These Lemon Crinkle Cookies are unbelievably moist and chewy with a perfectly crispy outside and filled with zesty citrus in every bite. Rolled in powdered sugar for a delightfully sweet and citrus blend.
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It's crinkle cookie time!
Over the past few years, my crinkle cookies have been among my most popular posts. At Christmas time, you guys go wild for these Peppermint Chocolate and Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies. Don't worry; I can't help myself either.
But because we should be eating crinkle cookies year round, these Lemon Crinkle Cookies had to be introduced. They are wonderful spring cookies that make a great addition to your Easter menus or Mother Day gifts - a bold sweet and citrus cookie that is chewy, soft, and melt-in-your-mouth good.
Let's take a closer look, shall we?
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
Crinkle Cookies are those incredibly delicious, fudgy, chewy cookies that are covered in powdered sugar. When they are baked, the powdered sugar splits and creates a beautiful crackle crinkle top giving it the cookie’s name.
Here is everything you need.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Vegan Butter - Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
- Granulated & Powdered Sugar – Check out my guide to vegan sugars and healthy sugar alternatives.
- Lemons
- Applesauce – The applesauce acts as the binder for these cookies. You can’t taste the applesauce but if you would prefer a different kind of egg replacer, check out my complete guide on replacing eggs to get a few more ideas.
- Vanilla Extract - Use pure vanilla extract for flavor
- All-Purpose Flour – I have also made these cookies with 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Baking Blend (<<affiliate link) with great success.
- Baking Powder
- Salt
How to Make a Vegan Crinkle Cookie
Step One - Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. That's the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step Two - Beat the Butter and Sugar
Whip the sugar and butter until they are thick and creamy. Next, add the applesauce and vanilla extract. The applesauce acts as the binder (egg replacer). You can’t taste the applesauce but if you would prefer a different kind of egg replacer, check out my complete guide on replacing eggs to get a few more ideas.
Once the applesauce is added, the dough will start to look curdled. Don’t worry about this. When the dry ingredients are added, the dough will sort itself out. So, let’s add those dries, mix until just combined, and remove from mixer.
Step Three – Bake The Cookies
Roll the dough into balls about 2 tablespoons big. I recommend using a cookie scoop for this recipe as the dough will become difficult to handle as it warms up.
Coat the cookies in sugar and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the crinkle cookies for 12 minutes until the outside begins to crisp up but the center is still slightly underdone.
Pro Tip: Remove from the oven when the edges have just started to set and the centers are still slightly underdone. This is key for the chewiness of these vegan cookies.
Let the cookies cool 10 minutes on the baking tray before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
Serving And Storing
Store Cookies: Once cookies are completely cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Raw dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Freeze Cookie Dough: If you only want to make only a few at a time, you can store the remaining dough in the freezer. To do this, roll all the dough into balls. Place them on a baking sheet in the freezer to freeze all the way through. Once frozen, transfer your cookie dough into a large ziplock bag and return to the freezer. You can store the cookies this way for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, remove from freezer and bake!
Tips and Tricks
- These cookies have a great lemony flavor but if you LOVE lemon, you could make it bolder. Add up to 2 tablespoons of lemon zest for a bold citrus cookie.
- When rolling your crinkle cookies, roll them in granulated sugar first before rolling them in powdered sugar for the PERFECT crinkle every time.
- Vegan white chocolate chips make a great addition to this cookie. You can buy them online here (<<affiliate link).
- Pull cookies out when they are slightly underdone. I found 10 minutes to be the perfect baking time. They will continue to harden as they cool, giving you a crispy outside with a deliciously fudgy and chewy center.
Getting The Perfect Crinkle
Friends, I’m going to let you in on a VERY exciting secret.
