These red velvet crinkle cookies have a beautiful red-and-white contrast and taste even better than they look! They are amazingly tender and moist and are packed with an intensely rich chocolate flavor that is to die for! Bake them for Christmas, Valentine's Day, or just because you are craving a sweet treat!
Best Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Crinkle cookies are so beautiful to look at (and they are sure to impress whoever you give them to!) This year, I've been on a crinkle cookie kick- trying out a ton of different flavors!
While many of my crinkle cookies are packed with a decadent chocolate flavor that is absolutely to die for, there is something about the color of these red velvet cookies that makes them extra special. They give me total Christmas vibes, while still being perfectly suitable for Valentine's day as well (or any time of the year, really)!
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These beautiful cookies are perfect for Christmas or Valentine's day! Check out more Valentine's day desserts or Christmas desserts!
🥘 Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies Ingredients
All of these ingredients are common in baking, so there's nothing weird you need to pick up. In fact, you could easily have all of these things at home already!
Red Velvet Cookies
- Butter - ½ cup of room temperature butter.
- Brown Sugar - ¾ cup of packed light brown sugar.
- Sugar - ½ cup of granulated sugar.
- Eggs - 2 large, room temperature eggs.
- Vanilla - 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
- Red Food Coloring - ½ teaspoon of red food coloring. Depending on the brand you use, you may need more. Opt for a high-quality gel food coloring for best results.
- Baking Powder - 1½ teaspoons of baking powder.
- Salt - ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Flour - 2 cups of all-purpose flour that has been spooned and leveled.
- Cocoa Powder - ⅓ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted.
For Rolling
- Sugar - ½ cup of granulated sugar.
- Powdered Sugar - ½ cup of powdered sugar.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
If you've ever baked cookies before then you can make these crinkle cookies in your sleep! Go ahead and grab some baking sheets, your stand mixer, and a few shallow bowls.
This recipe will yield two dozen cookies, depending on how large you make them.
Prepare the Cookie Dough
- Preheat. Get started by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper.
- Cream. Using your stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together ½ cup of room-temperature butter, ¾ cup of brown sugar, and ½ cup of white granulated sugar until fluffy and light.
- Add eggs. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well in between each addition. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl so that everything is well distributed.
- Mix. Next, mix in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon of red food coloring, 1½ teaspoons of baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt until well combined.
- Combine. Add 2 cups of flour and ⅓ cup of sifted cocoa powder to the bowl and mix until just combined, being careful not to over-mix your cookie dough.
Roll & Bake
- Make your rolling station. Fill a small, shallow bowl with ½ cup of granulated sugar and a separate bowl with ½ cup of powdered sugar.
- Roll. Use your hands to roll the cookie dough into tablespoon-sized balls. Then, roll the ball in the granulated sugar followed by the powdered sugar before placing it onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough, placing the balls about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes, or until they have risen and cracked with a center that is still gooey.
- Cool. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for a couple of minutes before moving them to a wire cooling rack.
These cookies would taste great straight out of the oven with a cool glass of milk! Everyone will love them! Enjoy!
💭 Tips & Notes
- Food coloring can easily vary drastically from brand to brand. So, use as much as you need to reach your desired deep red color, but I recommend using high-quality gel coloring.
- Don't be stingy when rolling your cookie balls in powdered sugar! You want them to be completely coated!
- Rolling the cookie dough in granulated sugar helps them to crackle and keeps the powdered sugar from dissolving!
- Anytime you are baking with flour, you should fluff it up with a spoon and then use the spoon to scoop it into the measuring cup before leveling it off. If you scoop it out of the container with your measuring cup, you could easily be packing in too much flour and make your cookies dry.
- This dough will be sticky. While it is unnecessary to chill the dough beforehand, you can do so if you like in order to make the dough easier to roll.
- These red velvet crinkle cookies should be under-cooked in the center when you pull them from the oven. While they are resting on the baking sheet, they will continue to cook as they cool off!
🥡 Storing
Let your cookies cool completely before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
You can also freeze your cookies in a freezer-safe Ziploc storage bag for up to 3 months.
