Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Bake Off - The Pancake Princess (2024)

Looking for the best chocolate crinkle cookie recipe this holiday season? We compared 9 different recipes in search of the fudgiest, most brownie-like crinkle cookies!

This post is sponsored byImperialSugar! I’ve used Imperial Sugar for years and I am thrilled to be partnering with them. Thank you for supporting the partners that keep the bake offs coming!

Chocolate crinkle cookies are essentially deeply chocolate-y brownie cookies. As always, I was concerned that a bake off of 9 different types might all taste very similar–i.e. just like chocolate! But just like in the brownie bake off (and part 2 of the best brownie bake off!) we were pleasantly surprised at the variety. Some were intensely fudgy and rich, some had a lighter chocolate flavor with an airy chew, and lots in between.

Let’s dive into all nine recipes to find your new favorite chocolate crinkle cookie recipe!

METHODOLOGY // RESULTS // FACTORS // ANALYSIS // RECOMMENDATIONS

Methodology

• 28 total tasters
• All ingredients were measured by weight according toKing Arthur(unless the recipe specified weights)
• I used the overnight rest for any recipes that offered one (all recipes except Cook’s Illustrated and Bakerita)
• All recipes were baked the day of tasting
• Each taster ranked each cookie on a scale from 0-10 for flavor, texture and overall as a whole

Ingredients

• Gold Medal Flour(bleached, all-purpose)
• King Arthur unbleached cake flour
• Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa powder (natural)
• Droste cocoa powder (Dutch-process)
• Ghiradelli 100% unsweetened chocolate
• Trader Joe’s semisweet chocolate chips
• Trader Joe’s 72% bittersweet chocolate chips
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• Kirkland butter
• Crisco vegetable shortening
• Imperial granulated, light brown, dark brown and powdered sugar

PARTNER NOTE:I’m delighted to be partnering withImperial Sugaron this bake off as I’ve consistently used their consistent, high-quality pure cane sugar products throughout my bake offs. Imperial Sugar is non-GMO verified, allergen free and gluten-free!

For more sweet inspiration, you can visit Imperial Sugar to find more than 4,000expert-tested recipes,free downloadable vintage cookbooks, sugar scrubs and bath products at theSugar Spa, and lots of helpful guides on theirblog.You can also check out theirPinterest,You Tube,Instagramfor even more recipe inspiration!

How I Selected the Recipes

For this bake off, I looked for a combination of popular formulas + recipes that used unusual ingredients or techniques.

The most notable technique was rolling dough in granulated sugar before powdered sugar (to better preserve the powdered sugar coating). This was used in Cook’s Illustrated, Sofra and Shirley Corriher.

Ingredients were fairly standard–the most unusual was corn syrup in Shirley’s recipe. Ultimately, I looked for a good mix of recipes that used different fats and cocoa/chocolate types. Below you can see the high level breakdown of each recipe!

Results

After analyzing the taster data, results of the crowd favorites are below. As always, I recommend reading through the entire blog post to understand the profile of each recipe and decide which sounds best to you.

My favorites in each bake off don’t always match the top-rated recipes (see bottom of the post for my picks). These cookies ranged from flat and drier to chewy and airy to fudgy and extremely rich, so “the best” chocolate crinkle cookie really depends on what you’re looking for.

Lastly, please always take the results with a grain of salt as any issues could be my own baker error rather than the fault of the recipe. I do truly believe all of these recipes are worth trying and would be delicious standalone!

Factors behind the chocolate crinkle cookie ratings

Oil vs. butter: I’m always interested in how different fats affect different baked goods. In this bake off, 3 recipes were oil-based (Two Peas, All Recipes, Shirley Corriher) and the rest were butter-based. (Except for Bakerita (no added fat) and Danielle Sepsy, which used butter and shortening). The oil-based cookies seemed to encourage more spread for a more classic looking chocolate crinkle cookie. Butter-based cookies tended to have more craggly, crisp edges and tasters generally seemed to prefer the flavor more. However, I think the type of chocolate used is a more obvious indicator of flavor preference.

