Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

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Rolled in sugar twice, because once wasn’t dramatic enough.

Prep time: 20 minutes, plus at least 3 hours chilling (or overnight)
Cook time: 10-12 minutes per batch
Yield: About 24 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 oz unsweetened cocoa powder (about 1 cup)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar, for rolling
1 cup powdered sugar, for rolling

Instructions:

Whisk together the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and cocoa powder until smooth.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight. This step matters, the dough needs to firm up or the crinkle won’t happen right.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll the dough into balls, about 1 inch each.
Roll each ball first in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar, coating heavily. The double coat is what creates that deep crackle look.
Place on the baking sheet a couple inches apart and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops have cracked and the edges are set but the centers still look a little soft.
Let cool on the pan for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack.

Notes:
The overnight chill is the part people skip and then wonder why their cookies spread flat instead of crackling. Don’t skip it.

Short on time? Chill the dough for the minimum 3 hours instead of overnight, and roll the balls a little smaller so they set faster. Still crinkles, just on a tighter timeline.