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Crack Cookies (Chocolate Crinkle Cookies)

These Crack Cookies are full of chocolate flavor, have a deliciously chewy texture and look beautiful. With the perfect cracked exterior and a soft and chewy interior, these cookies are perfect for any occasion!

Bite taken out of one of several crack cookies laying on a cutting board.

These fudgy, delicious crack cookies, or snowball cookies as they are sometimes called, are the perfect cookies to master before your next cookie exchange. 

The cute powdered sugar exterior creates the perfect cracked appearance while showing off the gooey, chewy, chocolatey center. 

Then of course the flavor doesn’t disappoint either. These cookies are so soft and chewy, like a fudgy brownie bite.

This recipe makes these cookies even better because it is SO simple to make! Just five ingredients are needed to make these cookies and the measuring is minimal. It does not get any easier than that!

I’ve often seen these cookies served as one of many Christmas cookie favorites but there’s no reason it needs to be reserved for Christmas! Run to the store, grab yourself a cake mix and whip up a batch of these crack cookies now!

If you want to make similar cookies for other holidays, check out these Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies or these St Patrick’s Day Cookies (green, also perfect for Christmas!). 

Ingredients for Crack Cookies

Ingredients shown are used to prepare crack cookies.
  1. Devil’s Food Cake Mix: Do not prepare the mix according to the directions on the box. You just want to use the dry mix. 
  2. Butter: You want your butter completely melted and slightly cooled. 
  3. Eggs: Large or Extra Large eggs work just fine. 
  4. Granulated Sugar and Powdered Sugar: These two ingredients work together to create the perfect crinkle effect. Use both for the best looking cookies!

How to Make This Recipe

Step One: Prep your dough

Ingredients for crack cookies added to a glass mixing bowl, before combining the ingredients.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 

Dump the dry chocolate cake mix into a medium-sized bowl. Then add the melted butter and the eggs. Use a spoon or spatula to mix until combined. 

Step Two: Scoop and Roll

Cookie scoop filled with crack cookie dough.
Crack cookie dough in balls coated in powdered sugar, on parchment paper covered baking sheet.

Scoop out 1 tablespoon worth of cookie dough and roll it into a ball in your hands. 

Roll the cookie dough ball in the granulated sugar to coat the outside, then roll it in the powdered sugar to completely coat it. Place on the parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet(s) and repeat until all of the cookies are rolled out. 

Step Three: Bake

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes until the tops of the cookies have cracked and they are set. The cookies may still look a bit gooey in the center, and that is okay.  

Remove the cookies from the oven, allowing them to rest for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way. 

Serve and enjoy! 

Expert Tips

Stack of 3 crack cookies coated in powdered sugar to reveal the cracks that bake into them.
  • It’s not necessary to refrigerate this dough but it is not a bad idea and may make it easier to roll in the sugar. If you have some time, allow the dough to chill in the fridge for about thirty minutes before scooping and rolling.
  • Don’t skimp on the sugar! The look of these cookies depends on a generous coating of powdered sugar. Roll them a few times to make sure they are covered.
  • Don’t over bake your cookies! This is true for just about any cookie recipe but if you bake your cookies too long they will turn out dry and crumbly. They will continue to firm up as they cool so for the chewiest cookies, remove them when the edges are set but you can still see some moisture in the cookie between the cracks. 

Recipe Variations

These cookies are delicious and full of flavor on their own but the simple chocolate base also lends itself to some variations. If you want to try out a new twist add in some of these add-ins:

  • Chocolate chips
  • Peanut butter cups
  • Andes mints or mint chips
  • Caramel pieces 

You could also try these cookies with a different cake mix. I love the look of the dark chocolate against the white powdered sugar but red velvet, yellow or even white cake would be just as yummy!

FAQs

Top view of crack cookies laying on parchment paper with powdered sugar coating them to show the chocolate cracks.
Why Granulated Sugar and Powdered Sugar?


The granulated sugar and powdered sugar work together for fail-proof cracked cookies. The granulated sugar sticks to the dough and forms a crispy barrier as it cooks, allowing the powdered sugar to stay bright white and spread across the dough. 

You could skip the granulated sugar if you wish, but your powdered sugar may melt into your dough ever so slightly.

Why Didn’t My Cookies Crack?

Mastering the perfect cracked cookies takes some experimenting. If your cookies didn’t work out the way you hoped, you may want to play around with the oven temperature or the temperature of your dough on the next go-round.

How to Store Crack Cookies

You can store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. These cookies can also be frozen for up to three months.

Be aware that if you do freeze the cookies you may want to take them out of your container and allow them to thaw on a platter. Any excess moisture may cause your powdered sugar to melt right into the cookie.

Did you like this recipe for Crack Cookies? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you: 

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Bite taken out of a crack chocolate cookie coated in powdered sugar laying on a cutting board with more freshly baked cookies.

Crack Cookies (Chocolate Crinkle Cookies)

These Crack Cookies are full of chocolate flavor, have a deliciously chewy texture and look beautiful. With the perfect cracked exterior and a soft and chewy interior, these cookies are perfect for any occasion!
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 30
Calories: 101kcal

Ingredients

  • 15.25 oz. Devil’s Food Cake Mix, unprepared
  • 6 Tbsp butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Dump 1 box dry chocolate cake mix into a medium-sized bowl. Then add 6 tbsp melted butter and 2 eggs. Use a spoon or spatula to mix until combined.
  • Scoop out 1 tablespoon worth of cookie dough and roll into a ball in your hands.
  • Roll the cookie dough ball in the granulated sugar to coat the outside, then roll it in the powdered sugar to completely coat it. Place on the parchment-paper lined cookie sheet(s) and repeat until all of the cookies are rolled out.
  • Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes until the tops of the cookies have cracked and they are set. The cookies may still look a bit gooey in the center, and that is okay.
  • Remove the cookies from the oven, allowing them to rest for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe Copyright The Domestic Spoon. For educational or personal use only.
  • Devil’s Food Cake Mix: Do not prepare the mix according to the directions on the box. You just want to use the dry mix.
  • Butter: You want your butter completely melted and slightly cooled.
  • Eggs: Large or Extra Large eggs work just fine.
  • Granulated Sugar and Powdered Sugar: These two ingredients work together to create the perfect crinkle effect. Use both for the best looking cookies!
  • It’s not necessary to refrigerate this dough but it is not a bad idea and may make it easier to roll in the sugar. If you have some time, allow the dough to chill in the fridge for about thirty minutes before scooping and rolling.
  • Don’t skimp on the sugar! The look of these cookies depends on a generous coating of powdered sugar. Roll them a few times to make sure they are covered.
  • Don’t over bake your cookies! This is true for just about any cookie recipe but if you bake your cookies too long they will turn out dry and crumbly. They will continue to firm up as they cool so for the chewiest cookies, remove them when the edges are set but you can still see some moisture in the cookie between the cracks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
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