25 Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

There is no cookie on the Christmas tray that disappears faster than a double chocolate crinkle cookie. The dark, fudgy chocolate center, the dramatic cracked top dusted in powdered sugar, and the soft, brownie-like bite make them look like they came from a fancy bakery — and they taste just as good as they look. They are rich, deeply chocolatey, and wonderfully soft, with a sweet snowy coating in every bite.

Before we start, one important note: these are double chocolate crinkle cookies, a completely different cookie from the green grinch crinkle cookies you may have seen elsewhere. Those are chocolate cookies tinted green with food coloring for a Christmas character theme. This recipe is pure chocolate through and through — dark cocoa and melted chocolate chips with no green coloring at all — and the flavor is rich, fudgy, and intensely chocolatey rather than playful and green. Both are beautiful holiday crinkle cookies, but they taste nothing alike, and this guide is all about the double chocolate version.

This guide gives you twenty-five ways to make, bake, decorate, store, gift, and enjoy double chocolate crinkle cookies — from choosing the best cocoa powder and the perfect cracked top to the double sugar coating trick, gluten-free swaps, cookie exchange tips, and gift packaging ideas. Whether you are baking for your family, a holiday party, or a cookie exchange, these cookies are festive, fun, and unforgettable.

1. What Are Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies?

Double chocolate crinkle cookies are soft, fudgy chocolate cookies made with two kinds of chocolate — cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips — and rolled in powdered sugar before baking. As they bake, the cookies spread and crack open, and the dark chocolate shows through the white sugar in a beautiful cracked pattern that looks like snow on dark earth. The result is a cookie that looks stunning and tastes like a brownie in cookie form.

The word “double” is the key to this recipe, because the chocolate comes from two sources at once. Cocoa powder gives the dough its deep chocolate flavor and dark color, while melted chocolate chips add richness and keep the center fudgy and moist. Together they make a cookie that is far more chocolatey than an ordinary chocolate cookie, with a soft center and a lightly crisp, sugary outside.

2. The Rich Double Chocolate Flavor

The rich double chocolate flavor is what makes these cookies so beloved, and it comes from using both cocoa powder and real chocolate in the same dough. The cocoa powder gives a deep, slightly bitter chocolate note, and the melted chocolate chips add a smooth, sweet richness that rounds it out. The two together taste like the best brownie you have ever had, shaped into a cookie.

To make the chocolate flavor shine, use a good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder and do not skimp on the vanilla extract, which rounds out the chocolate and makes it taste fuller. A pinch of salt is also important, because it balances the sweetness of the powdered sugar coating and makes the chocolate taste even more intense. If you want an even deeper flavor, add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder — it will not make the cookies taste like coffee, but it will make the chocolate taste more chocolatey.

3. The Cracked Powdered Sugar Top

The cracked powdered sugar top is the signature look of a crinkle cookie, and it happens naturally as the cookie bakes. The dough balls are rolled in powdered sugar, and as the cookies spread in the hot oven, the sugary surface splits open and the dark chocolate dough shows through the cracks. The contrast between the snowy white sugar and the dark chocolate is what makes these cookies so pretty on a holiday tray.

The secret to a beautiful crack is a thick, generous coating of powdered sugar and a properly chilled dough. If the sugar layer is too thin, the cracks will be faint and the cookies will look dusty instead of snowy. Roll each ball twice — once in granulated sugar and once in powdered sugar — for the boldest, whitest cracks. The cookies should look like they have been dusted with fresh snow when they come out of the oven.

4. Choosing the Best Cocoa Powder

The cocoa powder you choose makes a real difference in these cookies. Use a good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, and look for one that is dark and fragrant when you open the tin. A cheap cocoa powder can taste flat and dusty, while a good one tastes rich and deeply chocolatey even before it is baked. Natural cocoa powder is the classic choice for this recipe, and it gives the cookies a classic chocolate flavor with a slight tang.

Store your cocoa powder in a cool, dry place in an airtight container, because it absorbs moisture and odors easily. Measure it carefully with a spoon and level it off, because too much cocoa makes the cookies dry and bitter. Sift the cocoa with the flour before adding it to the wet ingredients, so there are no dark clumps in the finished cookies.

5. Dutch-Process vs Natural Cocoa

Dutch-process cocoa and natural cocoa are not the same, and the difference matters in this recipe. Natural cocoa is acidic, and it reacts with baking soda to help the cookies rise and spread. Dutch-process cocoa has been treated to neutralize the acid, so it is darker, smoother, and less bitter, but it does not react with baking soda in the same way. Both make delicious cookies, but they behave differently in the oven.

