Brownie Crinkle Cookies
Brownie Crinkle Cookies are a classic holiday recipe, super simple to make, and quite festive! Cookie Season is in full swing, so get your mixers out, and let’s bake!
Tis the season for Holiday Cookie Platters! We love including Soft and Chewy Gingersnap Cookies, Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars, the Best Snickerdoodle Scones, and some Easy Homemade Toffee!
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
This cookie is part brownie, part cookie. Because they TASTE like brownies, and LOOK like cookies. They also have a delicious powdered sugar CRINKLE on top. Oh my!
Are you heading to cookie swaps this holiday season? If so, THIS one will steal the show.
Why we love these cookies
- Simple to make. Y’all, these are super quick. I use a pan to melt the chocolate and butter, and then two bowls – one for the wet ingredients and one for the dry. You’ll also need a couple of measuring cups and spoons, and then a pan or two to bake them on. Just 9-10 minutes to bake each batch!
- Delicious to eat. Soft and gooey on the inside, and crunchy and crinkly on the outside. That’s my idea of the perfect cookie! And did I mention CHOCOLATE?!
- Pretty to look at. I think these are gorgeous, don’t you? I love how the white and black are contrasting colors on that white background. Add a pop of red and you’ve got the pretties plate of holiday cookies around. Cookie swaps…here we come!
Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Ingredients:
- Butter – Use unsalted butter.
- Sugars – A combo of granulated and brown sugar.
- Eggs – Three large eggs make these extra moist.
- Vanilla – Just a splash is needed.
- Flour – All-purpose flour allows for a lighter cookie.
- Chocolate – Unsweetened cocoa powder PLUS melted chocolate.
- Staples – Baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- Powdered Sugar – Enough for coating the cookie balls.
How to make Brownie Crinkle Cookies
You may already have these ingredients in your pantry. They are all commonly used for baking!
Step 1
Melt the butter and chocolate. In a medium saucepan, melt the chopped chocolate bar and the butter together. This will only take a few minutes. Remove from the stove and let cool slightly.
Step 2
Combine wet ingredients. In a small mixing bowl, combine the sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Then pour in the slightly cooled chocolate and butter, and stir until well combined.
Step 3
Mix the dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Step 4
Pour the dry into the wet. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Step 5
Chill. Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours.
Step 6
Roll into balls. Roll the dough into approximately 15 balls.
Step 7
Roll cookie balls in powdered sugar. Then roll the balls into the powdered sugar until very well coated.
Step 8
Bake. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake cookies for approximately 9-10 minutes. I add 7-8 cookie balls to each baking sheet.
Step 9
Cool. Let cookies sit on the baking pan for several minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
The Crinkle!
Coating the cookies with powdered sugar draws out moisture from their surface, promoting cracks by drying out their tops before the interiors set. If you’d like, pull up a stool in front of your oven door, and watch them crack and crinkle! I did, and it was pretty fascinating!
Expert Tips
- Measure carefully. The more I bake, the more I realize that measuring ingredients are crucial to a top-notch final product. Now I use the “spoon and level” method for flour. Simple spoon the flour into the measuring cup (instead of scooping) and then use a knife or your finger to level off the top.
- Chill the dough. Chilling the dough will help the cookies from getting too flat. It also makes the rolling into balls phase easier as cold dough is less likely to stick to your fingers. If it does, use some cold water on your hands.
- Coat the balls. Make sure you completely coat the chocolate balls with powdered sugar for that extra crackly crinkly exterior! Makes them pretty too.
- Don’t over-bake. I like to bake these for 9-10 minutes. Depending on your oven, you may need even a minute less. Be careful to avoid over-baking!
- Adjust. When you’re baking cookies, always stay close to the oven and keep a watchful eye. If you see that they are spreading out too thin, you can remove them from the oven and use a spatula to gently push them back into shape. These cookies are more prone to NOT flattening enough, so you may need to push down on them gently as they approach the end of their bake time. Either way, they will be delicious!
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xoxo ~Sue
Brownie Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate baking bar – chopped
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar for rolling – or more
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the butter and chopped chocolate bar and melt over medium heat. Remove pan let cool slightly.
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sugars and vanilla and mix again. Then pour the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the bowl and combine well.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Pour into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take dough out of refrigerator, and form into balls.
- Roll the dough balls in the powdered sugar, completely coating them. Place on baking sheet (about 7-8 at a time), and bake for 10 minutes.
- Let cookies sit for 5-6 minutes before moving to cooling racks.
Notes
- Don’t over-bake. I like to bake these for 9-10 minutes. Depending on your oven, you may need even a minute less. Be careful to avoid over-baking!
- Adjust. When you’re baking cookies, always stay close to the oven and keep a watchful eye. If you see that they are spreading out too thin, you can remove them from the oven and use a spatula to gently push them back into shape. These cookies are more prone to NOT flattening enough, so you may need to push down on them gently as they approach the end of their bake time. Either way, they will be delicious!
- Coating the cookies with powdered sugar draws out moisture from their surface, promoting cracks by drying out their tops before the interiors set. If you’d like, pull up a stool in front of your oven door, and watch them crack and crinkle! I did, and it was pretty fascinating!
Question – can we freeze the dough pre-bake? I want to get ahead of Christmas baking so hoping I can!
Yes, I recommend rolling the balls and then freezing them.
Ignore my last comment. I forgot I switched recipes… The other one has to preheat as the first step 🤦♀️. Great recipe!
So good Sue!! I needed a new cookie recipe to add into the holiday mix ~ yummy! And my guys say they’re awesome 🙂
Thanks Ann! So glad you enjoyed these cookies!
I said I’d make these again and I did. Yum! Try them! Next time I’m going to add chocolate chips just because…more chocolate never hurts.
Great idea, Jackie! MORE chocolate!
These were so good! I made them for 5th grade trade fair, and they were very popular. Very easy to make as well. Will definitely make them again!
I’m so glad! Thanks for giving them a try, Abigail! 🙂
Loved these, and they were a popular treat at our Christmas party. Ill make them again – one of my favorites!!
Yay! I’m glad everyone enjoyed the cookies. Thanks for trying them! 🙂
One word……chocolate!!!
Bingo!! 🙂
I love these cookies! I knew I was in for a treat when the recipe started with Chocolate! It got better when I realized it was part brownie and part cookie. Who does that? Awesome!!
I love chocolate crinkle cookies! These look so delicious and perfect for Christmas!
Thanks Natalie! They are amazing cookies. 🙂