From Cloudy Kitchen, I learned why butter-based crinkle cookies tend to have a yellowing powdered sugar coating! Butter contains water whereas oil is pure fat. Erin’s theory is that water gets released from the butter as the cookie bakes, dissolving the powdered sugar and creating that slightly damp texture and sometimes yellow appearance.

To combat this, Cook’s Illustrated’s tip of rolling the cookies in granulated sugar before powdered sugar works like a dream! The granulated sugar helps absorb any excess moisture and keeps the powdered sugar looking pristine. You can see the difference in appearance of CI, Sofra and Shirley (all butter-based recipes that use this method) vs. Sally’s, King Arthur and Danielle Sepsy (butter-based recipes that don’t).

Cocoa vs. chocolate: I had a hunch that recipes that used both cocoa and melted chocolate would have an edge over the cocoa-only or chocolate-only recipes. This hypothesis proved mostly true as Sofra, Danielle and Cook’s took top honors, all of which used a combination of cocoa and chocolate. (Though Danielle’s only uses chips, not melted chocolate incorporated into the dough). The combination of the more concentrated flavor of cocoa powder along with the extra fat and richness of melted chocolate is a powerful flavor booster.

Between cocoa-only and chocolate-only recipes, there wasn’t a clear pattern. Bakerita stands out as an anomaly with its flavor coming from all melted chocolate for an unusually fudgy cookie. Melted chocolate tends to provide a more intense experience (when added in the right amount) while cocoa lends a more mellow but still rich and full-bodied flavor.

Natural vs. Dutch-process cocoa: The majority of recipes in this bake off didn’t call for a specific cocoa. However, most of the recipes used baking powder as a leavener, so I used Dutch-process cocoa in all of those recipes. Two Peas and Sally’s were the only recipes to use natural cocoa powder and landed in the middle of the pack. Whether this was due to their use of only cocoa in the batter or natural cocoa specifically vs. Dutch-process cocoa is hard to say. (I think it’s more likely attributed to the former.) Sally’s recipe is a great example of a recipe that uses natural cocoa but still yields a really dark, rich color. I liked the cocoa flavor of both recipes and while I tend to prefer using Dutch-process cocoa, either will work for a great cookie.

Sugar: Perhaps it’s a coincidence that 3 out of the 4 cookies that used brown sugar (Sofra, Cook’s and Danielle) landed in the top 4 spots. But perhaps not! The use of brown sugar lends subtle molasses notes that adds extra depth and complexity to what can otherwise be a single-note sweetness.

I had been intrigued to see how Shirley’s high proportion of white sugar would fare in relation to other recipes with less sugar. (Shirley uses 2.5 cups of sugar to 1.75 cups of flour vs. the more standard 1:1 ratio of recipes like All Recipes.) Would this lead to a better spread and chewier texture? Ultimately, her cookies were quite chewy but really tooth-achingly sweet. This was a clear case where more sugar was not better.

Tips and FAQ on making the best chocolate crinkle cookies

Analysis of the Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

King Arthur: a dark, sandy truffle-like cookie with notes of coffee

Like Two Peas and Their Pod, King Arthur’s recipe uses melted chocolate but no cocoa. However, King Arthur uses butter whereas Two Peas uses oil as the main fat. This recipe is somewhat similar to Dorie Greenspan’s recipe. The recipe does offer an option for espresso powder, which I used. This recipe also called for the smallest balls of cookie dough (just a rounded teaspoon).

After chilling the dough overnight, I let the dough sit out for ~30 minutes before rolling the balls and baking. These cookies barely spread, resulting in dense little balls that had a slightly chalky, sandy-like texture. I noticed a few comments on the site also noting that other bakers had trouble with lack of spread. King Arthur recommends ensuring your oven is at the right temp to troubleshoot this. I do think my gas oven can’t hold temperature as consistently as others, so this could be the reason mine look different from the originals.

