If you’re a true chocolate lover, these Rich Chocolate Brownie Crinkle Cookies are about to become your new obsession. They’re everything you adore about a fudgy brownie — soft centers, rich cocoa flavor, and that melt‑in‑your‑mouth texture — all wrapped up in a perfectly portioned cookie.
Traditionally baked around the holidays, chocolate brownie crinkle cookies deserve a spot in your year‑round rotation. They’re simple, pantry‑friendly, and unbelievably satisfying. As they bake, the dough gently cracks open to reveal those signature crinkly tops dusted in snowy powdered sugar. They look impressive, but they’re wonderfully easy to make.
And trust me… they disappear fast. My family inhaled these so quickly I barely snagged one. Consider yourself warned!
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Brownie Crinkle Cookies:
- Deep, rich chocolate flavor
- Soft, fudgy brownie‑like centers
- Beautiful crackly powdered‑sugar tops
- Pantry‑friendly ingredients
- Perfect for gifting, holidays, or anytime chocolate cravings strike
- Make‑ahead friendly — the dough chills beautifully
Pro Tips for Perfect Chocolate Brownie Crinkle Cookies:
- Use a good cocoa powder: Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa works perfectly here.
- Oil swap: Canola or vegetable oil both work.
- Forgot to bring out the eggs? Warm water for 2 minutes brings them to room temp.
- Yes, the dough looks like brownie batter: It thickens as it chills — totally normal.
- Chill time matters: Minimum 3 hours, but overnight gives the fudgiest results.Â
- They finish setting on the tray: Don’t overbake; they firm up as they cool.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze baked cookies or dough balls for up to 3 months.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups AP flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions:
- In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In your large mixer bowl, add the cocoa powder, both sugars, oil and vanilla. Beat until well blended.
- Beat the eggs in to the chocolate mixture, one at a time.
- Add in the dry ingredients, (flour mixture), and mix on low speed until well combined.
- Scrape everything together in a ball, then cover and chill for a minimum of 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Place the granulated sugar and powdered sugar in separate small bowls.
- Scoop the dough in to about 1 inch balls using a cookie scoop to measure, roll in the granulated sugar, then in the powdered sugar, then place on the baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Rich Chocolate Brownie Crinkle Cookies
EQUIPMENT (Amazon Associate Links)
Ingredients
- 2 cups AP flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 4 eggs, room temp
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In your large mixer bowl, add the cocoa powder, both sugars, oil and vanilla. Beat until well blended.
- Beat the eggs in to the chocolate mixture, one at a time.
- Add in the dry ingredients, (flour mixture), and mix on low speed until well combined.
- Scrape everything together in a ball, then cover and chill for a minimum of 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Place the granulated sugar and powdered sugar in separate small bowls.
- Scoop the dough in to about 1 inch balls using a cookie scoop to measure, roll in the granulated sugar, then in the powdered sugar, then place on the baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use a good cocoa powder: Hershey's unsweetened cocoa works perfectly here.
- Oil swap: Canola or vegetable oil both work.
- Forgot to bring out the eggs? Warm water for 2 minutes brings them to room temp.
- Yes, the dough looks like brownie batter: It thickens as it chills — totally normal.
- Chill time matters: Minimum 3 hours, but overnight gives the fudgiest results.Â
- They finish setting on the tray: Don’t overbake; they firm up as they cool.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze baked cookies or dough balls for up to 3 months.
Chocolate Brownie Crinkle Cookies FAQ’s:
Why do my crinkle cookies not crack?
They need to be cold going into the oven. Chilling the dough ensures the tops crack beautifully.
Why roll in two sugars?
Granulated sugar helps the powdered sugar stick and enhances the crackle effect.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes — chill up to 24 hours before baking.
Can I freeze the dough?
Absolutely. Freeze pre‑rolled dough balls and bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes.
Why do my cookies spread too much?
The dough wasn’t chilled long enough or your oven may run hot.
Can you use dark cocoa?
These cookies are the BEST! They have become my go-to crinkle cookies. I live in PA and never had a problem with this recipe. My son, however, has tried them twice and they turned out super flat both times. He lives in MT at 4200′ elevation. Could elevation be the culprit or do you have any suggestions for him?
Dang it – Is he making sure he refrigerates the dough for the whole time? That is the main culprit of these going flat. I live in Utah at 5000′ elevation, and have never had an issue. He could try adding a couple of Tbsps of extra flour?
Thank you! Good to know about your elevation. I’ll pass your suggestions on to him.
Donuts2crumpets, my cookies keep burning from the bottom, and they don’t flatten or Melt when cooking so they’re basically the same shape… I need help… they are a bit too sweet too…
The temperature is listed in F if that helps – I’ve never cooked these in an oven that splits the temp like that, so not sure what what the temp should be set at there? If the oven is C it should be 176-177.
