These gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies are reminiscent of a rich mug of mulled hot chocolate. The texture is perfect, with a bit of crispy crunch outside that gives way to a soft, chewy center. A bit of orange zest brightens them up while the warmth of the mulling spices makes these cookies extra cozy and decadent.
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The information in this post is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is always best to work with a qualified healthcare professional before incorporating herbs into your diet.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rolled in a generous amount of spice powdered sugar, these cookies are an iconic holiday treat that I often make throughout the year. But the best part is, no one will notice that they’re gluten-free and vegan. The texture is spot-on. And sometimes it’s nice to bring a dessert that you don’t feel the need to explain to those who aren’t gluten-free or vegan.
- Chances are everyone has tried a classic chocolate crinkle cookie. But with the addition of fresh orange zest and mulling spices, these cookies take the flavor to a new level. Be prepared for groans of approval when people take that first bite.
- These cookies store well for a few days at room temperature, maintaining they’re delicious crunchy-chewy texture. This makes them perfect to prep ahead of time.
Making Gluten-free Mulled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Making these cookies is straightforward and doesn’t require any weird ingredients. You’ll need…
- 1 cup (235 grams) white sugar
- ½ cup (45 grams) cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) vegetable oil
- Zest from an orange
- 1 egg or vegan egg replacer
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (110 grams) oat flour
- ¼ cup (26 grams) tapioca flour
- 1 ½ tsp mulling spice blend, divided
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ – ⅓ cup powdered sugar, for rolling the cookies
You’ll start by combining the cocoa powder, sugar, oil, and orange zest in a large bowl or a stand mixer fitted with te paddle attachment. Mix until well combined, then add the egg or egg replacement and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
In a medium bowl, measure out the oat flour, tapioca flour, 1 teaspoon of the mulling spice (reserving the rest), baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
A quick note: I highly recommend measuring by weight here as opposed to volume. With baking in general, and gluten-free baking in particular, you’re much more likely to be successful when measuring by weight. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, make sure to measure using the scoop-and-level method. Scoop the flour (or whatever you’re measuring) into the measuring cup, then level it off by sweeping a knife over the top.
Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix until combined. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.
Once the dough has chilled, prep the coating by combining the powdered sugar and remaining ½ teaspoon of mulling spice in a shallow dish. Using your hands, roll a tablespoon worth of dough into a ball, then roll the dough ball in the powdered sugar mixture. You want to make sure you’re coating the ball generously. Place the dough ball on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and repeat with remaining dough. Space the cookies at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. I fit 8 cookies on my baking sheet.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350° Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes. The cookies should spread a bit but still have a bit of a rounded top.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
These cookies store well in a lidded container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 6 months. I love having a stash of cookies in the freezer ready to thaw and eat. This has saved me from last-minute potlucks and unexpected guests more than once!
Let’s Talk Mulling Spice
Second maybe only to pumpkin spice, mulling spice is absolutely iconic during the holiday season. Whether it’s mulled cider, mulled wine, mulled hot chocolate, or (in this case) mulled cookies, it’s a warming and ultra-cozy flavor that’s unforgettable.
A premade mulling spice blend is surprisingly hard to find in the store. Sure, you can find mulling spice packets that use cut-and-sifted herbs meant for simmering in liquid. But a blended powdered spice for adding to baked goods? I couldn’t find one.
Luckily, blending your own mulling spice blend is simple and uses classic spices you probably already have in your pantry.
The spices used for mulling vary a bit but are usually cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, cardamom, and black pepper. Orange rind is also classic, which is why we add orange zest to the cookie dough. For the mulling spice blend you’ll need…
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
This makes exactly the amount you’ll need for this recipe. But feel free to make a large batch and keep it on hand to add to other baked goods. It’s also amazing sprinkled into coffee or hot chocolate.
Some Spice Fun Facts
It’s easy to think of spices as simply flavor enhancers. And they do enhance the flavor, for sure! But you might be surprised to know that the kitchen spices you know and love also offer some impressive health support, too.
- Cinnamon is warming and can gently help to increase circulation, bringing warmth to chronically cold extremities. It also helps support health blood sugar regulation.
- Ginger is one of the best herbs for supporting healthy digestion. It’s a very warm herb that stimulates circulation, supports your immune system, and can reduce inflammatory pain.
- Cloves warm the body, stimulate circulation, and support digestion. It has also traditionally been used to relieve toothaches. (Allspice provides similar benefits.)
- Cardamom is a digestive aid with a reputation as an aphrodisiac. It warms the body and has mildly stimulating effects.
- Black pepper increases the amount of nutrients your body is able to absorb from the food you eat and supports healthy digestion.
Of course, eating a cookie with a bit of these spices in it isn’t going to provide noticeable health support. But regularly incorporating the spices into your cooking, liberally, is a great way to “microdose” these benefits and enjoy a cumulative effect of your health.
Notes, Tips, and Substitutions
I mentioned it above but it’s worth repeating: I highly recommend measuring by weight instead of volume. Any baking recipe benefits from measuring by weight but gluten-free recipes, in particular, can be extra finicky. For consistent results, using a kitchen scale to measure by weight is a game changer.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale, just be sure to use the scoop-and-level method. Scoop the dry ingredient into the measuring cup and then use a butter knife to sweep and leve the top. This is how I measure all of the dry ingredients when getting the weight. So, while it won’t be as accurate as weighing, it’s the next best thing.
Any neutral tasting vegetable oil can be used in this recipe, so long as it’s liquid at room temperature. That’s the key to cookies that have a crisp outside and crinkle when they spread.
I’ve made this recipe with both a regular egg and using Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer. Both work perfectly. I haven’t tested it with a flax or chia “egg” but I feel confident saying those will likely work, too.
Tapioca flour is also known as tapioca starch. You can substitute potato starch, arrowroot starch, or corn starch in its place without any issue.
Other Posts You May Like…
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Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cinnamon Health Benefits & Simple Ways To Use It
Gluten-free Mulled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (235 grams) white sugar
- ½ cup (45 grams) cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) vegetable oil*
- Zest from an orange
- 1 egg or vegan egg replacer**
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (110 grams) oat flour
- ¼ cup (26 grams) tapioca flour***
- 1 ½ tsp mulling spice blend divided (see recipe below)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ – ⅓ cup powdered sugar for rolling the cookies
Mulling Spice Blend
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the cocoa, sugar, oil, and orange zest until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
- In a medium bowl, measure out the oat flour, tapioca flour, 1 teaspoon of the mulling spice blend, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the powdered sugar and remaining ½ teaspoon of mulling spice in a small bowl.
- Once the dough has chilled, scoop out a tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Then roll the dough ball in the powdered sugar, making sure to coat the ball generously. Place the dough ball on the prepared cookie sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Space the cookies at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes. The cookies should have spread a bit but still have a bit of a rounded top.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with any remaining dough.
- Cookies can be stored in a lidded container at room temperature for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months.
Notes
