Chocolate Ginger Crinkle Cookies are a delicious holiday twist on a classic crinkle cookie. Full of dark chocolate with a hint of warming ginger and a fudgy interior, these cookies are perfect for Christmas baking, gift boxes, or a cozy afternoon with a cup of tea.
If you enjoy seasonal baking, try other favorites like pumpkin snickerdoodles or condensed milk shortbread. These crinkle cookies are a fun project to bake with kids and a great way to fill your holiday cookie tin.
🍪 Why bake these cookies
Chocolate crinkle cookies—sometimes called earthquake cookies because of their characteristic cracks—are a holiday staple. This reliable recipe produces thick, fudgy cookies with an intense chocolate flavor and a subtle ginger warmth. Bake them when:
- You want a fun, hands-on recipe to make with kids.
- You prefer a thick, fudgy cookie rather than a crisp one.
- You’re craving a deep, chocolate-forward cookie with a festive spice note.
🍫 Ingredients and substitutions
Flour: all-purpose flour works best for structure and texture.
Cocoa powder: Dutch-processed cocoa yields a darker, mellower chocolate flavor than natural cocoa.
Milk powder: optional but recommended — it deepens flavor and boosts tenderness.
Packed brown sugar: light or dark brown sugar are both fine; they add moisture and a caramel note that white sugar won’t provide.
Espresso powder: a small amount intensifies the chocolate; instant coffee or decaf are acceptable substitutes.
Chocolate: use dark or semi-sweet chocolate for balance; milk chocolate will make a sweeter cookie.
Icing sugar: for the final coating that creates the classic crinkle look.
🍭 Flavor variations
Make these cookies your own with a few simple swaps:
- Chocolate Cinnamon Crinkles: replace the ginger with ground cinnamon for a warm, familiar flavor.
- Straight Chocolate Crinkles: omit the ginger entirely for pure chocolate intensity.
- Triple Chocolate Crinkles: fold in 1/2 cup of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips to the dough for extra pockets of melted chocolate.
🥣 How to make them
Making the dough:
Step 1. Melt the dark chocolate and butter together, either over a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Let cool 5 minutes.
Step 2. Whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, milk powder, Dutch-process cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 teaspoon ground ginger.
Step 3. In a separate large bowl, mix the packed brown sugar, eggs and espresso powder until combined.
Step 4. Fold the melted chocolate into the sugar-egg mixture until just combined, then gently add the flour mixture. The dough will be sticky.
Step 5. Cover and chill the dough for 20 minutes. Chilling is essential to achieve thick, fudgy cookies.
Tip: chilling the dough is the key to thick, fudgy cookies.
Shaping and baking:
Step 6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
Step 7. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Roll once lightly in granulated sugar, then roll in icing sugar mixed with 1/4 teaspoon ginger until fully coated.
Step 8. Place the coated balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 10–11 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and the surface is cracked.
Tip: coating first in granulated sugar and then in icing sugar helps preserve the white, crinkled exterior. The granulated sugar prevents the icing sugar from being absorbed into the dough as it bakes.
After baking, allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. This brief rest lets them finish setting without becoming dry.
🍪 How to know when these cookies are done baking
The cookies are ready when the edges look set but the centers remain soft and slightly shiny. They will appear underbaked in the middle; this is normal. They continue to cook slightly from residual heat once removed from the oven. Avoid overbaking if you want a fudgy center.
✔️ Expert tips
- No need to flatten the balls before baking; well-shaped rounds will spread into cookies naturally.
- Always bake on the middle rack and make sure your oven is fully preheated.
- Do not overcrowd the baking sheet; leave about 2 inches between cookies so they can spread and crack properly.
- Keep any unused dough chilled between batches to maintain thickness and shape.
🙋🏻♀️ Questions you might have
A crinkle cookie, sometimes called an earthquake cookie, gets its name from the cracked, crinkled surface that appears as the cookie spreads and settles while baking.
Over-spreading can be caused by not chilling the dough, using too little flour, or baking in an oven that wasn’t preheated. Chilling the dough and measuring ingredients accurately will help.
If the cookies don’t crack, check that your leavening agents are fresh and that the oven was at the correct temperature when you put the cookies in. Both baking powder and baking soda help create the cracks.
❄️ Storing and freezing
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
To freeze baked cookies, cool completely, place in a freezer-safe bag, remove as much air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
To freeze dough, shape into balls but do not coat in sugar. Freeze on a tray until firm, then transfer to a bag. Coat with sugars just before baking for best results.
🎄 More Christmas recipes
-
The Best Apple Crisp (Without Oats)
-
Nutella Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
-
Almond Chocolate Cookies
-
Mini Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
If you try this Chocolate Ginger Crinkle Cookies recipe, please leave a star rating and share how it went in the comments below!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Ginger Crinkle Cookies
Thick, fudgy chocolate cookies with a hint of ginger and a snowy powdered-sugar exterior. Makes about 18 cookies.
Prep Time: 5 mins • Cook Time: 11 mins • Additional Time: 20 mins • Total Time: 36 mins • Servings: 18 cookies • Calories: 203 kcal each
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper or silicone mat
- Mixing bowls
- Scoop or tablespoon
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp milk powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger, plus 1/4 tsp for coating
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp espresso powder (or instant coffee)
- 3.5 oz dark chocolate
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (for initial coating)
- 1/3 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar) mixed with 1/4 tsp ginger for final coating
Instructions
- Melt the dark chocolate and butter together and let cool about 5 minutes.
- Whisk the brown sugar, eggs and espresso powder in a large bowl.
- Stir the melted chocolate into the sugar mixture until combined.
- Whisk together flour, milk powder, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 tsp ginger. Fold into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Chill the dough 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet.
- Place granulated sugar in one bowl. In another bowl, combine icing sugar with 1/4 tsp ginger.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon dough and roll into balls. Roll each ball first in granulated sugar, then in the icing sugar mixture until well coated.
- Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake 10–11 minutes until puffed and cracked. Edges should be set while centers remain slightly shiny.
- Cool on the baking sheet 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
Do not press the balls flat before baking. Keep dough chilled between batches for best results. If you want a less-spicy cookie, reduce the ginger or omit it.
Nutrition (per cookie)
Calories: 203 kcal • Carbohydrates: 36 g • Protein: 3 g • Fat: 6 g