Publised on 17/10/2022. Last Updated on 06/12/2024 by Richard
Super easy vegan crinkle cookies! Your favourite classic vegan Christmas cookies with an extra fudgy texture and crispy exterior!
Full disclosure, I had never tried vegan crinkle cookies before developing this recipe - but needless to say I am now an expert in EVERY single variety of vegan Christmas cookie. My aim was to develop a bunch of vegan Christmas cookies this year, since hearing about Martha Stewart's famous Christmas Cookie Parties, and i sort of accidentally stumbled across the wonder that is THE CRINKLE COOKIE!
If you've never had a vegan crinkle cookie before, let me tell you what they're like. They're fudgy inside, with a very pleasing chew and a deep, rich chocolatey flavour. The outside has a gentle crisp to it and a sweet icing sugar coating. In short, they're magical, and a must-have for the holidays!
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What's in vegan crinkle cookies?
The ingredients for these cookies are super basic, but trust me when I say that they're more than the sum of their parts.
Here's a little breakdown of each ingredient and why it's included!
- Cocoa powder - I used Dutch processed cocoa powder, which is much darker than regular cocoa. Any cocoa powder works fine though.
- Granulated sugar - Caster or superfine sugar will work well too but granulated results in a more fudgy texture.
- Vegetable oil - Used instead of vegan butter to help keep these cookies moist and chewy instead of light and cakey.
- Soy milk - This is technically our egg replacer - it's mostly just here for liquid content but soy milk also naturally contains lecithin which acts as an emulsifier.
- Vanilla extract - Even though these are chocolate cookies, vanilla always boosts the flavour!
- Plain white flour - also known as all purpose flour!
- Baking powder - This is our only raising agent which helps the cookies to puff up and crackle!
- Fine sea salt - Again, boosting that flavour and also helping the final texture of the cookie.
- Icing sugar - Coats the cookie dough and reveals the contrast against the cocoa centre as it bakes and cracks.
As always, the full recipe is at the bottom of the page, so check there for quantities.
Now for some method! You ready to learn how to actually make vegan crinkle cookies - your new favourite vegan Christmas cookies?? Well, here goes nothing! You're gonna be SHOCKED at how easy they are!
How do I make vegan crinkle cookies?
Literally just four steps stand between you and your new favourite vegan Christmas cookie! Here's how to make vegan crinkle cookies, friend!
1. Whisk together your wet ingredients! It might look like things aren't coming together, but they will. Once you have a lovely dark glossy cocoa coloured mixture, move onto the next step!
2. Add the dry ingredients to the wet! What!? That's it?? Yep! We've already got the dough for our vegan crinkle cookies! Just don't overmix it ok? We don't want tough cookies!
3. Roll in icing sugar! Use a cookie scoop to form little balls of cookie dough and dunk each one in a bowl of icing sugar. The outside should be nice and coated.
4. Bake the cookies! Make sure there's a bit of space between each cookie as they'll grow and spread in the oven. Oh and be sure to line your tray with baking parchment!
Hint: When your cookies come out of the oven they'll be all puffed up like balls. To get a super fudgy texture you want the cookies to collapse again before they have time to cool. So, as soon as the cookies are out of the oven, tap the tray on the counter to force the vegan crinkle cookies to deflate. Don't tap too hard though, or you might mess up the crinkle design!
Subs and swaps
Alright, so now you know the vibes and the methods! Here are my recommendations for ingredient swaps:
- Flour - If you're gluten free, just swap out that flour hun! My favourite brands for baking are UK brand Freee or US brand Bob's Red Mill.
- Cocoa - I used Dutch processed cocoa in this recipe but you can use any cocoa you like. The darker the better though!
- Soy Milk - I always say that soy milk works best for baking, because it naturally contains lecithin, which stops batters and doughs from splitting. However, if you have an allergy, any plant milk will do!
I'd love to hear your suggestions for swaps, so please pop them in the comments under the recipe. Thank you!
Level up your vegan crinkle cookies!
