Chocolate Chip Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate Chip Crinkle Cookies are a festive holiday favorite, perfect for your Christmas cookie tray! Each soft, chewy cookie boasts that classic cracked snowy surface, loaded with gooey chocolate chips and a warm blend of cinnamon and ginger.
Calling for simple pantry staples, these cookies are wonderfully easy to make. The cookie dough comes together quickly and the star of the show is, without a doubt, the generous amount of gooey chocolate chips in every bite. It’s a fantastic make-ahead recipe as the dough chills until firm, ensuring a soft and pillowy texture as these ginger crinkle cookies bake.
Rolling the cookie dough balls in powdered sugar is key to give them their iconic, snowy appearance once they crinkle in the oven. A delicious twist on Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies, the ginger is what truly sets these cookies apart and elevates them to a distinctive holiday treat – perfect for any Christmas platter.
For more delicious chocolate chip cookies, be sure to try Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies, Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Why are they called chocolate chip “crinkle” cookies?
These delicious cookies get their name from their crinkled or cracked appearance. As they bake, the surface cracks and “crinkles,” thanks to the cookie dough balls being rolled in powdered sugar.
Some people refer to them as crackle cookies, and just like snowball cookies, these crinkle cookies have become a holiday staple in our house!
This chocolate chip version of a classic crinkle cookie recipe also includes warm spices, such as cinnamon and ground ginger. The inside of the cookie is chewy and loaded with gooey chocolate chips – a perfectly sweet and spiced treat with a characteristically cracked, snowy appearance.
Ingredients needed to make chocolate chip crinkle cookies
- Unsalted butter: Softened for easy mixing. Salted butter works too – just omit added salt in the ingredients list.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture for chewy cookies. Granulated sugar can be used instead, although the cookie centers won’t be as chewy.
- Egg: Allow the egg to reach room temperature for a smooth blending into the rest of the ingredients.
- Vanilla extract: For depth of flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level to avoid dense cookies.
- Baking soda: Helps to give these crinkle cookies the perfect rise as they bake.
- Spices: I’ve added cinnamon and ground ginger into the cookie dough for a lovely touch of warmth – the perfect addition to holiday cookies!
- Salt: Balances flavors and enhances the chocolate flavor in these chocolate crinkle cookies. Skip the salt if you use salted butter.
- Chocolate chips: One of the key ingredients to making these crinkle cookies. Feel free to use milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips.
- Powdered sugar: For rolling the cookie balls. The powdered sugar creates that iconic “crinkle” effect on the surface of the cookies.
How do you make these chocolate chip crinkle cookies
Make the cookie dough:
- Cream the butter, sugar, egg, and extract in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt and mix until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Cover the dough and chill until firm for several hours.
Shape the cookies:
- Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll small pieces of dough into 1-inch rounds.
- Roll the cookie balls in powdered sugar and then place them on the baking sheet with 2 inches of space between them.
Bake:
- Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees F.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve immediately or store to enjoy later!
Serving
Add these chocolate chip crinkle cookies to a platter with other Christmas-inspired cookies, such as Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies or M and M Christmas Cookies for your festive line-up of holiday treats. They’re also perfect for holiday cookie exchange parties or to gift to your family and friends!
As an indulgent dessert, pair these gooey chocolate chip crinkle cookies with a bowl of Old-Fashioned Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream for extra chocolate flavor or Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Keep leftover chocolate chip crinkle cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days to maintain freshness.
- Freeze: For longer storage, freeze the cooled cookies in a single layer before transferring to a freezer-safe bag or container – they’ll last for up to 3 months.
- Make ahead: Once rolled, the cookie balls can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days ahead of baking or in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw frozen cookie dough balls in the fridge, roll them in powdered sugar, and bake. Learn more about How to Bake Frozen Cookies here.
- Chill the dough: Don’t skip the step of chilling the cookie dough before baking as this helps to solidify the butter and prevents the cookies from spreading too much. That way, you’re guaranteed to get soft and pillowy crinkle cookies. The cookie dough must be chilled for at least a few hours, but you can leave it overnight in the fridge too.
- Chocolate chips: Milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips are all great options for this chocolate crinkle cookies recipe. For a complete switch-up, consider using white chocolate chips for white chocolate chip crinkle cookies.
- Double-chocolate flavor: Add ⅔ cups of cocoa powder to the cookie dough for double chocolate chip crinkle cookies. Depending on the dryness of the cookie dough, you may need to add an extra egg.
- Add-ins: Fold chopped pecans or walnuts into the dough for extra crunch, similar to these Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies. Swap the chocolate chips for finely chopped dates, like I’ve done in these Brownie Crinkle Cookies.
- Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free flour blend to make gluten-free ginger crinkle cookies.
- Uniform-sized cookies: A cookie scoop ensures uniform sized Christmas crinkle cookies that bake evenly. Aim for 1-1.5 tablespoon portions.
More Christmas cookie recipes you may want to try:
- Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies
- Christmas Frosted Sugar Cookies
- M and M Christmas Cookies
- Brownie Crinkle Cookies with Dates
- Snowball Cookies
Get the Recipe:
Chocolate Chip Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ½ cup. brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- 10-12 oz. chocolate chips
- ¾ cup powdered sugar, set aside in a small mixing bowl
Equipment
Instructions
- With a mixer, cream the butter; add brown sugar, egg and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt and mix until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Cover and chill until firm for several hours (can be refrigerated over night).
- Remove the cookie dough from the fridge. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Between palms of hands, roll small pieces of dough into 1-inch rounds and roll in powdered sugar.
- Place on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake in 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven, cool 5 minutes on cookie sheets before removing to racks.
- Store in airtight container.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
