie recipes, this is a no-chill cookie recipe, and comes together in the time that it takes to preheat the oven. It also happens to be a dairy free cookie recipe if that is important to you!
I also have a red velvet crinkle cookie recipe if you were after something different, or a lemon crinkle cookie if you're after a non chocolate version!
What are Chocolate Crinkle Cookies?
This chocolate crinkle cookie recipe is based off of my dairy free chocolate cookie recipe. It is rich and fudgy, and comes together super quickly as there is no need to soften butter - it just all whisks together!
The part that makes this a 'crinkle' cookie is the generous coating of powdered sugar that the cookie dough ball gets before going into the oven. As it bakes and spreads on the baking sheet, cracks develop and are exposed, giving the perfect crackle cookie.
Ingredients in crinkle cookies
The ingredient list for these homemade chocolate crinkle cookies is pretty simple - they are a cocoa and oil based recipe, which gives them an amazing fudgy texture.
- Neutral oil. This is anything neutral tasting - use extra light olive oil, or something like canola, grapeseed, vegetable oil or rice bran oil.
- Brown sugar. You can use either dark brown or light brown - the brown sugar gives texture and taste to the crinkle cookies.
- Granulated sugar. Helps with chew and texture.
- Egg. Just one, to bind everything together! I haven't tried making these egg free sorry!
- Vanilla and salt. Both are important here - make sure you properly salt your baking, as it makes a huge difference. I use vanilla bean paste but vanilla extract works well too.
- Cocoa powder. I use dutch process cocoa powder, which gives an amazing richness to the chocolate crackle cookie, especially as it doesn't contain melted chocolate. Dutch process cocoa powder has been alkalised, so won't react with the baking soda in the recipe. I haven't tried this recipe with regular unsweetened cocoa powder but it *should* be ok.
- Flour. I use all-purpose (plain flour) to make these chocolate crinkle cookies!
- Baking soda. Just a little to help the cookies have spread and a nice thickness.
- Granulated sugar and powdered sugar. This is a wee trick for the optimum powdered sugar coating - more on this in a sec!
Crinkle Cookie recipe testing notes - butter vs oil recipe
I had a few issues with testing this recipe - my first tests I used a dough based on my chocolate sprinkle sugar cookies, which is a butter based dough. When I rolled the dough in the powdered sugar, it would dissolve in the oven, giving a super gummy, pasty texture on the outside of the cookies, which wasn't super pleasant.
After a lot of internet digging around other recipes and several google rabbit holes, I found almost all of the recipes for chocolate crinkle cookies online use oil, and that there must be a good reason for this.
I switched up my recipe to an oil based one (which I love), and sure enough, the chocolate crinkle cookies came out of the oven looking like a true dream. My theory is that with the butter based recipe, water is released as the cookie bakes, which dissolves the powdered sugar on the outside. Because the oil is straight fat and no water is released, the oil based recipe doesn't dissolve the sugar on the outside. That's my theory anyway!
Brown Butter Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
I posted the image below on Instagram and a couple of people asked if the cookies can be made with brown butter. I had been planning on testing this and was curious to see so I gave it a go and it worked really well.
The reason that it works is because when you brown butter, you are cooking off the water in the recipe (and at the same time browning the milk solids). For this particular recipe because I was replacing oil with brown butter, so a straight fat for fat swap, I was able to just use 75g brown butter (not melted) in the place of the oil. When I am calculating how much butter I need to use to make brown butter, I usually take the quantity of brown butter that I need and multiply it by 1.3 and add a tiny bit. This usually gives me enough to account for the cooking off of the water during the browning process.
Using brown butter in the recipe takes a tiny bit longer as you have to wait for it to cool, but they are So Delicious. They are chewy and chocolatey and the brown butter just does what brown butter does best and provides an amazing depth of flavour. Here's how to do it:
- Place 110g butter (salted or unsalted is fine, and it can be cold from the fridge) into a pan. I prefer something light coloured so I can see what is happening.
