Christmas

Holiday Crinkle Cookies

Name: Holiday Crinkle Cookies
Yield: makes about 40 cookies
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 2 cups granulated sugar; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 4 eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup confectioner\'s sugar

by: Regan Baroni

October 31, 2015

26 Ratings

Photo by James Ransom

makes about 40 cookies

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

This holiday cookie recipe is easy, delicious, cute, and crinkly. —Regan Baroni

Test Kitchen Notes

This recipe is everything you want in a classic crinkle: Slightly crunchy on the outside, tender and chewy in the middle, and intensely chocolatey. But how do they get this way? Let's dive in.

Cocoa powder gives these cookies a deep chocolate flavor without adding too much moisture, which would result in a too-cakey consistency. All-purpose flour, vegetable oil, plus a whopping four eggs give the dough a tender structure while also ensuring they aren't too sticky or dense; they also give these cookies some serious staying power (just try them on day two or three—if they last that long—and you'll see how tasty and moist they continue to be!).

And a just-the-right amount of baking powder allows the cookies to puff up to glory, while also letting them spread out—which is just what you want in a crinkle cookie, to create all of those beautiful cracks and crevices that give the sweet treat its distinctive shape.

Speaking of spreading: While chilled dough is usually a great thing in a cookie, cold temps discourage spreading, which is the opposite of what we want here. So if you decide to make these in advance and refrigerate or freeze them, bring them out a bit in advance to thaw and come to room temperature before you bake them off.

If you like mix-ins, try them out here in a modest quantity (no more than 1/2 cup): Finely chopped nuts, candied ginger or orange peel, mini chocolate chips would all be welcome here. Or try sprinkling the tops with flaky sea salt or finely crushed peppermint candies. —Brinda Ayer

"These holiday crinkle cookies are old-school (in a good way). As my kitchen filled with the scent of baking chocolate, I remembered the cookies my grandmother used to make. Regan Baroni's recipe makes cookies with a slighty crisp edge and a fudgy middle. I refrigerated the dough overnight, resulting in perfect crinkles in the cookies. Beware the powdered sugar shower you get from each bite, a sign of a cookie well enjoyed!" —FrozenFoodie

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix the cocoa, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil.
Beat in eggs one at a time and stir in vanilla.
In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; then stir into the cocoa mixture.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and roll dough into 1-inch balls.
Coat each ball with confectioners sugar before placing on the baking sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool and enjoy!

Tags:

Contest Entries

Your Best Holiday Cookie from Anywhere in the World

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Bevi
Sarah E.
Taylor Stanton
Shelley Tucker
Valérie Tralala

Popular on Food52

94 Reviews

Toozie December 19, 2023

I wish I would have read the reviews first. Very sticky dough. Hopefully, will be a bit better after it's been in the fridge. Otherwise, very easy to make.

Jose December 12, 2023

I gave it five stars just for the looks. I wanted to make it so badly because it reminded me of something I used to have back home for this time of the year. But when I looked at the ingredients, sadly I could not have them here. It looks impossible to make it vegan. Is it? Thanks,

SmithersWOW January 21, 2023

I followed this recipe 100% it was perfect. It's supposed to be sticky with 2 cups of sugar thats obvious. Wet hands and using a spoon this was easy to roll. I was able to get 4 dozen Cookies.

ALLISON December 23, 2022

I wanted so badly to love this recipe...the dough was incredibly sticky. A chill in the refrigerator helped, and I used two spoons to make the ball and drop right into the powdered sugar. The flavor is good, but I think I prefer a recipe with melted chocolate bar and butter a la Joy Of Cooking. Maybe its just the nostalgia of knowing that was the recipe used when I was a kid, but this one was hard to reproduce the flavor and fun of rolling the cohesive balls around the powdered sugar.

Eric December 20, 2022

It was really easy to make. Unlike other reviewers, my dough came out just fine. It was easy to make a ball without putting it in a refrigerator. I cut the sugar in half, but I should have kept it as the recipe says or cut it back to 3/4 cup. Thank you for this fun recipe to try during the holidays.