For the classic crinkle cookie, natural cocoa with baking powder works beautifully and gives a lighter, more open crumb. If you prefer a very dark, almost black cookie with a smooth, mellow flavor, use Dutch-process cocoa and make sure your recipe uses baking powder rather than baking soda for the lift. Do not swap one cocoa for the other without checking the leavening, or the cookies may spread too much or not enough.

6. The Chocolate Chips Inside

The chocolate chips inside are what make these cookies “double” chocolate, and they do more than add flavor. Melted chocolate chips folded into the warm dough give the cookies their fudgy, brownie-like center, while a few extra chips stirred in whole melt into little pockets of chocolate in every bite. The result is a cookie that is soft and gooey in the middle, even after it has cooled.

Use semisweet or dark chocolate chips for the richest flavor, and chop a chocolate bar into chunks if you want bigger pools of melted chocolate. Milk chocolate chips also work, but they make the cookies sweeter and less intensely chocolatey. Measure the chips generously — a full cup and a half in a standard batch is about right — because the chocolate is the whole point of this cookie.

7. The Cookie Dough Base

The cookie dough base is a rich chocolate dough made from butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt, with melted chocolate folded in. The butter should be softened to room temperature, not melted, because melted butter makes the cookies spread too much and lose their thick, fudgy shape. Beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which takes about three minutes with an electric mixer.

Use granulated sugar in the dough for structure, and do not overmix after the flour goes in, or the cookies will be tough instead of tender. Stop as soon as you cannot see any more dry flour, and the cookies will be soft and fudgy every time. The dough should be soft, dark, and slightly sticky, and it should hold together when you scoop it.

8. Mixing the Dough

Mixing the dough in the right order is the secret to a perfect crinkle cookie. Start by beating the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in the vanilla, then fold in the melted chocolate while it is still warm but not hot, so it blends smoothly into the butter mixture without cooking the eggs.

Add the dry ingredients — flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt — in two additions, mixing gently after each one until just combined. The dough will be soft and dark, and it will look a little like brownie batter. Do not worry if it seems too soft to roll; the chilling step comes next, and it will firm up beautifully in the fridge.

9. Chilling the Dough (Why It Matters)

Chilling the dough is the single most important step in this recipe, and skipping it is the reason most crinkle cookies fail. Warm dough spreads too fast in the oven, and the powdered sugar melts into the cookie instead of cracking beautifully. Cold dough spreads slowly, so the sugar coating stays on the surface and splits into those dramatic dark cracks as the cookie expands.

Chill the dough for at least two hours, and overnight is even better. The flavor actually improves with a long chill, because the cocoa and chocolate deepen as the dough rests. When you are ready to bake, scoop the cold dough quickly and roll the balls fast, because warm hands soften the dough. If the dough gets too soft while you are rolling, pop the tray back in the fridge for fifteen minutes.

10. Rolling Balls in Powdered Sugar

Rolling the dough balls in powdered sugar is the step that creates the famous crinkle look. Scoop the chilled dough into balls about the size of a walnut, and roll each one between your palms until it is smooth and round. Then roll it generously in powdered sugar until it is completely white all over, with no dark dough showing through. The thicker the coating, the bolder the cracks will be.

Work with cold dough and clean, dry hands, because damp hands make the sugar clump and melt. If the sugar starts to disappear into the dough, roll the ball again in fresh sugar. Place the coated balls two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and do not flatten them — they will spread on their own in the oven into thick, fudgy rounds.

11. The Double Sugar Coating Trick

The double sugar coating trick is what separates an okay crinkle cookie from a spectacular one. First roll each dough ball in granulated sugar, and then roll it in powdered sugar. The granulated sugar creates a thin, crisp layer underneath, and the powdered sugar sits on top of it instead of melting straight into the dough. The result is a whiter, thicker coating and much bolder cracks.

This trick also keeps the cookies from sticking to the baking sheet, because the granulated sugar acts as a barrier between the dough and the pan. Use a shallow bowl for each sugar, and keep the powdered sugar bowl fresh — once it gets damp with chocolate crumbs, replace it with clean sugar. The extra minute this trick takes is the difference between faint dusting and a snowy, dramatic crinkle.

12. Baking Time and Temperature

Bake these cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for ten to twelve minutes, until the edges are set and the tops are deeply cracked but the centers still look soft. The cookies will look underdone in the middle when you take them out, and that is exactly right — they finish baking on the hot pan as they cool, and the centers set into a soft, fudgy texture.