In any case, these have a nicely deep chocolate flavor highlighted by the espresso notes. Several tasters noted that this isn’t what they’d expect from a chocolate crinkle cookie, and I have to agree. It feels more like a chocolate snowball cookie or cookie truffle hybrid. If you love a bite-sized, dense and rich truffle-like cookie, this one is perfect!

Taster comments:

• A little dry/sandy, chocolate flavor comes through nicely
• Similar texture to a snowball cookie, rather dry in a not great way, okay chocolate flavor
• Too dry and cakey for me. There’s a distinct (boozy) flavor in here that I can’t exactly pinpoint but don’t love either.
• By far the worst texture, but I like the coffee flavor. It’s a little small and a little dry. No
• Strange aftertaste and an unwelcome cinnamon flavor that distracted from the chocolate flavor. The texture was appealingly light.
• It was far too small and ate more like a truffle than a crinkle cookie. It was really dry and crumbly. There was also a ton of coffee flavor that overwhelmed the chocolate and didn’t make me want a second bite.
• This doesn’t feel like a cookie to me and definitely not a crinkle cookie. It reminds me more of the rum balls we have during the holidays. I actually didn’t mind the taste but I think it is definitely disappointing if you’re expecting a chocolate crinkle cookie, as it doesn’t taste of chocolate much at all.

All Recipes: a thin and chewy classic with deep chocolate flavor

This recipe was by far the most popular formulas on the internet (see: Preppy Kitchen, Simply Recipes, etc.). With a relatively low amount of oil (1/2 cup to 2 cups flour), this had a surprisingly high ratio of eggs for added moisture. This kind of makes sense given that chocolate crinkle cookies are essentially brownie cookies, but I was still curious if the higher ratio of wet ingredients would pan out. This recipe is also flavored solely with cocoa powder and white sugar. The recipe doesn’t specify whether to use Dutch-process or natural cocoa (I suspect either would work). I used Dutch-process given the use of baking powder in the recipe.

Given the popularity of this general formula, it makes sense that this nailed my impression of a classic chocolate crinkle cookie. As an oil-based cookie rolled in powdered sugar only, this boasted beautiful dustings of white without yellowing. I liked the thin chewiness of these cookies, but did find them a little drier than I expected. This can easily be remedied by baking the cookies for less time if you try them. I love the flavor of Droste so I liked the toasty chocolate notes, but the vibe is more similar to a good hot chocolate mix than a deeply rich chocolate flavor. Overall, this recipe is a perfect one to try if you want a super easy recipe that will yield a classic cookie.

Taster comments:

• We loved how chewy the cookie was and is perfect if you hate a soft cookie. It does not have a ton of flavor though so not a substantial bite.
• Very dry but not totally in a bad way, nicely chewy. Much lighter than most, a packaged hot chocolate mix flavor thats nicely nostalgic
• Great texture, but not flavor rich enough. Reminds me of a homemade Oreo
• Really not a fan of this one. I prefer a softer, more chewy cookie so texture-wise this one was not for me. The flavor was also lost – it didn’t really taste like anything at all.
• This cookie is giving nothing. It’s thin and too sweet. It even looks like there’s too much sugar in it.
• Very “bake sale” cookie. Totally edible but disappointing. Specifically has that texture that makes you think your dental fillings are coming out.

Shirley Corriher: a chewy, very sweet cookie with lighter chocolate notes

Shirley’s recipe bears many similarities to All Recipes. With a similar amount of flour, Shirley’s recipe uses slightly less oil and eggs (along with an extra egg yolk). Shirley swaps the cocoa powder for semisweet chocolate chips, adds 1/2 cup more sugar and adds corn syrup. My hypothesis? Shirley’s cookies would be both slightly chewier, sweeter, and more intensely chocolate-y.

