Chocolate brownie crinkle cookies recipe

 

If you're making a Christmas cookies list, this recipe is certainly one of them chocolate brownie crinkle cookies ! These crinkle cookies have a fudgy texture very similar to a brownie, very rich in chocolate and tasty perfect for the holidays.

We all enjoy making Christmas cookies like this snickerdoodle recipe or the famous gingerbread snowflakes. And if you like this kind of cookies you can't miss the super chocolate brownie crinkle cookies! They are incredibly fudgey, very rich in chocolate taste and are very easy to make.

Crinkle cookies

As rich and fudgy as a brownie and shaped like a cookie, very similar to brownie cookies but with a sugar-cracked look! These are the chocolate crinkle cookies.

A traditional chocolate cookie recipe that is very popular and very prepared during the Christmas season. It is a base of soft chocolate cookies rolled in confectioner's sugar before being baked in the oven which gives this cracked effect thus its name of crinkle cookies.

These cookies are pretty, with a cracked effect that reminds us of the winter season like snow. They are really delicious and no one can resist them, it's a perfect recipe to offer for the holidays.

Useful tool fort this recipe

• Baking tray for baking cookies in the oven, preferably covered with parchment paper
• Cookies scoop, more practical to shape the crinkles cookies batter which remains very soft and sticky.
• Electric hand mixer, your stand mixer or a simple whisk will do the job.

Brownie crinkle cookies ingredients

Flour & Baking powder

All purpose wheat flour is perfect for all homemade cookie recipes. Be sure to measure the amount of flour with a kitchen scale as this determines the fudgey texture of the crinkle cookies. I use baking powder to make the dough rise, but you can also replace it with baking soda.

Tip: For a gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies recipe, replace the wheat flour with rice flour or another gluten-free flour.

Sugar

To sweeten these cookies use granulated powdered sugar, you can use cane sugar or a mixture of brown and white sugar. The amount of sugar in this recipe is a bit lower than other recipes found on the web. I took into consideration the fact that they will be rolled in confectioner's sugar which also provides an extra dose of sugar.

Vegetable oil

I use vegetable oil like canola oil or grape seed oil, as long as it is neutral. It gives a much more moist and melting texture than butter. You can slightly smell the oil in the cookies after baking but as they cool you don't notice that they are made with oil at all.

Tip: If you prefer to use butter in this crinkle recipe, use about 80 g of butter for 60 ml of oil since butter is not the same composition as oil.

Cocoa

To flavor these chocolate crinkles cookies i use unsweetened cocoa powder.

Eggs

Use medium eggs or possibly 1 large egg, the dough should be easy to handle. Eggs should be used at room temperature.

Salt & Vanilla extract

Fine salt or sea salt is perfect to bring out the taste of the chocolate. Also use pure vanilla extract to flavor these cookies.

Optional

Chocolate chip

For a double chocolate crinkle recipe add a dose of chocolate chips you will feel even more chocolate in the texture and crunchy chips. And you can try my homemade chocolate chip recipe which is super easy and useful.

Mexican crinkle cookies

And for a spicy version you can vary this recipe with Mexican crinkle by simply adding ½ tsp of ground cinnamon and cayenne.

How to make chocolate brownie crinkles

Make the brownie crinkle cookies batter

Start by mixing together in a large bowl all the dry ingredients, flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

Then in the bowl of your mixer, beat the oil and granulated sugar at medium speed for about 1-2 minutes to dissolve the sugar and until you have a smooth and bubbly mixture.

Then add the eggs and vanilla extract one by one while letting the mixer run at medium speed until they are well incorporated.

Then finish by gently folding the flour mixture into the liquid mixture, either with a spatula or at the slow speed of the electric mixer, and mix until you have a smooth, soft and slightly sticky dough.

Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour (ideally more to make them easier to shape).

Preheat your oven to 350°F/ 180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Form balls of dough with a cookie scoop or with your hands (if you have trouble you can grease your hands with oil to make shaping easier).

Roll the balls in confectioner's sugar until they are completely covered with sugar coating and place them on your baking sheet. Leave a space between each ball as they will puff up a bit during baking.

Bake the crinkle cookies

Bake in preheated oven your chocolate crinkle cookies for about 10 - 15 minutes depending on the diameter and power of your oven. The cookies will be ready when they have that cracked look, have puffed up a bit and are still a bit soft to the touch.

Let the chocolate crinkle cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a cake wire rack and letting them cool completely before serving.

How to store chocolate crinkles

At room temperature

You can store your crinkle cookies the same way you store shortbread cookies in a storage box with a lid. They will keep their softness and freshness for several weeks.

Freeze the chocolate crinkle

Here's a handy trick to keep your cookies for a very long time: After baking and when your crinkles are well cooled, you can place them in storage bags and put them in the freezer for 3 months.

Tips for successful crinkling

Measure the quantities

Use an electric kitchen scale to measure the dry ingredients and especially the flour, which is a key factor in the final fluffy texture of the crinkle cookies.

Prepare the recipe in advance

The texture of crinkles before baking is similar to brownie batter or brownie cookies, it is not easy to handle like classic cookies. The best way to avoid adding flour to the dough and to shape pretty balls is to let the dough chill in the fridge. At least one hour, but if you have the possibility to prepare the dough the day before, it will be easier to handle.

Gently fold in the dry ingredients

To avoid activating the gluten in the flour, the incorporation of the flour and other dry ingredients should be done gently and smoothly with either a spatula or a low speed electric mixer. This will keep the cookies soft and tender and will give them a brownie-like consistency.

What makes the crinkle in these cookies?

The particularity of this recipe is its cracked effect which is simply due to the fact that the cookies are completely covered with confectioner's sugar. Even the cookie dough underneath is no longer visible. And during the baking process, the baking powder will grow quickly due to the high temperature of the oven and a hard crust will form and crack which will create these nice cracks.

Do I have to flatten the crinkles before baking?

No, the dough remains soft and when baked will spread out and form naturally flattened and round cookies.

Why are my crinkle cookies flat?

The dough needs to have a firmer consistency before baking, which is a bit like with chocolate chip cookies. To have thicker cookies with a nice soft texture, the ideal is to let the dough chill in the fridge.

You can then let the dough chill before shaping them, or you can shape them and put them in the fridge or freezer and they won't fall apart too much during baking.

If you like Christmas cookies :

• Snowflakes gingerbread cookies
• Snickerdoodle cookies

Other chocolate cookies

• Brownie cookies
• Hot chocolate cookies

Don't forget to tag me @sweetlycakes on Instagram if you make my chocolate crinkle cookies and to add a link to my recipe if you share it on your blog 😉