Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (Printable)

Rich chocolate cookies with a crackled powdered sugar coating, chewy texture, and deep cocoa flavor.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1/4 cup vegetable oil
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Coating

09 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar

# How to Make:

01 - Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
02 - Beat sugar and vegetable oil until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition, then incorporate vanilla extract.
03 - Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet mixture until a thick dough forms.
04 - Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions and roll into balls.
07 - Roll each dough ball generously in powdered sugar until fully coated.
08 - Place coated balls 2 inches apart on prepared sheets and bake for 11 to 13 minutes until set but soft in centers.
09 - Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're legitimately fudgy without being dense or cake-like, which is harder to pull off than it sounds.
  • The powdered sugar coating creates this gorgeous crackle effect that looks bakery-quality even on your first try.
  • Twenty minutes of hands-on time means you can have cookies in the oven before dinner is even finished.
02 -
  • The dough needs real chilling time or you'll end up with flat, cakey cookies instead of the thick, chewy ones you're after.
  • Don't panic if the powdered sugar seems to disappear into the dough while baking—that's actually creating the crackle effect that makes these cookies special.
  • Every oven runs different, so start checking at 11 minutes because the difference between perfect and overdone is genuinely just one minute.
03 -
  • Roll the dough balls in powdered sugar while they're still cold from the fridge so the coating stays thick and doesn't sink into the dough.
  • If you want extra crackle, dip each ball in water before rolling in powdered sugar, which creates a slightly thicker barrier that cracks more dramatically.

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