Crackly tops dusted in white. Edges that set just right. A center so fudgy it almost melts on your tongue. These chocolate crinkle cookies are one of those recipes that look impressive and taste even better than they look, yet come together with less than ten ingredients and are ready in 30 minutes flat. I stumbled onto this recipe on a grey, do-nothing Sunday when the cocoa powder had been sitting in my pantry a little too long and I needed a reason to finally use it. One batch later and these were already a household staple.
If you love quick chocolate desserts like these, you might also enjoy my Easy Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe, or my rich Easy Salted Caramel Macarons Recipe. And if something floral and sweet sounds good, the Easy Greek Honey Pie Recipe is absolutely worth saving for later.
Why You'll Love These chocolate crinkle cookies
There's a lot to appreciate here. For starters, there's no butter to soften and no mixer required - just a bowl, a spoon, and about 20 minutes of prep. The oil-based dough is what gives these soft and chewy chocolate cookies their fudgy texture that holds up for days. The double-sugar rolling method - first granulated, then powdered - is the trick that creates that iconic crinkled look as the chocolate crinkle cookies spread in the oven. And because there's no mandatory chilling step, you can go from craving to cookie in half an hour. They're as beginner-friendly as cookies get, and they taste like something you'd find at a proper bakery.
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chocolate crinkle cookies Ingredients
Everything you need, and why each one matters.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
For the Cookies:
- Cocoa powder : This is the flavor backbone. Unsweetened cocoa gives these cookies that deep, rich chocolate taste without pushing them into sugar overload.
- Granulated sugar : Sweetens the dough and helps create a slight crispness on the outside of the cookie as it bakes.
- Light olive oil or avocado oil : Oil instead of butter is the secret to the chewy, fudgy texture. It also means you don't have to wait for anything to soften - just pour and mix.
- Eggs : Two eggs bind the dough together and add just enough richness and moisture to keep the cookies tender.
- Vanilla extract : Rounds out the chocolate flavor and adds a warm, familiar depth that makes these taste homemade in the best way.
- Baking powder : This is what helps the cookies puff slightly as they bake, which creates that signature cracked, crinkled top.
- Salt: A small amount, but it matters. Salt balances the sweetness and makes the cocoa flavor come forward more intensely.
- All-purpose flour : Provides structure without making the cookies tough. It keeps the texture soft and just dense enough.
For the Crinkle Topping:
- Granulated sugar : The first rolling coat. It creates a thin shell around the dough and helps the powdered sugar layer stick properly.
- Powdered sugar : The second coat and the star of the whole recipe. As the dough spreads and rises in the oven, the powdered sugar cracks and splits into that beautiful white crinkle pattern.
how to make chocolate crinkle cookies
Follow these steps and you'll have perfect chocolate crinkle cookies on your first try.
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. At the same time, pour the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar into one shallow bowl and the ⅓ cup of powdered sugar into a second bowl. Set them side by side - you'll need them once the dough is ready.
- Mix the cocoa base: In a large bowl, combine the cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is fully incorporated. It'll look like a thick, dark paste and smell absolutely incredible already.
- Add the eggs and vanilla: Crack both eggs into the cocoa mixture and add the vanilla extract. Stir until just combined. The batter will look smooth, glossy, and a little loose at this point - that's exactly right.
- Mix in the dry ingredients: Sprinkle in the salt, baking powder, and flour. Mix until a stiff dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough feels too sticky to work with, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes, then try again.
- Scoop the dough: Use a cookie dough scoop to portion the dough into 1 ½-inch balls. Keeping them uniform means they'll all bake at the same rate and look consistent on the tray.
- Roll in sugar - twice: Roll each dough ball first in the granulated sugar, then immediately roll it generously in the powdered sugar. Be thorough here - a thick coat of powdered sugar is what creates the crinkle effect. A light dusting won't be enough.
- Arrange on the baking sheet: Place the coated dough balls on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. They will spread during baking, so give them room.
- Bake: Slide the tray into the oven and bake for exactly 10 minutes. The tops should be cracked and crinkled, the edges set, and the centers still looking a little underdone. That's perfect - they'll firm up as they cool.
