Gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies recipe – covered in a sweet, icing sugar ‘snowy’ finish with a fudgy, rich, chocolatey middle. You’d never know they were Coeliac-friendly and wheat-free!
Gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies recipe, anyone? This is yet another easy festive baking project that you absolutely need to try before the big day! This recipe just so happens to be totally dairy-free too.
I love a super simple festive bake and my gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies recipe is exactly that!
There’s no need for hours spent decorating, or tons strange, difficult-to-obtain ingredients. Best of all, the method is incredibly simple too.
Ok, I lied, the best part is eating them!! If you’ve never tried a cookie like this, then make today the day that you give them a try. Trust me – you won’t regret it.
Here’s a few reasons why you need to make this if you weren’t convinced already:
Why make my gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies?
- You only need 8 simple ingredients to make this. Simply mix, chill, roll into balls and bake.
- They taste like lovely, fudgy chocolatey awesomneess in the middle and one is NEVER enough!
- Nobody would ever know these cookies are gluten-free – you’ll have to fight to keep the muggles away!
- They’re the perfect treat for the festive season, with a snowy finish. 100% beginner friendly.
- This recipe just so happens to be totally dairy-free too.
So, what do my gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies taste like?
The outside is lovely and sweet thanks the icing sugar, but inside they’re fudgy, intensely chocolatey with an incredibly soft texture.
You can also optionally add 1 tsp of mint OR orange extract to transform these into choc orange crinkle cookies or mint choc crinkle cookies too. It’s up to you!
Here’s everything you’ll need for this recipe, keep scrolling until you see the recipe card for the measurements and method ??
Gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies recipe: Ingredients
- cocoa powder (ensure dairy-free if necessary)
- vegetable oil
- caster sugar
- large eggs
- gluten-free plain flour
- xanthan gum
- gluten-free baking powder
- icing sugar
So I thought I’d kick things off with a little frequently asked questions section – if you just want the recipe, then keep scrolling.
But I’ve thrown in some tips here that will be really helpful if this is your first time making this, or you want to adapt it. So here they are!
Gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies recipe: Frequently asked questions
Can I make this recipe gluten free?
It is gluten free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!
Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.
Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make sure that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).
Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten free products.
Can I make your gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies recipe dairy free?
It is dairy-free! Just ensure that your cocoa powder is dairy-free too and you’re good to go.
Can I make your gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies recipe vegan?
Yes! Follow the advice above to make these dairy-free, then all you’re left to contend with is two large eggs.
Here’s a few ideas you can use as egg replacements, so each of these = 1 egg. I’d recommend using aquafaba or an egg replacement powder.
- 3 tablespoons of aquafaba (whisked until frothy) – water from a can of chickpeas. Keep the chickpeas for a future dinner!
- Egg replacement powder – I’d recommend using Orgran as it’s gluten free.
- 1 tablespoon of chia/flax seeds mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and left for 10 minutes in the fridge.
- 3 tablespoons of applesauce.
I haven’t tested all of these egg-replacements so let me know how you get on in the comments below this post.
Is your gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies recipe nut free?
Yep, this is a nut-free recipe as far as ingredients go, but of course, make sure you check the ingredients label on ALL the products you use to bake this cake just to be safe.
Even if the products don’t contain nuts, they may have a ‘may contain nuts’ warning due to being produced in a factory that handles nuts.
You can never be too careful so always read the labels on everything first!
Is your gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies recipe low FODMAP?
Yes! Ensure your cocoa powder is lactose-free and you’re good to go.
Can I make your gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies in a food processor or standing mixer? Can I make it by hand?
Of course you can, though I actually use an electric hand whisk to make these. You don’t need to mix in the ingredients for long periods at all, so a food processor or standing mixer feels a little overkill for me.
But of course, you can make this entirely by hand too – just make sure everything is evenly mixed and you don’t leave any pockets of unmixed flour.
Do I need weighing scales to bake your gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies?
In short… yes, yes and yes! And I wouldn’t advise attempting any my recipes without them.
A lot of work went into fine tuning ratios and quantities and for me, baking is all about consistency and precision. I want you to make this recipe and for it to turn out EXACTLY like mine did.
For example, adding too much flour can make things dry and crumbly, whereas not adding enough sugar means it’ll lose its crisp exterior. I don’t want you to be disappointed, so please weigh your ingredients!
