If you’re craving a soft, chewy, chocolate-packed cookie, this gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookie recipe will be your new go-to. These cookies are famous for their crinkled powdered sugar tops and melt-in-your-mouth texture, and nobody will know they’re gluten free!
They’re quick to make, freezer-friendly, and a guaranteed hit with kids and adults alike. You can make a batch in under 30 minutes with just a few simple ingredients!
❤️ Sandi’s Summary
1. These homemade, soft crinkle cookies have a rich, chocolatey flavor in every bite.
2. Easy to make dairy-free or nut-free! See the Allergen Information section for easy swaps.
3. Freezer-friendly, you can freeze the cookie dough or baked cookies.
4. They are easy to make in just minutes.
5. [👉 Jump to Recipe]
If you are a cookie-holic like me, try a few different flavored crinkle cookie recipes like these Gluten-Free Eggnog Crinkle Cookies or these Gluten-Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies. We made these Gluten-Free Brookies (a cross between a cookie and a brownie) also have the perfect crinkle texture!
Allergen Information:
These homemade crinkle cookies are:
- gluten-free
- soy-free
- oat-free.
- Make them dairy-free by swapping the butter for a plant-based butter brand.
- Make them nut-free by omitting the almond flour and adding an additional 1/2 cup gluten free flour blend.
These cookies will quickly become a family favorite! You will find these cookies will inspire your kids to find new ways to sneak them out of the cookie jar. If you want to try another fun crinkle cookie, give these Gluten Free Honey Crinkle Cookies a try, too!
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Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours.
- Xanthan Gum– if your blend doesn’t contain this or guar gum, you will need to add 1/2 teaspoon.
- Cocoa Powder– I like the quality of Anthony’s and Ghirardelli’s brands.
- Almond Flour – Use fine almond flour (not almond meal).
- Baking Powder or Baking Soda – Depending on the type of cocoa powder you use, you will need to use either baking powder or baking soda. Be sure it’s aluminum-free to avoid a metallic aftertaste. Regular cocoa powder = baking soda. Dutch process and black cocoa powder use baking powder.
- Salt – You can use kosher salt or sea salt. Salt brings out all the other flavors in these cookies.
- Eggs – Use large eggs. Eggs bind the dough and add richness.
- Butter – Use unsalted room-temperature butter. Butter adds creaminess and helps with moisture.
- Vanilla – I recommend using pure vanilla extract and not imitation.
- Optional – Add crushed Andes Candies Thin Mints to the cookie batter for a minty flavor.
How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (Step-By-Step)
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Use the bake, not convection bake setting. Move the oven rack so it is in the middle of the oven.
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Step 1: Mix the Dry Ingredients. Whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, almond flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Whisk the Wet Ingredients. In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs, partially melted butter, and vanilla extract until combined. You can also use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
Step 3: Combine the Cookie Dough. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until a thick, sticky dough forms. If your gluten-free flour absorbs more or less moisture, you may need to adjust by adding a tablespoon of milk or flour.
Optional: chill the cookie dough in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
Step 4: Scoop and Roll. Once you get your dough together, use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out some dough. Use your hands to roll the cookie dough into balls. Next, roll the balls in the powdered sugar. Place the cookie balls onto a parchment paper-lined
Step 5: Flatten Slightly. Using your hand or a flat-bottomed glass, press each dough ball gently to about ½-inch thick. This helps them crinkle evenly as they bake.
Step 6: Bake the Cookies. Bake at 350ºF for 9–10 minutes, depending on cookie size. The tops should be crinkled, and the edges should be just set. The actual baking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your cookies.
Step 7: Cool the Cookies. Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool. These cookies are amazing warm, but also hold up well for lunchboxes or cookie swaps.
If you love cookies as much as we do, I have a LOT of incredible gluten free cookie recipes for you to try!
Storage and Freezing Tips:
- Store the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze baked cookies or the dough for up to 4 months.
- To freeze the dough, roll it into balls and freeze them before baking. Add 1 extra minute to the bake time from frozen.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Powdered sugar is gluten free, but it is always important to read the label to be sure.
Make sure your butter isn’t too soft or melted. Chilling the dough for 20–30 minutes can help. Also, check your flour blend—some need extra flour due to the blend’s higher starch ratio.
Some gluten-free flour blends use coarser rice flour. Letting the dough rest for 15 minutes helps soften the rice flour.
The best way to ensure your cookies are the same size and look uniform is to use a
For more cookie troubleshooting, read my Gluten-Free Cookie Troubleshooting Guide. Check out all of my favorite gluten-free cookie tools.
🍪 More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes:
Love This Recipe?
💬 Did you make this recipe? Please drop a comment below, and let me know how it turned out! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ¾ cup almond flour * see note
- 2 teaspoons baking powder aluminum free
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup cocoa powder * see note
- 1 cup cane sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter + 3 tablespoons
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- powdered sugar for rolling the dough balls.
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend, 3/4 cup almond flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon sea salt, 1 cup cocoa powder, and 1 cup cane sugar. Use a whisk to blend.
- In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup unsalted butter + 3 tablespoons (partially melted), 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, and 3 large eggs. Whisk to blend.
