Vegan Gluten-Free Almond Crinkle Cookies Recipe

There's nothing better than walking into a house and smelling freshly baked cookies. It might even take you back to fond memories of when you were a kid just getting home from school. All cookies get points for being delicious. However, crinkle cookies, which are a sort of cross between a standard cookie and a brownie, are extra amazing. Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for vegan gluten-free almond crinkle cookies. 

She shares, "The ingredients in this cookie recipe are so much cleaner than standard crinkle cookies. I have used almond flour instead of processed white flour, maple syrup instead of cane sugar, cacao powder instead of sweetened chocolate, and almond butter instead of oil. They are easy to make, taste great, and [are] the perfect treat to have around if you are trying to eat healthier, but don't want to feel deprived of enjoying dessert." We could all use some healthier treats in our baking repertoire. Read on to learn how to make these delicious cookies.

To make this recipe, you'll need smooth almond butter to start. "I always check the ingredients on almond butter labels. You are looking for one ingredient, almonds. Many almond butters have palm oil, sugar, and salt added and these additives are not necessary," Hahn explains. She recommends, "You'll want to make sure your almond butter is a little on the drippy side, meaning not the hard stuff that is left at the bottom of a jar."

Next, you'll need maple syrup, vanilla, cacao powder, almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and powdered sugar. "Most people don't realize that unsweetened cacao powder is full of antioxidants and has many other health benefits. Just make sure you are buying the unsweetened type. You also want to buy pure maple syrup which tends to be more expensive than standard pancake syrup," Hahn shares.

To start, grab a large bowl and combine the almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the cacao powder, almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. "I like to use a small whisk to break down the clumps that you will see from the almond flour," Hahn shares. 

Then, pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir well. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. "This also helps create the cracks that we want for our crinkle cookies," Hahn remarks.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out 2 tablespoons of batter and form it into a ball. Roll the ball lightly in the powdered sugar, place it on the baking sheet, and press down to flatten it. Repeat the steps until you use up the remaining batter. You should be able to make a dozen cookies.

When the cookies are all on the baking sheet, pop them into the oven and bake for 12 minutes. You'll know they're done when they have expanded and have large cracks on the tops. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes. They will still be very soft and need a little time to harden before you can move them. 

Transfer them to a cooling rack for about 10 more minutes before they are ready to eat. Serve them with some fresh fruit kebabs and coffee for the perfect afternoon snack. No one will even know they are vegan and gluten-free!