- Cool on the sheet: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. This resting period is when the texture finishes setting. Moving them too soon can cause them to break.
Substitutions
Granulated sugar in the dough: Caster sugar dissolves a little more smoothly into the dough and works as a direct substitute.
Cocoa powder: Dutch-process cocoa works beautifully here and gives a slightly darker, smoother chocolate flavor. Just avoid any sweetened cocoa mix, which will throw off the balance.
Oil: Any neutral-flavored oil will do - vegetable oil, canola oil, or even refined coconut oil. The texture will be virtually the same.
All-purpose flour: A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend is a solid swap. The chocolate crinkle cookies may be a touch more delicate in texture, but the flavor holds up well.
Eggs: For an egg-free version, substitute each egg with one flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water, rested for 5 minutes). The chocolate crinkle cookies will be slightly denser but still delicious.
EQUIPMENT for chocolate crinkle cookies
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Two shallow bowls (for the rolling sugars)
Wooden spoon or mixing spatula
Cookie dough scoop
Wire rack
Storage Tips
These chewy chocolate crinkle cookies keep well, which is one of the many reasons to love them.
Freezer (raw dough): You can freeze the scooped, un-sugared dough balls for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, let them thaw in the fridge overnight, then roll in sugar and bake as directed.
Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. They stay soft and fudgy the whole time - if anything, they get a little chewier on day two.
Freezer (baked cookies): Freeze in a single layer in an airtight container or zip bag for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before eating.
Expert Tips
Double sugar roll is non-negotiable. The granulated sugar coat underneath keeps the powdered sugar from melting before the chocolate crinkle cookies bake. Without that base layer, the white coating disappears in the oven.
Don't panic over sticky dough. Oil-based doughs are naturally softer than butter-based ones. If yours is too sticky to roll, 30 minutes in the fridge will firm it up completely.
Pull them early. chocolate crinkle cookies that look underdone at 10 minutes will finish setting on the hot baking sheet. If you wait until they look fully done in the oven, they'll be overdone by the time they cool.
Use a cookie scoop. Eyeballed dough portions bake unevenly. A scoop takes the guesswork out and gives you consistent chocolate crinkle cookies every time.
Go heavy on the powdered sugar. You want a thick, snowy coat - not a light dusting. The more powdered sugar, the more dramatic the crinkle.
FAQ
What is the secret to crinkle cookies?
Two things working together: a stiff, oil-based dough that spreads slowly, and the double-sugar rolling technique. The granulated sugar creates a shell that delays the spread just enough for the powdered sugar coating to crack into that signature crinkle pattern. Skip either layer and you lose the effect.
What makes crinkle cookies different from regular cookies?
The powdered sugar coating is the big difference - it creates that striking black-and-white crinkle appearance that regular chocolate crinkle cookies don't have. Texture-wise, crinkle cookies also tend to be denser and fudgier than a typical drop cookie. Think somewhere between a brownie and a cookie. They're also almost always made with oil rather than butter, which is what keeps that interior so soft.
What are chocolate crinkle cookies called?
Depending on where you look, you might see them called chocolate crinkles, earthquake cookies, crinkle top cookies, or brownie cookies. In the Philippines, they're simply known as "crinkles" and are a beloved bakery staple, often gifted during the holidays. No matter what you call them, the look is instantly recognizable.
How do you make your crinkles chewy?
Oil is step one - it creates a much moister crumb than butter does. Step two is pulling the chocolate crinkle cookies out while the centers still look a little underdone. They firm up on the baking sheet as they cool, and that rest is where the final chew develops. Letting them cool completely before eating (even just 10 minutes) makes a real difference in the texture.
Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with chocolate crinkle cookies:
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In two separate shallow bowls, place the granulated sugar and powdered sugar for rolling the dough balls.
- In a large bowl, combine the cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until smooth.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the bowl, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Sprinkle in the baking powder, salt, and flour. Mix until the dough becomes stiff.
- Use a cookie dough scoop to portion out 1 ½-inch balls of dough. If the dough is too sticky to handle, refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm it up.
- Roll each dough ball first in a thin layer of granulated sugar, then in a thick layer of powdered sugar.
- Place the sugar-coated dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, or until the tops are crinkled and the edges are set. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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