Gluten-Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies have a soft pillowy texture with a chocolate brownie-like flavor. Finished with a dusting of powdered sugar, these holiday cookies will melt in your mouth!
December rolls around and this chocolate crinkle cookie recipe is an absolute favorite! Soft and fudgy center with a brownie-like texture, these cookies are easy to make and perfect for the holidays.
We make this recipe every year for Christmas, but really you can serve these chocolate crinkles at any time of the year. Last year, I made a big batch for our holiday party, and people were raving about them all night long. These rich and decadent cookies are a family favorite, and now they can be yours too this holiday season!
Looking for more indulgent chocolate gluten-free cookies? Check out my Fudgy Brownie Cookies, Chocolate Mint Cookies, and Double Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Ingredients
- Coconut Oil: Melted refined coconut oil works well in the recipe for a neutral oil flavor. You can also use melted butter.
- Sugar: The granulated sugar helps to sweeten the cookies. I love to use organic cane sugar.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar help to tenderize the dough.
- Eggs: Two large eggs help the cookies to rise.
- Vanilla Extract: Choose a high-quality vanilla extract for the best results.
- Gluten-Free Flour: My favorite gluten-free flour blend is Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-Free Flour.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: I love using Guittard's Red Dutch Process Dark Cocoa Powder, it creates a fudgier flavor.
- Baking Powder: Helps the cookies to rise, and gives a soft fudgy cake-like texture.
- Espresso Powder: Optional but highly recommended, a tiny bit of espresso powder helps enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Salt: Salt helps bring out the sweetness and balance the cookie flavors.
- Powdered Sugar: This will coat the cookies, giving them the crinkle effect.
How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, add the sugar, brown sugar, and melted oil. Mix until combined.
Add the room-temperature eggs and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until light and creamy.
In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, expresso powder, and salt to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat together until combined.
The dough will be wet and sticky, do not be tempted to add more flour. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place the bowl in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Use a scoop or a tablespoon to roll out 1″ balls of chilled dough (30 grams). Roll each cookie dough ball in the powdered sugar to coat well. Place 6 coated cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies have puffed up and cracked, but are still a little gooey in the center.
Allow the cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet to allow them to continue to set, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough until all the cookies are baked.
Variations
Here are some variations for the perfect chocolate crinkle cookies.
- Espresso Powder: This is my favorite version. The espresso powder helps enrich the chocolate flavor. Add 1 teaspoon to the dry ingredients.
- Peppermint Extract: Add 1 teaspoon along with the vanilla extract. Peppermint and chocolate are a match made in heaven.
- Almond Extract: For an amaretto flavor add 1 teaspoon of almond extract along with the vanilla extract.
- Chocolate Chips: For more chocolate goodness, fold in ⅔ cup of chocolate chips to the wet batter.
FAQ
If your chocolate crinkle cookies are flat, it could be a couple of reasons.
Make sure the dough is very cold, do not skip the chilling method. Ideally, the cookie dough should rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours, or preferably overnight. Work fast when rolling the dough into balls, and place the bowl of dough in the refrigerator in between batches. The colder the cookie dough, the better the results.
Make sure the dough is cold and the oven is preheated. The cold dough should quickly expand in the hot oven, allowing the surface to crack. Don't forget to check your baking powder and make sure it is not expired.
Yes, this chocolate crinkle cookie recipe is naturally dairy-free using unrefined coconut oil. You can also use other neutral oils such as avocado oil or even dairy-free butter.
Crinkle cookies can be made in advance as they stay soft and chewy for 3-4 days. The best way to store these cookies is in an airtight container at room temperature.
Recipe
Gluten-Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ¼ cup refined coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free flour (136g) Bob's Red Mill 1:1 flour
- ½ cup dutch process dark cocoa powder (50g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional but recommend)
For Rolling
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, add the sugar, brown sugar, and melted oil. Mix until combined. Add the room temperature eggs and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until light and creamy.
- In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, expresso powder, and salt to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat together until combined.
- The dough will be wet and sticky, do not be tempted to add more flour. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place the bowl in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Use a scoop or a tablespoon to roll out 1″ balls of chilled dough (30grams). Roll each cookie dough ball in the powdered sugar to coat well. Place 6 coated cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies have puffed up and cracked, but are still a little gooey in the center. (I bake the cookies for 9 minutes.)
- Allow the cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet to allow them to continue to set, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough until all the cookies are baked.
- Store these gluten-free chocolate crinkles in a tightly sealed air-tight container for up to 4 days.
Lilli says
I tried the dairy free version and used coconut oil. They came out pretty good but I am super excited to try the traditional GF recipe with butter next.
Shauna says
I baked these on Christmas Eve, they were the cookies we left out for Santa this year! I followed the instructions exactly and they turned out beautifully- thick, moist, and a lovely crinkle on top. So pretty! The only thing I would change is to make them a bit more chocolatey- I might try adding a bit more cocoa powder and some mini chocolate chips next time- but I looove chocolate, so that’s just me! Thank you for the great recipe, I’ll definitely be making these again!
Rebecca Taig says
Thank you for the review, Shauna!
The more chocolate the better. 🙂