Chocolate crinkle cookies are American chocolate cookies that are hard to resist on a cake plate. The dark cocoa dough is rolled in sugar and a thick layer of icing sugar, and when the balls spread out in the heat, the surface cracks. The result is a white pattern with deep, dark cracks, a firm edge and a soft, almost fudgy centre.
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I bake them in small batches in the air fryer, and that suits this kind of cookie perfectly. You only roll the balls that are going into the basket right now, so the icing sugar stays snow white. The dough can be made the day before, and then freshly baked Christmas cookies are on the table without you ever having turned on the oven.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love chocolate crinkle cookies in the air fryer
It is the contrast I fall for. The dark chocolate dough under the white icing sugar makes them some of the prettiest cookies you can bake for Christmas, and they need no piping bag, cookie cutters or icing. The dough is mixed together in one bowl with eggs, sugar, oil, cocoa and flour, so there is no butter to soften.
The oil gives a soft, moist crumb, and the cocoa gives a deep chocolate flavour without making the cookies heavy. It is the kind of cookie where one is rarely enough.
What the air fryer does better than the oven
The hot air circulates closely around the cookies, so the edge sets quickly while the centre stays soft. That is exactly the texture a crinkle cookie should have. Because you bake in small batches, it is easy to take them out at just the right moment, and you avoid having to heat up a big oven.
My kitchen test of chocolate crinkle cookies
I baked them in my Cosori Dual Blaze, where the heat comes from both above and below, so the bottom is done at the same time as the top. At 160 °C and 8 minutes per batch I got exactly what I wanted: firm edges, clear cracks and a centre that was still soft when they came out. With about 8 balls at a time, that meant 3 batches and 24 minutes in the basket for all of the dough.
The biggest time sink is the chilling time. The dough needs at least 2 hours in the fridge, and with 20 minutes of preparation the total time comes to 164 minutes, but for most of that time the dough looks after itself. The balls are placed on air fryer baking paper, which is lowered into the hot basket. Never put the paper in the basket on its own, as it can blow up against the heating element.
Only roll the balls that are going into the basket now. Sugar first, then a thick layer of icing sugar, and straight into the hot air fryer. If they have to wait, the icing sugar draws in moisture and turns translucent.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is rolling the dough before it is cold enough. If the dough is too soft, the balls spread out before the surface has time to crack, and the cookies end up flat with no pattern. Give it the full 2 hours in the fridge, and put the balls back in the fridge while the first batch bakes. The second mistake is skipping the sugar. Without the sugar layer, the icing sugar draws moisture from the dough and melts into it, so the white disappears. Always roll in sugar first and then thoroughly in icing sugar. The third mistake is baking until the centre feels firm, because then the cookies turn dry. Take them out when the edges have set and the cracks stand out clearly. The centre firms up as they cool. Do not shake the basket while they bake, either.
How to serve chocolate crinkle cookies
Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before you serve them, so they have time to set. Here are my favourites:
- With the afternoon coffee or a cup of tea
- On the Christmas table alongside Danish vanilla rings and pebernødder (pepper nuts)
- In a pretty tin as a gift for your host
- With a glass of cold milk
- With a scoop of vanilla ice cream as an easy dessert
Storage and reheating
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months and thawed at room temperature. The cookies are not suitable for reheating, so serve them as they are.
Chocolate crinkle cookies look far harder to make than they are. Chill the dough well, roll the balls in sugar and icing sugar just before baking, and take them out while the centre is still soft. Then you get that beautiful white pattern every single time.
FAQ
Usually the dough is too warm, so the balls spread out before the surface has time to crack. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, and keep the balls cold until they are to be baked. Roll them in sugar and then in icing sugar just before baking, so the white layer does not melt in.
Yes, the dough keeps perfectly well covered in the fridge overnight. You can also freeze the shaped balls without the sugar and icing sugar, thaw them in the fridge and roll them just before baking.
I bake about 8 at a time with about 4 cm between them, so they have room to spread out. The whole batch of dough makes about 24 cookies in 3 batches. If you have a small air fryer, bake 5-6 at a time and allow for an extra batch.
Recipe
Chocolate crinkle cookies in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Measuring spoons
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Sifter
- 1 Dough scraper
- 1 Plastic wrap
- 2 Small bowls
- 1 Parchment paper (for air fryer)
- 1 Offset spatula
- 1 Cooling rack
Shopping list
Ingredients
How to make it
Preparation
- Whisk 2 pcs eggs, 175 g sugar, 4 tbsp rapeseed oil and 1 tsp vanilla sugar together in a mixing bowl for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is glossy and smooth.
- Fold everything together with a dough scraper until there are no dry lumps of flour left. The dough is soft and sticky, and that is exactly how it should be.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to roll without sticking.
- Roll the dough between your palms into about 24 balls of roughly 20 g (1 tbsp) each. Keep the balls chilled until they are ready to be baked.
Baking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan.
- Put 3 tbsp sugar and 60 g icing sugar in separate small bowls. Roll about 8 balls in the sugar first, then turn them thoroughly in the icing sugar so they get a thick, white coating. The sugar seals the surface, so the icing sugar does not draw moisture from the dough and melt into it.
- Arrange the balls on a piece of air fryer baking paper about 4 cm apart, as they spread out when they crack. Lower the paper into the hot basket. Never put the paper in the basket on its own, as it can blow up against the heating element.
- Bake the cookies at 160 °C for 8 minutes. Take them out when the edges are firm and the cracks stand out clearly, while the centre is still soft. They settle as they cool.
- Carefully lift the baking paper with the cookies out of the basket and let them rest for 2 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack with a palette knife and let them cool completely.
- Bake the rest of the balls in the same way at 160 °C for 8 minutes per batch, about 3 batches in total. Roll each batch in sugar and icing sugar just before it goes into the basket.
Our notes for the recipe
The dough must be cold and firm before it is rolled, otherwise the balls will spread out before the surface has time to crack. Air fryers vary, so check the first batch after 7 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges are set and the dough in the cracks still looks soft and slightly glossy. Do not shake the basket while they bake. The white pattern:
Sugar first and icing sugar afterwards is the secret. The sugar layer seals the moist dough, so the icing sugar stays on as a thick, white coating. As the cookies rise and spread out, the surface cracks and the dark chocolate dough shows through between the white flakes. Roll the balls just before baking. If they are left to stand for too long, the icing sugar draws in moisture and turns translucent. Variation:
Add 1 tsp instant coffee powder for a deeper chocolate flavour, or a little grated orange zest for a hint of Christmas. A dark, Dutch-processed cocoa gives an almost black dough and an even sharper contrast to the white. Serving:
Serve them with coffee, on the Christmas table or in a tin as a gift for your host. They are also lovely with a glass of cold milk. Make ahead:
The dough can easily be left in the fridge overnight. You can also freeze the shaped balls without the sugar and icing sugar. Let them thaw in the fridge, and roll them in sugar and icing sugar just before baking. Portion size:
The recipe makes about 24 cookies, which works out at 6 per serving. If your air fryer is small, bake 5-6 at a time and allow for an extra batch.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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