Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are thick, soft, fudgy, loaded with milk chocolate chips, and coated in powdered sugar—impossible to stop at just one!

Add Oatmeal CookiesMexican Wedding Cookies, and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies to your holiday cookie platter.

Fresh out of the oven, chocolate crinkle cookies dusted with powdered sugar, exuding a warm and inviting aroma.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

As much as I love Thanksgiving (and I really do), Christmas baking is always my favorite. All December long, I bake cookies with my boys, and it’s one of my favorite ways we spend time together.

I’m so excited about the lineup of cookies and Christmas treats I’ll be sharing with you over the next couple of weeks—there’s a lot to look forward to!

Today, we’re starting with one of my favorites: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. They’re soft, chewy, fudgy, and practically melt in your mouth.

Making the dough, from creaming butter and sugars to rolling dough balls in powdered sugar.
  • Unsalted Butter: Use room temp butter for even mixing.
  • Sugars: Pack brown sugar firmly when measuring.
  • Egg: Holds the dough together and keeps it moist.
  • Sour Cream: Full-fat sour cream works best for soft cookies.
  • Almond & Vanilla Extract: Skip almond? Add a little more vanilla.
  • Flour: Spoon flour into a cup, then level it with a knife.
  • Cocoa Powder: Choose Dutch-process for richer flavor and softer cookies.
  • Baking Powder: Helps the cookies rise for a soft texture.
  • Salt: Don’t skip, even in sweet recipes—it’s crucial for flavor balance.
  • Chocolate Chips: Add bursts of melted chocolate in every bite.
  • Powdered Sugar: Coat well before and after baking for a pretty look.
The finished chocolate crinkle cookie recipe, with cookies stacked and split to reveal their soft, gooey interiors.

How To Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

  1. Cream Butter and Sugars: Mix soft butter and sugars until smooth and creamy.
  2. Wet Ingredients: Stir in sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.
  3. Dry Ingredients: Combine dry ingredients and chocolate chips, then mix with the wet mixture. The dough will be thick and sticky.
  4. Form Dough: Chill the dough, then scoop it into balls.
  5. Coat Dough: Roll the balls in powdered sugar and put them on a baking sheet.
  6. Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 7-10 mins.

Delicious chocolate crinkle cookies dusted with powdered sugar, ready for a sweet bite.

Tips For Success

  • Chill the Dough: Chill it to make it easier to handle and boost the flavor.
  • Use a Tablespoon for Dough: Scoop dough with a tablespoon for same-sized cookies and even baking.
  • Bake on Parchment: Use liners or parchment for easy cleanup and to stop cookies from sticking or burning.

Storage

Storing Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Keep cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Freezing Tip: Freeze dough balls, then bake them straight from the freezer. Roll in powdered sugar first and bake 2–3 mins longer.

5 from 6 votes

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Packed with milk chocolate chips and coated in powdered sugar, you won't be able to stop at just one of these soft, thick, and fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 29 minutes
Servings: 45 cookies

Equipment

  • Sheet pan lined

Ingredients 
 

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream full-fat, room temperature
  • 1/16 teaspoon almond extract optional
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-3/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder see note 1
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl, cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, the mixture should resemble peanut butter. Beat in egg, sour cream, almond extract, and vanilla extract.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add in chocolate chips. Stir to combine.
  • Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined being careful not to overmix. Cover the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a large tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to measure equal cookie dough balls. Roll in powdered sugar and place on the prepared sheet pan with no more than 9 cookies per pan. Chill for another 10 minutes.
  • Bake for 7–10 minutes or until the top is no longer glossy. Be careful not to overbake. A soft, very slightly underbaked cookie is the best for a delicious fudgy texture. Once the cookies come out of the oven, let them stand on the cookie sheet for 5–7 minutes. Then dip in a bowl of powdered sugar again. Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Make sure to use Dutch-process cocoa powder in these cookies. Regular cocoa powder will make these cookies dry and less flavorful.
Storage: Keep leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies are best enjoyed with 2 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 45cookies | Calories: 79kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.8g | Protein: 1.1g | Fat: 3.8g | Cholesterol: 11.3mg | Sodium: 7.6mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 7.7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelsea’s Messy Apron! I’m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. I’m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping by—I hope you find something delicious to make!

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5 from 6 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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3 Comments

  1. Melissa says:

    5 stars
    YUM – I love chocolate cookies! Delicious we’ll be making these again soon.

  2. Stephanie says:

    5 stars
    Oh, these were fantastic! I just loved the dusting of powdered sugar!

  3. Valentina says:

    5 stars
    These are my go-to chocolate crinkle cookies! They are so easy to make and they are HEAVENLY!