Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 oz semisweet chocolate
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
- 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla powder
- 1 tsp baking powder, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar, for coating
Method:
Start Cooking- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add 2 oz semisweet chocolate and ¼ cup avocado oil to a heatproof bowl set over a small pot of gently simmering water. Stir until smooth and melted, then let cool slightly.
- In a bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, and ⅛ tsp salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup cane sugar, 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, and 1 tsp vanilla powder until smooth and slightly glossy.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl and whisk until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a silicone spatula until a soft chocolate dough forms.
- Chill the dough for about 15 minutes, just until easy to roll.
- Place ¾–1 cup powdered sugar on a large flat plate.
- Scoop the dough into balls about 1½ tablespoons each, approximately 16 total.
- Roll each dough ball generously in powdered sugar until fully coated, then place onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them. Do not flatten.
- Bake at 325°F for about 13 minutes, until the tops are crackled and the centers are set but still soft.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool for about 30 minutes before serving. Bon appétit.
Kitchen Tools:
- Baking sheet lined with parchment
Notes:
- Alternatively, microwave the chocolate and avocado oil in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth and melted.
- If you do not have semisweet chocolate, leave it out, increase the cocoa powder to ⅔ cup, and increase the cane sugar to ½ cup for a more classic cocoa-style crinkle cookie.
- Roll all the dough balls first, then coat them in powdered sugar together to keep the process cleaner and easier.
- A large flat plate helps coat the cookies evenly in powdered sugar.
- The cookies will look soft when removed from the oven but will continue setting as they cool.
- For stronger crinkles, coat the dough balls generously until fully white on the outside.
- Add mini chocolate chips for extra richness.
- Use dark chocolate instead of semisweet for a deeper chocolate flavor.
- Add a pinch of espresso powder to enhance the cocoa flavor.
- Sprinkle flaky salt on top after baking for a sweet-salty finish.
- Serve slightly warm with coffee, tea, or a cold glass of milk.
- These cookies also pair well with vanilla ice cream or alongside a dessert platter during the holidays.
Nutrition:
FROM THE PANTRY
The Story Behind the Crinkle
WHY WE LOVE IT
Chocolate crinkle cookies bring together the richness of a brownie and the texture of a soft cookie in one simple bake. Their powdered sugar crackled tops create a dramatic black-and-white contrast, while the inside stays soft, chewy, and fudgy.
A LITTLE STORY
Chocolate crinkle cookies became especially popular in American home baking during the mid-20th century, often appearing on holiday cookie trays because of their snowy cracked appearance. Over time, they also picked up the nickname “earthquake cookies” thanks to the dramatic cracks that form as the cookies spread and rise in the oven. In Türkiye, they are widely known as çatlak kurabiye, meaning “cracked cookies.”
DID YOU KNOW?
The dramatic “earthquake” cracks form because the sugar-coated surface sets before the inside finishes expanding in the oven.
Rolling the dough heavily in powdered sugar helps create the iconic crackled appearance, while chilling the dough before baking helps control spreading and creates thicker, fudgier cookies.
Chocolate crinkle cookies are also sometimes called “cookies in the snow” because of their snowy powdered sugar coating.