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These homemade chocolate crinkle cookies are truly above the rest. Rich, fudgy, and irresistibly gooey, they taste almost like a lava cookie in crinkle form. Made with real vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and the real secret—big chunks of dark chocolate—they’re deeply chocolatey in every single bite. Rolled in powdered sugar before baking, each cookie cracks into a beautiful crinkled top. And when eaten warm, the chocolate melts through the soft centers, making them completely irresistible.
Is there anything better than a really good Christmas cookie? December is hands down my favorite month to bake, and in preparation for this year’s 2025 cookie box, I’ve been baking cookies almost every day.
Chocolate crinkle cookies have been on my must-bake list for years, and my cousins Abby and Maggie finally pushed me to make them happen this season. Their one request? The cookies had to be gooey—not dry. And honestly, I agree. So many crinkle cookies look pretty but fall flat when it comes to texture and flavor.
These are different. Think molten chocolate cookie…just in crinkle form.
We love them warm straight from the oven, but they’re just as delicious once cooled and packaged up. Perfect for cookie boxes, sharing with neighbors, or baking for your next holiday party—everyone loves these.
They’re classic, indulgent, and exactly the kind of cookie you want this time of year.
These are the details
Ingredients
- cocoa powder
- granulated sugar
- salted butter
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- flour
- baking soda
- dark chocolate chips – or semi-sweet is great too
- powdered sugar
Special Tools
For these chocolate crinkle cookies, I recommend using a stand mixer fitted with the beater or a handheld mixer. Either is great!
Then, a spatula and cookie sheets!
The Steps
Step 1: Make the Cookie Dough
Mix together the cocoa powder, both sugars, melted butter, and eggs until smooth and very glossy. Stir in the vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients—flour, baking soda, and salt—then fold in the chocolate chips until just combined.
Step 2: Form the Dough Balls
Scoop the dough into rounded tablespoon-sized balls.
Arrange the dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze for 10 to 20 minutes. I’ve found this is usually enough, but if your dough feels extra soft or wet, you can chill for an additional 20 minutes or up to an hour.
Step 3: Roll in Sugar
Before baking, roll each dough ball first in granulated sugar, then generously in powdered sugar.
Rolling in granulated sugar first helps prevent the powdered sugar from melting into the cookies while baking. If you want very white, dramatic crinkles, don’t skip this step. If you don’t mind a more chocolate-colored cookie, you can roll directly in powdered sugar only.
Step 4: Bake
Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes. If they’re not spreading, pull them out around the 8-minute mark and gently tap the baking sheet on the counter to help them deflate and spread.
Be careful not to overbake—these cookies are meant to stay soft and gooey in the center. Let them set fully on the baking sheet before moving.
Enjoying and Sharing
These cookies are extra gooey and delicious when eaten warm, but they’re just as good once cooled and packaged up. Perfect for cookie boxes, sharing with neighbors, or adding to your holiday dessert table.
Looking for Christmas cookie recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Vanilla Hot Chocolate Molten Cookies
Chewy Frosted Cinnamon Swirl Snickerdoodles
Easy Slice ‘n’ Bake Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
Easy Vanilla Bean Christmas Lights Cookies
Soft Gingerbread Latte Cookies with Brown Butter Icing
Lastly, if you make these Gooey Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Gooey Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter melted
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips/chunks
For Rolling
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar , (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer, mix the cocoa powder, both sugars, melted butter, and eggs. Mix for 2 minutes, until very glossy. Add the vanilla, flour, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips, beating to combine. 2. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 3. Scoop the dough into rounded tablespoon-size balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze for 10-20 minutes, until chilled. If using, roll each ball through granulated sugar. Then generously roll in powdered sugar and return to the baking sheets.4. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies start to set around the edges and crack. The centers should be doughy though. Let cool on the pan. Eat warm or package them up for storing. The cookies keep for 2 to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I followed the recipe exactly & these didn’t turn out for me at all. Definitely not including in my cookie box!
