Fudgey Chocolate Brownie Crinkle Cookies

Brownie Crinkle Cookies are a rich and decadent delight made with the wholesome goodness of almond flour. These cookies offer a twist on the classic chocolate cookie, combining the intense and fudgy brownie texture with the crisp edges of a cookie.

With their crinkled tops, soft and chewy centers, and powdered sugar coating, are sure to hit all the right notes and leave you craving for more.

Why You’ll Love these Brownie Crinkle Cookies

Rich chocolate flavor! These brownie crinkle cookies are infused with the rich, intense chocolate flavor that resembles the taste of brownies. The combination of cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and the fudgey texture creates a decadent chocolate treat.

Soft and chewy texture! Brownie crinkle cookies have a soft and chewy texture that you won’t be able to get enough of. The exterior is slightly crisp, while the interior remains moist and tender. The combination of the crinkled surface and the fudgey center creates a delicious contrast of textures in every bite.

Crinkle tops! They’re so cute! One of the distinctive features of brownie crinkle cookies is their crinkled or crackled appearance on the surface. This is achieved by rolling the dough in powdered sugar before baking. The result is not only visually appealing but gives the tops a textured surface.

Melty chocolate bursts! The chocolate chips studded throughout the cookies creates pockets of melty chocolate with each bite. When the cookies are warm and fresh out of the oven, these chocolate chips are gooey and melty, enhancing the overall flavor and texture experience.

Ingredients for Brownie Crinkle Cookies

Blanched Almond Flour: Blanched almond flour, made from finely ground blanched almonds with the skin removed, adds moisture and helps create a tender texture in the cookies. Check out my Kitchen Hack: How to Make Almond Flour to make your own!

Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder is responsible for the rich, chocolatey flavor in these cookies. It adds depth and intensity plus it contains antioxidants and minerals.

Baking Soda: Baking soda is a leavening agent that helps the cookies rise and creates a soft and tender texture. It reacts with the other ingredients, resulting in a lighter and more airy texture.

Salt: Salt enhances the flavors and brings out the sweetness of the cookies.

Unsalted Butter: Butter contributes to the tenderness and moisture of the cookies. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt in the recipe.

Coconut Sugar: Coconut sugar is an unrefined sweetener made from the sap of coconut palm trees and has a lower glycemic index compared to white sugar. Coconut sugar adds a subtle caramel-like flavor and sweetness to the cookies.

Vanilla: Vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor profile of the cookies. It adds a warm and aromatic note that complements the chocolatey taste.

Egg: Eggs act as a binding agent in baking and provide structure and moisture to the cookies. They contribute to the texture and help the cookies hold together during baking.

Chocolate Chips: Chocolate chips are an additional source of chocolate flavor and provide bursts of melty studs throughout the cookies.

Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar, also known as confectioners’ sugar, is used for rolling the cookies before baking. It creates a thin, sweet coating on the outside of the cookies and adds a touch of sweetness. The powdered sugar also contributes to the crinkle tops that are characteristic of these cookies.

How to Make Brownie Crinkle Cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. This ensures that it reaches the desired temperature by the time you’re ready to bake the cookies.
2. Lining the baking sheet or a silicone baking sheet. This will prevent the cookies from sticking to the pan and makes for easy cleanup afterward.
3. In a stand mixer or a large bowl with a whisk, combine the softened butter and coconut sugar. Beat the butter and sugar together until they are well combined, light in color, and creamy in texture. This process incorporates air into the mixture, resulting in a softer and lighter cookie texture.
4. Once the butter and sugar are creamed, add the egg and vanilla extract to the mixture. Whisk until they are fully combined.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, including cocoa powder, almond flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture while mixing, ensuring that all the dry ingredients are incorporated. The resulting dough will be thick and sticky.
6. Add the heaping 2 cups of chocolate chips to the dough and mix by hand until they are evenly distributed.
7. Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for 20-30 minutes. Chilling the dough helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking, resulting in thicker cookies with a better shape.
8. Once the dough has chilled, scoop out 1-2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough. Roll each ball in powdered sugar until it is well coated.
9. Place the coated cookies on the lined baking sheet and press them to slightly flatten. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 11 minutes. The baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven, so keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t over-bake.
10. Once the cookies are baked, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack. Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them. However, you can also enjoy them warm if desired. Store the cookies in an airtight container to maintain their freshness.

Variations to Try

Mint Chocolate Chip

Add a teaspoon of mint extract to the dough along with the vanilla extract. Fold in some chopped mint chocolate or mint chocolate chips along with the regular chocolate chips for a refreshing twist.

Peanut Butter Swirl

Swirl in some creamy peanut butter into the dough before rolling and baking the cookies. You can either dollop spoonfuls of peanut butter on top of the dough and swirl it in with a toothpick or gently fold it into the dough for a marbled effect.

Salted Caramel

Drizzle some salted caramel sauce on top of each cookie before baking and sprinkle with flakey salt for a sweet and salty combination.

Espresso Chocolate

Mix in a tablespoon of instant espresso powder into the dry ingredients to give the cookies a subtle coffee flavor. It pairs wonderfully with the chocolate.

Nutty Delight

Instead of rolling the cookie dough in powdered sugar, roll them in chopped nuts. The added crunch and nuttiness will take the cookies to another level.

Raspberry Jam Filling

After chilling the dough and rolling the cookie dough balls in powdered sugar, make an indentation in each cookie dough ball using your thumb or the back of a spoon. Fill each indentation with a small spoonful of raspberry jam before baking. The jam will add a fruity burst to each bite.

Orange Zest

Add the zest of one orange to the dough for a citrusy twist. The orange flavor pairs well with chocolate and adds a bright and refreshing element to the cookies.

Tips for Success

Soften butter properly: Softened butter should be pliable and easily spreadable, but not melted. To soften butter, take it out of the refrigerator about 1-2 hours before starting the recipe. Alternatively, you can gently microwave it in short bursts, checking frequently to avoid melting.

Chill the dough: Chilling the dough helps prevent excessive spreading during baking, resulting in thicker, chewier cookies with better shape. It also allows the flavors to meld and the dough to become easier to handle. Follow the recipe’s chilling time, and if the dough becomes too firm to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes.

Allow cookies to cool completely: Give the cookies time to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This allows them to set and firm up, preventing them from breaking apart.

How to Store Extra Cookies

Allow the cookies to cool completely: After baking, let the cookies cool on a wire rack until they reach room temperature. This ensures that they set and firm up properly before storing.

Line the container: For added protection, you can line the container with a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper to prevent the cookies from sticking to the container or each other.

Layer the cookies: Place the cooled cookies in a single layer inside the container. If you need to stack multiple layers, separate them with sheets of parchment paper or wax paper to prevent them from sticking together.

Store at room temperature: Place the container in a cool, dry area away from direct sunlight. Avoid storing the cookies in places with high humidity or heat, as these conditions can make the cookies go stale or lose their texture.