Cohesive elements represent one of the main approaches for modeling fracture processes in finite element (FE) models. However, the crack path typically must be prescribed a priori or determined through complex iterative methods. We propose a simple global alternative for 2D needle–tissue problems that integrates an existing FE model into an external optimization loop. Based on the variational view of fracture as energy minimization, we discretize candidate cracks with cohesive elements and limit the admissible topology to one or two paths parameterized by smooth curves (e.g., splines). The most probable path is selected by minimizing the loading‑path integral of the total potential energy with respect to the path parameterization using a derivative‑free CMA‑ES optimizer. The method works entirely with standard FE components and naturally incorporates material nonlinearity, viscoelasticity, interface friction, and relevant geometric factors. We verify the framework against numerical baselines, including established needle-insertion strategies, and compare the crack trajectory, force–displacement response, total energy, and computational cost. We also demonstrate the method for staple formation in soft tissue. Unlike phase‑field formulations and iterative propagation methods, the proposed approach provides a lightweight, solver-independent workflow that naturally extends to 3D via spatial curve/surface parameterizations.