Fudgy and rich vegan chocolate crinkle cookies are so pretty and a serious crowd pleaser! A classic holiday cookie, and for good reason.
It’s the season for cookies! Christmas is a month away, and I hope this is a time of cookie baking, hot chocolate sipping, snuggling with a kitten on the couch (wait, is that just my life?), fuzzy socks and quality time with friends and family.
These Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are sure to get you in the spirit of Christmas! Its almost like they’re trying to be a brownie that’s rolled in powdered sugar. They are super fudgy inside with a wonderful powdered sugar outside, and they get the most beautiful cracks after baking. It’s quite magical!
My oldest son says these are his favorite cookies. Then again, whenever I make Vegan Snickerdoodles, he claims those are his favorite cookie ever, so I don’t know…. But I’ve never come across a person that didn’t LOVE these vegan chocolate crinkle cookies!
How do you make vegan chocolate crinkle cookies?
These fancy looking cookies are surprisingly easy to make. If you’ve been with me awhile, you might know that I like to make my dessert recipes as easy and delicious as possible. If I can, I use 1 bowl, which is what I did here.
First, you make the cookie dough (all in 1 bowl). A sifter is helpful because cocoa powder can be quite chunky, and you want it to be very fine. Same with the flour. If you don’t have a sifter, you can use a fine mesh strainer.
Then, shape in balls, roll in powdered sugar (GENEROUSLY) and bake! That’s it.
*PLEASE NOTE THIS PAGE MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. I ONLY LINK TO PRODUCTS I ABSOLUTELY LOVE AND RECOMMEND. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
What kind of cocoa powder?
Natural cocoa powder works here, as well as dark cocoa powder, dutch processed or even cacao powder. Use you what have. Dark cocoa powder makes them extra dark in contrast with the powdered sugar.
For more vegan cookie recipes, check these out:
Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup canola oil OR melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 1/3 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar and canola oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined and smooth. Add the ground flax seeds, non-dairy milk and vanilla, and mix well to combine.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt using either a sifter or fine mesh strainer. Stir until combined with the wet ingredients and a soft dough is formed.
- Place the powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of dough at a time, and shape into a ball. Roll the ball in the powdered sugar very generously, covering all sides. The more powdered sugar, the prettier the cookies will be.
- Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart so they have room to spread.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until set. They will appear slightly undercooked and soft, but will firm up as they cool.
- Cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Store any extra cookies in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- May use canola oil, melted coconut oil or melted vegan butter.
- Use any kind of non-dairy milk you like, such as soy, almond, cashew, or coconut milk.
- If the dough is hard to work with, stick it in the fridge for 30 minutes or so, then try again. You can also wet your hands a little bit so the dough sticks less.
A wonderful recipe. These are my favorite cookies. I was afraid to make them after going vegan afraid that they would not taste the same. So glad I found your recipe, these were just as delicious if not better than the ones I use to make.
Thank you so much!
Aw I’m so glad you enjoyed these just like the ones you used to make, that makes me so happy!
Hi – Just wondering if ground flaxseed is the same as flaxseed meal?
Yes, they are the same.
AMAZING! My first vegan cookies (despite being vegan). Couldn’t have gone better. Thank you!
You’re so welcome! I’m glad it went so well!
I love your recipes!! I am baking the crinkle cookies now….. they don’t seem to be spreading….. hmm… i have added a few more minutes hoping that will help. Your thots?
If they don’t spread you can always use a spatula and just smush them down a little yourself right when they come out! Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Do you need to mix the ground flax seeds with water? That’s how I’ve always used them as an egg replacer (1:3 ratio). Thanks!
Nope, no need for this recipe!
I have to say I was pretty skeptical when I made the dough this morning because it was more like brownie batter. I gave it a taste and it was amazing, so I knew no matter what I’d be eating it one way or another, lol! I decided to pop it in the fridge for a couple hours and that did the trick. I used way less powdered sugar to roll them, maybe 1/2 cup, if that. I used my small cookie scoop, which yielded 30 perfect cookies. These are absolutely awesome chocolatey goodness!! I’m thinking they’d be great with a little ground coffee or even some peppermint extract, maybe both. Thank you for the delightful recipe. It is new a family favorite. 🙂 XO
Thank you! I’m so glad you loved the cookies!