Bevi December 3, 2022

I make the batter and stick it in the fridge for at least an hour. I use a teaspoon to dig out a portion and I immediately throw it in the confectioner's sugar. I have no problem making the ball while rolling in the powdered sugar. I shake off the extra powdered sugar while jiggling the ball in my hand and place on the baking sheet. They spread quite a bit. There is no need to add extra flour, which has a negative impact on the texture and the taste.

boulangere December 8, 2022

Note to self.

gwk989 January 14, 2022

I followed the recipe closely using room temp eggs, my mix was insanely sticky. I added nearly x2 the flour to get it workable. Lost the flavor because I had to add so much flour. This recipe definitely needs some work.

Bevi January 15, 2022

Chilling the dough helps with handling. The dough is inherently sticky. No need to add flour, which would dull the flavor.

typeforbreakfast December 17, 2022

We chilled the dough overnight, then I rolled and baked in the AM, leaving them sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before popping in the oven, and they w came out perfectly! Absolutely NO need to add extra flour — the texture is so light as-written. And don’t skimp on the sugar while rolling — when it cakes up a bit and you think you’ve gone too far, that’s when you get the most dramatic crinkle effect!

Edie M. December 14, 2021

I love this recipe and have been making them the few years for the holiday season. The only thing that should be added is to chill the dough so it can be handled easily when rolling into balls. I let the dough come to room temp after they have been rolled and dipped in the powdered sugar while the oven preheats.

njmurphy December 12, 2021

Made these cookies for the first time yesterday (found recipe in local newspaper) which are easy to make and absolutely delish! I did not refrigerate dough before rolling and the dough was too sticky so I added an additional 1/2 cup of flour (or so) and it worked perfectly. Will definitely be making these from now on! Next time I'll try chilling dough first.

dskjslkfjs November 29, 2021

just made these and they were so sticky to the point where my hands were covered in a disgusting chocolate mess. couldnt roll them into balls like several other people in the reviews lmfao should have read them first

Athomechef November 29, 2021

I think ive made 4 batches of these in the last week for Christmas boxes for friends. Great nostalgic cookie recipe with great instructions. I weighed out each dough all to 1.5 grams and baked for 13 minutes. After cooking for a few minutes I pushed peppermint Hershey kisses in them. I wish they let you upload pictures with reviews. Ten out of ten, will make again. Tonight.

rachel November 22, 2021

Yeah just tried to make these and the dough is way too sticky to roll into balls... am going to stick it in the fridge and hope that helps.

Sarah E. January 8, 2020

These turned out very well — I used 1.5 cups coconut sugar, and subbed the flour for Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 gluten free flour. Definitely sweet enough despite using less sugar. Otherwise I followed the recipe. I had the same experience as others with them not flattening on their own during baking - I had to squish them down a bit with a spatula. I tried mixing in walnuts in part of the batch but actually preferred them simple! Will make again :)

Taylor S. January 7, 2020

Love these! Chocolate crinkles were always a must during the holiday season growing up and I still make them every year! This is by far my favorite recipe; I probably will keep using this year after year.

Milan101 December 21, 2019

I loved these so much, we had a cookie sale thing at work that is why we made it. And then I was getting ready to leave, at work, we had a place where we put our cookies at, so at the end of the day, I left all of the cookies were gone! so I stool some of the other people at work cookies. They all had a few of there cookies left except mine, I was the only one if you sell them out, they will be a hit! Have a good time baking them!

akrain December 11, 2019

These are my fave holiday cookies and this recipe is perfect! Tried mixing ground up candy cane into the sugar and they were amazing!!! And so easy! Thank you!!

megan.oldenburger December 21, 2018

Hi- initially before refrigeration should the dough seem more like brownie batter? I followed directions exactly and that’s how it seems right now before refrigeration...any help would be appreciated!

Valérie T. December 26, 2018

Hi, merry Christmass!
Its should be firm, not sticky.
Just made some. Mmmm

Renee L. December 19, 2018

I'd like some thoughts on how to best store cookies for Christmas. Thank you!!

Regan B. December 20, 2018

Hi Renee! You can store them well wrapped at room temperature for several days, or you could even freeze them! Hope this helps! :) Enjoy!

Tobi H. December 19, 2018

I make these cookies every year around the holidays. My family loves them! I usually add mini chocolate chips, powdered espresso & double the recipe. Once baked, I store most of them in the freezer to take out as needed - ensures perfect texture retention every time!

Melinda January 21, 2018

These cookies looked great but, taste terrible. I probably won't try a cookie recipe again that uses oil rather than butter.

Regan B. December 20, 2018

Oh no! So sorry these didn't workout for you. I haven't had any problems with the taste. Some other readers suggested other things like adding walnuts or crushed peppermint candies. Maybe that might help? Happy Holidays!

