Gluten Free Ube Crinkle Cookies

If you are looking for a cookie recipe that is both beautiful and easy to make, you are going to love these gluten free ube crinkle cookies.

Ube is a purple yam commonly used in Filipino baking. It gives these cookies their amazing purple color and a subtle, unique sweetness that is hard to describe but easy to enjoy.

The texture is exactly what you want from a crinkle cookie. Soft and chewy on the inside with that classic crackled powdered sugar coating on the outside.

Best of all, this recipe is completely gluten free. It uses a simple 1:1 flour blend, so there is no need to worry about mixing different flours or adding xanthan gum. It just works.

The dough does need to chill for a couple of hours before baking, so plan ahead a little. But the actual hands on time is really short, and the results are totally worth the wait.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Stunning to Look At – The vibrant purple crinkles peeking through white powdered sugar make these cookies absolutely gorgeous and impossible to resist.

Soft and Chewy Inside – These cookies bake up perfectly soft and chewy in the center so every bite just melts in your mouth.

Simple Ingredients – You only need about 8 basic ingredients and most of them are pantry staples you probably already have at home.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Gluten Free 1:1 Flour Blend
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 large Eggs
• 2 tbsp Ube Extract
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar (for rolling)
• 1/4 cup White Chocolate Chips (optional, for folding in)

How to Make

Step 1

Whisk together the gluten free flour blend, baking powder, and fine sea salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Step 2

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the ube extract and vanilla extract until the dough is a vibrant purple color.

Step 3

Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined into a soft dough. Fold in the white chocolate chips if using. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight until the dough is very firm.

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.

Step 5

Scoop the chilled dough into 1-tablespoon balls and roll each one generously in the powdered sugar until thickly coated. Place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Step 6

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until the tops are puffed and beautifully crackled with vibrant purple peeking through the white powdered sugar. The centers should still feel soft.

Step 7

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. The cookies will be soft and chewy inside with a stunning crinkle exterior that looks absolutely gorgeous.

My Tips

Chill the Dough Until It’s Really Firm

The 2-hour chill time is a minimum, not a suggestion. If the dough is still soft and sticky when you try to roll it, the cookies will spread too much in the oven and you won’t get those beautiful crinkle cracks on top.

Overnight in the fridge is actually the better move here. The dough should feel firm enough that you can scoop it and roll it into a ball without it sticking all over your hands.

If you’re in a rush, you can pop the bowl in the freezer for about 45 minutes instead. Just check on it and stir it once halfway through so it chills evenly.

Use a Thick Coat of Powdered Sugar

Don’t just lightly dust the dough balls. You want to roll them in the powdered sugar until they have a thick, visible white coating all the way around. This is what creates the signature crinkle look when the cookies bake and the purple dough pushes through the white cracks.

If the coating is too thin, it will absorb into the dough as it bakes and you’ll barely see any contrast. The cookies will just look like flat purple circles instead of crinkle cookies.

Don’t Overbake Them

Pull the cookies out when the centers still look slightly underdone and puffy. They’ll feel soft to the touch and might even seem like they need more time, but they firm up a lot as they cool on the baking sheet.

If you wait until the centers look fully set in the oven, they’ll end up dry and cakey once they cool. Start checking at 11 minutes because every oven runs a little different.

The 5-minute rest on the baking sheet is important too. That carryover heat finishes the baking without overdoing it.

More Tasty Recipes

• Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Gluten Free Ube Cheesecake
• Gluten Free Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
• Gluten Free Browned Butter Mochi Cake
• Gluten Free Black Sesame & White Chocolate Cookies

FAQ

Where can I find ube extract, and is there a substitute?

Ube extract is commonly found at Asian grocery stores or online. It comes in small bottles and a little goes a long way, so one bottle will last you through many batches.

If you can’t find ube extract, you can use ube flavoring or ube powder mixed with a tiny bit of water. Avoid substituting with fresh ube or ube halaya here, since those will change the moisture and texture of the dough significantly.