Vegan Sunflower Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (grain-free, oil-free)

Chocolate bliss! Vegan sunflower chocolate crinkle cookies are oil-free, grain-free, and nut-free, but also pure decadence in every bite! Made with DIY sunflower seed flour, they can also be made with almond flour.

Easy & Amazing Sunflower Seed Chocolate Cookies

Oh friends…these cookies! I have been on the edge of my seat, itching to share them with you ASAP. If only I had an elf staff to assist with photography and writing to speed the time between baking (& doing the dishes :)) and sharing. But phew, done at last! 

If rich, crisp-chewy chocolate cookies are your idea of a good time, then this recipe is for you. In fact, I designed them to be for almost everyone, because they are:

• Vegan (egg-free & dairy-free)
• Grain-free
• Gluten-free
• Oil-free
• Gluten-free
• Nut-free
• Paleo

I developed these lovelies for a friend whose children have multiple allergies. Yet, the results will delight any chocolate lover and/or cookie connoisseur. 

Use Sunflower Seed Flour or Almond Flour

I used my fast & easy DIY sunflower seed flour (regular sunflower seeds, ground in a food processor) as the . Nut-free and frugal, this humble flour renders these cookies rich and chewy, without the addition of oil. It is nut-free & frugal, to boot .

If you prefer, feel free to use almond flour in place of the sunflower seed flour. I have made the cookies with each type of flour and they are equally divine.

How to Make Vegan Sunflower Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Ready to make these cookies? You can make the dough in a matter of minutes. In one bowl, no less!

Step One: Melt the Chocolate

Place 1 cup (170 grams/ 6 ounces) of semisweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.

If you need these strictly allergen-free, as my friend does, make sure to use dairy-free chocolate (my local supermarket now carries multiple allergen-free brands, right there amidst the regular baking supplies. Otherwise, use the brand you prefer.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Here is my method: heat the chips on HIGH (default power) for 1 minute. Stop and stir vigorously. Microwave for another 30 seconds. The chips will still have some shape, but with a vigorous stir, they should be completely melted and smooth.

If you do not have a microwave, melt the chips in a heat safe bowl over a saucepan full of simmering water, stirring until melted and smooth.

Step Two: Add the Remaining Ingredients

Next, add everything else! Well, almost everything else; do not add the coating (finely chopped coconut). More specifically add the following to the bowl of melted chocolate:

• 1 cup (112 g) sunflower seed flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or the granulated sweetener you prefer)
• 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup hot water

Be sure to add the hot water LAST, not first. If poured directly onto the melted chocolate, the hot water will make the chocolate stiffen (seize).

Step Three: Stir Until Completely Blended

Stir until all of the ingredients are completely blended into a homogenous, brownie-like cookie dough.

If some of the chocolate happens to stiffen (it happened on one of my test batches), fear not! The solution is simple. Place the bowl back into the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds to re-melt the chocolate and stir again.

Step Four: Blitz the Coconut

Classic chocolate crinkles are most often rolled in a thick coat of confectioners; sugar before baking to highlight their cracks and crevices.  You can do that with this version, too (I’ll say more about coatings below). But I’ve opted for  coating of finely chopped coconut instead.

While the dough is quick-chilling, place 1/2 cup of unsweetened flaked or shredded coconut in a small food processor or blender. Process until it is very finely chopped.

Step Five: Preheat the Oven & Prepare Baking Sheet

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step Six: Scoop & Roll the Dough

Remove the dough from the freezer. Check that it is firm enough by spooning up a small portion and rolling into a ball. 

I use my trusty small cookie scoop to portion all of the dough. You can use a kitchen teaspoon, too. Just be sure that the portions are even. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to get every last bit. I get exactly 21 portions of dough. 

Roll each portion of dough into a ball. Roll each ball in the coconut to coat and then place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough, spacing the balls about 3 inches apart on the baking sheet.

The cookies spread significantly (the baked cookies are 2 and 1/2 inches in diameter) so give them plenty of room.  You will be able to fit half of the cookies on  the baking sheet.

Step Seven: Bake the Cookies

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 11 to 13 minutes until the cookies have spread (the tops will have large cracks & crinkles) and the edges are set. The centers will look slightly under-done (be careful, do not overbake).

Remove the cookies from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. The cookies will continue cooking and firming up during these 5 minutes due to the carryover heat of the baking sheet. 

Transfer the cookies, using a metal spatula, to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Cool the cookies completely.

Alternatively, eat the vegan sunflower chocolate crinkle cookies immediately.

The cookies are chewy with a deep chocolate flavor. They are not overly sweet and have the bonus of toasty coconut, too.

Nutritious ingredients–sunflower seeds, cocoa powder, flax, dark chocolate–definitely put these in contention as bonafide energy cookies or breakfast cookies. Happy December to you :).

Alternative Coatings

If coconut is not your thing, leave it off! Naked chocolate crinkles are perfection, as are any number of other possibilities, including crushed candy canes/peppermints, traditional confectioners’ sugar, finely chopped seeds or nuts, or raw sugar.

The cookies keep very well (you may need to hide some to test this out; the cookies will disappear fast). Give the cookies a 5 to 7 second zap in the microwave to make them taste freshly baked all over again.

Happy baking!

How Should I Store the Vegan Sunflower Seed Chocolate Crinkle Cookies?

Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for five days, or the freezer for up to six months.

What Can I Use in Place of Coconut Sugar?

An equal amount of brown sugar, natural cane sugar, or regular white sugar can be used in place of the coconut sugar.

What Can I Use in Place of Flaxseed Meal?

An equal amount of ground chia seeds can be used in place of the flaxseed meal.

Related posts:

• Vegan Keto Sunflower Seed Bread {nut-free, grain-free, oil-free}
• DIY Sunflower Seed Flour (nut-free, keto)
• Oil-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies {vegan, grain-free}
• 4-Ingredient Chocolate Almond Flour Cookies (vegan, grain-free, oil-free)
• Healthy Chocolate Banana Oat Cookies (vegan, gluten-free)
• 100% Flax Chocolate Cookies {grain-free, oil-free, vegan, keto option)
• Chocolate Coconut Flour Cookies {vegan, grain-free, gluten-free, keto option)