Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
Everyone loves these chocolate crinkle cookies. Rich, fudgy, and filled with peppermint flavor, these cookies make the perfect addition to your holiday treats. But be careful; they are highly addictive!
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This post was originally published on December 3, 2012. Last updated December 11, 2019
Today we are being visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past who is taking us back a handful of years to the first Christmas that I was blogging – back to the days of bad writing, dimly lit photography, and…questionable recipes. To the days that my blog was called The Sweet Life and my twitter handle changed every couple of weeks because anything was better than @thesweetlife5 and I was still trying to figure out what was up with Instagram.
It’s all flashing before my eyes. Ghost of the Christmas Past, why must we go there?
Why? Because in that dark time, my friends, I created a recipe that was going to become one of my most popular recipes ever. It was a cookie that was going to take Pinterest by storm and teach me what the words “going viral” truly meant. This cookie may largely be the reason I am still blogging today.
And so, it’s time to give it a little makeover and remind you of this delicious gem sitting in my archives.
Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies, y’all!
WHAT IS A CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIE?
First and foremost, chocolate crinkle cookies are, hands-down, the best cookie in the world!
For those of you who haven’t yet had the crinkle cookie experience, it’s time to change that! A vegan crinkle cookie is a delicious combination of a chewy cookie with a crisp outside and all the gooey melt-in-your-mouth fudginess of a vegan brownie. Before they are baked, crinkle cookies are covered in powdered sugar. As they bake, the powdered sugar splits, creating beautiful crinkles in the sugar giving it the cookie’s name.
THEN, if that wasn’t enough, these particular vegan crinkle cookies are made even better with a hint of peppermint extract for, dare I say, the perfect vegan Christmas cookie.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CRINKLE COOKIES
The good news is that these cookies are incredibly easy to make! If you can mix, roll, and bake then I’m sure you’ve got this down.
STEP ONE – MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH
In a small bowl combine flour, salt, and baking powder. In a separate bowl stir together cocoa powder, sugar, applesauce, oil, extracts, and peppermint candies (if using) until well blended. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Note: The applesauce acts as the binder (egg replacer). You can’t taste the applesauce but if you would prefer a different kind of egg replacer, check out my complete guide on replacing eggs to get a few more ideas. Other recommendations for these cookies are: chickpea flour eggs, flax eggs, and silken tofu.
Once your dough has formed, wrap it in in plastic wrap and chill it for at least 2 hours. This is an important step as the dough will be quite soft and hard to handle. However, some readers have had success freezing the dough for about 30-60 minutes until it is cold enough to shape.
STEP TWO – BAKE THE COOKIES
After the cookies are chilled, roll them into balls about 2 tablespoons big. I recommend using a cookie scoop for this recipe as the dough will become difficult to handle as it warms up.
Coat the cookies in sugar and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the crinkle cookies for 12 minutes until the outside begins to crisp up but the center is still slightly underdone. Pulling them out when they are slightly underdone is essential for that fudgy inside.
Let the cookies cool 10 minutes on the baking tray before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
GETTING THE PERFECT CRINKLE ON YOUR COOKIE
Friends, I’m going to let you in on a VERY exciting secret.
A couple of years ago I learned a great little trick, thanks to Cook’s Illustrated. To get the PERFECT crinkle on your cookie, first coat the cookie in granulated sugar. This allows the cookie’s surface to dry out quickly before the interior sets, creating more of those beautiful crinkly cracks. The extra layer of sugar also prevents the powdered sugar from melting into the cookie for that stark white on black visual.
You can read about the science behind all that here. It’s pretty interesting stuff and I was thrilled to see the difference when I started making my crinkle cookies this way.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE PERFECT CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES
- Make sure to chill the dough for at least 2 hours before baking. This allows the dough to be more moldable.
- When rolling your crinkle cookies, roll them in granulated sugar first before rolling them in powdered sugar for the PERFECT crinkle every time.
- If you can’t find vegan peppermint candy, you can omit the peppermint candies and just use peppermint extract for this recipe.
- Vegan white chocolate chips make a great addition. You can buy them online here.
- Pull cookies out when they are slightly underdone. I found 12 minutes to be the perfect baking time. They will continue to harden as they cool, giving you a crispy outside with a deliciously fudgy and chewy center.
- Once cookies are completely cool, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Raw dough can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
MORE VEGAN CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES
Here are a few of my favorite vegan Christmas recipes:
- Vegan Eggnog Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
- Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Hazelnut Sandies
- Chocolate-Dipped Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
- Classic Gingerbread People Cookies
Get all of my Christmas cookie recipes here.
There you have it! Beautiful, chewy cookies that make the perfect Christmas gift or a sweet treat at your next holiday gatherings.
Everyone loves these chocolate crinkle cookies. Rich, fudgy, and filled with peppermint flavor, these cookies make the perfect addition to your holiday treats. But be careful; they are highly addictive!
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 123 kcal
Author: Sarah McMinn
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 tbsp peppermint candies, crushed (optional)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- In a small bowl combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a medium bowl or stand up mixer stir together cocoa powder, sugar, applesauce, oil, extracts, and peppermint candies (if using) until well blended. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the granulated and powdered sugars in two separate bowls.
