With crisp edges, a soft centre and that classic crinkled finish, these Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies are a festive favourite that are impossible to resist.
There’s something quietly joyful about crinkle cookies. Maybe it’s the way they puff and crackle in the oven, or the contrast between the dark, fudgy centres and that snowy coating of icing sugar. Whatever it is, they feel nostalgic and festive all at once, and they’re the kind of holiday bake that disappears quickly.
These Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies lean into everything we love about the classic crinkle, with the addition of a gentle hit of mint that cuts through the fudgy richness of the cocoa. Not overpowering, not toothpaste-y; just enough to make each bite feel a little fresher, a little more special.
A cosy bake, with just a hint of holiday magic, these crinkle cookies are ideal for festive baking and gifting.
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Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookie Recipe
- Balanced flavour. They’re deeply chocolatey with just a subtle hint of mint.
- Classic crinkle look. These Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies are soft and fudgy on the inside with lightly crisp, telltale crinkled edges.
- Time saver. The dough can be made a day or two ahead of time.
- Perfect for festive baking. Crinkle cookies are a crowd-pleasing cookie perfect for serving and gifting.
What Are Crinkle Cookies?
Crinkle cookies are known for their signature cracked surface. The dark, rich cookie dough pushes through the coating of icing sugar as the cookies bake and spread in the oven. The result is a striking contrast between the soft and fudgy interior and the crispy, snowy exterior.
Crinkle cookies have long been a world-wide baking favourite, particularly around the holidays, when their dramatic appearance makes them perfect for festive platters. Chocolate crinkle cookies are the classic, but variations, like this mint-spiked version, add a subtle twist without losing what makes them so comforting and familiar.
Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookie Recipe Ingredients
- Granulated sugar. Sweetens the dough and contributes to the soft, slightly chewy crinkle cookie texture.
- Cocoa powder. The flavour basis of the cookies, providing that rich, dark colour crinkle cookies are known for.
- Vegetable oil. Keeps the cookies moist and fudgy, with a tender crumb that stays soft for days.
- Eggs. Bind the dough and help create structure while keeping the centres soft.
- Mint extract. A little goes a long way, we’re using just enough to add festive fresh flavour to these Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies! You can also choose to make straight up chocolate flavoured crinkle cookies and omit the mint, but I urge you to give it a try!
- Vanilla bean paste. Adds warmth and depth, rounding out the chocolate flavour.
- All-purpose flour. Provides structure while still allowing the cookies to spread and crinkle.
- Baking powder. Gives the cookies their lift and helps create those classic cracks.
- Instant coffee granules. Enhances the chocolate flavour and helps create that fudgy centre. I promise your cookies won’t taste like coffee!
- Salt. Balances the sweetness!
- Icing sugar. Coats the dough balls and creates that iconic crinkle finish.
How to Make Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a bowl, mix together the sugar, cocoa powder and oil using a hand-held electric mixer, until the mixture resembles muddy, wet sand.
- Add the eggs and flavour enhancers. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated, followed by the mint and vanilla extracts, until smooth and glossy.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, instant coffee and salt and mix on low speed until a thick, sticky dough forms and there are no flour streaks left.
- Chill the dough. Cover and refrigerate until firm, a minimum of 2 hours, but you can chill the dough overnight or up to a day. This step is essential for easy rolling and defined crinkles.
- Coat in icing sugar. Roll spoonfuls of dough into balls, then generously coat each one in icing sugar, dredging them twice if you have to.
- Chill and bake. Chill the rolled cookies once more, tray and all, to help prevent spreading in the oven. When ready, bake until puffed, cracked and just set around the edges.
- Cool and serve. Let the cookies cool on the tray briefly before transferring to a rack to finish setting. Share these festive Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies or enjoy them for yourself with a cup of coffee or tea.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Chill the dough properly. Warm dough won’t crinkle as well and will most likely spread in the oven, ending up with a cookie traybake.
- Be generous with the icing sugar. The icing sugar is what creates the crinkle look for these Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies, so be generous and coat each ball of dough fully. If the weather is humid, you may need to dredge them in icing sugar twice.
- Don’t overbake. You want the crinkle cookies to have crispy edges but the centres should still be slightly soft and fudgy.
- Work in a cooler environment. If your kitchen is warm, work in batches and keep dough chilled.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make these without mint?
Absolutely. Simply omit the mint extract for classic chocolate crinkle cookies.
Why do I need to chill the dough?
Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape, develop those signature crinkle cracks, and most importantly, stop spreading in the oven so you don’t end up with a cookie traybake!
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes. Roll the dough into balls, freeze, then coat in icing sugar and bake from frozen.
Why didn’t my cookies crinkle?
The four most common reasons crinkle cookies don’t crinkle are: your baking powder was old, the dough was too warm when placed in the oven, or alternatively, the oven was not preheated/hot enough to start the chemical reaction needed to achieve the crinkles. The last most common reason crinkle cookies don’t crinkle is that they weren’t coated in enough icing sugar.
Can I use butter instead of oil?
For this particular crinkle cookie recipe, I do not recommend substituting butter for oil.
Love biscuits and cookies? Try these recipes too:
Or explore all our baking recipes.
If you love a cookie that looks as good as it tastes, these Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies deserve a place in your baking rotation.
If you’ve tried baking these Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies, be sure to leave me a comment and let me know. Or snap a pic and tag me on Instagram, I always enjoy seeing what you guys are cooking from the blog!
Recipe
Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 40 g cocoa powder
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon mint extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or extract
- 120 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee granules
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ~1 cup icing sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add sugar, cocoa and oil. Using a hand-held electric mixer, mix on medium speed until it looks like wet, muddy sand.150 g granulated sugar, 40 g cocoa powder, ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Then add the mint and vanilla until smooth and glossy.2 eggs, ½ teaspoon mint extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Add flour, baking powder, coffee and salt; mix on low until just combined and there are no streaks of flour.120 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon instant coffee granules, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Cover the bowl with clingfilm and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight. (The dough is very sticky and needs to chill and rest for two reasons; one: it makes it easier to roll the dough into balls, and two: it prevents too much spreading in the oven. So if you don’t want to end up with a crinkle cookie traybake, chill that dough!)
- When ready to shape the crinkle cookies, line two trays with baking paper. Working quickly, scoop the dough (heaped teaspoons = ~25 cookies; level tablespoons = ~18). Wet your hands every other roll to help stop the dough from sticking to your hands.
- Add a few tablespoons of icing sugar to a shallow, wide bowl. Working with 2-3 balls at a time, roll each ball in plenty of icing sugar, dredging them twice if needed or if the weather is humid, and adding more icing sugar to the bowl as needed. Keep leftover dough chilled as you roll.~1 cup icing sugar
- Space the dough balls well apart on the trays and chill, tray and all for 30 minutes (if you don’t chill them at this point, THEY WILL SPREAD WHEN BAKED!).
- Preheat the oven to 170°C.
- Bake the Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies: 10 minutes for small cookies and 12 minutes for larger ones. They’re ready when the surface has crinkled, the edges are crispy and the centres are still slightly soft.
- Crinkle cookies will keep for 5 days stored at room temperature in an air-tight container.