Shelley T. January 13, 2018

I made these for Christmas and they were really good. I rolled half of them in crushed peppermint candies and half in confectioners sugar.

Eunice December 26, 2017

I just made these during my holiday baking extravaganza & I must say that these are definitely a new favorite! I bake for joy and to give away, but rarely eat the finish product other than 1 or 2. These cookies I wanted to keep the whole batch for myself!

I followed the recipe exactly, with 2 changes: I added candied ginger bc I had some (& it went amazing with the chocolate!) & I refrigerated the dough overnight, bc I didn't have time to bake that day. I let my dough sit at room temperature out the fridge for about 30ish minutes before using a 1inch cookie scoop and portioning out the dough and then rolling them into perfect balls. My dough was not sticky whatsoever and kept their from perfectly. I baked for 10 minutes and slight flattened the cookies with my spatula after baking before transferring them to the cooling rack.

The cookies fresh out of the oven have the most wonderful outside crunch with a warm cake/brownie like inside texture. Safe to say, its amazing & the 1 inch portions make it easy to just have one sweet snack, if you have the self control!

Shelley T. January 13, 2018

I also refrigerated the dough overnight and I had no problem. I’m going to have to try candied ginger. Brilliant idea!

mraerb December 20, 2017

Pretty fool proof recipe. Would add finely chopped walnuts next time.

Maddie December 18, 2017

Wonderful recipe. Followed recipe perfectly, except the chilling time. I was on a time crunch so I refrigerated the dough for 3 hours, not 4. They came out delicious & with perfect crinkles!

Pamela December 17, 2017

So trying to make cookies today and it seems like dough is powdery and doesn’t form one ball. Is that the way it’s supposed to be? Also going to bake in high altitude tomorrow

Brenna December 21, 2019

I make these cookies every holiday season to give to family and friends. Always a hit. This year I really had to muscle the DO a bit, needing with my hands to come together. But the final result was the same and delicious!

Bentley December 17, 2017

Such a good, classic and easy recipe! The only thing I would keep in mind for next time since I haven't made these before is to not shake off the powdered sugar before putting on the cookie sheet. It's super tempting to do so, but definitely let it happen :)

Teresa December 13, 2017

I want to make this recipe but I'm new to high altitude baking. Has anyone made these at over 4,000 feet, and if so with what modifications? Thank you!

lizs December 13, 2017

I made these yesterday for a potluck, and they are *so* good! And easy!

I forgot to get powdered sugar, so I coated them in cocoa instead, which helped cut the sweetness. And I sprinkled them with just a little bit of Maldon sea salt as soon as I took them out of the oven.

Thanks!

Regan B. December 13, 2017

Hi Lizs! The addition of Maldon sea salt is going to be my next tweak! Great idea! Thanks for your feedback!

Kim December 19, 2017

What kind of cocoa did you use? I made these and though very good I just find them a tad too sweet with the powdered sugar.. thanks!

lizs December 20, 2017

I just used Hershey's. The salt on top also helped! :)

brigitte December 13, 2017

I made these cookies yesterday exactly as directed, left in fridge overnight. Perfect results. Delicious cookie, plan on making again. Thanks so much!

Regan B. December 13, 2017

I'm so glad you loved the recipe, Brigitte! Thanks for your feedback!

Liz December 12, 2017

These are wonderful! Tonight, I am adding a little pulverized candy cane to the powdered sugar. Thanks!

Regan B. December 13, 2017

Hi Liz! Ohhhhh... that sounds really really good. Thanks for the idea! :)

Valérie T. December 12, 2017

Oh my! Way to good. Made second bath and added some chilli for a little kick. Both delish. Thank you so much deff will make more.

Regan B. December 13, 2017

Ok, I LOVE the idea of adding chili powder for a little kick... spicy/chocolate combo. Great insight! Thank you for your comment!

Valérie T. December 18, 2017

Next time I will quarter the recipe and play with the amount of chilli as I do not want to put to much if you get my drift :-). Love your recipe, Ta.

Valérie T. December 12, 2017

Oh my! Way to good. Made second bath and added some chilli for a little kick. Both delish. Thank you so much deff will make more.

Kathryn December 11, 2017

These cookies are a hit! The flavor is rich without being too rich. I, too, let the dough chill overnight and had no issue with stickiness or other consistency issues. These are definitely entering the line-up of tasty, elegant, and simple holiday treats.