Can these be frozen? I made these delicious cookies but want to give some to a friend who I won’t see right away.
They can be frozen, but they won’t stay as pretty with the powdered sugar coating. They will still taste good though!
I just made these and they came out great.
I used all purpose GF flour and used coconut sugar instead.
One thing, the powdered sugar disappeared after baking. I just sifted some on top post oven.
Glad they came out great!
I’m gf too! Did you use the same ratios for the flour as the recipe called?
Hello! Can I freeze theses? Did you try? Thanks! They are pretty and very good!
You could freeze them but they won’t stay as pretty, though they will still taste great! Thank you, so glad you like the cookies!
Hi there,
I want to make these but would love for them to be a “red velvet” crinkle cookie. Thinking of simply adding in several drops of red food coloring. Would you suggest any other changes in order to achieve this?
Also, I typically use Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer. The flax seeds you mentioned, is that approximately equal to one egg?
Thanks so much—I love your recipes! They’ve all been hits with my family and friends this holiday season.
That sounds like a fun idea, yes I think you just add some red food coloring, I’m not really sure what else you would need to change. The flaxseeds could probably be replaced with 1 Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer, though I haven’t tested it. I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes here, thank you so much!
I made these for a Christmas Cookie bake off with my neighbors and they were the winner! 🙂 Thats saying a lot for a bunch of non-vegans & non-vegan cookies/pies. Followed recipe exactly. So yummy!
Wow, that’s so exciting! Congrats on the win!
Super easy recipe. I made them per recipe. They are definitely a fudgy, soft cookie. And they are delicious.
I’m so glad you liked them! 🙂
I never comment on blog recipes but I feel like I have to for this one – these were INCREDIBLE! Seriously one of the best cookies I’ve ever eaten. My boyfriend and I are addicted!
That’s so wonderful! Thanks for commenting!
Is it possible to sub brown sugar to get a fudgier cookie?
I don’t know if it will make them fudgier, but yes it will work.
I just made these except I used coconut sugar and melted vegan butter and I used my one inch scoop so I 37 cute cookies. I cooked them at 11 min and they came out perfect. So delish they taste like fudgey brownies yummy. They are already in the freezer. I made them last year for Christmas and they were a hit
Sounds delicious!
I made these the other day for a crowd of non-vegans and everyone LOVED them! I had someone tell me they’re the best chocolate cookies she’d ever had. Such a tasty and easy recipe!
Wow, thanks for the great comment!
Hey Nora!! I’ve made these cookies before and they’re delicious! But I was wondering if these can be made oil free? Could I replace the oil with apple sauce maybe?
So glad you enjoyed the cookies! I’m not sure how they would turn out with applesauce, probably rather cakey though unfortunately! You could try it, but they might end up a very different cookie.
Can the dough be formed, kept in the fridge, then baked the next day?
Yes, just let the dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before trying to roll and bake, or it will be very difficult.
Can you substitute gluten-free flour in this recipe?
It should work, though I have not tested it myself so I can’t be sure. I think someone reported making these with gluten free flour with success. Thanks!
I successfully made these Gluten Free! I Used Bobs Red Mill 1-1 Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (blue zip bag, I got it at Target) which is currently my favorite (and go to) gluten free flour blend. They didn’t spread too much but I’m not sure if that was more because I left out the flax seed or the flour mix! Either way, they were slightly cakey, crumbly, and delicious.
I’m sure gluten free flour changes the cookies somewhat, but I’m so glad you successfully made them gluten free and enjoyed them! Thank you.
These are absolutely amazing, even non vegans will love these!
these look soo delicious. Instead of white sugar can I use coconut sugar?
Yes, that should work fine. Hope you enjoy them!
Are these semi sweet?
They are pretty sweet cookies for sure!
Love them!!!!
I’m so glad you loved them! They’re one of my favorites!
Do you have to use the flax seeds? What is their purpose?
They work as a binder similar to eggs. You can probably leave it out if you want, but they may crumble easier.
I loved crinkle cookies (or crinkles, as my family calls them) growing up and I’m so glad I found this recipe. I’ve made it multiple times and it’s an absolute hit with friends and co-workers (none of whom are vegan). It’s the recipe that brought me to your site and I’m so glad it did!
I’ve made several recipes from your site and loved them all. I’m sooo pleased that you made a vegan version of this (my childhood favorite Christmas cookie). Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.