I’d recommending using digital cooking scales like these so you know you’re getting an accurate measurement and replicating my recipe as accurately as poss.
Can I make your gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies without sugar?
I can understand the need to reduce sugar in our foods, but sugar is integral to the structure of this bake – it’s not just for adding a sweet taste!
Sugar helps to achieve that nice crisp finish as well as working harmoniously with the butter and flour to achieve a specific consistency.
So yeah, remove/reduce the sugar at your own risk!
Can I make this recipe using other gluten free flours like buckwheat flour or coconut flour?
There’s a big difference between ‘gluten free plain/self-raising flour’ and a *singular* type gluten free flour.
When I say ‘gluten free plain or self-raising flour’ in a recipe, I mean a BLEND of gluten free flours, not just one, singular flour. I buy mine down the free from aisle of my local supermarket.
Definitely go for a gluten free flour blend.
Does this recipe need xanthan gum?
You’ll see xanthan gum in a lot of my recipes as it’s often an essential ingredient in gluten free baking. But not with cookies – it’s not required!
How long can I keep your gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies for?
I’ve kept my cookies for around 4-5 days and they still taste as good as they day they were made. Obviously store them in an air-tight container too.
You can always reheat them for 30 seconds in the microwave at 900W for the ‘fresh out of the oven’ feel too.
When they start to get a little soft on the outside, they’re probably getting past their best.
Can I freeze your gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies?
Of course! I’ve frozen them for up to a month and after allowing them to full thaw, you’d never know they were frozen. One cookie should take around 3-4 hours to thaw at room temperature.
After thawing, I’d recommend baking them in the oven for 5 minutes or so just to remove any excess moisture before enjoying them warm though.
Can I use hot chocolate powder instead of cocoa powder?
No – it’s not the same thing! Cocoa powder is 100% cocoa powder. Hot chocolate powder on average only contains about 20-40% cocoa powder and rest is often just sugar, along with other unhelpful thickeners and sometimes milk powder, all of which will ruin your final bake.
The amount of sugar in hot chocolate powder is sure to mean your finished cookies spread like crazy and also won’t taste much like chocolate – because there’s not enough cocoa powder in hot chocolate to give sufficient flavour.
Gluten-free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe (dairy-free)
Ingredients
- 60 g cocoa powder ensure dairy-free if necessary
- 60 ml vegetable oil
- 200 g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 175 g gluten-free plain flour
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 50 g icing sugar
Instructions
- Prepare a couple of baking trays by lining them with non stick baking paper.
- Sieve your cocoa into a large bowl, add in your oil and caster sugar and mix together till combined - it will be very thick. (I tend to just do this with a spatula)
- Add in your eggs, one at a time and mix in-between each until combined. I do this with my electric hand whisk, but you could easily do it by hand.
- Add in your flour, xanthan gum and baking powder and mix until it all comes together to form a soft dough.
- Place into the fridge to chill for about an hour to firm up.
- Preheat your oven to 170C Fan / 190C.
- Once chilled, remove from the fridge and place your icing sugar into a small bowl.
- Take about 45g of the dough and roll it into a ball in your hand. Then roll each ball into the icing sugar and place onto your prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for around 10-12 minutes until they have the lovely cracked effect on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray before allowing them to finish cooling on a rack. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Thanks for reading all about my gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies recipe! If you make it, I’d love to see how it turned out so don’t forget to take a snap of your creations and tag me on Instagram!
Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me on Instagram and leaving me a comment on a recent photo!
Thanks for reading,
Becky xxx
Don’t forget to pin this for later!
Vanessa Hodgins says
I made these with my children and they were fun for them to make especially rolling into the icing sugar. These tasted amazing and we were so happy with the finished product. Like a brownie biscuit. Sadly they only lasted a few hours so back to baking again! Thanks for the fab recipe Becky. Another favourite recipe in our house.
Ann Lambert says
I MADE THESE WITH MY TWO GRANDSONS THE YOUNGEST AGED 3. THE OLDER ONE MADE THE COOKIES WHIE THE YOUNGER ONE ROLLED THEM IN ICING SUGAR, SO EASY BUT REALLY GOOD, AND VERY MOREISH. THANK YOU BECKY !!!