Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are one of our most loved traditional Christmas cookies. These crinkle cookies have a fudgey brownie like center and a soft crisp outside. Add these delightful cookies to your Christmas cookie tray!
Jump To
- Why you'll love these Italian Chocolate Cookies:
- Brownie Crackle Cookies
- Ingredients in brownie crackle cookies
- How to make Chocolate Crackle Cookies
- Expert Tips to make the best chocolate crackle cookies:
- More tips on how to work with sticky crinkle cookie dough
- Variations and substitutions
- How long do chocolate cookies last?
- Can you freeze chocolate crinkles?
- Recipe FAQ's
- Some other holiday cookies to enjoy:
- The BEST Chocolate Crackle Cookies
Why you'll love these Italian Chocolate Cookies:
- Irresistible Texture: These cookies have a perfect balance of crunch and chewiness, creating a delightful mouthfeel with every bite.
- Decadent Chocolate Flavor: Indulge your taste buds with the rich, deep chocolate flavor that permeates every morsel of these cookies.
- Stunning cookies: The crackled surface of these cookies adds a visual appeal that is sure to impress your friends and family.
- Simple yet Impressive: Despite their gourmet appearance and complex flavor, these cookies are surprisingly easy to make, making them a go-to recipe for both novice and experienced bakers.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Whether you're hosting a party or looking for a sweet treat to share, these cookies are guaranteed to be a hit. These are always the first to go on the holiday cookie tray!
These are a staple every Christmas. Either nonna or I will bake these leading up to Christmas.
There are some cookies that are holiday staples. The holidays are not complete unless we make our favorites, like these delightful Chocolate Crackle Cookies! The texture of these cookies is irresistible. Fudgy cookies with a crackly and little bit crispy exterior. Really hard to eat just one! They take a little time to put together, but are really easy to make!
Brownie Crackle Cookies
These chocolate crackle cookies (or you may call them Chocolate Crinkle Cookies) are one of these very special cookies. We do a lot of cookie baking every holiday. Some favorites are our Italian Lemon Knot Cookies and also our Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies!
I normally don’t get too excited about chocolate desserts. Apple desserts are my favorite most of the time. But these little cookies are chocolate perfection.
What are some of your favorite cookies to bake?
Ingredients in brownie crackle cookies
- Bittersweet chocolate: Rich and indulgent, the melted bittersweet chocolate adds a deep, intense flavor to the cookies.
- All-purpose flour: The main dry ingredient that provides structure and texture to the cookies.
- Dutch cocoa powder: This high-quality cocoa powder enhances the chocolatey taste and dark color of the cookies.
- Baking powder: The leavening agent that helps the cookies rise and become light and fluffy.
- Sea salt: You could also use kosher salt. Adds a subtle balance of flavor and enhances the sweetness of the cookies.
- Unsalted butter: The butter provides richness and moisture to the cookies.
- Firmly packed light-brown sugar: Along with the butter, the brown sugar contributes to the chewy and caramel-like taste of the cookies.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and add moisture to the dough.
- Pure vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavor profile of the cookies with its sweet and fragrant notes.
- Milk: Adds moisture and helps to achieve the desired consistency of the dough.
- Confectioners' sugar: The confectioners' sugar creates the crackle effect on the cookies' surface and adds a touch of sweetness.
How to make Chocolate Crackle Cookies
- Preheat the oven: Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare the chocolate: Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water.
- Mix dry ingredients: Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix wet ingredients: In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined.
- Chill the dough: Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.
- Roll the dough: On a clean countertop, roll each portion of dough into a log approximately 16 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, using confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking. Wrap logs in plastic wrap, and transfer to a baking sheet.
- Chill for 30 minutes.
- Form the shapes: Cut each log into 1-inch pieces, and toss in confectioners’ sugar, a few at a time.Using your hands, roll the pieces into a ball shape. If any of the cocoa-colored dough is visible, roll dough in confectioners’ sugar again to coat completely. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment paper or Silpat-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies: until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes.
- Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Expert Tips to make the best chocolate crackle cookies:
- You have to make sure the dough is very cold before you start to roll them into balls. If you don't chill them long enough, it will be one sticky mess!
- Rolling them in the powdered sugar before baking gives the cookies the most beautiful crackled look. The snow white powder exterior is a stunning contrast to the chocolate cookie interior.
- I always end up making enough for both kids to make on their own.
- Of all the cookies we bake each year, this is the chocolate crackle cookie is the most requested. They also make a really sweet gift idea and look so pretty all wrapped up.
More tips on how to work with sticky crinkle cookie dough
This cookie dough is known to be very sticky. But do not let that stop you from baking them. I highly suggest baking them with kids. Yes, it's messy, but so worth the little bit of clean up. Here are some of nonna's suggestions. She is the cookie queen and always right!
