Healthy Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

Celebrate the holiday season to the full with these delightful cookies!  Gluten-free Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies are soft, fudgy and festive. Expect rich chocolate and strong peppermint flavours with every bite.

These cookies are the perfect addition to a holiday cookie box. Honestly, I don’t think I've ever seen a Christmas cookie tin without them. They’re so wintery with the hint of peppermint and the dusting of icing sugar to remind you of snow. They're made of oat flour to be gluten-free.

They’re so fun to make. When I put the first batch of these in the oven, I flicked the oven light on, put a couple of pillows on my kitchen floor and sat and watched the crinkles slowly appear as these beauties baked.

I made some substitutions in this recipe to make it healthier.   I swapped all-purpose flour for oat flour and swapped butter for coconut oil.  I decreased the overall amount of sugar in this recipe as well.  You also have the option of using coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. These chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies are gluten-free and delicious!  For a similar recipe check out these matcha tea crinkle cookies.

You’d never know these swaps were made!  Let’s face it. You’re basically eating baked oatmeal rather than cookies so this recipe is great for guests requiring a dairy or gluten-free treats.  Just ensure you’re using gluten-free oats and dairy-free chocolate chips if necessary.  Enjoy!

Friends of ours gave us a homemade Christmas Cookie Box last holiday season. There was a mix of unique flavours in the tin from iced gingerbread men to citrusy sugar cookies and of course, chocolate crinkle cookies. That afternoon I nibbled on every cookie offering in the box.   Out of them all, the Crinkle cookies were my favourite and I texted my friend for the recipe right away.

I’m so happy to have developed my own recipe now to share here on the blog. Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies are going to become a holiday staple at my house!

Frequently Asked Questions About Gluten-free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

How to Store Crinkle Cookies

Store Crinkle Cookies in an airtight container on the counter and eat the cookies within 3-4 days although I fully expect they will all be eaten by the next day!

Can you freeze Crinkle Cookies?

Yes, these cookies freeze well! A great cookie to have prepared in your freezer for holiday guests that stop by.

More Favourite Cookie Recipes:

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Spelt Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Einkorn Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Healthy Chocolate Haystack Cookies

Coconut Flour Oatmeal Cookies

How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

If you aren’t using purchased oat flour, begin by blitzing rolled oats in a blender into oat flour. Carefully measure out one cup of oat flour and pour into a medium-sized bowl. Stir together oat flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.  In a separate small bowl, mix together sugar and melted coconut oil.

Add room temperature eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Stir in 1 teaspoon peppermint extract. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.

Stir in half a cup of chocolate chips and set the dough in the fridge to chill for half an hour to 45 minutes. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll small cookie dough balls, approximately 1½ tablespoons of dough. ( I have found that the smaller the cookie the better the crackles look in the finished product). Roll each cookie dough ball in powdered icing sugar, covering generously. 

Place on the cookie sheet, 6 cookies to a sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow the cookies to fully cool and enjoy! 

Tips for Making Healthy Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

• If you forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge ahead of time, I have a trick to bring them up to room temperature quickly. Fill a bowl or cup with very warm water and place the eggs in the glass for 5 minutes. This will take the chill off them.
• This recipe calls for baking peppermint extract.  Just a note that I don’t mean peppermint essential oil.
• If you are making your own oat flour, measure carefully. This recipe calls for 1 cup of oat flour after blending,  not one cup of oats before blitzing up. This small distinction can make a big difference.
• This is a great recipe to make a day ahead because the dough does need to chill in the fridge for a minimum of half an hour before baking.

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If you make these Chocolate Peppermint Crackle Cookies please leave a comment and give this recipe a rating! I aim to respond to every single comment. I am so grateful when you trust me and try one of my recipe creations in your own kitchen. I love to hear how it went!  Let’s connect on Instagram and tag me in your food pics!

‘Til next time,

Christy