These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are such fun cookies with their frosty white crinkles contrasting the chocolate. But the real bonus is how tasty they are. When the cookies expand as they rise in the oven, they split on the top to form the characteristic “crinkle” appearance from the icing sugar in which they were rolled.
These cookies are tasty any time of the year though they are most popular during the Christmas season when they frequently make an appearance on cookie trays, in gift boxes and tins, at cookie exchange events, and on plates of cookies left out for Santa to snack on when he makes a visit.
This recipe calls for vegetable oil instead of butter or shortening. The oil will result in cookies that have a soft, moist texture with some chewiness. Because the vegetable oil is a neutral flavor, it allows the chocolate to take center stage on the flavor profile spectrum in the cookies.
For these cookies, there is a choice of dry cocoa to use. Either Dutch-processed or unsweetened natural cocoa can be used. My personal preference is to use Dutch-processed cocoa in these cookies as it is darker in color than natural cocoa and will result in the cookies having a dark brown or almost black color that contrasts particularly well, in my opinion, with the icing sugar crinkles. (Some of you may know icing sugar as confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar.)
A combination of all-purpose flour and superfine almond flour is used in these cookies and I do not recommend any substitution for the almond flour. Not only does it lend a lovely subtle undertone flavor to the cookies but it helps to give them a slightly chewy texture. If this is not a flour you regularly bake with, I suggest heading to your nearest bulk food store and purchasing just the ¼ cup called for in this recipe.
While I have listed the Instant Espresso Powder as an optional ingredient, I do recommend it and often add it to my chocolate baked goods. It deepens the chocolate flavor. I keep a bottle of Espresso Powder in my freezer to maintain its freshness and I use the product frequently in baking.
When the batter is mixed for these cookies, it will be far too soft and sticky to form balls with; it will have a consistency not unlike a cake mix batter, actually. For this reason, it must be covered tightly and refrigerated for a minimum of 4 hours and can be left up to 48 hours. After this time, the mixture will still be somewhat soft and sticky. Do not add more flour to the batter than called for in the recipe as adding additional flour will result in hard, dense cookies.
I recommend lightly spraying your hands with cooking oil before scooping up some of the mixture and forming the balls and rolling them first in granulated sugar followed by the icing sugar. As a frame of reference, I use about 20 grams (apx. 5/8 oz – ¾ oz) of the mixture for each ball. The granulated sugar coating will provide somewhat of a barrier to prevent the icing sugar from quickly dissolving into the chocolate balls. When rolling the balls in the icing sugar, be very generous. The better coated they are, the better the crackle will be as they bake and the more eye appealing they are. Make sure to sift the icing sugar first to ensure there are no lumps in it.
Only form and coat the balls in the sugars as you bake them – i.e., one sheet at a time. Even though the granulated sugar forms a barrier of sorts to prevent the quick dissolving of the icing sugar, it won’t prevent it altogether if the balls are rolled in the icing sugar and let sit on the baking sheets for minutes before they are popped into the oven. You want to make sure you get good signature cracking on the tops of the cookies and that the icing sugar stays prominently brilliant white.
Every oven bakes a wee bit differently but the cookies (of the gram size indicated) should bake within the range of 12-14 minutes. This is a guideline only. When nicely baked, the cookies are cracked, their edges set, and the cookies should start to have the appearance of a slightly dry matte finish on top. It’s important not to overbake the cookies because you don’t want to lose the soft, slightly chewy texture. The cookies will puff up as they bake and can be expected to deflate a bit as they cool. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 7-8 minutes to set before using a thin-edged offset spatula to transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Store cookies between layers of waxed or parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days or freeze for longer storage.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients:
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup superfine almond flour (no substitution)
½ cup cocoa (either Dutch-processed or unsweetened natural cocoa)
¾ tsp Instant Espresso Powder (optional but recommended)
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
3-4 tbsp granulated sugar
Apx. ½ – 2/3 cup sifted icing sugar (aka powdered or confectioner’s sugar)
Method:
Pre-Prep: Set out eggs to bring to room temperature. Sift, or sieve, flours, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl.
