Add these gluten free chocolate crinkle cookies to your Christmas cookie baking! This small batch recipe delivers cookie perfection with a double chocolate cookie that has the iconic crackly white exterior, and a soft, fudgy center dotted with chocolate chips. The perfect holiday cookie-swap cookie!
Gluten Free Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
I had to do it. Make a gluten free version of possibly my favorite Christmas cookie, the chocolate crinkle. I have a traditional small batch crinkle recipe, along with a standard size batch of chocolate crinkles. That alone, should tell you just how much I love these rich, fudgy cookies!
And this gluten free cookie recipe lives up to the requirements of a good chocolate crinkle cookie!
Why you’ll love these Christmas Cookies
- Fudgy – These chocolate crinkles have super fudgy centers. Almost like a rich brownie. The tasty gluten free flour mix I use combines with chocolate chips to make these cookie a little chocolate-extra!
- Caramelized Exterior – Along with the striking powdered sugar coat, the cookie exterior bakes to caramelized perfection – thanks to the extra roll through granulated sugar.
- Generous Coating of Powdered Sugar – No melted-yellow powdered sugar exteriors here! After the cookies get a roll through sugar, they get a liberal coat of powdered sugar.
- Easy – This particular recipe doesn’t require a mixer – thanks to the melted butter.
- Versatile – Make the cookies extra festive with a little peppermint extract for some yuletide cheer! I mean, chocolate loves peppermint – just ask my white chip chocolate peppermint cookies, or the peppermint patty brownies!
Ingredients You Need To Make Gluten Free Crinkle Cookies
- Oat Flour – At the base of the gluten free chocolate crinkles is oat flour. Which gives the cookies their structure and soft texture.
- Tapioca Flour – Tapioca flour combines with the oat flour to make incredibly soft cookies.
- Cocoa Powder – I almost always use Dutch process cocoa powder in my chocolate recipes for the rich flavor that isn’t as acidic as natural cooca.
- Baking Powder – The baking powder gives the cookies a little lift.
- Salt – Salt balances and enhances flavor.
- Butter – My preference is unsalted butter since we add our own salt.
- Granulated Sugar – I use organic cane sugar, but granulated white sugar will work. The sugar is in the cookies and the cookies are rolled through it before baking.
- Brown Sugar – I have made the cookies with light and dark brown sugar, and both work. I prefer dark brown sugar because it imparts a rich flavor and adds a touch more moisture to the cookies.
- Egg Yolk – The egg yolk adds texture to the chewy cookie.
- Vanilla – For a little extra flavor.
- Chocolate Chips – Semi-sweet chocolate chips are my recommendation to keep the sweetness levels balanced.
- Powdered Sugar – A crinkle cookies isn’t a crinkle cookie without powdered sugar! Even my molasses crinkle cookies get a double roll in the powdered sugar!
How To Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
The cookies are simple to prep and you don’t need your mixer!
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter and sugars, then add the egg yolk and vanilla.
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet, and mix until no dry streaks remain.
- Stir the chocolate chips into the cookie dough.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. To hydrate the dough, develop flavor, and make rolling the cookies in sugar easier.
- Scoop the cookie dough into balls. Roll the cookies balls first through the granulated sugar, then through the powdered sugar.
- Bake the chocolate crinkle cookies for about 11 minutes. The edges should be set, and the centers will still look soft.
- Let the cookies cool completely before devouring!
Chocolate chips give the already fudgy cookies a little extra chocolate boost – and texture! I like to use semi-sweet chips so the cookies don’t get too sweet.
FAQ
Can I double this recipe to make a larger batch?
Yes! The recipe is easily doubled with no adjustments to bake time needed.
Will a 1:1 gluten free flour blend work?
Probably not. There are likely more adjustments needed to the other ingredients. I find the 1:1 blends to be more dry.
My cookies didn’t crackle. What went wrong?
A few things could have happened: the baking powder was expired, the cookies didn’t chill long enough, or the oven temperature is too low.
Do I have to roll the crinkle cookie in granulated sugar before the powdered sugar?
You don’t, but I find it keeps the powdered sugar from melting and turning yellow when baked. I learned this trick from America’s Test Kitchen!
Can I freeze chocolate crinkle cookies?
Yes! The baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Seal in a freezer bag and thaw at room temperature to serve.
Can I freeze chocolate crinkle cookie dough?
You can freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Do no roll through the sugars before freezing. Thaw in the refrigerator then roll through the sugars before baking.
Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Yield: 6 Cookies
GF
Add these gluten free chocolate crinkle cookies to your Christmas cookie baking! This small batch recipe delivers cookie perfection with a double chocolate cookie that has the iconic crackly white exterior, and a soft, fudgy center dotted with chocolate chips. The perfect holiday cookie-swap cookie!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup gluten free oat flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch process
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar (plus more for rolling the dough)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oat flour, tapioca flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.¼ cup gluten free oat flour, 2 tablespoons tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch process, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix until smooth.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark, 1 large egg yolk, room temperature, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet and use a spatula to stir the batter until no dry streaks remain. Stir in the chocolate chips until just combined.3 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes – this will hydrate the dough, develop flavor, and make sure the cookies don't spread too much in the oven.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar a small bowl. Add the powdered sugar to a separate small bowl. We roll the cookies once in the granulated sugar, then in the powdered sugar. This will make the powdered sugar stick and not melt when baked.3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop and roll the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll each cookie ball lightly in the granulated sugar, then generously in the powdered sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes – the edges will be set but the center will look under-baked, which is what we want. Note – The cookies will get their signature crinkle in the last 2 to 3 minutes of baking. If the cookies look like they aren't spreading much by minute 9, remove the baking sheet from the oven and bang the cookie sheet on the counter to start the spread, then return to the oven to finish baking.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.
- The cookies will last up to 1 week covered at room temperature.
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RECIPE NOTES
- Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe that is easily doubled.
- Yield – The recipe as written will yield 6 cookies using a medium cookie scoop. You can get more or less cookies based on the size cookie scoop you use.
- Dough Texture – The dough will be slightly sticky and thick.
- Chill the Dough – With a stickier dough, we want it to chill to make it easier to roll in the sugar, and so the cookies don’t spread too much.
- Cocoa Powder – I prefer Dutch process cocoa for the rich flavor, and it is less acidic. If you prefer natural cocoa, you will want to swap the baking powder with baking soda to balance the acidity in the cocoa.
- Double Sugar Coating – Rolling the cookie dough first in the granulated sugar will keep the powdered sugar from melting into the cookies.
- Flavoring the Cookies – Swapping the chocolate chips with white chocolate chips would be tasty. You can also add 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract.
- Freezing Cookie Dough – This cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. I recommend rolling the cookies into dough balls – do not coat in the sugars – then place in a freezer bag. Thaw the refrigerator, then roll in the sugars before baking.
- Freezing Baked Cookies – Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Place in a freezer bag, and thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition information is calculated by a third-party and should only be considered an estimate and not a guarantee.
about the author ...
I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!
I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch gluten free and traditional desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you!
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