Sourdough Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
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You're going to love these sourdough chocolate crinkle cookies with a rich chocolate flavor and crispy edges formed by the powdered sugar coating. These are the perfect sourdough discard cookies for any chocolate lovers!
Like all sourdough cookies, and in fact sourdough discard recipes, you can use either active sourdough starter or sourdough discard, which is handy because you're going to want to make a double batch of these!
If you love making sourdough cookies, check out this collection of sourdough discard cookie recipes - you'll find recipes for chewy sourdough chocolate chip cookies, sourdough thumbprint cookies, sourdough oatmeal cookies as well as these fermented sourdough pfeffernusse cookies.
Why You'll Love This Recipe!
Classic Crinkle Cookies - These classic chocolate crinkle cookies feature a crackly outer shell with a velvety soft centre. This recipe, of course, features a tangy sourdough twist that you'll just love!
Fermented Cookies - These soft chocolate crinkle cookies made with sourdough starter need to be refrigerated so that the dough can firm up. This fridge time gives your sourdough starter time to work its sourdough magic and ferment the dough. The cookie dough can stay in the fridge for up to 24 hours, just like these sourdough chocolate cookie sandwiches.
Perfect Cookies to Gift - these sourdough chocolate crinkle cookies make the perfect gift to bake and share! They feature in this guide of the best sourdough recipes to bake and gift at Christmas.
Tips for The Best Sourdough Chocolate Crinkle Cookies!
One of the best things about these cookies is that they are so easy to make! But, like any good recipe, there are always a few tips and tricks you'll need to employ to ensure you have a successful bake each and every time.
Chill the Dough - The dough must be chilled after mixing. This is even more important when using sourdough starter as it gives the starter time to ferment the dough. Chilled dough is much easier to roll into ball, and it helps the cookies maintain their shape and develop those iconic cracks during baking.
Use a Cookie Scoop - A good quality cookie scoop is essential for creating these cookies. The cold dough means that you'll need something very sturdy to scoop it up without bending. A cookie scoop also helps to keep the balls to a uniform size. My dough balls in this recipe are 30g each.
Roll in Granulated Sugar and Powdered Sugar - Before baking, roll the cookie dough balls generously in granulated sugar first, and then powdered sugar. I've experimented a lot with crinkle cookies and found that rolling chocolate crinkle cookies in granulated sugar first and then powdered sugar gave them to crackliest texture with the crispiest edges. This is different to these sourdough gingerbread crinkle cookies, which I only roll in powdered sugar.
Proper Spacing - Leave enough space between the sourdough cookie dough balls on the baking sheet. Typically, 2 inches of space should suffice. This allows the cookies to spread and crack without merging into one another.
Monitor Baking Time - Be vigilant about the baking time, as overbaking can lead to hard cookies. Bake just until the edges are set but the centers are still slightly soft. The residual heat will continue to cook the cookies after you remove them from the oven, so it's crucial not to overbake.
How To Make Sourdough Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Just like these sourdough gingerbread crinkle cookies, these sourdough chocolate crinkle cookies are absolutely delicious and so easy to make! Grab your kitchen scale and your sourdough starter and let's get baking!
Making the Cookie Dough
In a medium size bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar together until well combined (I've just used a whisk but you can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment if you prefer).
Now add the egg and sourdough starter. Whisk together until the batter is light and fluffy.
Now, add the dry ingredients - baking soda, salt, unsweetened cocoa powder and all purpose flour and stir to create a thick cookie dough. The dough will be a bit wetter than a regular cookie dough. The cocoa powder can be a little hard to incorporate, but stick with it, it will come together.
Cover the bowl of cookie dough with a plastic food cover and place into the fridge for at least 2 hours. This dough can be left in the fridge overnight to ferment with no issues. Do not leave this cookie dough at room temperature to ferment as it will turn into a big, sticky mess. It must be refrigerated!
When You're Ready to Bake
Preheat the oven to 200C (390F). Prepare two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop out tablespoons of dough and roll them into perfect balls. Roll each ball first into the granulated sugar and then into the powdered sugar until they are completely coated and then place onto the prepared cookie sheet. You want to leave a space between each one as they do spread out.
Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes at 200C (390F) or until they are crinkly and just set in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for around 10-12 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Flavor Variations for Sourdough Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
These gorgeous sourdough crinkle cookies feature a rich chocolate flavor, but if you would like to add something a little different, then why not try some of the flavor ideas:
- Sourdough Chocolate Espresso Crinkle Cookies - add a few tablespoons of espresso powder to the cookie dough for a sourdough mocha crinkle cookie you'll love!
- Sourdough Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies - add a few drops of peppermint essence to the dough. You could even add some crushed candy canes to make them extra Christmassy! Perfect sourdough Christmas cookies!
- Sourdough Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies - add some mini chocolate chips to the dough to create an extra chocolate flavors.
How To Store + Freeze
These delicious, chewy sourdough chocolate crinkle cookies are best stored in an airtight container. I find that they store best in a glass jar or cookie tin. If you need to layer them, I find putting a piece of parchment paper between each layer of cookies is a good idea and stops them from becoming too soft.
These sourdough crinkle cookies freeze really well. The best time to freeze them are once they've been rolled in powdered sugar. Snap freeze them on a baking tray before transferring them to a zip loc bag.
When you're ready to bake, roll them in powdered sugar again and then bake them for around 14 to 15 minutes.
Sourdough Choclate Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Scoop
- 2 Cookie Sheets or Baking Trays (lined with parchment paper)
Ingredients
- 180 g Butter (softened at room temperature)
- 300 g Granulated Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 100 g Sourdough Starter (active starter or sourdough discard)
- 10 g Baking Soda
- 2 g Salt
- 80 g Cocoa Powder
- 300 g All Purpose Flour
- 75 g Powdered Sugar (for rolling the dough balls in)
Instructions
Making the Cookie Dough
- In a medium size bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar together until well combined (I've just used a whisk but you can use a stand mixer if you prefer).
- Now add the egg and sourdough starter. Whisk together until the batter is light and fluffy.
- Now, add the baking soda, salt, cocoa powder and all purpose flour and stir to create a thick cookie dough. The dough will be a bit wetter than a regular cookie dough. The cocoa powder can be a little hard to incorporate, but stick with it, it will come together.
- Cover the bowl of cookie dough with a plastic food cover and place into the fridge for at least 2 hours. This dough can be left in the fridge overnight to ferment with no issues.
When You're Ready to Bake
- Preheat the oven to 200C (390F). Prepare two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out balls of dough and roll them into perfect balls. Roll each ball first into the granulated sugar and then into the powdered sugar until they are completely coated and then place onto the prepared cookie sheet. You want to leave a space between each one as they do spread out.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes at 200C (390F) or until they are crinkly and just set in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for around 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