Regan B. December 13, 2017

Hi Kathryn! I'm so glad you loved the recipe! Thanks for your feedback!

Amanda F. December 10, 2017

I just made this for the first time and they are delicious. I left the dough in the fridge overnight and I did still have some issues with stickiness, and my cookies spread pretty far - BUT, like I said, delicious. I do recommend using parchment paper instead of a silpat, as the ones I made on a silpat stuck a bit whereas the ones I made on parchment came right off.

Regan B. December 13, 2017

This is great feedback, Amanda! Thank you for your insight! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!

Brittany W. December 8, 2017

My dough looks like a thick brownie batter. Not sure why. Hoping chilling in the fridge helps or it may need more flour.

Regan B. December 13, 2017

Hi Brittany! Did chilling in the fridge help? I know that the 'chilling' process is really important for the batter. I hope it worked out for you.

Michael B. December 8, 2017

Question - do you think subbing out the eggs for something else to make the cookies vegan would work? I'm imagining applesauce or aqua fava. Thanks!

Regan B. December 8, 2017

Hi Michael, I haven't tried to make this a vegan recipe, but I imagine that the applesauce or aqua fava would work. I'd be interested to hear how this turns out if you try it. Thanks for the suggestion!

Shona B. December 8, 2017

Can I sub butter for the oil?

Regan B. December 8, 2017

Hi Shona - I haven't tried using butter with this recipe, but from what I've read online, you should be able to use butter instead of the oil. You may get a different texture, but I'd be interested to hear your experience if you try it. Thanks for the great question!

Denise December 16, 2017

Would love to get an update if the butter worked?

Jacque December 20, 2017

I made some yesterday 1:1 butter melted, i chilled the batter for 24 hours. They came out amazing! Everyone is loving them.

nancyg November 7, 2017

I want to make these close to Xmas & send a tin to Florida. My question is, how long do these keep ? Thanks for any help. Nancy

Regan B. November 7, 2017

That's such a great idea! I would say they'll last about a week. Hope this helps!

Bevi December 27, 2016

These were a big hit as part of my holiday cookie bags. Chewy, a chocoholic's dream, and very pretty.

Regan B. November 7, 2017

What a great idea to add them to holiday cookie bags! Sounds fabulous to get a variety in one. I'm happy they were a hit!

Willi G. December 23, 2016

These are extra good if you use dark chocolate cocoa powder!

Regan B. November 7, 2017

This is a really great suggestion! Thank you for the tip! :)

Judy E. December 21, 2016

Yum! Mine spread out but I'm not complaining. This is the first time I've made them and they are so good!

Regan B. November 7, 2017

I'm so glad you liked them! They are perfect for this time of year!

Martin December 20, 2016

Yai! So I made these. They do look quite splendid, but I feel they are too sweet. Maybe if you are a chocolate fan you will like these. They are very rich, but if I make them again I will put 1 1/2 cup of sugar. Otherwise, I enjoyed the simplicity of the recipe. Thanks for sharing

Regan B. November 7, 2017

Thank you so much for your feedback on these! I agree, they are definitely for chocolate lovers. You can definitely ease back on the sugar, if you prefer. Be sure to let me know if you have any other suggestions. Thanks again! :)

sosayi December 16, 2016

I made these cookies last night. I decided to make a few right away and save the rest to rest in the fridge for 4 hours as requested. Honestly, I got really good crinkles from the cookies I made right away and they tasted good. Looking forward to the rest, but I don't think waiting is as vital as the recipe suggests

Regan B. December 17, 2016

Thanks so much for your comment! This is good information. I haven't tried to make the cookies without the 'chilling in the fridge' step because I have heard from other people's experiences that the chilling is what helps get the good crinkles. Since I'm usually making the cookies for something or someone, I haven't wanted to risk it. But, I'll give it a try to test it out. Thanks so much!

Judith D. December 15, 2016

My husband has gluten issues so I had to make some changes but they still turned out great. I used 1/2 cup GF flour and 1 1/2 cup Quinoa flour. I also had to sub in some brown sugar as I was short on regular white. I was a little heavy-handed with the rolling-into-balls part so they took a bit longer to bake, but they turned out great-delicious and chewy.

Regan B. December 17, 2016

Hi Judith!! Thanks for your comment! I love that you shared your delicious-sounding GF version! Sounds so good!