A couple of years ago I learned a great little trick, thanks to Cook’s Illustrated. To get the PERFECT crinkle on your cookie, first coat the cookie in granulated sugar. This allows the cookie’s surface to dry out quickly before the interior sets, creating more of those beautiful crinkly cracks. The extra layer of sugar also prevents the powdered sugar from melting into the cookie for that stark white on black (or yellow, in this case) visual.
You can read about the science behind all. It’s pretty interesting stuff and I was thrilled to see the difference when I started making my crinkle cookies this way.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chewy Cookies
Chewy Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp . salt
- 1 cup vegan butter
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- zest of 2 large lemons, optional
- ½ cup apple sauce
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar, for rolling
- 1 cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
- In a stand-up mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat together vegan butter, sugar, and lemon zest (if using) on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add apple sauce, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides as necessary. Mix until fully combined. Turn the speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Place the rolling granulated sugar and powdered sugar into two shallow bowls. Roll one rounded tablespoon of dough into a ball. Toss it in granulated sugar until completely coated and then cover it in powdered sugar. Place the cookie on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the cookies are rolled. Bake cookies for 10 minutes until edges are firm. The cookies will be light in color and should look a bit underdone. They will continue to cook when cooling.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to allow cookies to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- These cookies have a great lemony flavor but if you LOVE lemon, you could make it bolder. Add up to 2 tablespoons of lemon zest for a bold citrus cookie.
- When rolling your crinkle cookies, roll them in granulated sugar first before rolling them in powdered sugar for the PERFECT crinkle every time.
- Vegan white chocolate chips make a great addition to this cookie. You can buy them online here.
- Pull cookies out when they are slightly underdone. I found 10 minutes to be the perfect baking time. They will continue to harden as they cool, giving you a crispy outside with a deliciously fudgy and chewy center.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Davie says
These cookies are very impressive. Non-vegans swoon as much as the vegans do. Try making them with a dot of pink food coloring to make the most gorgeous cookies. Thank you So much for sharing this gem!
Davie Holifield says
These cookies always blow people away! So good. I like to mix a little fresh lavender in or even rosemary sometimes if I have fresh herbs.
Super impressive! Popular for non-vegans just as much as vegans. Looking forward to trying gf!
annie says
I had a surplus of satsumas (similar to oranges) and I found this recipe and thought I'd give it a try! I was slightly disappointed to watch them flatten the second I pulled them out of the oven. I am at a high elevation (7,500 ft.), so that might have been a factor. Other than that, they're great. I definitely suggest adding zest for a more intense flavor.
Vanessa says
I just made these tonight and they turned out fantastic! I did make a few substitutions and tweaks, mainly to ensure a chewy cookie and a pop of lemon flavor! My cookies look just like the pics and taste great. My one complaint is the use of granulated sugar, which to many is not truly vegan. For it to be labeled vegan, I would appreciate a substitute option. I was going to go rogue and try maple syrup, but since the author hadn't suggested it, I didn't want to try it and ruin the whole batch I made. First the sugar: I used about a quarter less than the recipe called for, and used about half Morena cane sugar, half brow, which usually helps keep cookies moist and fluffy. For the lemon flavor, I zest two lemons, used their juice and a little pulp, and added a little lemon juice. For the butter I used Melt. I LOVE this brand for baking (I haven't had any luck at all with coconut oil). I needed to add about a half cup extra flour, with a sprinkle of baking powder as well. I let the batter sit in the freezer while I cleaned and prepped, and I think that helped. I also put the remaining batter in the freezer while each tray was baking. Took them out at 10 minutes and let them sit for a couple on the pan. Viola!! I LOVE chewy cookies, and these do not disappoint.
Deb Z says
Organic sugar is vegan. If it's white....don't use it.
Dawn says
These were a huge hit at my house! Very light, fresh, and lemony. I followed the directions exactly (including the zest from 2 lemons) and made sure my butter didn’t get too soft, 9:30-10 minutes in the oven and they were perfect. The dough is sticky but not a problem with a cookie scoop. They will definitely be made again.