Up the ante of your chocolate crinkle cookies with the complex and deep chocolate flavor of black cocoa. These Black Cocoa Crinkle Cookies are decadent but not too sweet, and will surely be loved by kids and adults alike. Soft, tender, and chewy – perfect for the holidays!

Black Cocoa Crinkle Cookie broken in half to see the dark chocolate flavor

close-up photo of black cocoa crinkle cookies

Can you believe the “ber” months are here?! From my neck of the woods, temps are winding down and we are starting to feel the cool, crisp, air. This summer has been unusually hot (which I like, can’t complain!) but Fall is definitely my favorite season.

Fall equates cozy clothes, family gatherings, and the beginning of a lot of Holidays. Fall means in a few months I’ll be taking out the Christmas trees, wreaths, and decors. And of course, Fall marks the start of the baking season! So, as early as now I’m trying to pull up recipes which I can bake for the upcoming holidays.

First stop is these Black Cocoa Crinkle cookies.

Chocolate crinkles seem to be a staple during holiday baking. Chocolate cookies rolled in powdered sugar and baked until perfectly soft, tender, and chewy, what’s not to love about that?

Having said that, crinkle cookies are not at the top of the list of my favorite cookies… BUT, if I use black cocoa, it turns from ordinary to OMG-AMAZING! I may be biased because I just love black cocoa! You have to give this a try so you can see and taste for yourself the difference black cocoa makes.

Black cocoa gives the crinkles cookies a more complex flavor and a deeper chocolate taste without being too sweet nor bitter. It also gives that oreo-like black color. “Sexy” black, if I must say.

What is Black Cocoa?

Black cocoa is an ultra-dutch process cocoa powder. The outer cookies of Oreos are a good example of Black cocoa.

All the acidity has been neutralized making the cooca powder non-bitter and very black. Since it contains no acid, it will no react with baking powder. It also contains almost no fat, which can make baked goods on the dry and crumbly side, so for best results, use black cocoa in combination with Dutch-process cocoa.

Where can I get Black Cocoa?

Black cocoa may not be easily found in most grocery stores. If you’re in Canada, I buy black cocoa from Bulk Barn. If you’re in the US, King Arthur Flour and Amazon carry them. You can also try Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa. It is not quite as “Dutched” as black cocoa but it will give you a closer outcome than other cocoa powders.

If you can’t find black cocoa, replace it (in the same amount) with your normal alkalized / dutch-process cocoa. You won’t get the unique flavor of black cocoa, but they will still be delicious for sure. 🙂

Okay, so let’s start making these delicious cookies!

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Black Cocoa Crinkle Cookies

MAKES: 1 1/2 dozen cookies
ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes | CHILLING TIME: 4 hours | BAKE TIME: 13 minutes

Here’s What You’ll Need

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT:

digital food scale
fine mesh strainer or flour sifter
mixing bowls
stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment
spatula
cling wrap
baking pans or cookie sheet (I use and recommend these cookie sheets!)
parchment paper or silicone baking mat
small ice cream scoop (optional)
oven thermometer
cooling rack

INGREDIENTS:

25 grams (1/4 cup) black cocoa
25 grams (1/4 cup) dutch-processed cocoa
200 grams (1 cup) superfine / caster sugar
50 grams (50 ml) vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
2 large eggs
5 grams (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
125 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
3 grams (3/4 teaspoon) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
50 grams (1/2 cup) confectioner’s sugar/ powdered sugar

Recipe Walkthrough

Prepare and measure all the ingredients. Sift the black cocoa and dutch-processed cocoa together in a bowl, then add in the superfine sugar. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift the powdered sugar in another bowl and put it aside for later use. Eggs should be at room temperature.

NOTE: Superfine sugar, also known as caster sugar, is simply granulated sugar that has been grounded into finer crystals. In some stores, they are sometimes labeled as quick-dissolved sugar or baker’s sugar. You can save some money by making your own. It’s super easy!

RELATED CONTENT: How To Make Superfine Sugar

In a mixer bowl, place the cocoa mixture and vegetable oil. Using a paddle attachment, beat them together on low speed for about 1 minute. While still in low speed, add the eggs, one by one, beating well, and scraping down the bowl as necessary.

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Add the flour mixture into the mixing bowl. Beat on low speed until just the dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not overbeat!

Transfer the dough into a bowl. Cover dough with cling wrap, placing it directly against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper or baking mat. Using a small ice cream scoop, portion the dough and roll into balls. If you don’t have a small ice cream scoop, use a rounded teaspoon to get clumps of the chilled dough and roll them into 1-inch (2.5 cm) sized balls using your hands.

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Immediately coat balls (generously) with the sifted powdered sugar, then place them into the baking pan. Space them out about 1.5 inches apart as the dough will spread.

Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are slightly firm but the centers are still soft. Allow to cool a minute or two on the sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

If you love black cocoa, you have to make these Black Cocoa Pecan Cookies too!!!