Fudgy Brownie Crinkle Cookies
These Fudgy Brownie Crinkle Cookies are everything you want in a brownie crinkle cookie. The cookie is a close relative of your favorite fudgy brownie – soft and moist and rich with bittersweet chocolate. Add in chocolate chips for texture and a powdered sugar coating and you get that gorgeous crackly surface you expect in a crinkle cookie.
This recipe is the product of a marriage of my ube crinkle cookies and salted caramel chip chocolate cookies. Some people will say that a brownie crinkle cookie is the perfect Christmas cookie. I think this is the perfect cookie all year long.
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Ingredients
There’s nothing surprising in the ingredient list in these chocolate crinkle cookies. It’s the chocolate that makes these so special, so use the best you can:
- Bar chocolate – my go-to is Scharffen Berger or Ghirardelli.
- Cocoa – make sure to use unsweetened baking cocoa. My go-to is again Ghirardelli.
- Chocolate chips – I would recommend the Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, because the smaller size is perfect for these cookies.
- Powdered sugar coating. The powdered sugar does not “melt” into these crinkle brownie cookies, so there is no need to pre-coat the cookies with granulated sugar.
If you love chocolate like me, check out this triple layer chocolate cake. Or try my family’s favorite places to add chocolate chips, like these blueberry chocolate chip muffins or peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and substitutions
- Despite my recommendations, you can use any quality dark chocolate and any chocolate chip in this brownie crinkle cookie recipe.
- If you like, use a black cocoa to increase the color contrast between the brownie cookie and the powdered sugar.
- Make the brownie cookies without the powdered sugar. Sprinkle on some flaky sea salt if you like.
About crinkle cookies
Crinkle cookies, also known as crackle cookies, are cookies with a cracked or crinkled appearance. This crinkled appearance is further accentuated by rolling them in powdered sugar before baking.
The first published crinkle cookie recipe seems to have been a molasses crinkle recipe published in the 1957 Betty Crocker Cooky Carnival cookbook. The first chocolate crinkle cookie recipe appeared in the 1963 Cooky Book.
Recipe tips and tricks
Tip from the wise quacker: there are two steps in this recipe that can hold you up in making these brownie cookies. The first is waiting for your melted chocolate to cool. The second is chilling the cookies just enough so they can be scooped, but not so long that you get an arm workout.
Step 1: Add the chopped chocolate and butter to a double boiler or heat-proof metal bowl set over an inch of water. The bowl should not touch the water. Heat on low, stirring occasionally, until the butter and chocolate are melted. Remove from heat and let cool until no longer warm to touch.
Step 2: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.
Step 3: Use your stand mixer or hand mixer to beat the sugar and eggs together until they are a light yellow, about four to five minutes. Then add the vanilla extract and beat an additional minute.
Step 4: Mix in the cooled chocolate, then stir in the dry ingredients until you can no longer see any traces of dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. It will look more like brownie batter than cookie dough at this point.
Chill the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 15 to 30 minutes but no longer than an hour or the cookies will be too difficult to scoop. This is a great time to do the dishes!
Step 5: Use a medium-sized cookie scoop or two spoons to drop a scoop of chilled brownie batter directly into the bowl of powdered sugar. Use a spoon to coat the brownie cookie dough and then transfer it to your baking sheet.
Repeat with the second sheet. Don’t worry if you get a little extra powdered sugar everywhere. Ok, you should maybe expect to get a little powdered sugar everywhere with these cookies.
Step 6: Bake about 9 to 10 minutes. The chocolate part of the cookie should be just set at the edges and still soft in the middle. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet.
What to serve with brownie crinkle cookies
This cookie screams out for a glass of cold milk. Or you can serve a plate of cookies with an creamy espresso martini for an adult beverage to go with your cookies.
Recipe FAQs
Be careful not to over-bake the brownie crinkles. They should be just set at the edges and still soft in the middle when you take them out of the oven.
Store baked cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature for a few days. They hold up really well, and the powdered sugar won’t “melt” into the cookie as long as it isn’t too humid in your kitchen.
Baked crinkle cookies do not freeze well because the powdered sugar may become absorbed into the cookie, losing the crinkle. However, unbaked cookie balls freeze really well. To freeze, scoop them onto a lined baking sheet and freeze overnight. To bake, let them come to room temperature before coating with powdered sugar and baking.
Related cookie recipes
Want more brownie cookies and cookie bar recipes from the Ugly Duckling Bakery archives? Check out:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Recipe
Brownie Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 10 ounces (283 grams) bittersweet chocolate
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces or 57 grams) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (2.2 ounces or 63 grams) bleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (0.8 ounces or 24 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (7.1 ounces or 200 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Brownie crinkle cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F or 175°C.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or heat-proof bowl over a pan with an inch of water and let it cool slightly as you make the cookies.10 ounces (283 grams) bittersweet chocolate, 4 tablespoons (2 ounces or 57 grams) unsalted butter
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl.½ cup (2.2 ounces or 63 grams) bleached all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (0.8 ounces or 24 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of your stand mixer or medium-sized bowl if you are using a hand mixer, beat the sugar and eggs together on medium speed for about four to five minutes until it is light yellow in color.1 cup (7.1 ounces or 200 grams) granulated sugar, 3 large eggs
- Add the vanilla extract and beat on medium speed for one minute.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add in the melted chocolate and beat until mixed.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low or by hand just until the dry ingredients have been combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.1 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- Put the bowl in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes to make the batter easier to scoop. Meanwhile, line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Put the powdered sugar into a small bowl, and use a medium-sized cookie scoop or two spoons to scoop out 1.5 tablespoons of cookie dough into the bowl. Toss with the powdered sugar and put on the baking sheet.1 cup powdered sugar
- Repeat with the rest of the brownie cookie dough, leaving 1 to 2 inches between cookie balls.
- Bake for about 9 to 10 minutes. The tops will be cracked, and the cookies should still be slightly soft.
- Let the cookies cool fully on the cookie sheet.
Notes
Nutrition
You’re an adventurous home cook looking for inspiration in your weeknight meals and weekend baking. Get that inspiration here:
Made these and absolutely loved the. Super yummy
Thanks, Barb! I”m so glad you loved these brownie crinkle cookies too! – Joanne