These striking cookies are a perfect holiday cookie. These chocolate crinkle cookies are just like little brownies but in cookie form. These are great to make with the entire family.
When it is Christmas time these are a great holiday staple. They are chewy and fudgy and the perfect blend of cookie and brownie. If you are one that loves brownie edges then you are in a treat with these cookies. These are some of my favorite chocolate Christmas cookies to make. Plus if you have little hands to help you the Play-Doh feel will be a hit with them. I mean who doesn’t like playing their food a little bit before you get to eat it. This is a perfect recipe for the whole family and blasting that holiday music in the background.
In this recipe
One of the best parts about this recipe is that you will most likely have everything already in your pantry. While there is a 4 hour chilling time you will be able to make these without having to leave the house to pick up anything.
Cocoa powder: this is going to give the cookies their rich chocolaty flavor. You don’t want to add melted chocolate in this recipe as it will cause the dough to be too soft.
Espresso powder: will enhance the chocolate flavor.
Oil: will help keep the cookies nice and soft once they are baked and provide that nice crinkle.
Everything at room temperature
This is normally important with any baked good recipe that makes a batter. That is to make sure that all of the ingredients mix consistently. When it comes to molded cookies, cookies that are rolled/formed in your hands before baking, you want to make sure everything is very evenly mixed. This helps the cookies spread evenly so you get cookies that are fairly uniform with each other and regular in shape. These kinds of cookies have a stiffer dough than your classic drop cookies like chocolate chip. That is necessary to get the desired texture after they are baked.
Chilling is key
These cookies need to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours. These are perfect to mix in the morning, run some errands, and then they are ready for making later on that day. Alternatively the dough can be refrigerated overnight and then made the next day. Personally I prefer the latter method just in case the day gets away from me. The dough is good in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. By chilling the dough for this long it gives the gluten time to relax and hydrate so that the cookies will spread evenly and have a nice fudgy brownie like texture.
Time to use your hands
Rolling the dough is the best part. I prefer to use the 2 tablespoon scoop for larger cookies. However the 1 tablespoon scoop works just as well. It is important to roll the cookie dough pretty quickly because you don’t want it to get too warm. If it does it will get all over the place. If you were ever lookin for something to do with little hands during that holidays this is it! Firstly the dough feels like Play-Doh and secondly playing with your food is fun. While I show only 12 cookies on the baking sheet with my photos you can fit 15 if you alternate rows of 2 and 3 making the offset like the outlines on my silicon mats.
Looking for other holiday cookie recipes?
Chewy and Fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
- 2 tablespoon cookie scoop
- 2 Lined sheet pan
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup canola oil or other neutral flavored oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt kosher
- ½ cup powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, espresso powder, chocolate, and baking powder. Whisk until combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add the oil and sugars, mix on medium-high. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and scrape the sides as necessary.
- Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Pour into the mixing bowl and cover. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The dough is good in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, 177°C, or gas mark 4.
- Using the cookie scoop roll the dough into a ball and coat in the powdered sugar. Place on the lined sheet pan with a 2 inch space between each cookie. Bake for 12 minutes. Swap the racks halfway through baking.
- Allow for the cookies to set a few minutes before transferring to a cookie rack. Repeat as many times as necessary until you run out of dough, allowing the sheet pan to cool completely before baking again.
Notes
- The dough can be frozen for up to 4 weeks.
- While my photo shows 12 cookies on a sheet pan you can fit 15 without any of them spreading into each other.
- Not all of the powdered sugar will be used.
- If using the 1 tablespoon scoop double the number of cookies expected.
Nutrition
These are to-die-for! I love chocolate and cinnamon together, and the browned butter is the cherry on top. So delish.