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Gooey chocolate crinkle cookies with crackly powdered sugar tops and soft, chewy centers on a plate
Summer Dempsey

Christmas Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These gooey chocolate crinkle cookies are rich, fudgy, and irresistibly chewy, with crackly powdered sugar tops and soft centers. Made from scratch with simple ingredients, they bake up tender in the middle with just-set edges, making them perfect for holiday baking, cookie trays, or anytime a chocolate craving hits.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 27 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 185

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 packets or 6 tablespoon hot cocoa mix
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon optional
Wet Ingredients
  • ½ cup melted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 oz melted dark chocolate
Coating
  • ½ cup powdered sugar

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer
  • Cookie Sheets

Method
 

  1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, hot cocoa mix, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
  2. In another bowl, whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
  3. Stir in the melted chocolate .
  4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until just combined.
  5. The dough will be very soft — more like thick brownie batter.
  6. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Chilling is key for perfect crinkles.
  7. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  8. Scoop the chilled dough into balls (1.5 tablespoon each).
  9. Roll them until you get a thick layer of powdered sugar coating them.
  10. Bake 10–12 minutes, just until the cookies have puffed and cracked but still look soft in the centers.
  11. Do not overbake. They will continue to set as they cool.
  12. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Notes

 

  • Hot cocoa mix is intentional:
    The hot cocoa mix adds sweetness, cocoa flavor, and milk solids, which help create a softer, fudgier texture than cocoa powder alone. Use standard hot cocoa mix, not sugar-free.
  • Dough texture is correct:
    The dough will be very soft—closer to thick brownie batter than traditional cookie dough. This is exactly what creates gooey centers after baking.
  • Chilling is not optional:
    Chilling the dough for at least 2 hours is essential. It firms up the dough, prevents excessive spreading, and creates those signature crinkled tops.
  • Powdered sugar coating tip:
    For bold, dramatic cracks, roll the dough balls heavily in powdered sugar. A light coating will melt into the cookie and reduce the crinkle effect.