- Cook until the butter has melted, and then continue to cook, swirling the pan often and stirring with a whisk, until the butter foams and turns golden brown and nutty - this should take 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the brown butter from the stove and weigh out 75g into your mixing bowl or a heatproof bowl. Make sure to get all the brown stuff at the bottom, that's the good stuff. If you have a tiny bit leftover it's good for a lot of things - I usually put it on my toast.
- Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes, then proceed with the recipe. The cookies will spread a little more and the cracks are more pronounced, but aside from that, everything is the same!
Why are chocolate crinkle cookies baked at a lower temperature?
You will notice that I bake these cookies at a lower temperature. Oven temperature is one of the things that I play around with when baking cookies (along with a bunch of other things such as the ratio of brown to white sugar, chill time etc). These cookies benefitted from a lower oven temperature because it gives the dough time to properly spread and become the most perfect chocolate crackle.
This is why it is super important to make sure that your oven temperature is accurate! A different temperature can make a huge change in the outcome of your cookies.
You can read all about the things that I tweak when recipe developing to create the perfect cookie in my post: How to make perfect chocolate chip cookies (lots of the notes apply to non chocolate chip cookie recipes too!
Rolling in sugar and powdered sugar
The secret to a well coated crinkle cookie - the double sugar roll! I roll my cookies in granulated sugar first before powdered sugar - this helps it to stick, and means still get a lovely sugary coating without the powdered sugar being toooo overpowering.
Because this is a soft no chill dough, I also find that scooping the dough directly into the granulated sugar means that it is much easier to handle and shape so that it doesn't stick to your hands too much.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
I haven't tried it. I think because these cookies are so easy to make ahead of time, you can just throw the dough together as the oven preheats (it literally takes 5 minutes to make). The dough is really soft so won't hold its shape in the fridge. I haven't tried chilling the dough as a whole, but if you can, make them from fresh.
Can I freeze crinkle cookies?
Honestly, I wouldn't. The dough for these gets a bit weird in the freezer, and if you froze the baked cookies the powdered sugar on the outside might soak up any freezer smells. I haven't tested it but I think these cookies are one of the recipes which would be best baked from fresh.
For notes on recipes and cookies which are best for freezing check out my post: How to freeze cookie dough
Frequently Asked Questions
What tools and equipment do you use?
You can find a full list of the tools and equipment I use on my products page
Can chocolate crinkle cookies be made ahead of time?
These are best made when you want them - if you move them around too much the powdered sugar tends to get a bit messy. They are so quick, that you might as well just bake them when needed!
How do you store chocolate crinkle cookies?
Store crinkle cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to five days.
Can I add chocolate chips?
Go for it! I haven't tried it but I am sure it would be delicious!
What is light or dark brown sugar?
In the US you can get both light or dark brown, which is why I specified! If you're in a place that only has one kind, 'regular' brown sugar is fine.
For more holiday cookie recipes, check out:
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
20 minute Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Homemade chocolate crinkle cookies are quick to make with no chill time. A rich and fudgy chocolate crinkle is rolled in powdered sugar for a perfect crackle cookie finish. This recipe will be a holiday or any time crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
- 75g Neutral oil
- 100g light or dark brown sugar
- 50g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (50g without the shell), at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 30g dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
- 130g all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- Powdered sugar and granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°f / 165°c. Line 1-2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer or a whisk (or you can use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), combine the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla. Mix on high speed for about a minute, until the mixture is well combined. Sift together the salt, cocoa powder, flour, and baking soda and fold in by hand using a rubber spatula.
- The dough will seem a little oily and may take a little work to come together - this is ok!
- Place a little granulated sugar in a small bowl and sifted powdered sugar in a second small bowl.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop 2 tbsp balls of dough (about 40g each) and place them into the bowl of granulated sugar (work with one at a time). Roll the ball of dough in the granulated sugar to coat, shape gently into a ball, then place into the bowl of powdered sugar and coat generously (I do this by shaking the bowl and turning the dough ball).
