Category:
Gluten Free

the OG crinkle cookie

January 4, 2026

Prep time: 25 minutes
Bake time: 11 minutes
Serves 9-12 cookies

I’ve always wanted to make the classic crinkle cookie. You know, the one coated in a layer of powdered sugar… well, I finally did it.

I spent years avoiding them simply because I couldn’t fathom submerging a cookie in pure sugar. I still don’t love the idea, innately, it feels very “unhealthy.” But I’m beginning to resonate less with labeling foods as “good or bad” / “healthy or unhealthy” and instead, “more nutritious or less nutritious” for my personal self. In my opinion, it’s all a sliding scale, and all unique to the individual.

While these are certainly more of a holiday treat, falling closer to the side of less nutritious, opting for the highest quality ingredients you can find is a way to make any dessert a little less artificial. So for these guys, I chose the ingredients carefully.

considerations

1. Choose organic when possible

2. If you used just ONE organic ingredient, go with powdered sugar

3. Unrefined, virgin coconut oil over refined

4. Dairy-free, dark chocolate

ingredients

3 cups almond flour
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
150 g coconut oil, half melted / half softened
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 Tbsp maple syrup
3 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
powdered sugar to dust
melted chocolate to drizzle

steps

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Mix the almond flour, coconut sugar, and sea salt in a medium bowl.

Finely chop the pecans and add them to the bowl.

Mix the melted oil, softened oil, vanilla, and maple syrup in a separate bowl.

Slowly pour the liquid into the flour and mix until combined. Don’t be alarmed if you feel the dough has too much liquid.

Place in the fridge for about 15 minutes. This will help the dough firm up to make it easier to mix. If at this point, you think the dough is still too oily, add almond flour until you have the desired consistency. But note that these do not expand much in the oven, so the oil won’t make them fall apart.

Shape into small rounds (up to you on the size) and place on a baking tray. Bake for about 11 minutes or until slightly cracked and golden on top.

Let them cool completely. While they’re cooling, melt the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously to avoid burning the chocolate. Remove from the stovetop once it’s melted.

After they’re cooled, place the powdered sugar in a small sifter and dust the tops of the cookies. I forgot I had a sifter, so I rolled the cookies in the dough which meant A LOT more sugar and more of a smooth texture. Doing this again, I would dust!

Using a fork, drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. Tip, my friend taught me that any good-looking drizzle is all within the flick of the wrist! Alternatively, you can drizzle each one individually with precision.

kenn

Crinkle cookie

the OG crinkle cookies

McKenna Garrison
Sweet, but not too sweet. These cookies are a gluten-free spin on the perfect holiday cookie!
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 36 minutes
Course Dessert
Keyword Cookies, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Holiday
Servings 12 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups almond flour
  • 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
  • 150 g coconut oil, half melted / half softened
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 3 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • powdered sugar to dust
  • melted chocolate to drizzle

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 F.
  • Mix the almond flour, coconut sugar, and sea salt in a medium bowl.
  • Finely chop the pecans and add them to the bowl.
  • Mix the melted oil, softened oil, vanilla, and maple syrup in a separate bowl.
  • Slowly pour the liquid into the flour and mix until combined. Don’t be alarmed if you feel the dough has too much liquid.
  • Place in the fridge for about 15 minutes. This will help the dough firm up to make it easier to mix. If at this point, you think the dough is still too oily, add almond flour until you have the desired consistency. But note that these do not expand much in the oven, so the oil won’t make them fall apart.
  • Shape into small rounds (up to you on the size) and place on a baking tray. Bake for about 11 minutes or until slightly cracked and golden on top.
  • Let them cool completely. While they’re cooling, melt the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously to avoid burning the chocolate. Remove from the stovetop once it’s melted.
  • After they’re cooled, place the powdered sugar in a small sifter and dust the tops of the cookies. I forgot I had a sifter, so I rolled the cookies in the dough which meant A LOT more sugar and more of a smooth texture. Doing this again, I would dust!
  • Using a fork, drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. Tip, my friend taught me that any good-looking drizzle is all within the flick of the wrist! Alternatively, you can drizzle each one individually with precision.
Keyword Cookies, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Holiday

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