My hypothesis was partly correct. Shirley’s cookies do have pleasantly chewy, almost toffee-like edges with moist centers. They were also FAR sweeter than All Recipes (or any other recipe in the bunch) with a slight gritty texture. I was surprised that semisweet chocolate lent these a lighter color than the Dutch-process cocoa, though in retrospect it makes sense. Overall, these had a really light chocolate flavor that most didn’t love–it left me wishing for more chocolate. But if you love a really sweet cookie with a light chocolate flavor and good chew, give this one a try!

Taster comments:

• I loved the texture. The sugar feels great in your mouth. But the cookie barely tastes of chocolate. It’s good as a sugar crinkle cookie but fails to be chocolate.
• Barely tasted like chocolate, but as a cookie on its own, the flavor and texture were great. There was a nice textural contrast from the sugar, and the thin cookie retained an impressive amount of moisture.
• The texture was very light and airy but had a granular after taste. The chocolate was not very present but the overall cookie was nice. Just not the most flavorful option of the bunch.
• Just tastes like sugar and has a sandy texture, which is disappointing. Also the color is slightly lighter than most of the others, which is a little off-putting.
• Very different flavor than the rest almost like a chocolate munchkin from dunkin donuts, lots of whole granules of sugar that arent pleasant to crunch through, light crunchy texture but somehow not in a good way
• Least favorite flavor, SO SWEET and kind of gritty. Not very chocolatey

Sally’s Baking Addiction: a thin and chewy cookie with craggy edges and deep cocoa flavor

Sally’s popular recipe flips the popular All Recipes ratio on its head. She doubles the amount of fat and quarters the amount of egg for a slightly tighter, drier batter that firms up beautifully overnight. This is a rare butter-based recipe that calls for creamed butter rather than melted. It also calls for natural cocoa, a mix of brown and white sugar and is one of the only recipes to call for chocolate chips in the dough (not optional).

This was one of the first cookies I tried that felt like a classic chocolate crinkle cookie with a flavor that I also loved. I was shocked that the natural cocoa lent such a deep, dark appearance. These almost felt darker than All Recipes (made with Dutch-process cocoa). Overall, these had beautifully craggy, chewy edges that I loved with a moist, chewy center. Some didn’t love the chocolate chips in these, but I liked the added chocolate flavor dimension. While this requires a few extra steps compared to other recipes, this is a great recipe to make if you want a chewy, rich and dark cookie.

Taster comments:

• Really great texture. We thought it was exactly what we think of when we think of crinkle cookie but with slightly less flavor.
• These are lighter/more cocoa-y. Nice chewiness. I like the addition of a milkier (?) chip. Could be a tad less sweet and a teeny bit moister.
• We liked that it was chewy – more like a traditional cookie. But a little too sweet and not enough chocolate flavor
• Kind of a weird cookie. The chocolate tasted almost fake, and the texture was kind of sandy. Not my fave.
• This cookie was a little too thin which made it a little dry and didn’t have much of a chocolatey flavor.

Two Peas and Their Pod: an airy, chewy cookie with fruity chocolate notes

Maria notes that the secret ingredient for her crinkle cookies is melted unsweetened chocolate. After doing a side-by-side test, she found it to be a clear winner over cocoa powder. I was curious to put it to the test! Maria’s recipe is essentially the same as All Recipes but with half the amount of oil and the melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder.

Similar to All Recipes, this cookie had good spread and nice chewiness. These weren’t quite as flat as All Recipes and felt slightly more moist and meringue-like while All Recipes leans slightly more cakey. Interestingly, this had a distinctly fruity chocolate flavor (which I assume came directly from the unsweetened Ghiradelli chocolate I used). This also had the strongest vanilla flavor. Overall, I’d agree that this cookie had a more intense chocolate flavor than All Recipes. Make sure to use an unsweetened chocolate that you like! Baker’s Chocolate seems to be the internet’s pick for future reference. Great for a light and chewy, not-overly-rich classic crinkle cookie experience.

