These espresso crinkle cookies are a coffee flavored twist on classic chocolate crinkles! With crispy edges and soft fudgy centers, they're an easy, fun Christmas cookie that everyone will love!
I recommend making the dough the day before you want to bake the cookies so that it has time to adequately chill!
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.
Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until light, fluffy, and pale in color. This should take 2-4 minutes which seems like a long time, but you'll see a huge difference in the texture afterwards.
Gently fold in the dry ingredients until fully combined. Then fold in the mini chocolate chips if desired. The dough will be very soft and sticky.
Transfer to an airtight container, or cover tightly, and chill the dough overnight (or a minimum of 3-4 hours). Chilling the dough is not optional for these cookies! The dough will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Preheat then oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Add about ½ cup granulated sugar to one small bowl, and ½ cup powdered sugar to a second bowl.
Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough, roll into small balls. I like to use nitrile gloves for easy, mess-free rolling!
Roll each ball lightly in granulated sugar, then generously in the powdered sugar. Make sure to really pack on the powdered sugar for the best results!
Place about 3 inches apart on the baking sheet (I can fit 9-10 cookies on a half sheet pan).
Bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are fully set but the centers are still soft. The cookies will should seem very soft and under baked, but they will harden slightly as they cool. If you cook them for too long, the centers won't be fudgy.
Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Store the baked crinkle cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also store the dough in the fridge for up to a week and bake a few cookies at a time, as desired.