Do not wait until the cookies look firm all the way through, because crinkle cookies overbake quickly and turn dry and cakey. The cracks should be wide and dark, and the sugar should still be white, not golden. Let them sit on the baking sheet for five minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely before stacking or storing.

13. The Fudgy Center

The fudgy center is what makes people reach for a second cookie, and it comes from three things: melted chocolate, underbaking slightly, and the right amount of flour. Melted chocolate keeps the center moist and dense like a brownie, pulling the cookies out while the centers still look soft lets them finish on the hot pan, and measuring the flour correctly keeps them from turning cakey.

Use a kitchen scale to measure the flour if you have one, because scooping flour straight from the bag packs it down and adds too much. Too much flour is the fastest way to a dry, cakey crinkle cookie. If your cookies come out cakey instead of fudgy, try one tablespoon less flour next time, and take them out of the oven one minute earlier.

14. The Crisp Edges

The crisp edges are the perfect contrast to the fudgy center, and they come from the sugar coating and the heat of the oven. As the cookies bake, the edges set first and the sugar on the outside crisps into a thin, sweet shell, while the center stays soft and gooey. That contrast — crisp outside, fudgy inside — is what makes a great crinkle cookie.

To get the best edges, bake on the middle rack of the oven and use a light-colored baking sheet, because dark sheets brown the bottoms too fast. Line the sheet with parchment paper, not a greased pan, so the cookies release cleanly without extra oil. If the edges are browning before the centers are set, move the tray up one rack and check the oven temperature with a thermometer.

15. Making Them Ahead

These cookies are perfect for making ahead, because the dough can be made up to three days in advance and kept in the fridge. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, and let it sit on the counter for fifteen minutes before scooping so it is soft enough to handle. The flavor actually improves with a long chill, because the cocoa and chocolate deepen as the dough rests.

You can also bake the cookies a day or two before you need them and store them in an airtight container. The powdered sugar coating may absorb a little moisture overnight, so dust the finished cookies with a little extra powdered sugar just before serving to freshen up the snowy look. If you are making a big batch for a cookie exchange, bake the cookies over two days and pack them all at once.

16. Storing Your Crinkle Cookies

Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, and they will stay soft and fudgy the whole time. Put a slice of bread in the container with them — the bread dries out while the cookies stay moist, which is an old baker’s trick that really works. Replace the bread slice every couple of days if you are storing a big batch.

Do not store the cookies in the fridge, because the cold dries them out and makes the powdered sugar coating go dull and sticky. If your kitchen is very warm, keep the container in a cool pantry instead. Layer the cookies between sheets of parchment paper so the sugar coating does not stick to the cookie above it, and keep the container away from strong smells.

17. Freezing the Dough

Double chocolate crinkle cookie dough freezes beautifully, and these cookies are perfect for making ahead. Roll the dough into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet until solid, and then transfer them to a freezer bag. The frozen dough balls keep for up to three months, and you can bake exactly as many as you need, whenever you need them.

When you want fresh cookies, roll the frozen balls in powdered sugar and bake them straight from frozen with two extra minutes in the oven. This is the best way to have fresh cookies on demand all through December — bake a small batch for unexpected guests, a batch for the neighbors, and a batch for yourself, all from the same freezer bag.

18. Freezing Baked Cookies

You can also freeze the baked cookies, and they thaw beautifully. Let the cookies cool completely, then layer them between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. The powdered sugar coating may look a little less bright after thawing, so dust the cookies with fresh powdered sugar before serving.

Thaw the cookies at room temperature for about an hour, and do not microwave them, because the sugar coating melts and the centers turn rubbery. For the best texture, let them thaw slowly on the counter in their container, so the condensation forms on the container rather than on the cookies. They will taste almost as fresh as the day you baked them.

19. Cookie Exchange Tips

These cookies are made for cookie exchanges, because they travel well, they look beautiful, and everyone loves them. Bake them the day before the exchange so they are fresh, and pack them in a single layer in a sturdy tin lined with parchment paper. Bring the recipe printed on a card, because at least three people will ask for it.

Make your cookies stand out by packing them in a dark tin or on a white platter, so the snowy white cracks pop against the background. If the exchange has a theme, these fit the classic Christmas cookie theme perfectly. Bring a few extra, because the host always sneaks one before the exchange even starts.

20. Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most common mistake with these cookies is skipping the chill time. Warm dough spreads too fast, and the powdered sugar melts into the cookie instead of cracking. Always chill the dough for at least two hours, and work fast when rolling the balls. The second most common mistake is overbaking them — the centers should look soft when they come out of the oven, and the cookies should stay dark, not dry.

