Crinkle cookies crack because cocoa powder absorbs moisture differently than flour, creating natural fault lines as they bake.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Get ready to indulge in the delightful world of Chocolate Crinkle Cookies! These fudgy treats are a chocolate lover's dream, featuring rich cocoa powder and a dusting of powdered sugar that creates their signature cracked appearance. With just a handful of ingredients and a simple mixing technique, you'll have a batch of these irresistible cookies ready to impress in no time!
Prep
120
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
12
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
These crackled beauties emerged from 1960s American Jewish bakeries where European chocolate traditions collided with New World convenience—Eastern European bakers discovered that rolling dough in powdered sugar before baking created those signature white cracks against dark chocolate, mimicking the weathered bark of winter birch trees their grandmothers remembered from Polish forests.
Regional Twist
Massachusetts bakers in Cambridge swap the regular espresso coffee for locally-roasted Ethiopian beans and add a pinch of sea salt from Cape Cod, creating cookies with bright acidity that cuts through the chocolate's richness.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 100 g chocolate
- 1 unit egg
- 7 ml espresso coffee
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- baking powder (to taste)
- baking soda (to taste)
- brown sugar (to taste)
- butter (to taste)
- cocoa powder (to taste)
- 102 g flour
- powdered sugar (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- vanilla extract (to taste)
- white sugar (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- 2
Melt the chocolate and butter together using a double boiler or microwave.
- 3
Add the espresso coffee, brown sugar, and white sugar to the melted mixture and mix until combined.
- 4
Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing well until no traces of egg remain.
- 5
Incorporate the dry ingredients from the first step until the flour disappears.
- 6
Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- 7
Scoop the mixture to form balls, about 35 grams each.
- 8
Roll the balls in regular sugar and then in powdered sugar before baking.
- 9
Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the size.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Chill your dough for at least 4 hours or overnight because the fat needs to solidify completely - this prevents excessive spreading and creates the signature cracked surface as steam pushes through the firm exterior.timing4+ hours chilling
- ✓Use Dutch-process (alkalized) cocoa powder specifically because its pH neutrality prevents the baking soda from over-leavening, which would create puffy cookies instead of the desired fudgy texture.ingredientpH neutral cocoa
- ✓Roll dough balls in granulated sugar first, then powdered sugar in a 2-step process - the granulated sugar creates texture while the powdered sugar forms the white crackled coating that won't absorb into the dough.technique2-step coating
- ✓Bake at 350°F for exactly 10-12 minutes until edges are set but centers still look slightly underbaked - carryover cooking will finish them while maintaining the chewy interior.timing350°F, 10-12 minutes
- ✓Weigh dough portions to exactly 35 grams each using a kitchen scale because uniform size ensures even baking and consistent cracking patterns across all cookies.equipment35 grams each
Share this recipe
Prep
120
min
Cook
15
min
Serves
12
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Crinkle cookies crack because cocoa powder absorbs moisture differently than flour, creating natural fault lines as they bake.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Get ready to indulge in the delightful world of Chocolate Crinkle Cookies! These fudgy treats are a chocolate lover's dream, featuring rich cocoa powder and a dusting of powdered sugar that creates their signature cracked appearance. With just a handful of ingredients and a simple mixing technique, you'll have a batch of these irresistible cookies ready to impress in no time!
The Story
These crackled beauties emerged from 1960s American Jewish bakeries where European chocolate traditions collided with New World convenience—Eastern European bakers discovered that rolling dough in powdered sugar before baking created those signature white cracks against dark chocolate, mimicking the weathered bark of winter birch trees their grandmothers remembered from Polish forests.
Regional Twist
Massachusetts bakers in Cambridge swap the regular espresso coffee for locally-roasted Ethiopian beans and add a pinch of sea salt from Cape Cod, creating cookies with bright acidity that cuts through the chocolate's richness.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 100 g chocolate
- 1 unit egg
- 7 ml espresso coffee
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- baking powder (to taste)
- baking soda (to taste)
- brown sugar (to taste)
- butter (to taste)
- cocoa powder (to taste)
- 102 g flour
- powdered sugar (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- vanilla extract (to taste)
- white sugar (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- 2
Melt the chocolate and butter together using a double boiler or microwave.
- 3
Add the espresso coffee, brown sugar, and white sugar to the melted mixture and mix until combined.
- 4
Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing well until no traces of egg remain.
- 5
Incorporate the dry ingredients from the first step until the flour disappears.
- 6
Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- 7
Scoop the mixture to form balls, about 35 grams each.
- 8
Roll the balls in regular sugar and then in powdered sugar before baking.
- 9
Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the size.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Chill your dough for at least 4 hours or overnight because the fat needs to solidify completely - this prevents excessive spreading and creates the signature cracked surface as steam pushes through the firm exterior.timing4+ hours chilling
- ✓Use Dutch-process (alkalized) cocoa powder specifically because its pH neutrality prevents the baking soda from over-leavening, which would create puffy cookies instead of the desired fudgy texture.ingredientpH neutral cocoa
- ✓Roll dough balls in granulated sugar first, then powdered sugar in a 2-step process - the granulated sugar creates texture while the powdered sugar forms the white crackled coating that won't absorb into the dough.technique2-step coating
- ✓Bake at 350°F for exactly 10-12 minutes until edges are set but centers still look slightly underbaked - carryover cooking will finish them while maintaining the chewy interior.timing350°F, 10-12 minutes
- ✓Weigh dough portions to exactly 35 grams each using a kitchen scale because uniform size ensures even baking and consistent cracking patterns across all cookies.equipment35 grams each