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.
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.