- If you have a cookie scoop, you could use one to scoop out portions of the cookie dough.
- Whether you use a scoop, or your hands to pull out portions of dough, you need to keep moving and move fast.
- Nonna likes to roll a few cookies at a time in the powdered sugar. Start with one cookie ball, and do more as you get the hang of it.
- Rinse off your hands after you prep one tray of the cookie balls to bake.
Variations and substitutions
- For a minty twist, add 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the dough.
- Substitute the bittersweet chocolate with semisweet or dark chocolate for a different flavor profile.
- Add a cup of chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, to the dough for added crunch and texture.
- For a gluten-free version, replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend of your choice.
How long do chocolate cookies last?
The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to three days or in the freezer for up to two months.
Can you freeze chocolate crinkles?
The cookies can be soft or crisp and chewy. It depends on how long you bake them. If you would like to freeze the cookies, roll them into the balls without dipping them in the confectioner's sugar.
Place them on a baking sheet and freeze until they are firm. Once they are firm, store the cookies in an airtight container or plastic bag until you are ready to bake them.
Recipe FAQ's
These famous cookies were created by Helen Fredell in St. Paul, Minnesota in the early half of the 20th Century. The recipe were in a very popular Betty Crocker cookbook called, "Cooky Carnival." With the recipe is the story that Betty Crocker was actually served the cookies by Helen Fredell in her home and she begged her. for the actual recipe. And chocolate crinkle cookie history was made!
The powdered sugar in the dough forms a crust when the cookies are baked, and that crust cracks as the cookies cool.
If you want your Chocolate Crinkle Cookies to be puffy rather than flat, make sure to chill the dough for at least 3 hours before rolled into balls. Also, put them in the oven as soon after being rolled so they don't have time to flatten out at room temperature.
The crinkles are done baking when you see cracks on their tops and the center looks glossy. However, they will stay warm from being on the baking sheet, so keep that in mind.
For a bright white confectioners' sugar topping, coat the cookie dough balls in granulated sugar first. Lightly layer it on, then pour on the confectioners' sugar.
Chocolate crackles cookies can be frozen before or after baking. If you want to freeze baked cookies, let them cool entirely first. Place the cookies in single layers on sheets of parchment paper, and then put them in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, either leave them in the fridge overnight or set them out on the counter until they're soft again.
Dry crinkle cookies could be causes by using too much flour, over mixing, or overbaking.
In case your cocoa or the flour hasn't been used for a while, give it stir and loosen it up. Spoon the flour or cocoa into the correct size measuring cup. Now using the back edge of a table knife, level it off, pushing the excess back into the canister.
Dutch process cocoa powder has a more mild chocolate flavor and also darker color as it is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acidity. If all you have on hand is regular cocoa powder, to take out some of the acidic flavor, add 3/4 of a teaspoon of baking soda, to get a more mellow chocolate flavor like Dutch cocoa powder.
Yes, you sure can. If you have an electric mixer, use that. If you don't have any sort of mixer, use your arm power! The butter will be softened, so you will be stirring that with the sugar until combined (it doesn't have to be whipped).
A great tip is to prep the dough 2-3 months ahead of time and freeze. Roll the balls of dough out and transfer to zipped lock freezer bag. Mark the date on the bag and store until you're ready to bake them. Simply thaw them for a few minutes while heating up the oven. Roll in the powdered sugar and bake. Cookies may need 2 minutes of extra bake time.
If you are in the States, you can find light or dark brown. If you're somewhere that you can only find 'regular' brown sugar, that is fine.
Some other holiday cookies to enjoy:
- Italian Rainbow Cookies
- Cuccidati-Sicilian Fig Cookies
- Italian Lemon Knot Cookies
- Sicilian S Cookies
recipe from Martha Stewart 2003
Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below:)
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The BEST Chocolate Crackle Cookies
Equipment
- 1 bowl
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate melted and cooled
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Dutch cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups light-brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar plus more for rolling
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool.
- Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined.
- Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.
- On a clean countertop, roll each portion of dough into a log approximately 16 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, using confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking.
- Wrap logs in plastic wrap, and transfer to a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut each log into 1-inch pieces, and toss in confectioners’ sugar, a few at a time.
- Using your hands, roll the pieces into a ball shape. If any of the cocoa-colored dough is visible, roll dough in confectioners’ sugar again to coat completely.
- Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction says
My Mom loves these cookies. There are so many different names for them too. I'll be posting my Christmas Treats late today. Thanks for the post.
Farmgirl Gourmet says
I love these cookies!! That first photo is rocking my world right now. Great post!! xo
Nesrine Gamal says
I LOVE THEM LORa:))
claudia lamascolo says
It must be me I have tried Martha's recipe and they failed me every time... yours are perfection! absolutely perfections!
