Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
These red velvet crinkle cookies are soft, chewy, and dusted in powdered sugar for that perfect crackled look. Each bite has the rich cocoa flavor and subtle tang of classic red velvet, making them as beautiful as they are delicious. They’re festive, easy to make, and guaranteed to brighten up any holiday cookie tray.
Some cookies are just meant to steal the show—and these red velvet crinkle cookies do it with crimson style.
The cookies are fudgy, chewy, and have that classic red velvet flavor and color that peaks through a powdered sugar coating as they bake, like George McFly peaking through Lorraine’s window.
With their rich red hue and crackled sugar tops, they’re as glam as Madonna in her Like a Virgin era and as irresistible as a slow dance at the prom.
Bake up a batch for the holidays, Valentine’s Day, or just to enjoy during an 80’s movie marathon.
If red velvet cookies make your heart skip a beat, check out my frosted red velvet cookies, frosted red velvet Oreo cookies, and red velvet whoopie pies.
How to Make Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Step 1: Make the cookie dough. Cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and red food coloring. Then, add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and mix until the cookie dough comes together.
Step 2: Chill the cookie dough. Portion the cookie dough using a medium cookie scoop and place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking pan. Chill the cookie dough for 1 hour.
Step 3: Prep and preheat. Preheat the oven and line baking pans with silicone mats or parchment paper.
Step 4: Roll the dough in sugar. Roll the cookie dough balls in granulated sugar and then in powdered sugar.
Step 5: Bake the cookies. Place the sugar-coated cookie dough balls on the prepared baking pans and bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Courtney’s Expert Cookie Baking Tips
- Use red gel food coloring for the most vibrant red color. Because the gel is highly pigmented, it will not change the taste or texture of the cookies.
- Use a medium cookie scoop (1½ tablespoons) to portion the cookie dough to create round, uniform-sized cookies.
- Don’t skip chilling the cookie dough. Chill helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and helps create the chewy texture.
- Roll the cookie dough balls first in granulated sugar and then in powdered sugar. The granulated sugar creates a barrier between the cookie dough and the powdered sugar which prevents the powdered sugar from melting into the cookies while baking. This creates contrast between the powdered sugar and the red velvet cookies.
- Immediately when the cookies come out of the oven, use the back of a spoon to gently shape the cookies into perfectly round circles.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using gel food coloring for the most vibrant red color. My go-to brand of gel color is Americolor. For these cookies, I used the “red red” color. I don’t recommend using red liquid food coloring for this recipe because you need a lot to achieve the bright red color and it can change the texture of the cookies.
Rolling the cookies in granulated sugar creates a bit of a barrier between the cookie dough and the powdered sugar. This prevents the powdered sugar from melting into the cookie dough while baking and creates the perfect crackly appearance.
Yes! Use a large cookie scoop or a small cookie scoop to make the cookies larger or smaller. The yield of the recipe and the baking times will vary. For larger cookies, you will want to increase the baking time by a few minutes and for smaller cookies, decrease the baking time by 1 or 2 minutes.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment with a star rating below! Follow Cake Me Home Tonight on Instagram and Pinterest for the sweetest recipes!
click the stars to rate!
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cookie Dough
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (22 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp (1.5 tsp) baking powder
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ½ cup (114 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 (2) large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) red gel food coloring
Additional Ingredients
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and red gel food coloring and mix until smooth. Then, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until the cookie dough comes together. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are well combined.
- Portion the cookie dough using a medium cookie scoop (1½ tablespoons) and place the cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet pan. Chill the cookie dough balls for 1 hour.
- While the cookie dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line baking sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Add the granulated sugar to a bowl and the powdered sugar to a separate bowl. Roll the chilled cookie dough balls first in the granulated sugar and then in the powdered sugar.
- Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking pan, allowing room for spreading. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes until the edges of the cookies are set and the centers are soft. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container or in a resealable storage bag at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Refrigerator: Store the portioned cookie dough balls in an airtight container or resealable storage bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To use, roll the cookies in the sugars, and bake as directed.
- Freezer: Store the portioned cookie dough balls in an airtight container or resealable storage bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookie dough for 1 hour, roll in the sugars, and then bake as directed. Store the baked cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Made This Recipe?
Please leave a comment with a star rating to let me know how you enjoyed the recipe!
About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
Never Miss A Sweet Recipe!
Subscribe get the latest recipes, baking tips and more sent straight to your inbox!
Did you make this recipe or want to see more? Make sure to leave your review below and tag me on Instagram @CakeMeHomeTonight so I can see your creations!
One Comment