How to get the crinkliest crinkle cookies

I live in Southern California, which means the only snow I get each winter comes in the form of cookies. Crinkle cookies, to be specific, their exterior covered in a white blanket of confectioners’ sugar, with a crackled surface that resembles tree roots peeking through the snow-covered ground. 

But like the season’s first snowstorm, the perfect crinkle can be elusive. So I called up the King Arthur Test Kitchen’s two resident crinkle cookie experts, Molly Marzalek-Kelly and David Turner (DT), for advice. They’re the masterminds behind our Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies, Cream Cheese-Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies, and Lemon Crinkle Cookies, all of which would be perfect on your holiday cookie plate alongside other favorites, like classic Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and these gorgeous Mochi-Stuffed Ube Crinkle Cookies.

Photography by Patrick Marinello; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova

“Crinkle cookie development is a challenge,” says DT. “The main issue is that they don’t always crinkle.” To help you get the crinkliest crinkle cookies this season, here are Molly and DT’s do’s and don’ts.

DO: Follow the recipe as written!

Molly and DT both agree: Make sure to follow the recipe exactly, ideally using a scale to ensure accuracy. “It’s been written with your success in mind,” says DT. “If there is a step that seems extraneous, we promise it’s not. Trust us that you should do it anyway.” 

Beyond just recipe steps, that includes guidance like ingredient temperature. “If the recipe calls for softened butter or room-temperature eggs, that’s what you should use,” DT advises. 

DO: Chill your dough long enough 

“With crinkle cookies, there is almost always a chill step built into the recipe,” says Molly. “People want to rush things, so they often skip it or cut it short. But chilling is important!” By allowing your dough to chill properly, it solidifies to the right consistency and makes scooping and shaping much easier. Which leads to the next tip …

Anne Mientka

DON’T: Add too much flour

“Because crinkles rest, the dough often looks quite loose when it’s first mixed,” says Molly. “Bakers sometimes panic and add additional flour when mixing the dough, which makes the cookies too cakey.” Even if your crinkle cookie dough looks more like batter when you initially mix it, don’t worry — and resist the urge to add more flour. Once it chills, the dough will firm up. 

DO: Check your leaveners

These cookies get their characteristic crinkle by puffing dramatically in the oven. But if the leaveners you use are old and expired, they might not fully puff while baking, thus reducing — or eliminating — any crinkling. If you’re unsure about the quality of your baking soda or baking powder, you can test them for freshness before baking.

DO: Douse your dough in sugar

Crinkle cookies are coated in sugar for two reasons. The first is obvious: It provides a striking appearance. What about the second? “The reason a cookie crinkles is because the outside dries and sets before the inside fully cooks, which causes that exterior to rupture,” explains DT. “That’s where the sugar on the outside comes in. It’s not just visual: It dries out the exterior of the cookie, too.” Make sure to use enough sugar to support this. As Molly advises: “Fully coat your cookie and don’t knock off the sugar!”

Anne Mientka

DO: Use an oven thermometer

As mentioned above, the timing of a crinkle cookie’s bake is key: You want the outside to set while the inside is still underbaked. That means oven temperature is crucial, so we recommend an oven thermometer to ensure you’re baking at the correct temperature.

DON’T: Overbake them 

“Overbaked crinkle cookies will be cakey and dried out,” says Molly. Look for the cookies to be cracked all over and dry around the edges; the tops will still be shiny and moist but should not stick to your finger if touched lightly.

You’re ready to crinkle! Try Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies, Cream-Cheese Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies, Lemon Crinkle Cookies, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and Mochi-Stuffed Ube Crinkle Cookies.

Cover photo (Chocolate Crinkle Cookies) by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.