Sara K. December 15, 2016

I have made these cookies three times in less than a week for different holiday functions and every time they've come up perfectly! I couldn't ask for a better recipe. They are just the right consistency, slightly fudgy and cakey. Thanks for a great go-to cookie recipe!

Regan B. December 15, 2016

Hi Sara! I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipe! I'm making them again next week! Enjoy and happy holidays!

Kerry December 11, 2016

How long can I make the dough ahead and keep it in the fridge for? Or is it better to freeze the cookies after baking?

Regan B. December 11, 2016

Hi KY! I chilled my dough for four hours before baking, but I believe you can chill it overnight for convenience and to ensure that the dough is ready and workable. Hope this helps!

hilda December 20, 2016

Hi KY! I've made these cookies a bunch of times and have left the dough overnight, you shouldn't have any issues.

Nichole P. April 21, 2016

I love this recipe, and get tons of compliments whenever I make them! I've tried the recipe as directed, and most recently had to make some small subs (used Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour because I was out of my usual, and had to sub in 1/4 c brown sugar because I only had 1 3/4 of white on hand), and both versions turned out beautifully! Thank you for such a delicious and easy recipe!

Regan B. April 23, 2016

Hi Nichole! I'm so glad the recipe is a success for you and your family & friends! It's a favorite in my house too! Thanks for the substitution tips - I may try the gluten-free flour next time!

Rachel C. December 25, 2015

My cookies turned out very dry and flat (flatter than the first photo on this recipe!). I followed the directions exactly; does anyone know what could have caused this?

Rachel C. December 25, 2015

Perhaps relevant: when I was working with the cookie dough out, it had the consistency of a thick brownie batter and didn't retain its ball shape on the cookie sheet.

Regan B. April 23, 2016

Hi Rachel - I'm so sorry for my delayed response on this recipe. Did you cool the dough for at least 4 hours before trying to roll them into the balls? That is a super important step that I missed the first time I tried to make them. I hope it works out better for you next time.

Patty K. December 22, 2015

Worked really well for me. Beautiful. Rolled well after puffing up a bit in the fridge. I waited like 6-8 hours before rolling. I found that the balls were prettier when I coated them more generously w confectioners sugar. I also liked them less flat since they were more brownie-like that way.

Regan B. April 23, 2016

Oh my, so sorry for my delayed response, Patty! I'm so glad you enjoyed them! They're definitely one of my favorites!

Uyen P. December 15, 2015

Just made these and followed the directions to the t. The dough balls do not flatten as pictured. I took them out after 9 minutes, gently flattened them with my fingers and popped them back in for another 2 minutes. Bottom line, these look fancier than your average brownie squares, but taste better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Regan B. December 19, 2015

Hi Uyen!

The first picture is not mine - I agree they are much flatter in that picture. The second picture (with the powdered sugar falling) are more accurate of the thickness that I had with my batch. I'm glad you enjoyed them! The vanilla ice cream sounds like a fabulous addition.

hilda December 7, 2015

Hi! I tried making these but even after they were refrigerated for 5 hours, the dough didn't really lend itself to roll into balls (it was sticky). Is this how it's supposed to be? The taste still seemed right, it's the texture I think I got wrong..

Regan B. December 19, 2015

Hi Hilda!
Sorry for my delay in responding to your comment. I actually made these again recently and wasn't able to replicate the sticky issue that you had... Hmm... did you roll the balls right after pulling them from the fridge? The only thing I can think of is that if they were sitting out for a bit and got to room temperature it could have made them harder to handle? Sometimes, when I've had sticky dough issues, I put a little flour on my hands and it seems to help a bit. Hope you have better luck next time!

Chef D. November 24, 2015

Cookies :)

Haley S. November 20, 2015

These are so delish. Can't wait to put them in our regular rotation at home.

Regine October 31, 2015

I mean balls.

Regan B. October 31, 2015

Hi Regine! Yes, you will roll the dough into balls and they will spread as they bake. I love these cookies - I hope you do too! Enjoy!

Regine October 31, 2015

You say to roll into balla but on picture they look flatter. Do they spread as they bake? Is texture like a shortbread or softer, etc.? Just curious. I want to make them.

Author Notes

Test Kitchen Notes

Ingredients

Directions

Contest Entries

See Reviews

Popular on Food52

94 Reviews