Chocolate crinkle cookies were a favorite of mine growing up as a young girl. There was something about the firm exterior that was perfectly cracked and powder sugared, along with the chewy, chocolatey interior that just made my taste buds dance! It surprises me to think that these are a cookie saved most often for the Christmas season because these are so tasty I’d eat them all year long!! PLUS now that you have this healthy chocolate crinkle cookie recipe, there’s nothing holding you back from making a batch of these in the summer. Because why not.
Once you see the ingredient list for these crinkle cookies you’ll be making them all year. I am loving how clean this recipe turned out to be for how incredibly delicious and similar to a full-sugar, full-fat crinkle these are! These are the perfect cookie to add to your Christmas morning brunch table.
Bite of crinkle cookie
How I Made These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Free of All The Junk
Gluten Free: I made these cookies gluten free by using almond flour as the base for the cookie. The almond flour makes for a perfectly chewy cookie that also packs in some healthy fats and a little protein. Win win!
Dairy Free: I made these cookies dairy-free by using lots of cocoa powder and a little coconut oil to mimic the standard melted chocolate that is added to chocolate crinkle cookies. With a delicious, quality cocoa powder, like my absolute favorite cocoa powder from Rodelle, you will get an incredibly fudgy cookie that tastes just like you incorporated melted chocolate into your recipe.
Refined Sugar Free: I made these cookies with a combination of coconut sugar and maple syrup for a recipe that balances the cocoa powder with sweetness, yet is not overly sweet. I also opted for rolling these chocolate crinkle cookies in finely shredded coconut rather than powdered sugar, like the classic recipes. It still creates a beautiful crinkle pattern on the top of the cookie, adds barely a hint of coconut flavor and makes for a much healthier recipe!
Reaching for healthy chocolate crinkle picking up a crinkle cookie
How to Store Your Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
It is best to store your cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature. They will last up to a week with this form of storage. And let’s be real, they won’t last that long any way 😉
If you want to freeze your cookies, store them in a single layer so they don’t freeze together, and enjoy them for up to 3 months!
close up of chocolate crinkle cookies
Why This Recipe Is a Total Time Saver
Many cookie recipes require to you chill the dough, but not this one! This combination of ingredients creates a perfectly roll-able dough that you won’t need to chill before rolling into balls and placing on your lined baking sheet. You can easily whip up these cookies in less than 30 minutes, from beginning to end! Because there is no better feeling than craving a chocolate crinkle cookie in one moment and having a fresh cookie in your hand in less than half an hour.
Healthy Chocolate Crinkle Dough Cookie Dough Balls

These healthy chocolate crinkle cookies are packed with cocoa flavor and have a perfectly chewy center, balanced with a crisp outside. It's the ultimate crinkle cookie, made healthier, without refined sugar, gluten or dairy!
- 1 cup almond flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Add the maple syrup, coconut oil, egg and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix to make the cookie dough.
Roll the cookie dough into golf-ball sized balls and roll in shredded coconut.
Place the cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 13-15 minutes.
Recipe Video
PER COOKIE
145 cals ~ 9g fat ~ 13g carb ~ 3g protein ~ 3g fiber ~ 9g sugar
Looking For More Recipes For Festive Goodies?
I’ve been crafting all sorts of Christmas goodies for you recently, including these Cute Reindeer Cookies and Black Bean Brownies (Candy Cane Edition). If you’re feeling festive, you’ll love these recipes made with cleaner ingredients, yet still packed with lots of delicious holiday flavor!
bite of black bean brownie Reindeer cookies
Idk about you, but quite honestly I’m going to be making these black bean brownies all year long (just like the chocolate crinkle cookies) because WOW do these hit the spot! I was most recently caught eating one of these as a little pre-workout treat, at 5:30am, because it’s the perfect balance of carbs and protein for a well-fueled workout, not to mention it tastes amazing with coffee.
Super GOOD