- Remove chilled dough and roll into balls about one tablespoon each. Toss first in the granulated and then second in the powdered sugar, coating fully.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes (cookies should be slightly underbaked). Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the 
Debbi Licata says
I tried this recipe, but also made it gluten free, as one of my son’s has celiac disease. I love to cook, but am far from a baker, so was very nervous to swap out any ingredient for fear that the cookie would just not come out right. But I swapped, and succeeded!! I used gluten free all purpose flour. That’s it! Every other ingredient exactly the same. Everyone loved this cookie. We had an ugly Christmas sweater contest (party) as well as a cookie contest, and I won!! Even the folks that are not crazy about peppermint loved the cookie. They are not only beautiful on the plate, but are the perfect texture. Slightly crisp on the outside but perfectly decadent and chewy on the inside. Delicious!!
Carmen says
These are my daughter’s favourite Christmas cookies! I always make sure to have them around for gift giving. I use peppermint oil and only a 1/4 tsp as its very potent. Love them!
Tamika says
I’ve made these the last couple of years and they are always a hit! My coworkers start asking about them the beginning of December each year : ).
Can the dough be frozen? I was thinking of making a double batch of the dough, baking half now and half next week.
Meghan says
Hi Sarah!
Can I make these cookies using almond flour and if so, what would the ratio to regular flour be?
Thank you!
Sarah says
I don’t recommend using almond flour. If you want a gluten-free option, many people have had great luck with a 1:1 gf flour blend.
Shawna says
These were fantastic and were gone in no time lol
Lilly Orta says
Hi,
Is there a way to make these cookies gluten-free???
Sarah says
I would recommend using a 1:1 gf flour blend for these cookies.
Tiffany says
Could we omit the peppermint altogether? If so, double the vanilla or amount leave as-is?
Sarah says
Yes, no need to double the vanilla.
Willow says
Hi Sarah,
Do I need to flatten these when placed on the baking sheet? Or will they do their thing without any help?
Can’t wait to make these!
Katrina says
I’ve made these a few times and they are so
Amazing! Hoping someone may have a tip on converting these to gluten free? Can I just swap out all purpose flour for gluten free flour without the taste being altered? Would appreciate any tips that can be provided
Sydney says
How many flax eggs would you use instead of applesauce? Can’t wait to make these!
Sarah says
3 flax eggs should be perfect
Anna says
They’re really really good, I’m going to bring them to my in-laws at Christmas!!
High altitude baker, no adjustments needed, except maybe to bake longer. I’m at 5500′ about, and I added a few minutes. They’re still yummy and fudgy inside!
Renee Thompson says
Thank you! I’m above 8,000 and need to learn to bake successfully up here. Your input is very helpful!
Anna says
I’m glad!! I grew up at 8500′, I know how tricky it is! Above 8000′ I would also bump up the oven temp about 10-15 degrees. Happy baking!
Brika says
Agree they may need a minute or two more. First dozen were pretty gooey!
Sherry says
This is a perfect recipe. Wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you for sharing!
br says
Hey Sarah,
I am interested in this recipe but in the instructions it says chill for 2 hours and in the header it says a 4 hour chill time. Which is correct, or did i miss another two hours chilling somehwere?
Sarah says
Sorry. I adjusted the chill time to 2 hours and forgot to update that heading. Fixed now!
Layla says
My nephew is allergic to egg, dairy, and peanuts. So glad to have found this recipe and website so I can share some holiday baking with him 🙂
Looking forward to making a batch of these soon.
Caitlin says
How long do these cookies last in an airtight container in the fridge?
Sarah says
About 5 days. However, you can keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Just pull them out about an hour before serving to thaw.
Sara says
I’m wondering if the peppermint extract and peppermint candies are fully vegan? I’ve read some reports online of peppermint candies being manufactured using bone char and that some of them even contain gelatin. 😐
Sarah says
You can find vegan peppermint extract and candies. I get mine on Amazon.
Kristine Northup says
My cookies also turned out flat. I did not put the mint candy in them, maybe this is why?
Chirs Hugues says
These were a hit at my potluck! Next time I think I would cut back on the sugar a bit, and use a different fat … I used Grapeseed Oil. I was also thinking of adding some chocolate chips!
Katie says
Just made these for snowshoeing tonight and they turned out perfect! I halfed the recipe, and used 1/2c of Brown Sugar to replace 1/2C of the white. Also only put these in the fridge for 1.5 hrs and only rolled them in powdered sugar, yet they still turned out great. I’m sure they will be a hit tonight!
Yoojin says
This is the best vegan cookie recipe I’ve ever followed! It was super easy and the cookies turned out exactly the same way as the photos. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Elisha says
Five stars!
Fudgy inside and a light crisp outside. These were simple, not too sweet, and just the right amount of peppermint. It’s so easy for me to eat one after another. I brought some to a friend’s house for Christmas and they were gobbled right up. Thanks for the recipe. I’ll definitely make them again.