Taster comments:

• These are light with a perfectly chewy center! The texture was perfect in my opinion. I would prefer a more intense chocolate flavor, however.
• Almost fruity in flavor, lighter chocolate, moist in the middle, on the sweeter side. One of my favorites!
• Texture and structure was normal but it had no chocolate flavor. The cookie itself was very vanilla forward and if you closed your eyes you wouldn’t even know there was chocolate in it.
• I loved how fluffy and moist this cookie was, but the chocolate flavor didn’t quite come through.
• Good texture, but not very chocolatey. Would be forgettable among the others

Cook’s Illustrated: picture-perfect crinkle cookies with a thin, chewy, moist texture

Cook’s Illustrated popular recipe is one that uses both cocoa powder and unsweetened chocolate. This was the only recipe to use both baking powder and baking soda as leaveners for “good fissures on the outside.” This allows bakers to use either natural or Dutch-process cocoa in the recipe–I used the latter. Like Two Peas, this uses a relatively modest amount of fat (1/4 cup per 1 cup flour) but uses butter as its base. It also uses all brown sugar and optional espresso powder, which I chose not to include because I ran out. The dough balls get rolled in granulated sugar before powdered sugar to help preserve the powdered sugar coating.

Based on looks alone, I was most excited about this cookie. With an airy, chewy texture, these compress in your mouth in a way that reminds me slightly of a marzipan cookie. These did an excellent job of balancing moisture, airiness and a soft chew. I also loved the balance of chocolate flavor in these cookies–it was rich and full without being overbearing or too fudgy. I can see why these cookies are so popular. These would be an easy crowd pleaser!

Taster comments:

• I LOVE how light and chewy this one is! The flavor of the cookie itself however, wasn’t rich enough for me and I felt it could be sweeter.
• I loved the texture–it was moist but still a little airy/fluffy. Flavor was rich and the cookies themselves were perfectly baked.
• I really liked the crust. The powdered sugar actually adds something. Chocolate flavor is rich and developed.
• Consistent texture throughout is really nice and airy, kind of grainy but I like that, not sold on the flavor – almost box frosting esque?
• Too soft in texture and really lacked chocolate flavor. We thought it tasted almost granular and was slightly underbaked qualities of dough.

Bakerita: an intensely rich and dark chocolate truffle bomb

The only naturally gluten-free recipe in the bunch, Bakerita’s recipe is essentially a chocolate meringue with just a little cocoa powder and cornstarch for structure. Melted bittersweet chocolate gets folded into stiffly whipped egg whites. It’s critical that the mixture gets well-chilled before getting rolled in powdered sugar and baked–a good number of comments note that their cookies turned out too flat. Note: I omitted the optional chocolate chips.

These are aptly named “chocolate fudge crinkle cookies.” Biting into one is like biting into a structured, fudgy chocolate ganache. The bittersweet chocolate is quite intense–perfect for dark chocolate lovers. Similar to King Arthur’s cookies, these don’t spread as much as other cookies, making for dense little fudge-like bites. These don’t have the traditional crumb of a chocolate crinkle cookie, but if you’re looking for a gluten-free, really rich and fudgy cookie, this is the one!

Taster comments:

• Really intense chocolate flavor, almost more like a truffle than cookie. We liked that it was a darker chocolate and was more chocolate than sweet
• This has a brownie-like taste I really enjoyed. The small size was a little off putting at first, as I thought it might be crispier, but I really liked the texture on this one. I wish this one was a little larger and more of a crinkle cookie.
• Tasted more like a chocolate truffle than a cookie, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I wanted a cookie. Also, it’s kind of small for a cookie. Very rich and chewy.
• Super dense, cuts through like fudge, melts in your mouth like flourless cake and super dark chocolately, almost too intense of an experience but a true chocolate lovers cookie
• Very heavy and almost had the consistency of a bon bon. It felt beyond fudgy and no longer a cookie. The flavor was also just pure bitter chocolate and felt very overwhelming.
• Eating mocha fudge, sign me up. But also you can’t eat a lot of these which is a bummer

Danielle Sepsy: thick, chunky cookies with doughy centers and a deep chocolate flavor

When Chef Danielle sent me her recipe, I was immediately hooked. The Levain-esque mounds of cookie dough are composed of cake flour, two types of semi-sweet chocolate and Dutch-process cocoa. Danielle also uses rolls the cookie balls in powdered sugar twice–once before chilling and once after.

