Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

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Chocolate crinkle cookies are chewy, fudgy chocolate Christmas cookies with a topping of crackled powdered sugar. This classic Christmas cookie recipe is a must for any holiday cookie platter.

Our Christmas cookie tray is always full of buckeyes, sugar cookies and thumbprint cookies. These easy Christmas crinkles add a pretty contract to our cookie plates each year!

Easy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe

stack of chocolate crinkle cookies

What are crinkle cookies?

Crinkle cookies are chewy cookies with the dough coated in powdered sugar before baking. As the cookies bake, the dough spreads and the powdered sugar separates, creating a cracked or crinkled appearance in the cookie.

Chocolate crinkle cookies are made using chocolate cookie dough.

The traditional flavor for crinkle cookies is chocolate, but it doesn’t stop there; they can be made in a wide variety of flavors. Other popular flavors include lemon, red velvet, and gingerbread crinkles. Because myย eggnog cookies are so popular, maybe I’ll make some eggnog crinkle cookies!

This easy Christmas cookie recipe is fun for kids to make, too. Let them roll the unbaked cookie dough into the powdered sugar and watch their eyes light up as they see the cookies baking in the oven.

 

plate of chocolate Christmas cookies

Do you have to chill chocolate crinkle dough?

To prevent thin, flat cookies, many cookie recipes call for the dough to be refrigerated before baking. Some like crinkle cookies to be thin so that the powdered sugar will “crack” more. However, we love thicker cookies, so we call for refrigerating this dough for 4 hours to prevent too much spreading. It really depends on the look that you like!

Can you freeze cookies rolled in powdered sugar?

Many types of cookie dough can be frozen before baking, but not if they are rolled in powdered sugar or granulated sugar. This is because the moisture in the freezer will cause the sugar to absorb into the dough.

If you want to freeze chocolate crinkle cookie dough, do so without rolling them in sugar first. When you are ready to bake, simply remove the dough from the freezer, roll in powdered sugar to cover the dough, then bake.

 

the inside of a chocolate crinkle cookie

How long do crinkle cookies last?

These cookies will last at room temperature for 3-4 days if you keep them sealed in an airtight container.

Can you freeze crinkle cookies?

Because of the moisture in the freezing process, the powdered sugar will melt into the baked cookies which means they aren’t the best for freezing. As stated above, freeze the dough first (before rolling in sugar) and then roll in sugar right before baking and serving.

More easy Christmas cookie recipes to try:

Get in the holiday baking spirit by adding a few of these Christmas cookies to your platter of chocolate crinkle cookies!

chocolate crinkle cookies broken in half to reveal the inside
chocolate crinkle cookies broken in half to reveal the inside

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

5 from 3 votes
Chocolate crinkle cookies are chewy, fudgy chocolate Christmas cookies with a topping of crackled powdered sugar. This classic Christmas cookie recipe is a must for any holiday cookie platter.
Servings 36
Prep Time 10 minutes

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Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • Melt the shortening and chocolate together in the microwave. To do this, heat for 30 seconds in a microwave safe bowl, then stir. Heat in 15 second intervals, stirring between each time to melt the chocolate slowly. Do this until both are completely melted together.
  • Add the sugar and vanilla. Mix well.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
  • In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Add the chocolate chips to the flour mixture and mix to combine.
  • Add the flour mix to the wet ingredients and  mix well.
  • Cover the dough and chill for at least 4 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Form the dough into balls.
  • Roll the cookie dough balls in powdered sugar, being sure to covering the balls well.
  • Bake on a non-stick baking mat for 10 minutes.
  • Allow the cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Store in an airtight container.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the recipe making 36 cookies, with 1 serving being 1 cookie. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**

Nutrition

Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 63mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 143

chocolate chip crinkle cookies

About JulieJulie Clark

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)
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Charlotte Moore
5 years ago

5 stars
Do you use powdered cocoa or a chocolate bar? Just wondering because you mention melting it. When I see the word cocoa I think of powdered. HA! These look delicious.