I have never used it – dark is more bitter so it would not be as sweet, but I have used dark in other cookies and loved it – let me know how they turn out if you decide to try it!
This recipe is the bomb! I made these last year and everyone LOVED them! These will forever be on my list now, thank you for sharing!
Oh I’m so glad you like them! Thank you! 🙂
Are these super sweet?
They are not overly sweet in my opinion, they are one of the most popular cookies I take to gatherings. The bitterness of the cocoa powder helps offset the sweetness. 🙂
Can I put them in the freezer for 2 hrs instead of 3 hours?
Can you freeze these?
You sure can! If you freeze after baking just let them cool completely then use parchment paper between layers of cookies in an airtight container. If you want to freeze before baking, freeze the dough balls after rolling in to balls but before rolling in sugars in a single layer on a cookie tray then after they are frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. When you want to bake, just let them sit out for about 20-30 mins on the counter, then roll them in the sugars before baking!
These look the bomb!!
Medium or large eggs please?
I always use large! 🩵
Thank you for explaining the freezer technique! I am making cookie trays for a wedding and am freezing the dough of various types of cookies I’m making. This is one I’m definitely doing! Will follow your instructions to sugar after they have thawed. Thank you!
Awesome! Hope the wedding goes well! 🙂
What would the shelf life be on these cookies ?
They will last about 5 days if stored in an airtight container at room temp. A little longer if you refrigerate! 🙂
Can I replace the oil with melted butter?
I have never tried that, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Update….unfroze the balls and rolled in the granulated sugar followed by the powdered sugar. These were a HUGE HIT at the wedding on the cookie table. I had people coming up to me literally gushing about them. Someone described them as, “those chocolate clouds of heaven”. They are just so delicious. I did use room temp butter instead of oil, same measurement. These are forever on my list. Have another wedding to make cookies for next month and the mother of the bride specifically asked if I would make these! Bakers out there….do not neglect this one!!! Thanks donuts2crumpets!
Use room temp butter not melted
These cookies are dangerous. I cannot stop eating them. I keep hiding them from my family, and they keep finding them. Delicious
I love it! LOL. Thank you for commenting and rating and making my day. 🙂
Can you use vegetable oil?
Absolutely!
These are THE BEST chocolate crinkle cookies ever! These are the second year making them and will be on my list every year for Christmas cookie. Like eating a fudge brownie!
Awe, thank you so much for commenting and rating! Truly makes my day. 🙂
I messed up while making them and had to replace a few ingredients to worst quality stuff and they still came out amazing
Yay! I’m so glad you liked them. Thank you for commenting and rating! 🙂
I make these at least once a month for any special events. I was just wondering how long do you think the dough balls would last in the freezer for?
I usually don’t keep cookie dough in the freezer for any longer than 3 months for them to taste fresh 🙂 Thank you for commenting and rating! It always makes my day! 🙂
I make these all the time with size scooper listed. How long would you recommend I bake them for if I use a standard sized ice cream scooper (maybe 5 TBSP)?
I’ve never made these that big, so I would cook one to test and add two minutes, then see how it is. Once you have it how you want, cook the rest! 🙂
Can you make these cookies in a 9×13 pan?
I have never tried that but I don’t think it would work too well since they are quite soft – you would have a hard time getting the center to bake. 🙂
Help! I accidentally only put 1/4 cup of granulated sugar instead of a full cup in the dough. It’s currently chilling, can I add 3/4s tomorrow? And throw it back in the fridge for a bit….?
Or should I just leave it as is…?
If you just added it to the refrigerator and it’s still soft, pull it out, and mix it in. It’s going to be hard to mix in once it has firmed up. If the mixture is firm, you will need to leave it out before mixing it in and then re-refrigerate! I’ve never actually had that happen, so hoping that will fix it for you and they turn out ok!
My son loves these even more since I started putting peanut butter chips in them. He has a goofy name for them that isn’t very flattering but I see where he’s coming from. He claims the peanut butter chips look kinda like corn and the crackle coating looks like they’re frozen and what animal recycles “magic” corn this time of year as they fly around with the guy with the beard and red suit? So it must be frozen reindeer poop!
Please don’t be offended ( I think he says this so he chase off any contenders eyeing his favorite cookie)😉
I love that so much! That is awesome.😂 Thank you for sharing. This makes me so happy! 🙂
Help! My cookies keep burning from the bottom and turning black because of the sugar, and the sugar also keeps hardening around the cookie, and the cookie isn’t melting, it’s in the same shape I rolled it into. I have heat from the top and bottom. The bottom is max 280? And the top doesn’t mention the temperature it only shows the amount of heat… so I’m not sure how I make sure they don’t burn and harden outside like a shelll….please help….