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.
These look so good, thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s a childhood favourite in my family. Do you think ground chia seeds would work instead of flax, or would you prefer cornstarch? Thank you!!
Cornstarch is so easy so I would prefer that, but ground chia is fine as well. Thank you!
Oh my gawd! Amazing! I’ve attempted so many crinkle cookies and they’ve always been a flop. But these are amazing! So good. Thank you for this!
You’re welcome!
Ok omg these are SO yummy and so easy, and all ingredients I always have at home. Obsessed.
They look fancy too which is great
Just made these and they are so easy and delicious! Do you think I could use my stand mixer and double the recipe instead of handmixing 2 seperate batches?
Oh yes, that works! Thank you!
These are really lovely and very easy to make! Thank you for the recipe.
Could I freeze the dough to bake at a later date?
Yes, you can. I might freeze them in balls for easy baking.
These are very good, I have made them before. I was wondering if I could freeze them?
Yes, you can freeze them, they just won’t be a pretty because of the powdered sugar.
My son is allergic to flaxseed, do you think I could just use applesauce instead?
It would probably work, yes. Or even cornstarch, which would be my preference.
Making easy and delicious recipes like this you really wonder why we ever decided to put eggs and dairy in baking it is just so not necessary and just really makes everything harder and messier! Thanks for another great recipe 11/10!!!
You’re so welcome!
These cookies are delish they taste like little brownies. I used coconut oil and for some reason it didn’t melt into liquid more of a creamy texture added another 20 seconds but stayed the same so I figured oh well and started mixing but found it was a bit hard to mix the dry with the wet so I added a bit of oil then a bit of water and started hand mixing it like a dough. However they rolled into perfect little balls. I think next time I will use the oil instead to make it easier to mix. . The results were perfect though
Absolutely delish…my favorite cookie for sure!
Great recipe! Love it with the coconut oil.
NEVER leave reviews but these cookies are jaw dropping!!! A MUST for the holidays!
Thanks!
I made these today and they turned out super good! I love that they don’t use butter and that you only have to use one bowl. So soft and tasty!
If you’re having any doubts about whether to make these cookies – MAKE THEM! Pretty easy and straightforward recipe but WOW are they delicious! Thank you Nora for this awesome recipe! Now I want to try all your other recipes!
Just wanted to let others know that this comes out dry with whole wheat flour – my mistake! I’ve made it before with normal flour and it was AMAZING. 🙂
These were so chocolatey and delicious! Thank you! I love finding amazing vegan recipes I can make with items I always have in my pantry!
You’re welcome!
Fabulous!!! Can I freeze them?
Yes, though they won’t look as pretty as the powdered sugar will fade. But they will still taste great!
These cookies are fantastic! Followed the recipe word for word and made the most delicious, fudgy crinkle cookies ever.
Hello, I have a question.
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour – its 1 and 1/4 cup flour?
Thank you 🙂
That is correct. Thanks!
Thank you for these delicious little gems!! I’m having a baby in less than a week and I have been craving these cookies!
I haven’t had them for years and I’ve really missed them! I made these using unsweetened applesauce in place of the oil. I was concerned that they wouldn’t turn out, but they tasted amazing! They had a cake like consistency instead of the crunchy part I remember from my childhood but I didn’t mind. The flavor was perfect!!! My husband and I definitely enjoyed them as there were only four were left over!! Thank you, Nora, for the great recipe and for making this pregnant mama happy!!!!
PS I did chill the batter for 30 minutes before baking.
Congratulations! And I’m so happy you are enjoying the cookies, yay! Great to know they worked out with applesauce instead of oil, thank you!
Such a good recipe! They turned out amazing, will definitely be making them again!
Purposely avoided the “V” word when describing these cookies and they were a hit! Chocolate and chewy and hint of coconut flavor from oil. Will be making these regularly as they take no time and ingredients that are easy to have on hand.
I’m so glad they came out great!
Hi! I tried the recipe many times, but the cookies goes flat. I dont do the whole recipe, when i do it, i do half recipe, maybe when i put 1/6 cup of milk or oil i put a little bit more and the cookies dont stay there. Any tips?
When i have the dough, i cant form a ball, its too sticky and not firm. I already try to do it in grams but it turn worse.
The flavor is amazing, but i want to perform the texture and form. Appreciate any comment!
(Sorry for my english, i speak spanish)
For best results, don’t cut the recipe in half. I only tested it with the measurements listed (not cutting it in half), and while it does generally work to cut recipes down, cookies can be difficult with this, so if you are having trouble, I suggest making the entire recipe as listed. You can always freeze extra cookies or give away. 🙂 I hope that helps!
Could you sub a gluten free flour for these?
Thank you,
Lisa D.
I have not tried it myself, but it should work pretty well. I have used King Arthur Gluten Free Mix for other cookies and it worked.