These soft-baked Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a classic holiday cookie. Crinkled on the outside, fudgy on the inside, and rolled in powdered sugar, they’re a serious crowd-pleaser!
For more vegan holiday cookies, check out my Vegan Snowball Cookies, Vegan Sugar Cookies, and Orange Cranberry Shortbread Cookies!
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“These are absolutely delicious and very easy to make! They are chewy and rich like a brownie. We will definitely be making these again!” – MadisonHomeCook
The first time I tried these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, I almost thought I was eating one of my Vegan Brownies rolled in powdered sugar. They’re fudgy on the inside, coated in powdered sugar on the outside, and have the most beautiful crinkles after baking. I was in the Christmas spirit after just one!
My oldest son says these are his favorite cookies. Then again, whenever I make Vegan Snickerdoodles, he claims those are his favorite cookies ever, so I don’t know…. But I’ve never come across a person who didn’t LOVE these vegan chocolate crinkle cookies!
Are vegan crinkle cookies at the top of your holiday baking list, too? Then you’ll have to try my Ginger Crinkle Cookies, Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies, and Lemon Crinkle Cookies as well.
Why you’ll love these vegan chocolate cookies
- Christmas crinkles – Those slightly crisp and crinkled edges are what make these chocolate cookies a Christmas classic.
- Rich & fudgy – These are like brownies in cookie form! Soft-baked, oh-so chocolatey, and incredibly fudgy.
- Surprisingly easy – These fancy-looking cookies are easy to make in only ONE bowl using baking staples you probably already have at home.
How to make vegan chocolate crinkle cookies
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Stir the sugar and oil together in a large bowl until combined. Next, add the ground flax seeds, milk, and vanilla. Mix again to combine. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, then stir until you have a soft dough.
Use a sifter
A sifter is helpful because cocoa powder and flour can be quite chunky, and you want them to be very fine. If you don’t have a sifter, use a fine mesh strainer instead.
Place the powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of dough at a time and shape it into a ball. Dunk the ball in the powdered sugar to coat all sides with a generous layer. The more powdered sugar, the prettier the cookies will be!
Arrange the balls on a prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Set them aside to cool, then enjoy!
Recipe tip
They key to preventing the powdered sugar from melting is to start with a very generous layer. Dunk those cookie dough balls in the bowl of powdered sugar, roll them around until they’re completely covered and you no longer see the dark chocolate cookie dough, then you’re good to go. Even after they bake, the cookies should still be covered in that snowy white coating!
Customize the cookies
- A few readers have tested this recipe with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour and had good results!
- To make the cookies more festive, add 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract or fold 1/4 cup of crushed candy canes into the dough.
- Add 1 teaspoon of orange extract to the dough if you love orange chocolate cookies.
- Fold in 1/3 cup of mini vegan chocolate chips if double chocolate vegan cookies are your thing!
- Use dark cocoa powder or add 1 teaspoon of espresso powder to the dough for the most indulgent chocolate cookies.
Frequently asked questions
Chilling the dough isn’t necessary unless it’s very sticky or hard to work with. In this case, stick it in the fridge for 30 minutes or so, then roll the cookie dough balls as normal.
I like natural cocoa powder best, but dark cocoa powder, Dutch-processed, and even cacao powder will all work. Use what you have on hand.
Yes! Roll the cookie dough into balls as normal, but don’t coat them in powdered sugar. Freeze the balls on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container.
Let them thaw for at least 30 minutes on the counter before coating in powdered sugar and baking.
Chocolate crinkle cookies stay fudgy and soft for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature. The powdered sugar coating will melt into the cookies over time, but they’ll still be delicious (you can always re-roll them, too!).
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.
Was looking for a chocolate cookie recipe without chocolate chips and ingredients I already had on hand. These turned out great!!
Hi Cecily. I’m so glad you loved the cookies! They are one of my favorites! I appreciate you taking your time to share your terrific review!