Freezing Cookie Dough
Prepare your cookies as directed, up until you form them into balls (but don't roll them in sugar yet). Place them onto a baking sheet and pop them into the freezer until solid. Then, you can transfer them to an airtight bag or container.
Let your frozen cookie dough completely defrost in the refrigerator before rolling in the granulated and powdered sugar and baking as directed.
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❓ FAQ
The granulated sugar is your secret ingredient here! If you only roll the cookies in the powdered sugar, it will all dissolve into the cookies while baking and you won't achieve that beautiful crackle effect. Make sure to roll the balls in the granulated sugar followed by the powdered sugar!
Yep! I would recommend preparing the dough ahead of time and baking them when ready (as freshly baked cookies are the best). Simply make the dough and store it in the freezer, making sure to let it thaw overnight, before rolling and baking.
First, make sure your oven is at the proper temperature. The cracks are formed when the outside bakes and dries out before the inside is set. Additionally, make sure your baking powder isn't expired! This is the leavening agent that causes the cookies to rise.
🍪 Best Cookie Recipes
- Black & White Cookies - Jumbo cookies have both chocolate and vanilla icing so you can enjoy both flavors!
- Cowboy Cookies - These hearty cookies are jam-packed with a ton of different tasty treats!
- Chocolate Blossom Cookies - Sweet chocolate cookies are rolled in sugar, baked, and then topped with a Hershey's kiss straight out of the oven!
- Peanut Butter Cookies - Classic peanut butter cookies are perfect for any occasion!
- Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies - These chocolate chip cookies are extra tender and soft!
- Almond Butter Cookies - If you love peanut butter cookies, make sure you give this yummy almond alternative a try!
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📖 Recipe Card
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cookies
- ½ cup butter (room temperature)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon red food coloring (or more if needed)
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)
For Rolling
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Get started by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper.
- Using your stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together the room-temperature butter, brown sugar, and white granulated sugar until fluffy and light.½ cup butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup sugar
- Add your eggs, one at a time, beating well in between each addition. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl so that everything is well distributed.2 large eggs
- Next, mix in the vanilla extract, red food coloring, baking powder, and salt until well combined.2 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon red food coloring, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the flour and sifted cocoa powder to the bowl and mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix your cookie dough.2 cups all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Fill a small, shallow bowl with your granulated sugar and a separate bowl with the powdered sugar.½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup confectioners sugar
- Use your hands to roll the cookie dough into tablespoon-sized balls. Then, roll the ball in the granulated sugar followed by the powdered sugar before placing it onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat with the remaining cookie dough, placing the balls about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes, or until they have risen and cracked with a center that is still gooey.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for a couple of minutes before moving them to a wire cooling rack
Equipment You May Need
Notes
- Food coloring can easily vary drastically from brand to brand. So, use as much as you need to reach your desired deep red color, but I recommend using high-quality gel coloring.
- Don't be stingy when rolling your cookie balls in powdered sugar! You want them to be completely coated!
- Rolling the cookie dough in granulated sugar helps them to crackle and keeps the powdered sugar from dissolving!
- Anytime you are baking with flour, you should fluff it up with a spoon and then use the spoon to scoop it into the measuring cup before leveling it off. If you scoop it out of the container with your measuring cup, you could easily be packing in too much flour and make your cookies dry.
- This dough will be sticky. While it is unnecessary to chill the dough beforehand, you can do so if you like in order to make the dough easier to roll.
- These red velvet crinkle cookies should be undercooked in the center when you pull them from the oven. While they are resting on the baking sheet, they will continue to cook as they cool off!
- To freeze dough: Prepare your cookies as directed, up until you form them into balls (but don't roll them in sugar yet). Place them onto a baking sheet and pop them into the freezer until solid. Then, you can transfer them to an airtight bag or container.
- To bake: Let your frozen cookie dough completely defrost in the refrigerator before rolling in the granulated and powdered sugar and baking as directed.
- To store: Let your cookies cool completely before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- To freeze: Keep your cookies in a freezer-safe ziptop bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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