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
These look freakin' awesome, Lora! Haven't had crackle cookies in a while!
Judy says
I haven't tried these, but I plan to make them soon.
Lizzy Do says
My family loves these...but mine have never been so picture perfect! I'll try your recipe this Christmas 🙂
Dawn says
I am in love with these cookies-I've never made them before but I'll definitely be giving these a try soon!
Munatycooking says
Oh I love to look at crackle cookies, I've never made them nor have tasted them, but the look makes me think of snow. I have to give this recipe a try 🙂
Becca says
Congrats on your feature. 🙂
I love love looooove fudge chocolate cookies. But I hardly ever have chocolate crackle cookies, which is odd. These look really good and cute, and you're probably right: I would probably eat way more than one!
Renee Dobbs says
I absolutely love these cookies. I made them years ago and they were such a hit. You have reminded me to make them this year for the holidays. I'll double check your recipe with the one I used. It looks like your cookies stayed more rounded and I like that better.
Rebecca Subbiah says
they looks so good I wish i was a good baker your a pro
Swathi Iyer says
Delicious crinkle cookies love it. Lora.
All That's Left Are The Crumbs says
These are one of my favorite cookies to make. I'll have to make sure I add them to my list. Congratulations on the Redbook feature.
Jen Laceda | Tartine and Apron Strings says
Lora, I grew up eating these cookies! They use to sell these at my school, and I always asked my mom for money to buy them...we called them "chocolate crinkles" back then 🙂 ahhh, those were the days!
Angie's Recipes says
I have always love chocolate crinkles. These look so x'masy and divine!
thelittleloaf says
How gorgeous do these look? I've fallen into a bit of a chocolate chip cookie hole recently so would love to try these to mix it up!
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen says
These are gorgeous, love them! Very christmas-y
Helene Dsouza I Masala Herb says
Those look so pretty, I ll add them to my christmas cookie making plan this year. Thanks for sharing!
Lisa says
I've seen a lot of chocolate crinkle cookies, but that Fla sunshine catches the fudgy interior beneath the cracks, perfectly. I don't know why I've never made these, but I will most definitely get to it before 2013! xoxo
Erin says
Your cookies look wonderful! My friend makes them but they are flat and crunchy. Yours look amazing!
Anonymous says
I was never a big fan of these cookies until I had an amazing one on vacation that changed my mind. I will have to make these sometime soon 🙂
Baker Street says
I absolutely LOVE these cookies! I can't seem to take my eyes off that first picture!
Jessica @ Portuguese Girl Cooks says
These cookies are indeed a holiday staple, and your look fabulous! Thanks of sharing!
Valerie says
Gorgeous! I love the contrast of confectioners' sugar and deep dark chocolate. (I must be the only person on the planet who has not made chocolate crackle cookies.) This year, that's going to change! 😀
Jamie says
I haven't made these for years but love them. And there is something so Christmassy about them, don't you think? Congrats on the Ooey Gooey feature!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
i haven't had these cookies in forever! They look so fudgy and perfect!
Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking says
one of hubby's favorite cookies are the crackle cookies, every year I have to have some while we unwrap the gifts on Christmas day.
Yours are beautiful
Lisa {Authentic Suburban Gourmet } says
I love these cookies and yours came out just perfect! I love this time of year and will be pinning these to make during the holidays!
www.you-made-that.com says
This cookie brings back memories from my childhood. I used to help bake them with a friends mom and we ate a lot of them too. Thanks for the reminder of how good these little cookies are.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I need a new cookie tradition and I think this is it for 2012!
Patty says
I've always wanted to try chocolate crackle cookies- they look so pretty and lovely for the holidays, maybe with a cup of hot chocolate;-)
Magic of Spice says
These look absolutely wonderful!
And congrats on your feature 🙂
Julianne says
I just made these today and they were amazing!!! So pretty! Such and easy recipe to follow. Will definitely make again. xo
Lora says
Hi Julianne-so happy you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for letting me know! XX happy baking!
Mrs. Braun says
Hey Lora,
a wonderful chocolate Cookie recipe. I will try it next time.
Rocky says
These cookies came out great. I was a little scared when I saw how loose the dough was when it came out of the stand mixer but it firmed up very nicely in the fridge and the rest of the process went perfectly. I could have eaten the whole batch myself! They're like sugary brownie cookies. Slightly crispy and sugary on the outside and fudgy on the inside. I'll be making these again real soon.
Lora says
Hi Yes, the dough is more loose than what you would expect...and the firming up in the fridge is all it needs! Totally agree...they're very dangerous! Thank you for taking the time to write a lovely comment! Happy Baking! XX
Anne says
Just popping by to let you know that I make these cookies every Christmas. They are wonderful!
Lora says
Hello Anne-It's so great to hear how much you enjoy these chocolate crackle cookies...they are a family favorite! Happy baking!