I make these all the time and they taste amazing, they are always a hit! However they always flatten when I bake them.. I roll them out like tall golf balls and after baking come out like normal flat cookies, not like the pictures at all.. Any ideas why? (I use coconut oil and oat milk)
Hmmm it could be the coconut oil I suppose, but I’ve never had that happen. In fact, they usually stay pretty round and don’t flatten that much. Also double check your measurements. Too little flour can make cookies flat.
This is a great recipe! So easy and so delicious, I get tons of compliments on these little cookies! Just love them anytime of year!
Hi Meg. Thanks for awesome review and comments! I’m thrilled your cookies are a hit every time! I agree, they are great anytime of the year! Wishing you happy cooking!
I make these every Christmas, and my family starts asking for them almost as soon as I step off the plane. They’re extremely fudgy, and they come together SO fast. Perfect for a busy holiday treat.
I’m so glad everyone is loving the crinkle cookies! They are a wonderful holiday treat! Thank you for sharing your terrific review and comments!
Can I omit ground flaxseed or substitute it for something else?
You can leave it out if needed, they will still be good.
I always tell everyone about your website. Made these cookies twice in the last week and everyone loves them.
Love this recipe! Perfect for extra Christmas cookies and so very easy to make!
I made these for my husband. I added some vegan chocolate chips.
Easy and delicious!
I’m not sure where I went wrong with this recipe, I used rapeseed oil (canola) and I measured everything but somehow it was so so sticky and stuck to my hands trying to roll it 😭😂. Any advice?
If the dough is sticky, you can use a cookie scoop or spoon and just drop it into the powdered sugar, then use your hands to pat the powdered sugar all around the cookie dough and shape into a ball. Or add just a few tablespoons more flour to the dough- perhaps your measuring was just slightly off, causing the dough to be too sticky.
These melt in my mouth. I mostly use stevia because I’m fine with it. I added mint to my second batch.
I gave these a try and subbed a gluten-free flour mixture (6 parts almond flour, 2 parts tapioca flour, and 2 part coconut flour) for the all-purpose flour… they ended up completely flat and melted into one another on the trays. Everything else was the same (used the coconut oil option). They tasted amazing, but looked more like pizzelles. Do you have a recommendation for a gluten-free option that might hold up better?
Almond, tapioca and coconut flour are not going to work as a substitute for all-purpose flour, especially for cookies. You can use a quality gluten free mix meant for baking, such as King Arthur’s Measure for Measure flour.
Your blog is my go to for recipes! These cookies turned out perfect.
Thank you for sharing your stellar review! I appreciate your support and I’m glad you are loving my recipes! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Can I use coconut sugar
Hi Michelle. Yes, coconut sugar will work! Enjoy!
I rolled a fresh raspberry into the centre and they were the most delicious cookies I’ve ever made, vegan or otherwise!
Hi Michelle. Wow, that sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing your idea and your fantastic review!
Made these cookies, they are fantastic! I just ordered your book, I cannot wait to get it
Hi Kris. I’m glad that you love the crinkle cookies! Also thank you for your support and for ordering one of my cookbooks! I appreciate your glowing review, and wish you lots of happy cooking!
Do these freeze well?
They freeze well except for the fact that the powdered sugar outside will not be pretty after freezing. They will taste good, but they won’t be very white anymore.
How many cookies, approximately, does 1 x batch make please? This sounds a yummy recipe that I’d love to try and I’m wondering whether to at least double it to share with a group of 8-10? Depends how restrained they’d be I guess! Thanks for sharing.
About 18 cookies. I’d probably double it! Enjoy 🙂
Is there one of the plant milks that’s best for baking? I never know which one to use.
Soy milk is my favorite for baking because it has a good mixture of protein and fat. But others work fine, such as oat milk, almond and so on.
Can I replace the flax egg with one “bobs red mill egg replacer” egg?
That should work fine, yes.