These are such a simple recipe, which means they're great for making with kids, but also for customising! Here are some fun ideas for next level vegan Christmas cookies!
- Pepperminty Passion!- If you're a fan of combining chocolate and peppermint, this recipe is for you! Put a few drops of peppermint extract in with your wet ingredients instead of vanilla and you'll be doubling down on those Christmas cookie vibes!
- Matcha of the Day! - More of a matcha fan than a cocoa fan?? Swap the cocoa powder for a decent matcha green tea powder! You'll get a bright green contrast instead! Hulk smash!
- Cookie Surprise! - Want a chocolatey surprise in the centre?? Why not place a chunk of chocolate in the middle of each ball of dough? As the cookie bakes, the chocolate will melt. Just be sure to eat them while still slightly warm!
And hey, look, if none of these suggestions are doing it for you, I've got PLENTY of other cookies for you! If you love caramel, you could try my vegan caramel turtle cookies! If you're more of a classic cookie fan, why not bake a batch of choc chip cookies? Hosting a superbowl party? Share this vegan skillet cookie with your friends!
Equipment you'll need!
Alright -brass tacks - here's everyhting you'll need to make this recipe! Bish bash blosh (not a typo, we just don't say the name Bosh around these parts)!
- 3 x medium bowls
- 1 x whisk
- 1 x sieve
- 1 x spatula
- 1 x oven
- 1 x cookie sheet
- 1 x cookie scoop or tablespoon measure
- 1 x wire cooling rack
Bonus Tip!
The trick to a truly successful vegan crinkle cookie, unfortunately, is patience. You have to chill the dough for at least 4 hours to make sure it's nice and cold as it goes in the oven. If it's too warm going in to bake, you won't get that rapid expansion causing the cracks to tear through the surface. So defs don't skip the chilling process!
Vegan crinkle cookies FAQs
A: A moist cookie all comes down to bake time! Make sure you don't overbake your cookies - just 10-12 minutes should do it!
A: Crinkle cookies get those crackly surfaces due to the temperature differential of the cookie dough and the oven. If your cookies didn't crinkle and crackle while baking, your dough was likely too warm and therefore didn't expand rapidly when hitting the heat of the oven.
Some More Vegan Treats!
Fancy some more delicious vegan treats? Why not try my:
Vegan Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
- 3 x medium bowls
- 1 x whisk
- 1 x sieve
- 1 x spatula
- 1 x oven
- 1 x cookie sheet
- 1 x cookie scoop or tablespoon measure
- 1 x wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 60 g cocoa powder I used Dutch processed cocoa but any works
- 210 g granulated sugar
- 80 ml vegetable oil or sunflower oil
- 60 ml soy milk unsweetened and unflavoured
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 130 g plain white flour aka all purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 30 g icing sugar aka confectioners sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, granulated sugar and vegetable oil. Whisk in the soy milk and vanilla extract. Set aside.60 g cocoa powder, 210 g granulated sugar, 80 ml vegetable oil, 60 ml soy milk, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate medium bowl, sieve together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet cocoa mixture using a spatula until a dough forms. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight.130 g plain white flour, 1.5 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Preheat the oven to 175°C. Line a cookie sheet with baking parchment.
- Use a small cookie scoop or heaped tablespoon measure to scoop a small ball of dough. Roll in your hands to form a smooth ball.
- Into a separate medium bowl, sieve the icing sugar. Roll one ball of cookie dough at a time in the icing sugar before placing on the lined cookie sheet.30 g icing sugar
- Place in the oven for 10 minutes. The cookies will be soft and puffed when removed from the oven. Tap the cookie sheet on the counter gently to deflate the cookies then leave to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.
Sam
We've tried a few vegan crinkle recipes, and these were the best by far. We'll be making them again.
Darcee
I have always wanted to find a vegan version of this classic Christmas cookie and so I tried this recipe and wow! I have now made 6 batches of these cookies and have been bringing them to all my holiday gatherings with rave reviews!