In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat oil and sugars together at medium speed until combined. Mixture will appear crumbly and crystal-like.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
Reduce mixer speed to lowest setting and gradually add in the dry ingredients, a couple of large spoonfuls at a time, stopping as necessary to scrape down sides of bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat ingredients for about 20 seconds. Do not overbeat.
Cover bowl tightly with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours at this stage)
When ready to bake cookies, position oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper. Remove cookie mixture from refrigerator. Mixture will still be quite soft and somewhat sticky but will be easier to work with if hands are sprayed lightly with cooking oil.
Set up two small shallow bowls, one containing granulated sugar and the other, icing sugar. Form mixture into balls about 20 grams (apx. 5/8 oz – ¾ oz) each. Roll each ball first in the granulated sugar then in the icing sugar, ensuring a generous coverage of the icing sugar. Coating the cookie balls in the granulated sugar first provides a barrier for the icing sugar so it does not quickly dissolve into the chocolate. Place balls, about 2½“ apart, on prepared cookie sheet(s). Bake cookies for approximately 12-14 minutes or until cookies are cracked, cookie edges are set, and cookies start to have a slightly dry matte finish on top. Do not overbake. Let cookies rest on baking sheet(s) for 7-8 minutes before using a thin edged offset spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store cookies between layers of waxed or parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days or freeze for longer storage.
Yield: Apx. 24 cookies (of the gram size indicated in the recipe)
NOTES:
Cookies made of another size may require different baking times.
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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Picture perfect, these yummy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are easy to make and are perfect for snacking, holiday cookie trays, gift giving, and cookie exchanges.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup superfine almond flour (no substitution)
- ½ cup cocoa (either Dutch-processed or unsweetened natural cocoa)
- ¾ tsp Instant Espresso Powder (optional but recommended)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3-4 tbsp granulated sugar
- Apx. ½ – 2/3 cup sifted icing sugar (aka powdered or confectioner’s sugar)
Instructions
-
Pre-Prep: Set out eggs to bring to room temperature. Sift, or sieve, flours, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl.
-
In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat oil and sugars together at medium speed until combined. Mixture will appear crumbly and crystal-like.
-
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
-
Reduce mixer speed to lowest setting and gradually add in the dry ingredients, a couple of large spoonfuls at a time, stopping as necessary to scrape down sides of bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat ingredients for about 20 seconds. Do not overbeat.
-
Cover bowl tightly with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours at this stage)
-
When ready to bake cookies, position oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper. Remove cookie mixture from refrigerator. Mixture will still be quite soft and somewhat sticky but will be easier to work with if hands are sprayed lightly with cooking oil.
-
Set up two small shallow bowls, one containing granulated sugar and the other, icing sugar. Form mixture into balls about 20 grams (apx. 5/8 oz – ¾ oz) each. Roll each ball first in the granulated sugar then in the icing sugar, ensuring a generous coverage of the icing sugar. Coating the cookie balls in the granulated sugar first provides a barrier for the icing sugar so it does not quickly dissolve into the chocolate. Place balls, about 2½“ apart, on prepared cookie sheet(s). Bake cookies for approximately 12-14 minutes or until cookies are cracked, cookie edges are set, and cookies start to have a slightly dry matte finish on top. Do not overbake. Let cookies rest on baking sheet(s) for 7-8 minutes before using a thin edged offset spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
-
Store cookies between layers of waxed or parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days or freeze for longer storage.
Recipe Notes
Yield: Apx. 24 cookies (of the gram size indicated in the recipe)
[Copyright My Island Bistro Kitchen]
NOTE:
Baking times given are a guideline only as ovens can heat differently.
Cookies made of another size may require different baking times.
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