Description

These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are soft, fudgy, and coated in a generous dusting of powdered sugar that creates a beautiful crackled appearance when baked. Perfectly rich with unsweetened cocoa and a tender texture, these cookies are a delightful treat for chocolate lovers and come together with simple pantry ingredients. Chilling the dough helps to develop flavor and ensures a perfect crinkle crust after baking.

Ingredients

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Dry Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar (for rolling)

Wet Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or canola oil, or light olive oil)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

Make the cocoa mixture: In a mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs. Whisk the mixture thoroughly until it is smooth and fully blended, ensuring there are no lumps.
Prepare dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This ensures even distribution of leavening and salt throughout the dough.
Combine mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet cocoa mixture and stir gently until the dough forms a uniform consistency without overmixing to avoid tough cookies.
Chill the dough: Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight. This step firms the dough for easier handling and enhances the cookie’s texture.
Preheat and portion dough: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Using a mini ice cream scoop or teaspoon, portion the dough into 20 equal-sized balls. Roll each ball between wet hands to smooth the shape, then generously coat each ball with confectioners’ sugar for the signature crinkle effect.
Bake cookies: Arrange the sugar-coated dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving enough space between each cookie to allow for expansion. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies will be soft out of the oven but will firm up as they cool.
Cool cookies: Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them carefully to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents breakage and helps achieve the perfect texture.

Notes

Rolling cookie dough balls with wet hands prevents sticking and helps create smooth, uniform shapes.
Refrigerating the dough is necessary to allow the flavors to meld and to ensure the cookies hold their shape during baking.
Do not overbake; the cookies should be soft when removed from the oven as they set while cooling.
Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent cookies from sticking and to promote even browning.
For a more intense chocolate flavor, you can substitute half of the all-purpose flour with almond flour, but note this may slightly change texture.