Unlike the more typical chewy chocolate crinkle cookies, Danielle’s lean much more on the doughy thickness characteristic of Levain-style cookies. I loved the thick and cakey texture with moist, doughy centers. These feel like rich brownies personified as cookies! The espresso helps magnify the chocolate flavor surrounding the chocolate chips. There’s a slightly gritty texture to these that I liked but some didn’t prefer. (I’m not positive, but wondering if the grittiness came from the espresso powder.) Overall, if you’re looking for an untraditional chocolate crinkle cookie that’s more doughy and brownie-like, this is a stunner!

(Try rolling these in granulated sugar before the powdered sugar layer to keep the powdered sugar from yellowing!)

Taster comments:

• Perfect brownie like texture and the right intensity of chocolate flavor. We loved the chocolate chips and the hints of coffee throughout really amplified the chocolate flavor. Nice bitterness to offset the sweetness.
• I appreciate the rich chocolatey flavor enhanced by the addition of chocolate chips. It’s on the thicker and cakier side which I enjoyed, but for a chocolate crinkle cookie prefer a bit more chewiness. I like the crunchy bottom!
• Notes of espresso come through nicely, distinctly fudgier in the center than edges provides interesting texture, powdered sugar did absorb moisture from the cookie and melted to some extent so not as pretty, VERY rich and dense
• I liked the big chocolate chips. Coffee flavor a little too strong for me as a non-coffee person. VERY chocolatey!
• Really liked the softness of this cookie, but the flavor was a little lacking for me. It definitely tasted a little bland and the cake-like consistency was a little dense after awhile.

Sofra: the quintessential chocolate crinkle cookie with chewy edges, fudgy centers and a balanced chocolate flavor

Created by chef Maura Kilpatrick of Sofra Bakery, Maura originally named these “Earthquake cookies.” Similar ratio-wise to Cook’s Illustrated, this recipe was still distinct enough that I was curious to test it. It uses a combination of cocoa and bittersweet chocolate instead of unsweetened, all brown sugar, and adds a little milk in place of an extra egg (along with slightly more flour). Like Cook’s Illustrated, these also get rolled in a combination of granulated and powdered sugar!

While similar in flavor and appearance to Sally’s Baking Addiction, these cookies edged out as my favorite thanks to a really deep yet balanced chocolate flavor. These also had a great balance of slightly crisp, chewy edges, a not-too-thick-or-thin middle and velvety centers. To me, these walk the perfect line between being fudgy but not overly rich. They’re brownie-like without being either too dry or cloying. While perhaps not as classic in shape and texture as Cook’s Illustrated, it’s easy to see why people rave about these. I can’t recommend these enough!

Taster comments:

• Really liked this one all around. Great brownie-like texture and has enough chocolate flavor without being too sweet.
• Fudgy but also kind of light feeling which is nice, good level of chocolatey, nice crisp parts on outside
• This one really holds up. The outside texture is crunchy in a light way and the flavor strikes a good balance.
• Texture was perfect edge of brownie cut and the flavor was a perfect mix of sweet and bitter. It was also a lighter cookie so we could easily “crinkle” down and it didn’t feel fudgy. We liked that it wasn’t too intense.
• Very solid. Velvety texture with a rich, chocolate flavor. It could have benefited from the textural contrast of some chocolate chips, but overall, it was delicious.
• This cookie felt very fudgy in a way that was too rich and dense but the flavor was delicious!
• I love how light and chewy these are. They’re on the cakier side. I’d prefer a more chocolatey flavor in a perfect world. Also could be a tad less sweet.

If you enjoyed this bake off, you may also enjoy these other cookie bake offs:

• Best blondie bake off
• Brown butter chocolate chip bake off
• Oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bake off
• Vegan chocolate chip cookie bake off
• Vegan brownie bake off