Hi Sally,
Very sorry to hear you did not enjoy these cookies. Thanks for giving them a try.
Happy Holidays!
Yum! Followed the recipe and these cookies are delicious!
Hey Melissa,
Amazing! Love to hear you enjoyed these cookies, thanks for making them:) Happy Holidays!
GREAT Recipe!! Easy and a family Favorite…Make them!!!
Hi Linda,
Fantastic! I appreciate you making these cookies and your feedback! Love to hear they were enjoyed!
Merry Christmas!
I just made these and they were delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much, Abbie! I am so glad you enjoyed these cookies!
Have a great week!
I loved those!! So yummy, can’t stop eating them.
Thanks so much, Darylee!🎄🎁
These are the best cookies ever! I was a little worried about the consistency after reading the comments, but I didn’t have any issues. I dropped a spoonful on the cookie sheet prior to freezing for 20 – 30 min. Rolling each spoonful after freezing is so much easier. Also, I wouldn’t want them to spread any more than they did. The only thing I would do differently is roll in granulated sugar and then sift the powdered sugar over the cookie sheet.
Thanks so much, Kristin:) I appreciate you making these cookies and sharing your feedback! Love to hear they were a hit!
Happy Holidays!
These turned out so bad & had several issues…what a waste.
Hi Ashley,
Thanks for trying these cookies, so sorry to hear you had some issues! Is there anything specific that I can help with? Please let me know!
Happy Holidays!
Followed exactly and turned out perfect!
Hey Lindsay,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out nicely for you!
Have a great holiday!🎄🎁
These didn’t turn out at all.
Hi Rita,
Sorry to hear you did not enjoy these cookies. Is there something specific that I can help with? Please let me know!
Happy holidays!
Hi Tieghan! Would I use regular cocoa powder or dutched? Thanks for your recipe!
Hi Donna,
I just used regular cocoa powder for this recipe.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I just made these cookies and they are incredible! I used half dark chips and half semi sweet chips and followed the recipe exactly. Right out of the oven, they are like a chocolate lava cake and stay moist after cooling. Now I just have to try not to eat the whole pan. They are that good.
Hey Pam,
Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and your comment!
Happy Holidays!🎄
These did not spread at all, and they definitely were not gooey. I also feel like one cup of cocoa powder was way too much for these.
Hi Karen,
Thanks for trying these cookies and your feedback, sorry to hear they were not enjoyed!
The dough is extremely sticky to work with and very challenging to roll into balls before chilling. Mine didn’t spread either – I see below that you are telling commenters not to chill the dough so that way the cookies spread more. I am confused as to why chilling the dough is in the instructions if it is not correct for making the cookies. Can you explain please?
Hi Regina,
Thanks for trying this recipe, sorry to hear they did not turn out for you. I needed to chill my dough so that the cookies did not spread too much. It seems and though some readers would like their cookies to spread more, so I would skip the chill.
Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
I added these cookies to my cookie box this year, delicious- not sure why they are rated so poorly. Fudgey chewy texture, and came together easily. They will definitely be a repeat next year 🙂
Thanks so much, Cassy:) So glad you enjoyed these cookies! I appreciate you making them!
Have a great weekend!
From someone who really enjoys chocolate, these cookies were delicious. I will definitely make them again. Can the cookies stay out or should they be refrigerated?
Hey Sue,
Happy Friday!! I’m so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and your comment! They can stay at room temp:)
Have a wonderful holiday season!🎄
In the first step is says to mix both sugars but there is only one in the ingredients list. Missing ingredient or typo?
Hi Carol,
The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar:)
Please let me know if you have any other questions! I hope you love these cookies! Happy Holidays!🎁🎄
I wanted to like these, but the full cup of cocoa powder made the dough extremely dry and hard to work with. Even after chilling, it was very sticky/crumbly and the cookies baked up dense rather than fudgy, with inconsistent crinkling.
Hi Dorothy,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear they did not turn out for you!