These rich, fudgy chocolate crinkle cookies have a subtle hint of coffee and cinnamon that deepens the chocolate flavor and makes them utterly irresistible.
This recipe is sponsored by Go Bold with Butter.
The holidays are my favorite time of year for baking—peppermint cookies, snowball-style cookies, molasses gingersnaps, and spiced chocolate chip cookies all make an appearance. This year I added chocolate crinkle cookies to the mix, and they quickly became a favorite. Thick and tall with crisp edges and soft, fudgy centers, these cookies deliver rich buttery chocolate flavor. A touch of instant espresso and ground cinnamon enhances the chocolate without making the cookies taste like coffee or spices—just intensely chocolatey.
How to make chocolate crinkle cookies
These elegant-looking cookies are surprisingly easy to make and require only one small extra step. The dough does not need chilling, so you can satisfy a cookie craving quickly.
- Prepare the dry ingredients: whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, instant espresso powder, and ground cinnamon; set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light, pale, and creamy using the classic creaming method (details below).
- Add egg and vanilla: mix in the egg, then the vanilla extract.
- Combine: add the dry mixture and mix on low until a uniform dough forms.
- Portion and shape: scoop dough into 1.5 tablespoon portions and roll into balls.
- Coat: roll each ball first in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar until well coated.
- Bake: place on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake at 350°F until the cookies crack and have spread—about 10–12 minutes.
- Cool: allow cookies to rest on the sheet pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
What is the creaming method?
The creaming method starts by beating butter and sugar together until the mixture is pale, smooth, and slightly increased in volume. As sugar presses into the butter it creates tiny pockets of air that help with rise, limit spreading, and produce a chewy texture.
To cream properly:
- Use room-temperature butter. It should yield an indent when pressed but not be greasy. Take butter out of the fridge 30–60 minutes before baking.
- Beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed with a stand mixer and paddle attachment if possible. A hand mixer or a wooden spoon can work as well.
- Mix for about 3–5 minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice. Look for a pale, creamy mixture that sticks to the sides of the bowl.
Once butter and sugar are creamed, continue with the recipe by adding the egg, vanilla, and dry ingredients until the dough is uniform.
Tips for the best cookies
- If you prefer, you can omit the cinnamon or instant espresso powder—both enhance flavor but are optional.
- Chilling is often suggested for crinkle cookies, but this dough bakes well without chilling, saving time.
- Rolling first in granulated sugar and then in powdered sugar helps keep the powdered sugar from melting into the cookie during baking, producing the signature crackled appearance.
- If a cookie bakes into an odd shape, gently press a flat edge against it immediately after removing from the oven while it’s still pliable to round it out.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.
- To make ahead: freeze unbaked dough balls (without sugar coating) on a lined sheet pan, then transfer to a sealed bag. When ready to bake, roll frozen dough in sugar and add a minute or two to the baking time. Baked cookies also freeze well between layers of parchment.
These chocolate crinkle cookies make a beautiful holiday treat or a simple edible gift. Best of all, they’re delicious year-round whenever you want a rich, fudgy chocolate cookie.
Recipe
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 grams)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (42 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (113 grams, 1 stick)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar, for rolling (66 grams)
- ½ cup powdered sugar, for rolling (55 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line sheet pan(s) with parchment paper.
- Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, instant espresso, and ground cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
- With an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light, pale, and creamy, about 3–4 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add the egg and mix, then add the vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough is uniform.
- Portion dough into 1.5-tablespoon portions and roll into rounds.
- Roll dough balls first in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar until fully coated. Place on prepared sheet pan.
- Bake until cookies have cracked and just spread, about 10–12 minutes. Remove when they appear cracked and are about 1 minute past that point.
- Let cookies cool on the sheet pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining dough. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for several days.
Nutrition (per cookie): Calories: 136 kcal, Carbohydrates: 23 g, Protein: 1 g, Fat: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 20 mg, Sodium: 34 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 16 g.
Cuisine: American Course: Dessert Author: Annalise Sandberg
Disclosure: This recipe was created in partnership with Go Bold With Butter. All opinions are my own.