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.
• Simple pantry ingredients. No flax or specialty substitutions needed here. All of the ingredients are probably already in your kitchen.
• 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 vibe.
• 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 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.
2. Add the dry ingredients. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. The dough will be thick, but that’s what you want for good crinkles.
3. Chill the dough. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Chilling helps the cookies spread less, forcing them to rise and creating the crinkles.
4. Shape and coat the dough. Scoop and roll the dough into balls, then coat each one in granulated sugar first, followed by powdered sugar.
5. Bake. 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:
Once your cookies are completely cooled, you can store them in an airtight container for 3–5 days. If they’re even slightly warm when you pack them, the powdered sugar will start to melt, ruining the beautiful look you worked so hard for.

Freezing the dough:
Roll the dough into balls before freezing. 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. You can also 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! 🍪

• 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

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1x2x

Author: Sarah Sullivan

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 tablespoons vegan butter melted and cooled
• ▢ 1/2 cup white 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 white sugar
• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar sifted if lumpy

Instructions

• Note: It is highly recommended to chill these cookies for 2 hours before rolling them out and baking. They can be baked right after mixing, but they will spread more, resulting in a flatter cookie with crisper edges and less defined crinkles.
• Mix wet ingredients: In a mixing bowl, stir together melted butter with brown and white sugar to combine. Then add in vanilla extract, soy milk (or plant milk of choice), and instant coffee (if using). Stir to combine.
• Add dry ingredients: Add in the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix with a spatula to combine.
• Chill dough: Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours (recommended) or overnight. If you chill the dough overnight, take it out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes before scooping it, so it has a chance to soften a bit.
• Preheat: Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle. Optionally, line with parchment or a silicone baking mat for easy cleanup.
• Prepare sugar for rolling: Prepare two small bowls: one with granulated white sugar and one with powdered sugar.
• Shape and roll in sugar: Scoop the dough into small portions and roll each one into a smooth ball. (I use a #40 cookie scoop to portion 1 ½ tablespoons of dough per cookie.) Roll each ball first in the granulated sugar to coat, and then in the powdered sugar to coat. Gently tap off any excess and arrange on the 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 can start to melt.

Notes

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 (kind of reminiscent of Oreos).

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