Chocolate Mint Vegan Crinkle Cookies
These chocolate mint vegan crinkle cookies are refreshing mint and rich chocolate in perfect harmony! They boast a signature crackly crust with soft buttery centers. The snow-like coating of powdered sugar makes them the perfect winter treat. No chilling required!
Welp, the holidays are over, our kids have flown home, and sadly all the leftovers have been gobbled up. Fortunately, it’s the New Year and new beginnings. I’ve got a few resolutions for 2024, one of them being to actively nurture precious relationships with family and friends. The fun starts today, whoohoo!
It’s an annual tradition for our little group of swimming buddies to participate in a polar plunge to ring in the new year. This involves stripping down to your bathing suit in near-freezing weather and jumping in our beloved yet *very* cold Lake Crescent. You’re in the water for less than a minute while frantically swimming to shore and a dry towel. One might call it refreshing. This brief shock to the system feels like a reboot both mentally and physically. Once warm and dry with a cup of hot cocoa in one hand and a chocolate mint crinkle cookie in the other, anything seems possible.
I’ve been pining over chocolate vegan crinkle cookies all season and wanted to add a little extra something to capture the spirit of winter and make them next-level delicious. Mint extract, in addition to vanilla, plus ½ teaspoon of espresso powder, is a refreshing twist on traditional chocolate crinkle cookies and a treat you want to devour immediately.
What is a chocolate mint vegan crinkle cookie?
Before we dive in, let me proclaim that chocolate crinkle cookies are one of the best cookies you’ll ever taste! They are a magical combination of a crisp outside with soft buttery centers that practically melt in your mouth. Think vegan brownie meets winter wonderland.
The crinkle effect comes from coating cookie dough balls very generously with powdered sugar. When the soft balls of dough heat up in the oven, they spread out, creating little cracks in the powdered sugar giving the cookie its name.
Ingredients and substitutions
The full list of ingredients and their amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. But let’s take a look at what makes this recipe work and some substitutions as well.
Vegan egg-
Flaxseed meal or ground flaxseed whisked with a liquid miraculously turns into a gel like substance similar to egg whites. This is our vegan egg. We use a high ratio of liquid to flaxseed meal in this recipe so the egg will appear watery. Don’t worry, they will hold together perfectly after baking.
All-purpose flour-
This versatile baking flour is well suited for cookies and what we use in this recipe. Although I haven’t tested it, I feel spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour would also work. For gluten-free cookies, I recommend using one-to-one baking flour.
Dutch process cocoa powder-
There are 2 options when choosing cocoa powder: Dutch process and natural. Dutch cocoa powder has been alkalized (higher PH level) making it darker in color and taste more chocolatey with less bitterness. Natural cocoa powder is non-alkalized (lower PH level). It tastes chocolatey with some bitter notes. I recommend using Dutch process cocoa powder in this recipe but feel natural cocoa powder will also work.
Espresso powder-
This small yet mighty ingredient will transform your vegan cookies from pretty good to extraordinary. Really! Just ½ teaspoon bumps the chocolate flavor through the roof. Once you give it a try, you’ll see what I mean.
Organic cane sugar-
Granulated sugar helps the dough hold its shape. It then melts in the hot oven allowing the cookies to spread out. Organic sugar is vegan-friendly but regular sugar will work too. I don’t recommend liquid sweeteners such as maple syrup or agave. It will make the dough very sticky leaving you with gummy cookies.
Vegan butter-
I tested this recipe with oil, melted coconut oil, melted vegan butter, and softened vegan butter. Very soft vegan butter won for its rich butter flavor and that the dough doesn’t require chilling. For some reason, chilling dough is a total buzz kill for me.
Very soft vegan butter yields dough that clings to powdered sugar and will spread out when baked, yet firm enough to roll into balls without chilling it first.
Mint and vanilla extract-
Yup! You need both. Vanilla extract boosts the overall flavor of baked goods and mint adds a refreshing twist.
Powdered sugar-
This ingredient is the magic touch. You will need a near comical amount of powdered sugar to create the crinkle effect. Cradle each dough ball in your hand while scooping up a handful of powdered sugar. Use both hands to generously coat the outside before placing them on your baking sheet.
FAQ & Tips
Why are my crinkle cookies not crinkling?
To create beautiful crinkle cookies, you must coat the outside in a GENEROUS amount of powdered sugar. If you can see dough underneath the sugar, add more. It’s also important that the dough is soft enough to spread out in the hot oven, splitting the powdered sugar and creating crinkles.