The third mistake is a thin sugar coating, which gives faint, dusty cracks instead of bold, snowy ones. Roll each ball generously in powdered sugar, and use the double coating trick with granulated sugar underneath. The fourth mistake is using too much flour, which makes the cookies cakey instead of fudgy. Measure the flour carefully, and stop mixing as soon as the dry ingredients disappear.

21. Variations to Try

Once you master the basic recipe, try some fun variations. Add a teaspoon of peppermint extract and a sprinkle of crushed candy cane on top for a chocolate peppermint version that tastes like Christmas in a cookie. Or add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder for a mocha crinkle cookie with a deeper, more grown-up chocolate flavor.

For a sandwich version, spread chocolate ganache or marshmallow fluff between two thin crinkle cookies. You can also roll the dough balls in a mix of powdered sugar and cocoa powder for a darker, more dramatic crack, or add a pinch of chili powder for a Mexican hot chocolate twist. The variations are endless, and every one of them is delicious.

22. Why These Belong on Your Christmas Table

Every Christmas table needs a cookie that looks dramatic, and this is that cookie. The dark chocolate cracks, the snowy white sugar, and the soft, fudgy center are the look of a classic holiday, and the rich chocolate flavor is the kind of thing people remember. They are easy enough for a beginner to bake, impressive enough for a cookie exchange, and delicious enough that nobody will leave them uneaten.

They are also the kind of cookie that starts traditions. Bake them once, and your family will ask for them every December. Write the recipe on a card, tuck it in your recipe box, and make a batch every year — some recipes are worth keeping forever, and this is one of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between double chocolate crinkle cookies and grinch crinkle cookies?

Double chocolate crinkle cookies are pure chocolate — cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips with no food coloring — while grinch crinkle cookies are tinted green with food coloring for a Christmas character theme. The double chocolate version tastes rich and fudgy, and the grinch version is a playful green cookie. Both have the same cracked powdered sugar top, but they taste and look very different.

Why did my crinkle cookies not crack?

The most common reason is warm dough or a thin sugar coating. Chill the dough for at least two hours, roll each ball generously in powdered sugar, and try the double coating trick with granulated sugar underneath. Cold dough spreads slowly, so the sugar stays on the surface and splits into bold cracks as the cookie expands.

Can I use Dutch-process cocoa in this recipe?

Yes, but check the leavening. Dutch-process cocoa is darker and smoother than natural cocoa, but it does not react with baking soda. Use baking powder for the lift if you use Dutch-process cocoa, and expect a very dark, almost black cookie with a mellow chocolate flavor.

Why did my cookies come out flat?

Flat crinkle cookies usually mean the dough was too warm or the butter was melted instead of softened. Chill the dough thoroughly, use room-temperature butter, and bake on a cool baking sheet. If the dough softens while you are rolling, pop the tray back in the fridge for fifteen minutes before baking.

Can I make these cookies ahead of time?

Yes. The baked cookies keep for a week in an airtight container, and the raw dough balls freeze for up to three months. Bake the frozen balls straight from the freezer with two extra minutes in the oven, and dust the finished cookies with fresh powdered sugar before serving.

How do I keep the cookies soft for days?

Store them in an airtight container with a slice of bread. The bread dries out while the cookies stay moist. Replace the bread every couple of days, do not store the cookies in the fridge, and layer them between sheets of parchment paper so the sugar coating does not stick.

Conclusion

Double chocolate crinkle cookies are everything a Christmas cookie should be: rich, fudgy, and full of deep chocolate flavor in every bite. The dark cracked top, the snowy powdered sugar, and the soft brownie-like center come together in a cookie that is easy to bake and impossible to forget. And remember — this is the double chocolate version, not the green grinch cookie. Both are beautiful holiday crinkle cookies, but this one is the rich, intensely chocolatey cookie your family will ask for again and again.

This holiday season, make a batch for your family, a batch for your neighbors, and a batch for the cookie exchange. Pour a glass of cold milk, set out the cookies, and pin this recipe for your next baking day. Share it with someone who loves chocolate cookies, and enjoy the most fudgy cookie of the season.

More holiday cookie inspiration from Bedinspo:

• Sprinkle Embroidery Christmas Cookies — beautifully decorated Christmas cookies with piped sprinkle embroidery.
• Italian Fig Cookies — traditional fig-filled cookies with a sweet, spiced filling.
• Toasted Pecan Snowball Cookies — buttery pecan cookies rolled in powdered sugar.
• Eggnog Snickerdoodles — soft snickerdoodles flavored with creamy eggnog and nutmeg.