- Transfer the powdered sugar coated dough ball to the prepared baking pan. It may flatten off a little as it is quite a soft dough, but do not flatten any further.
- Repeat with the remaining balls of dough until you have filled the tray - I usually do two trays each with six cookies. Leave the remaining dough un-scooped until you are ready to bake.
- Bake the cookies for 12 to 13 minutes, until they are puffed up and set around the edges. remove from the oven and if desired, 'scoot' them into an extra round shape using a cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie. Repeat the baking process with the remainder of the cookies.
- Leave to cool on the pans for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days
Notes
'Neutral oil' means neutral tasting - so something like extra light olive oil, rice bran oil, grapeseed, canola, etc will work!
Brown Butter Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
The reason that it works is because when you brown butter, you are cooking off the water in the recipe (and at the same time browning the milk solids). For this particular recipe because I was replacing oil with brown butter, so a straight fat for fat swap, I was able to just use 75g brown butter (not melted) in the place of the oil. When I am calculating how much butter I need to use to make brown butter, I usually take the quantity of brown butter that I need and multiply it by 1.3 and add a tiny bit. This usually gives me enough to account for the cooking off of the water during the browning process.
Using brown butter in the recipe takes a tiny bit longer as you have to wait for it to cool, but they are So Delicious. They are chewy and chocolatey and the brown butter just does what brown butter does best and provides an amazing depth of flavour. Here's how to do it:
Place 110g butter (salted or unsalted is fine, and it can be cold from the fridge) into a pan. I prefer something light coloured so I can see what is happening.
Cook until the butter has melted, and then continue to cook, swirling the pan often and stirring with a whisk, until the butter foams and turns golden brown and nutty - this should take 3-4 minutes.
Remove the brown butter from the stove and weigh out 75g into your mixing bowl or a heatproof bowl. Make sure to get all the brown stuff at the bottom, that's the good stuff. If you have a tiny bit leftover it's good for a lot of things - I usually put it on my toast.
Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes, then proceed with the recipe. The cookies will spread a little more and the cracks are more pronounced, but aside from that, everything is the same!
Comments
Sara says
Long winded review warning…
I just made these today. I forgot all about the morning tea for my son’s little playgroup and was so close to just buying something at the shop but thought nah let me see what Erin has that I can do quick. Thankfully had everything needed for this recipe.(actually quite a good recipe for pantry staples)
I whipped this all together one handed, while holding my 20lb clingy baby. Just had to set him down for the rolling.
Even with all my clumsiness and last minute panic these turned out soooo well. They are way more delicious than I expected.
And now, I have all these moms fooled by thinking I have my ducks in a row and can do it all. Good thing they can’t see how I left my kitchen.
You saved my day and I can’t wait to use this recipe every year for quick Christmas treats. Thank you again!
Josie says
Erin. I love these for multiple reasons.
1. Little clean up
2. Quick recipe = cookies sooner in my mouth
3. I love the grams. SO EASY!
THANK YOU ❣️ Super delicious
Susan says
20 minutes after reading the recipe I was in the kitchen gathering all the ingredients. Absolutely delicious and I love a quick impressive cookie. I did add just the slightest pinch of cayenne which I’d do again.
Thanks so much for getting me up and out of bed into the kitchen.
Wishing you the happiest and healthiest holidays and new year.
Amber says
Omg these are so good! So quick and easy to make, will definitely make them again!
Phoebe says
Yum! These are so easy and delicious and they look awesome. They taste like a dense chocolatey brownie but they’re not sickening or over powering. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Ashleigh says
These were amazing! I made bakery sized cookies from the triple batch recipe and I got about 18 very large cookies to give as gifts. Lovely deep chocolate taste and fudge texture and a nice crinkle.
Laura says
Absolutely delicious! Nice and easy, uses pantry staple ingredients! Thanks for sharing it's a keeper!!
Sanne says
I just made these, and indeed super easy, super quick, and super delicious! i love the crinkle look of them. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Megan says
Super easy to make, quick and tasty! They look pretty cool too!
stacy says
Perfect!