Leigh says
These cookies are always a hit. They work beautifully every time I make them. I use peppermint oil instead of extract and add an extra Tbsp of crushed candies (the powdery bits) into the granulated sugar (outer coating). I have even made them with a gluten-free flour (1to1 baking mix) and they’ve worked as well (cooked an extra 2 minutes I think).
Thanks so much for this amazing show stopper Christmas cookie. 🙂
Alexis says
These came out awesome! I had no trouble rolling the dough, it was very easy. They came out beautiful and my picky cookie eaters are loving them. Thanks!!
Alanna says
I made this recipe last year and loved it! I’m planning on making them again this year but do you think I could use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil and get the same results?
Sarah says
Yes, I have done both and it works fine.
Joanne Darling says
Just made these cookies for the 1st time. Followed the directions and had no problems. Added extra crushed candy canes for enhanced flavor. Chilled dough for 2 days (busy holidays). Rolled teaspoon size balls. Hands get messy, so used spoons to roll balls in sugars. Used undercooked time tip and they cooled into perfection. My new go to recipe!!! 😋
Brigid says
Did you use unsweetened applesauce or regular applesauce?
Sarah says
Regular, but either would work as long as it’s plain.
Tammy says
So looking forward to making them! How long can these cookies keep on the table and refrigerated? Thanks!
Sarah says
They will stay good for about 5 days at room temperature. I don’t recommend refrigerating them but you could freeze them for up to 1 month.
Eliza says
Two comments:
1. The four hour chill time should be added to the preparation time. I found this tidbit out too late and was on a deadline. Fortunately, 30 minutes in the freezer was enough of a chill time. They turned out perfect; chewy in the middle, and crunchy on the edges. I did double the amount of peppermint candy in them, and feel it could probably be increased a little more to get that extra peppermint taste. I also rotated the cookie trays (top to bottom and front to back halfway through the cooking time)
2. It would be great if the order of the ingredients followed the order of use of those ingredients in the directions.
I would definitely make these again.
Bailey says
I am sad to say these did not work out for me. I couldn’t handle the dough at all (and yes, I chilled the dough). I used a cookie scoop to plop them into the sugar to be able to even touch them. I wound up adding more flour and then pressing it into an 8×8 pan to make brownies. I learned from previous mistakes and another website that candy canes just melt when incorporated into the dough, so I left those out to sprinkle on top. I’ll still put them in my vegan goodie boxes as brownies!
Lredmon2 says
I’m glad you commented about this Bailey. I had the same issue. I even chilled the dough overnight in the refrigerator, used a scooper and rolled in both kind of sugars. They did not rise up like the photos so I am wondering it needed a little more flour
Joy says
Do you think I could chill the cookie dough for 2-3 days before baking? I see that other crinkle cookie recipes say this is fine, but wanted to see your thoughts on this. Btw – I make these every year and my husband loves them!!! But this year, with the addition of a new baby to our family, I’m having trouble getting everything done at the right time like I used to!
Sarah says
Yes, that would be fine! Congrats on the new baby 🙂
Joy says
Hi Sarah! I forgot to come back and comment last year that making the dough a couple of days early and refrigerating it worked perfectly. I’m planning on making these again this year. Would you happen to know if I could I double all the ingredients for a double batch? (I know some recipes don’t work out well by just doubling all ingredients.)
Natalie Sinclair says
I made these last year and loved them so much!! Do you think they would work if I used gluten-free all purpose flour?
Sarah says
Yeah, I think if you use a 1:1 gf flour blend it should work just fine!
Marta says
Gluten free flour works fine, made then that way for celiac friends, and they loved them. New favorites!
Alden says
I had to come on here and leave a review! These were AMAZING! I am now going to make them for a cookie swap and as gifts. Thank you for the recipe! This is going to be a yearly tradition!
Sarah says
I’m so glad!
John says
Amaaazing cookies! I haven’t made cookies in over ten years (probably 15 years) and tried these because I had to bring some cookies to a party. Not only were they super easy to make and foolproof, they were the hit of the party. I didn’t have parchment paper but used a non-stick spray and lightly floured the baking sheet. I also lightly sprinkled them hot out of the oven with a little kosher salt and wow! What a party I. Your mouth! Next time, I might add a little cayenne to spice them up as well. Can’t wait to try these again.
Sarah says
Glad they were a hit!
Lorelie says
Delicious! I did not have applesauce, so i used 3/4 water instead and 2tsp of white vinegar. Still turned out good!
Sue says
I made these cookies a few days ago, and…..OMG! I have never commented on a recipe before, but felt I had to tell you that these may be the best cookies I’ve ever eaten! They are so delicious…and easy to make. I love that they are slightly crispy on the outside and moist and chewy on the inside. I’ll definitely make them again – hopefully in time to share them during the holidays next year! Thanks for a great recipe.
Sarah says
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Sue. I’m glad they were a hit!
Sideswipe says
Again I have the same problems. I bought the parchment paper and the cookies still turn out flat.
Do you have any ideas what went wrong?