Understanding the significance of manufacturing-induced defects, e.g., wrinkles/waviness, in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites is crucial for optimized design and enhanced material properties. We evaluate the influence of out-of-plane wrinkles/waviness residing within the interior of woven CFRP laminates on Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness. First, we manufacture a woven CFRP laminate with carefully controlled out-of-plane wrinkles of various amplitudes (0.48 mm, 0.54 mm, 0.59 mm), replicating the geometrical nature of wrinkles observed in thick composite structures. We then characterize the waviness amplitude of pre-tested and post-tested double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens using an in-house ultrasonic scan to generate the three-dimensional wrinkle surface of each individual lamina. The surface is also characterized using a microscopic profilometer. DCB tests were performed to evaluate the effect of waviness on crack propagation and the energy release rate, specifically the interlaminar fracture toughness ( \({G}_{IC}\) ). The phenomenon of crack growth and \({G}_{IC}\) with respect to displacement were investigated and compared between non-wrinkled and wrinkled CFRPs with various amplitudes. We found that CFRP laminates with wrinkles or waviness exhibit higher \({G}_{IC}\) as the speed of crack propagation can be reduced. This research reveals that internal wrinkles, which are often seen as manufacturing-induced defects, can be exploited to explain the relationship between the complexity of the crack propagation dynamics and the apparent fracture resistance of composite laminates. The introduction of controlled out-of-plane wrinkles in CFRP laminates is found to enhance fracture toughness ( \({G}_{IC}\) ) by a factor of three due to the deceleration of crack propagation.