Why didn’t my crinkle cookies spread out?
When I first attempted vegan crinkle cookies, my dough was too dry and the balls of dough held their shape while baking. The second time, the dough was too wet, leaving me with gooey insides and melted powdered sugar. I found that the dough must be firm enough to handle yet soft enough to spread out while baking. The measurements in the recipe card below are just what you need for perfect vegan crinkle cookies every time.
How long should I bake my crinkle cookies?
My sweet spot for a crisp crust with soft fudgy centers is 15 minutes. Use the bottom heating element when baking. (Using top and bottom elements will overcook them.) The cookies will look slightly underdone at first and then cool to the perfect texture. If your oven runs hot, or you like soft cookies, try 12 minutes.
Should I use an electric mixer or hand mix the dough?
A hand-held electric mixer is your best kitchen buddy when creaming butter and sugar. It’s also handy for quickly whisking the flax egg. If you don’t have an electric mixer, use a whisk to whip up the vegan egg and to mix the dry ingredients. A wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease will do the trick to cream butter and sugar and then incorporate the dry ingredients.
Simple ingredients you’ll need
How to make chocolate mint vegan crinkle cookies (makes 24 cookies)
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F / 177°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Make the vegan egg- In a small bowl, use an electric mixer or whisk, to blend the flaxseed meal and plant-based milk together until frothy. Set aside to thicken slightly.
3. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
4. Cream the wet ingredients- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the sugar and vegan butter until fluffy, around 2 minutes. Add the vegan egg, vanilla, and peppermint extracts. Blend it all together. The butter will “break” and look curdled. This is totally normal. Once you incorporate the dry ingredients, the dough will become uniform and smooth.
5. Scoop the dry ingredients on top. Beat at low speed, working up to medium speed to form soft cookie dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
6. Form dough balls- Use a 1½” tablespoon (small) cookie scoop to scoop up balls of dough, scraping off the excess. Gently roll each scoop between your palms to form a soft ball. They will be a little over 1 inch across.
7. Coat with powdered sugar- One by one, plop each dough ball into the powdered sugar. Use your hands to coat all sides *very* generously. Do not tap off the excess. You will need a thick coating of powdered sugar for pretty cookies. Place them on your prepared baking sheets 1-2 inches apart to accommodate spreading.
8. Bake for 15 minutes until the cookies have spread out and look crinkly with firm edges. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
9. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to store
Store your cookies in an airtight container, for up to a week, layered with parchment paper or plastic wrap so they don’t stick together. These high-moisture cookies freeze beautifully without drying out.
As for New Year’s resolutions, I’m sure more baking will find its way into the plan. Watching simple ingredients transform into a mouthwatering treat you can share with others is my kind of magic. And we all need a little magic in our lives, right?
Sending lots of love your way and a heartfelt Happy New Year!
X,o,
Chocolate Mint Vegan Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F / 177°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the vegan egg- In a small bowl, use an electric mixer or whisk, to blend the flaxseed meal and plant-based milk together until frothy. Set aside to thicken slightly.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Cream the wet ingredients- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the sugar and vegan butter until fluffy, around 2 minutes. Add the vegan egg, vanilla, and peppermint extracts. Blend it all together. The butter will “break” and look curdled. This is totally normal. Once you incorporate the dry ingredients, the dough will become uniform and smooth.
- Scoop the dry ingredients on top. Beat at low speed, working up to medium speed to form soft cookie dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Form dough balls- Use a 1½” tablespoon (small) cookie scoop to scoop up balls of dough, scraping off the excess. Gently roll each scoop between your palms to form a soft ball. They will be a little over 1 inch across.
- Coat with powdered sugar- One by one, plop each dough ball into the powdered sugar. Use your hands to coat all sides *very* generously. Do not tap off the excess. You will need a thick coating of powdered sugar for pretty cookies. Place them on your prepared baking sheets 1-2 inches apart to accommodate spreading.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the cookies have spread out and look crinkly with firm edges. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
How to store:
Store your cookies in an airtight container, for up to a week, layered with parchment paper or plastic wrap so they don’t stick together. These high-moisture cookies freeze beautifully without drying out.
For FAQ plus tips and tricks see blog post!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
88.53Fat (grams)
1.23 gSat. Fat (grams)
0.42 gCarbs (grams)
19.28 gFiber (grams)
1.49 gNet carbs
17.77 gSugar (grams)
10.95 gProtein (grams)
1.55 gSodium (milligrams)
90.55 mgCholesterol (grams)
0 mgNutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators.
