Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a holiday classic for a reason. They bake up with soft, almost brownie-like centers, crisp edges, and those signature powdered-sugar crackles.

Whether you need a reliable, crowd-pleasing holiday treat to bring to a party or you just want to fill your house with cozy winter smells, these cookies are for you.

Why You’ll Love These Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

If you grew up eating chocolate crinkles around the holidays, these vegan ones deliver that same nostalgic charm you remember.

• Fudgy, brownie-like texture. The centers stay soft and chewy, with just enough crispness around the edges. They really taste more like little brownies than cookies (which I’m pretty sure is why Eric likes them so much).
• Crinkly tops. Rolling the dough in both granulated sugar and powdered sugar helps create those signature cracks when they bake. They’re a beautiful cookie to gift!
• Simple pantry ingredients. No flax or specialty substitutions needed here. All of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry.
• Easy to make ahead. The dough needs a chill for best results, so it’s perfect for prepping earlier in the day (or even the night before).

Ingredients for Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Here’s everything you need to make these fudgy, delicious holiday cookies:

• Vegan butter. Because every cookie needs butter. (Actually, these have much less than your standard cookie!)
• White and brown sugar. The blend keeps the centers chewy with lightly crisp edges.
• Soy milk. Adds moisture to help the dough come together. Any unsweetened plant milk works.
• Vanilla extract.
• Instant coffee (optional). Coffee brings out even more chocolatey goodness in these cookies.
• All-purpose flour.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder. Natural cocoa gives a classic brownie-like flavor. You can also use Dutch-process cocoa for a slightly different, smoother chocolate flavor (think Oreos).
• Baking powder. Helps the cookies rise and form those signature crinkles.
• Salt.
• For rolling. Granulated sugar first (helps the powdered sugar cling), then powdered sugar for that snowy crinkle finish.

Find all measurements in the recipe card below.

How to Make Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (Step-by-Step)

1. Mix the dry ingredients. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Sift the cocoa if it’s very lumpy.
2. Mix the wet ingredients. Stir together the melted vegan butter with the white and brown sugars until combined. Add the vanilla, soy milk, and (optional) instant coffee.
3. Make and portion the dough. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet to form a dough. Scoop and roll the dough into balls, then roll the balls in granulated sugar to coat.
4. Chill the dough. Place the dough balls on a plate or tray and cover. Chill for at least 20 minutes or up to overnight.
5. Bake. Roll the chilled dough balls in powdered sugar and arrange on a lined cookie sheet with enough room to spread. Bake for 10–12 minutes in preheated 350° oven. The cookies will look soft in the center…don’t worry!
6. Cool and enjoy. Let them rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Storage & Freezing

After baking:
You can store them in an airtight container for 3–5 days. Make sure to cool fully first. If they’re even slightly warm when you pack them, the powdered sugar will melt.

Freezing the dough:
Roll the dough into balls before freezing but don’t coat in sugar. Freeze the balls on a tray for about 1 hour until solid to the touch, then transfer to a freezer bag, press out the air, and store for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, let them sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes to soften slightly (we need them cold still), then roll in both sugars and bake as usual.

Optional Add-Ins

These cookies can be customized to your preference with a few fun different options! Here are a few of my favorites:

• Crushed candy cane. Crush up a few candy canes and fold it into the dough at the end. Aim for about 1/4 cup of crushed candy cane to give your cookies an added boost of minty, holiday spirit.
• Peppermint extract. Add in some peppermint extract for a mint chocolate crinkle cookie! Start with 1/4 teaspoon, since peppermint extract is very intense. If you’re a real mint-lover, you can go up to 1/2 teaspoon.
• Mini chocolate chips. Another fun addition is a 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips. I love the dairy-free ones by Enjoy Life.

More Vegan Cookies! 🍪

• Vegan Snowball Cookies – Another classic holiday favorite!
• Ginger Molasses Cookies – Soft, chewy, and spiced with ginger and cinnamon.
• The Best Vegan Snickerdoodles – Just like the snickerdoodles you remember, but plant-based!

Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

A holiday staple, these Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies bake up with fudgy, brownie-like centers and perfectly crackled tops. They deliver the same nostalgic cocoa flavor as the classic version with just a few simple pantry ingredients.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

1x2x

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Chill Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 15 cookies

Author: Sarah Sullivan

Equipment

• cookie sheet
• #40 cookie scoop

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 tablespoons vegan butter melted and cooled
• ▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• ▢ 1/4 cup soy milk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
• ▢ 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted if lumpy
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt

For Rolling

• ▢ 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar sifted if lumpy

Instructions

• Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Sift the cocoa powder it's very lumpy.
• Mix wet ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, stir together melted vegan butter with brown sugar, granulated white sugar, vanilla extract, soy milk (or plant milk of choice), and instant coffee (if using). Stir to combine.
• Mix the dough: Add the dry mixture into the wet and stir to form a dough.
• Roll the dough and chill: Place 1/4 cup granulated sugar into a small bowl. Scoop the dough and roll into balls (about 1 1/2 tablespoons each, or a #40 cookie scoop). Roll each ball into the granulated sugar to coat. Arrange the dough balls on a plate or cookie sheet, cover with plastic, and chill for 30 minutes or overnight.
• Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle. Line with parchment or a silicone baking mat for easy cleanup.
• Coat with powdered sugar: Take each chilled dough ball and roll it in powdered sugar to thoroughly coat. Gently tap off any excess and arrange on a large cookie sheet with about 2" in between cookies.
• Bake and enjoy: Bake cookies in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. (10 for softer, fudgy cookies, and 12 for a slightly crisp finish.) The cookies will be soft when you take them out. Let them cool on the tray for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
• Storage: Chocolate crinkles can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. Make sure they are fully cooled before you store them, or the powdered sugar might melt.

Notes

Vegan butter: This recipe has been tested with Country Crock Homestyle Dairy-Free Butter, the Country Crock Olive Oil Plant Butter, and with Melt Plant Butter.

Vegetable oil: In a pinch, you can substitute a neutral vegetable oil (such as sunflower oil) for the melted vegan butter.

Dutched vs. natural cocoa powder: You can use either type of cocoa powder in this recipe. Personally I use natural cocoa powder for a more classic, brownie-like flavor and lighter color. Dutched cocoa will produce a much darker cookie with a smoother flavor (reminiscent of Oreos).

The nutrition information provided on Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen is an estimate and is offered for general informational purposes only. Values will vary depending on the specific brands and amounts used.