In a bowl, sift together the dry ingredients: cocoa powder, sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with an electric mixer), mix together the apple sauce, coconut oil, and vanilla until combined.

With the mixer on medium-low, slowly add in the dry ingredients until the batter comes together. The dough will be pretty stick when done. Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour (can also sit overnight).

Roll 1 tablespoon of the dough into a ball. I've found that this is easier to do if I keep my hands covered with powdered sugar (the dough won't stick nearly as much).

Place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl and toss the cookie balls in the sugar until they are completely covered. To get the best crinkles, you want to have a generous amount of powdered sugar on each cookie ball so do not knock off the excess sugar.

Place the cookies on a lined baking sheet at bake for 11-14 minutes at 350 degrees F.*

Let cool and ENJOY!**

*I baked this several different ways and I found that using a lighter colored baking tray with parchment paper resulted in the best cookies. For whatever reason, the cookies I baked on a silicon mat did not turn out as well as ones baked on parchment paper.

**These are best if you let them cool completely. They're a little fudgy right out of the oven but still totally delicious!