- Pour the wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix into a soft cookie dough. Note: You can also use a standing mixer
- Add the optional Andes Chocolate pieces to the ingredients and mix into soft cookie dough. You can also add mini chocolate chips if you like.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop up cookie dough and roll with your hands into a ball shape.
- Roll the balls in powdered sugar for rolling the dough balls. and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- When all of the dough is made into these balls, flatten them to 1/2 inch thickness with your hand or a glass bottom.
- Bake the crinkle cookies for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the baked cookies and slide the cookies on the parchment paper onto a wire cooling rack to cool.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain a binder, please add 1/2 teaspoon of Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum.
- If you want to reduce the sugar, you can skip rolling the cookies in powdered sugar.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter with vegan butter.
- I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is coarser and will make your donuts grainy.
- To make this recipe nut-free, omit the almond flour and substitute an additional 1/2 cup gluten free flour blend.
- These cookies will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container or for up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This post was updated from an older April 2018 post with more detailed directions.
I made gluten free chocolate crinkle cookies for my granddaughter reported that and she reported that they were very hard and that they were dry although the taste was good. I used King Arthur measure for measure gluten free flour. I did not add the mint flavoring. Do you have any suggestions to correct the dryness and the hardness of the cookies? I would love in improve the texture.
Hi Peggy, I have used that flour in this recipe. The slight dryness can be due to humidity if you store flour in the refrigerator, or in how you measure. I would say to reduce the amount of flour by 2-3 tablespoons the next time you make them.
I can’t wait to try these, but I have a question. Step 5 says “ I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your donuts grainy.” but will it make a difference in this cookie recipe, or did you mean cookies? I know I sometimes put the wrong word in when I am thinking of something else. So wondering as cookie texture would be different anyway? Mostly asking as I have almond meal on hand but would have to go purchase Almond flour. Thank you, I very much like your wonderful recipes.
Hi Deb, it is for cookies…I used to bake a lot more with almond flour and that was a standard tip. You could try the almond meal…and see if letting the batter sit will soften it up.
I absolutely love these cookies! I used all GF flour blend. I also used 1 tsp vanilla extract & 1 tsp peppermint extract. Yum!!
I am glad you love these cookies. Chocolate mint makes these so hard to resist.
Another excellent cookie recipe Sandi!! I can’t use almond flour due to our grandie having a peanut/tree nut allergy so took your advice and subbed the 1/2 c. addtl. flour! Superb! Moist and delicious! And I got 32 cookies out of this mix! SCORE! Thank you again!
So good!!! I have made 4 of your recipes over the past week or 2 and they’ve all been fantastic. These cookies were a favorite and I will be making them again!
I am so glad you are trying my recipes. We love this recipe too, I am so glad you found it! Thank you!
Great cookies! I used coconut oil instead of butter and skipped the mint. The kids say that it tastes like a brownie!
The recipe is a bit mixed up… the ingredients list does not include the mint, and at one point there’s a reference to donuts. Would also love to know how large you make these cookies.
I am so glad you enjoyed them. The original cookies had crushed Andes candies but it is now optional for those who don’t want the mint flavor. I mention it in the FAQ section.
Love em! How can I tweak this recipe to reduce the sugar? Any guidance to not stuff it up! thanks
Hi Heather, if you would like to reduce the sugar, leave out the Andes chocolate mints and use a sifter to lightly dust them in powdered sugar instead of rolling the entire cookies in powdered sugar. When you roll them a lot of sugar presses in so you can cut a lot out by just dusting them.
In an effort to reduced ALL sugar, I reduced the amount from 1 cup to 1/2 a cup of xylitol, and the cookies taste absolutely great FYI! Also I added 1 tsp of peppermint oil and used dark choc drops.
Wow, I haven’t baked with xylitol yet. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know it worked!!
Can I make this recipe and exclude the mint? My son doesn’t care for mint. Thank you.
You can definitely exclude the mint. Thanks for reaching out, have a wonderful holiday 🙂
Could these cookies be made with gluten free flour such as Cup-4-Cup or Namaste Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend ?
Hi MaryAnne. Short answer is I think so. The ingredients in both of those flours are very different. Cup 4 Cup has dried milk powder, which should be okay. Namaste’s blend has a lot more starch. If you do try one or the other, please come back and let us know how they turned out so other readers can benefit 🙂
Would after eight chocolate be an ok substitute?
Hi Luc, I haven’t used this chocolate. Please write back and let us know how your cookies turn out.
These look delicious! About how many cookies do you get from one batch?
Hi Meredith, I ended up with about 16 cookies. Take care, Sandi
Could I use regular brown rice flour mix in place of almond flour? I make my own mix and find almond flour too expensive.
Hi Linda, I would say brown rice flour and almond flour behave very differently. If you want to skip the almond flour, add 1/4 cup of your blend instead of the almond flour. (Make sure your mix has xanthan gum to help bind it together.) Thank you for writing.
Do you think the dough would freeze well? I’d like to freeze some and make a gift of them for Christmas. And having cookies ready in the freezer is just awesome any time of year.
Hi Pam, I do think these will freeze well, but I recommend you freeze without rolling the dough in the powdered sugar. Thaw them out then roll and flatten before baking. Please write back and let us know how this worked. I am sure the information would help a lot of other readers. Take care, Sandi