Amber says
I just found out I have celiacs. I would love to try this recipe regardless but have you ever tried making them with gluten free flour? Thank you and I can't wait to make these!
Erin Clarkson says
I haven't but I think it might work ok? Give it a try anyway and I would love to hear how you get on
caribou says
These are going in my holiday box 🙂
Sarah says
These were amazing, the crunch from the granulated sugar gives them a extra touch. The cookie is fudgey and delicious
My only complaint is I didn't triple the recipie when I made them
Cheryl says
Great recipe! So glad that I no longer have the melting sugar issue! My cookies turned out amazing and I will definitely use this as my goto recipe from now on. Thank you!
Laura says
Delicious and super easy! Maybe not the best to do with a toddler though (icing sugar everywhere!). Def had her tick of approval though (mess=fun).
Natalie Bradley says
This recipe really was super quick and easy and the cookies looked just like the pics when finished! Gonna go make more now for Christmas pressies! Thanks Erin x
Kimberley says
These. Are. So. Good!!!!! My son and I made these as part of our neighbor cookie box. It was a last minute add because of how fast they could be made. I wasn’t expecting them to be so crispy on the outside and fudge like on the inside. Our one neighbor’s review was, “These chocolate ones are simply astounding!”
Emily says
These turned out so well. I am
Going to make another batch tomorrow.
I added some chocolate chips too.
Allison says
These were so quick and easy to make, and tasted so good! I think they might have even tasted better the next day?? Will be making more for sure!
Emma says
Taste like brownie bites, I used butter instead of oil and they were a tiny dry in the batter but delish after baking and super moiste
Lorraine says
I made these to go into cookie boxes, they were delicious and so easy to make at the last minute. I’ll definitely be making them again.
Lou says
Amazing recipe!
Made with my 3 yr old and we had a great time - super easy to follow and get great results!
Tegan says
Yum!! Made these for some last minute people coming over. So quick and easy and delish! Love that they are an easy dairy free option for me to take places too!
Erika says
These were so so delicious! The richness from the chocolate and the sweetness from the powdered sugar are divine!
Linda Lindsay says
I have made many of Erin’s recipes. One is better than the next. My kids loved these crinkle cookies. They were so easy to make and now my family thinks I’m a genius baker, but they don’t know my secret is cloudy kitchen.
Sarah says
Super easy and delicious! They also look so impressive with little effort. Will make again 🙂 Thank you, Erin!
Rachel says
First time making crinkle cookies and they came out great! Lovely chocolate flavor without being too rich. Will definitely make these again.
Jess says
These are so easy and so delicious. And look super impressive! Absolutely loved by the kids, I immediately made a second batch 👌
Kez says
BEST chocolate crinkle cookies I’ve ever had!! So soft and moist and delicious. I know I can count on any recipes from Cloudy Kitchen because the are all tested over and over until they are perfection!!
Jackie says
We’re having a bake sale Saturday I made your classic vanilla crinkle cookies and they are just awesome. So I’m putting 2 of each kind in a small plastic bag. I skipped rolling any of the cookies in sugar and they both crinkled nicely They are so good!
NS says
Deeeeelicious. Quick and easy to make with a really high payoff
Aimee Cunningham says
So grateful these were brought to my attention this week via your Instagram - wow! They are delicious and so easy. Nothing fancy needed and perfect for my dairy allergy child. She loved joining in and helping too. These will be on regular baking rotation in our house!
Dale says
So good! 1 batch is definitely not enough
Jo says
Multiple reasons to love these. I’ve made them 3 times (in two weeks, okay, don’t judge me).
- easy recipe that doesn’t require any obscure, expensive ingredients
- recipe is in grams
- very easy to make, minimal equipment = less mess
- quick cooking time
- look very impressive and like they’d be much more difficult to make (scores points if you make them for people)
- f**** delicious 12/10 will make again for SURE.
Erin Clarkson says
12/10 review, thank you so much!
