Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are soft, fudge-like cookies coated in confectioners' sugar that crack as they bake, making each one unique. This recipe adds a few extra ingredients to the dough to create a fudgy brownie in cookie form.

What makes these cookies so good? They're moist, chocolatey, not too sweet, and fun to eat.
Before baking, the chocolate interior is hidden from a thick coating of powdered sugar. After baking, these cookies spread just a little exposing cracks of the chocolate inside.

Notice how I said a thick coating of powdered or confectioners sugar (I use the names interchangeably).
It's important to have a thickly coated ball of dough prior to baking because if the coating isn't thick, you'll end up with a muddy looking cookie.
What are the two extra ingredients that make this the best chocolate crinkle cookie you'll ever have?
Brown sugar is added to bring out the chocolate flavor because of the molasses. Cornstarch is mixed in for tenderness which creates a fudgy brownie-like cookie with a chewy texture.
Butter is used instead of oil for flavor.
There's no need to use melted chocolate for this recipe. Cocoa powder is all you need for a rich chocolate flavor and this recipe uses a full cup.

After mixing, the dough will be sticky and must be refrigerated for at least 4 hours to harden. This may seem like an inconvenience, but you can prepare this ahead and it can be refrigerated for a few days. I’ve also kept a batch of batter in the freezer and it kept for months.

NO NEED TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY
If you use a scoop, you can drop the balls into the powdered sugar and roll it with one finger. Why dirty the whole hand?
Roll each ball in the confectioners' sugar. As you roll the little ball of dough, you can form it into a nice round ball. As you're doing that, you're forming a thick layer of powdered sugar. You shouldn’t see any of the chocolate and they should be completely white.
You only need a finger or two to accomplish this. There's no need to roll these with your hand. It would create an unnecessary chocolate mess.
The cookies should be slightly puffy and it shouldn't spread too much. The less they spread, the chewier they will be.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes and no more. Better to have chewy cookies than dry ones. They need to cool a little before transferring them or they will fall apart. Once cooled, they’ll hold their shape.

These chocolate crinkle cookies are perfect for any occasion - especially during the holidays. They look like little snowballs before baking and works of art after they’re baked.

Warning: I recommend you don’t wear black when eating these as the sugar may sprinkle on your clothes. But, hey, who cares. Right?

MORE DELICIOUS COOKIES AND BARS
- Thick and chewy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
- Anisette toasts
- Thick chewy chocolate chip cookies
- The best oatmeal raisin cookies
- Strawberry jam bars
- Gooey chewy s'mores bars
- Peanut butter and jelly bars
- Congo bars
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THE BEST FUDGY CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES
PRINT PIN SAVEIngredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder optional, but creates flavor
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla* See NOTES 1
Coating:
- 1 cup confectioners sugar (for rolling) may need another ½ cup
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and coffee (if using).
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars for 3 minutes on medium speed. It may not look creamy but we want to make sure the sugar is combined well with the sugars.
- Add the eggs and vanilla or Frangelico or Kahlua and beat for another 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix until evenly combined. Start the mixer on low or you'll get a big chocolate dust cloud. The dough will be soft and sticky. Now we chill it.
- Transfer the dough into a medium bowl, cover the dough, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. If making ahead, you can keep refrigerated for a few days. See NOTES 2:
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add confectioners sugar into a bowl.
- Scoop out a small ball of dough (about 1 tablespoon) and drop right into the confectioners' sugar. It will be sticky and may take a few clicks to get out of the scoop. You can roll using just one finger which will form into a perfectly coated ball. There's no need to roll and dirty your hands. Coat each ball thoroughly in the confectioners' sugar before placing it onto lined baking sheets. The balls should be completely white. Only roll as many balls as can fit on a baking sheet and no more. If you roll them in the confectioners' sugar and they sit, they will absorb the sugar and turn muddy-looking. Refrigerate the remaining dough in between baking or it will soften and be unmanageable.
- Bake for 10 minutes and no more. Let cool slightly before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Nutritional Information
I don't post the nutritional value because I don't trust the accuracy of the nutritional apps. I’m not a nutritionist and don't want to post misinformation.
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