Our secret recipe is finally unlocked! These are ube crinkle cookies we often make during the holidays. Perfect for cookie exchanges, leaving out for Santa, or simply satisfying that sweet tooth of yours.
Ube crinkle cookies are ube-flavored sugar cookies with a noticeable cracked exterior and powdered sugar coating. These cookies are made with ingredients such as ube halaya and dark brown sugar, then rolled in sugar prior to baking.
These cookies have been such a hit with our friends and family, and it will be a hit with yours too!
Read on for the recipe!
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Table of Contents
The Secret to Perfect “Crinkled” Cookies
Crinkles (or cracks) form when the outer crust hardens before the inner dough is done spreading out or rising during baking.
The sugar coating on the outside will melt and then harden, resulting in a crisp outer layer that is so satisfying to bite.
Many recipes call for the cookie dough to be rolled in powdered (confectionary) sugar only.
However, the problem there is that powdered sugar will melt too fast. The outer layer won’t be as crisp and the crinkles won’t be as distinct.
The solution: roll the cookie dough in granulated sugar first, then roll it again in powdered sugar.
Granulated sugar are much larger and coarser grains of sugar compared to powdered sugar. When it bakes, it will melt only partially (enough to connect all the grains of sugar, like glue) and the rest will remain hardened sugar.
The result is an outer blanket of recrystallized sugar – what we need for that crisp exterior.
Granulated sugar will also protect the powdered sugar from dissolving away. So, the powdered sugar will remain on the surface and help us visualize those perfectly distinct crinkles.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 stick butter unsalted, room temp
- 1 cup ube halaya
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 egg room temp
- 1 tsp ube extract
- granulated sugar for coating
- powdered sugar for coating
Ube Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Prepare the Cookie Dough
- Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix butter and ube halaya with an electric mixer. Gradually add in the brown sugar. Then add egg and the ube extract. Mix well.
- Add the dry mixture, 1/3 at a time, to the wet mixture. Mix well until well incorporated, then stop immediately.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours. See Note 1.
Note 1. Crinkle cookie dough is very sticky and needs chill time for better handling. Also, the colder the dough, the less it will spread while baking in the oven. If you prefer a small but thicker cookie (the texture will therefore feel more cakey), you may chill the dough overnight. We enjoy a thinner cookie, so a 2 hour chill time is enough for easy handling yet it will still spread nicely while baking.
Bake the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Scoop about 1.5 tbsp of dough. Roll into a ball. Roll in granulated sugar then in the powdered sugar. Place dough 2 inches apart on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake 10-12 min. Let cool on the baking sheet for 3 min.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and let it cool completely.
Tips on Baking Ube Crinkle Cookies
- If you prefer higher-rising cookies, there are two ways you can adjust this recipe.
- The first way is to use brand new baking soda. In this blog post we used baking soda that’s been opened for a few months, but not expired. Our cookies turned out to be of a medium thickness (approx. 1/2 inch thick). In our experience with this recipe, using brand new (unopened) baking soda results in a higher rising cookie about 1 inch thick.
- The second way is to chill the dough overnight. If you use very cold dough in the oven, it will not spread as much while baking, so the cookie will be thicker as a result. Whether you like a thinner cookie or a thicker cookie, this recipe turns out delicious!
- Be generous when coating with granulated and powdered sugar. This will help you achieve the best visuals on your cookies.
- If you find out after baking that you didn’t use enough sugar coating, dip the top of the cookie gently in powdered sugar before placing on the cooling rack.
- Let the cookies cool until the next day – As soon as they’re done baking, the outer crust hasn’t set completely. But if you wait until the next day, the outer crust will be cooled and hardened into a more satisfying crisp. Of course, it’s difficult to resist the temptation of eating the cookies right away, so good luck haha.
Final Thoughts
Ube crinkle cookies adds Filipino flavor to the familiar taste and texture of crinkle cookies. Use this recipe for a perfectly cracked exterior and an irresistible ube dessert!
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Ube Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 stick butter unsalted, room temp
- 1 cup ube halaya
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 egg room temp
- 1 tsp ube extract
- granulated sugar for coating
- powdered sugar for coating
Instructions
Prepare the cookie dough
- Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix butter and ube halaya with an electric mixer. Gradually add in the brown sugar. Then add egg and the ube extract. Mix well.
- Add the dry mixture, 1/3 at a time, to the wet mixture. Mix well until well incorporated, then stop immediately.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours. See note 1.
Bake the cookies
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Scoop about 1.5 tbsp of dough. Roll into a ball. Roll in granulated sugar then in the powdered sugar. Place dough 2 inches apart on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake 10-12 min. Let cool on the baking sheet for 3 min.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and let it cool completely.
Notes
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References & Further Reading
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/8922-science-the-key-to-crinkly-cookies
[…] If you love making sweet and easy desserts, browse more of our dessert recipes like Matcha Pastillas de Leche or Ube Crinkle Cookies! […]