Gluten-Free Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Gluten-Free Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies – We’ve taken the best gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies and given them a minty twist for the holidays!

Since marrying my husband almost 14 years ago, chocolate crinkle cookies have been one of my favorite holiday cookies. When we went gluten-free almost a decade ago, we swapped out my husband’s family recipe for these gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies and have kept the tradition going every year since.

Last year, my son Milo casually asked, “what would peppermint chocolate crinkle cookies taste like?” and I had two immediate thoughts:

1. You are a genius my child. and
2. WHY HAVE I NEVER TRIED THAT?

Needless to say, last year was our first year making gluten-free peppermint chocolate crinkle cookies and I’m pretty sure we’ll never have a holiday season without them again. Because W-O-W.

These fudgy, brownie-like cookies are infused with peppermint flavor (and tiny bits of crushed candy cane!) then rolled in powdered sugar. When the cookies bake and crackle, they take on the glorious appearance of classic chocolate crinkle cookies, with a kiss of peppermint that makes them the perfect holiday cookie.

Here’s what you’ll need to make a batch…

Ingredients For Gluten-Free Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies:

• Butter. I make our peppermint chocolate crinkle cookies with butter. I like the fudgy texture it lends to the cookies!
• Sugar. Next up is sugar. Our recipe is based on the one I learned from Michael’s mom, so we stick with all white sugar.
• Eggs. You need 4 eggs to make chocolate crinkle cookies. It might seem like a lot, but it gives them the most gorgeous chewy, fudgy brownie texture. It’s fabulous.
• Peppermint & Vanilla. To turn them into peppermint chocolate crinkle cookies, I add a mix of peppermint and vanilla. I love the flavor it adds!
• Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour. We recommend our go-to King Arthur Baking measure-for-measure gluten-free flour to make gluten-free peppermint chocolate crinkle cookies. It’s reliable and when measured properly, is our favorite gluten-free flour to bake cookies with.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. I stick with unsweetened dark/Dutch processed cocoa for chocolate crinkle cookies. It gives them an intensely chocolate look which is both striking and totally delicious.
• Baking Powder & Salt. Then to balance the flavor + add some puff, you’ll need baking powder and salt.
• Crushed Candy Canes. Not *strictly* necessary, but adding a bit of lightly crushed (not powdered, just broken into small pieces!) candy cane adds an extra layer of peppermint flavor and a gorgeous texture to these gluten-free peppermint crinkle cookies.
• Powdered Sugar. Last, but not least, powdered sugar gives gluten-free crinkle cookies their signature appearance. I love how it makes the cookies look and it feels so festive at the holidays!

How To Make Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies, Step-By-Step:

1. First, combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
2. Then, cream the butter and sugar. In a mixer or large bowl, beat butter and sugar together for 2 minutes, until creamy and smooth.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate each egg before adding the next.
4. Add vanilla and peppermint extracts, mixing to incorporate after each.
5. Add the dry ingredients in batches. Scrape down the edges of the mixer and add half of the dry ingredients. Slowly beat on low until partially mixed in, then add the remaining dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
6. Scrape down the edges again and fold in the crushed candy cane.
7. Transfer to an airtight container and chill the dough at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. 
8. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line two baking sheets with parchment. (You’ll alternate which baking sheet you use on each batch so you don’t put cold dough on a warm pan.)
9. Add powdered sugar to a small bowl and set aside for rolling.
10. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough into even portions. Roll each into a smooth ball and roll in powdered sugar to coat completely. (Return the rest of the dough to the refrigerator)
11. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F. for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers look *just* slightly underdone. (They’ll continue to cook for a few minutes on the baking sheet)
12. Let cookies cool and set 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling. 
13. Repeat rolling process with remaining dough, alternating batches between baking sheets, until all the cookies are baked. 

Tips For The Best Gluten-Free Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies:

DON’T rush the chill time! Crinkle cookie dough is very sticky and runs a bit more wet than, say, chocolate chip cookies or snickerdoodles. This is totally normal, but it’s VERY important that you chill the cookies at LEAST 2 hours (3-4 hours is better and overnight is even better!). This allows the flour to absorb some of the liquid in the cookies, making them slightly less sticky. They’ll also be easier to roll and won’t spread too far when baked when they’ve been chilled properly.

Use the cookie cutter trick for perfectly round cookies. Especially since you’re adding crushed peppermint, which can spread in unpredictable ways, I recommend using the cookie cutter trick to gently shape the cookies into circles right after you pull them out of the oven. (See it in action here!)

Try not to pulverize the candy canes! If you’re adding crushed candy cane to your peppermint crinkle cookies (and I recommend you do!), try to break the candy canes into tiny pieces without turning them into powder. Instead of bashing with a rolling pin, I use the bottom of a mug and gently tap the candy canes rather than smashing down with the cup. Keeping the pieces more whole helps with appearance and texture.

Pull them out when the centers look *just* underdone. For the fudgiest texutre, I recommend pulling your gluten-free peppermint chocolate crinkle cookies out of the oven when the centers look *just* underdone and the edges look set. They’ll continue to cook and set as they cool.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions For Gluten-Free Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies:

Do you use regular or dark cocoa powder for chocolate crinkle cookies? I’m using Dutch-processed/dark cocoa powder for our gluten-free peppermint chocolate crinkle cookies because I feel like it gives a more striking appearance to the dough and the flavor is gorgeous with the peppermint.

How to get really crisp powdered sugar lines on crinkle cookies. One of my pet peeves is when I see crinkle cookies that just look generally dusty all over, rather than that signature molten look with powdered sugar crackled through with dark chocolatey brown. One trick to get that really distinct look is to chill the cookies well, and coat them well with powdered sugar.

How to store chocolate crinkles cookies. Since you want to be fairly delicate with their gorgeous crackled appearance, I recommend storing chocolate crinkle cookies in a single layer.

Can you freeze chocolate crinkle cookie dough? Yes! I recommend following the more in-depth instructions in our How To Freeze Cookie Dough post, which walks you through the special steps you need to take for cookies rolled in sugar. (Briefly: roll into balls to freeze, but don’t roll in powdered sugar until right before baking!)

Why are they called crinkle cookies? They’re called crinkle cookies because of the “crinkled” or “crackled” appearance they take on during baking. In this case, the cookies are coated with powdered sugar before baking, so when the cookies spread in the oven, they create “crinkles” or cracks in the powdered sugar where the chocolate cookie can peek through.

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