Anthea says
Hi Erin
Anther super recipe. I have done these with gluten free flour and with chia seeds instead of eggs and they were as good as the originals. I also did a batch with a square of Whitakers 72% in the middle for a bit of chocolaty goo :).
Leonela says
This cookies are so so good! Easy, with basic ingredients and yet so perfect, absolutely delicious! Thank you!!!
Loulou says
Erin, you are a genius. I made this recipe but using gluten free all purpose flour (I'm celiac). I had my doubts, but stuck with the directions, and they came out exactly the same as your picture. Thankyou!
Nic says
This recipe needs a warning! These are ridiculous easy and quick to make and are delicious - a dangerous combo! I even mixed up the recipe and added white choc into the mix (instead of rolling in sugar) and they came out soo good. This is my go to recipe.
Franziska says
I made these in my lunch break today and they turned out fabulous! Crunchy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside and they should come with a warning: Moreish!
I made them in a smaller size (20g) and reduced the time by 2 minutes.
They are now in my file of go-to-recipes. They are so good! Thank you!
Erin Clarkson says
Yayyyy we love a lunch break cookie!
Anna says
I made these with GF flour and they worked like a charm! I didn't adjust the recipe at all to accommodate variability in moisture / absorption like some GF recipes require. Having never made them with normal flour I can't tell how they differ but these are firm on the outside to touch, soft and chewy inside and only ever so slightly crumbly.
I did use EVOO because it was all I had to hand and I can vouch for Erin's recommendation to use a neutral oil. I can taste the extra virgin and it detracts from how extra delicious these would be if I had followed her recommendation.
For reference, the GF flour I used is this: https://recipes.scoopwholefoods.com/products/organic-gluten-free-plain-flour/
Erin Clarkson says
Thank you thank you!
Kayla says
Just made these and they're delicious. I make cookies all the time and these might be my kids new favorite!
I was wondering if there was any advice on why my mine had less crinkles? Mine were larger instead of the small lots of crinkle look. They were still delicious but I'm a perfectionist so I really want that look with the tons of little crinkles next time.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Hmmm I'm not actually sure what causes the big crinkles? Maybe try baking on parchment and see if that helps? Cookies spread more on silpat
Lia says
Wow! These were amazing! I honestly did not expect them to be that good, given that they were so easy and quick to make. No waiting time in the fridge is a big bonus. Thank you so much!
Kylie says
These are DELICIOUS. My husband tried one while it was still warm and told me he wanted to marry me again. New favourite! So simple as well. Thank you Erin 🙂
Erin Clarkson says
Ah yayyy so happy to hear! The ultimate compliment lololol
S says
Another easy-peasy Christmas recipe from Erin. Couldn't wait to eat one, so grabbed it hot off the tray. Thanks!
Kezia says
I have made this recipe 4 or 5 times now and I absolutely love it each time I make it!! It’s pretty easy and makes a perfect cookie every time. This is my go to cookie to share with friends and family!
Beck says
These cookies are PERFECT! The recipe is so fast and simple. Do yourself a favour and just triple it immediately.
L says
I made these today with my son (age 6) and they were so easy and turned out like the picture. We were both so happy and everyone liked the cookie. Our only problem is we were both covered in powdered sugar afterwards, but I think that's the risk of baking with a 6-year old. This was a great recipe to make with kids. Thanks for posting such a clear recipe.
Erin Clarkson says
Hahahah yess I mean sometimes I make them with my husband and he's 33 and still manages to be covered in sugar!
Angela says
Love this recipe! So easy and quick to make and delicious
Emma Drew says
Love these cookies, simple to make, look amazing and dairy free 😋
Kylee says
Made these for work morning tea. Super easy to put together, clear recipe to follow and they were demolished!
Ashleigh says
These chocolate crinkle cookies are genuinely the best thing when you need to whip up something for guests, a morning tea or for your damn self. The oil instead of butter means these come together so quickly in a regular bowl, they taste insanely good and are so so quick and easy and look like they took a lot of work.