Best Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies Recipe | Holiday Cookies
There is something about a bright red cookie with a snowy white crack that just feels festive. These red velvet crinkle cookies are soft, a little fudgy, and dressed up enough for a holiday tray but easy enough to make on a random Tuesday.
They taste like a cross between a sugar cookie and a chocolate cookie, with just a hint of cocoa. The real magic happens in the oven, when the dough puffs up and the top cracks open to show that deep red color underneath.
This red velvet crinkle cookies recipe comes together in one bowl with no mixer tricks and no dough chilling required. You can go from mixing bowl to cookie tray in about 30 minutes, which makes these red velvet crinkles a go-to for both December and Valentine’s Day baking.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- No chilling needed, so you can bake them same-day
- Soft, slightly fudgy centers with a crackly white top
- Just one bowl and a hand mixer, nothing fancy
- Ready in about 30 minutes start to finish
- Bright red color makes them perfect for holidays and Valentine’s Day
- Only a mild chocolate flavor, so even picky eaters love them
Ingredients
For the cookie dough:
- Unsalted butter: ½ cup, softened
- Light brown sugar: ¾ cup, packed
- Granulated sugar: ½ cup
- Large eggs: 2, at room temperature
- Vanilla extract: 2 tsp
- Red food coloring: ½ tsp gel
- All-purpose flour: 2 cups
- Cocoa powder: ⅓ cup
- Baking powder: 1½ tsp
- Salt: ½ tsp
For the coating:
- Granulated sugar: ½ cup
- Powdered sugar: ½ cup
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Food coloring: Gel coloring is strongest, so start with less and add more if you want a deeper red. Liquid food coloring is weaker and usually needs a bit more.
- Skipping the red color: The cookies still taste great without it. They will just look more brown than red, since the chocolate flavor is mild.
- Cocoa powder: Regular unsweetened cocoa works fine here. Dutch process cocoa is also fine and gives a slightly darker color.
- Butter: Make sure it is truly softened, not melted, so the dough creams up light and fluffy.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Heat the Oven
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugars
Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Step 3: Add the Eggs and Color
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Mix in the vanilla extract and red food coloring until the color is even.
Step 4: Mix in the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the wet mixture and beat until just combined.
Step 5: Roll the Dough Balls
Put granulated sugar in one small bowl and powdered sugar in another. Scoop 1-ounce portions of dough, about a tablespoon each, and roll each ball first in the granulated sugar, then in the powdered sugar until fully coated.
Step 6: Bake the Cookies
Place the coated dough balls about an inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cookies have puffed and cracked but still look a little gooey in the center.
Step 7: Cool and Enjoy
Let the cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes, then move them to a wire rack. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk.
Tips for the Best Results
- Do not chill this dough. Chilling makes the cookies hold their shape like snowballs instead of spreading and cracking.
- Roll in granulated sugar first, then powdered sugar. The granulated layer keeps the powdered sugar from melting into the dough.
- Pull the cookies out while the centers still look a little gooey. They firm up as they cool.
- If your dough sits in the fridge for any reason, let it come back to room temperature for about an hour before baking.
- Use gel food coloring for the deepest red with the least amount needed.
Variations and Add-ins
- White chocolate chips: Fold in ½ cup mini white chocolate chips for extra sweetness.
- Cream cheese drizzle: Drizzle melted cream cheese frosting over the cooled cookies for a cheesecake-style finish.
- Extra festive: Swap in red and green sprinkles instead of the sugar coating for a holiday look.
- Valentine’s version: Use pink and red heart sprinkles in place of the sugar coating.
What to Serve With It
- A cold glass of milk
- Hot chocolate with whipped cream
- A holiday cookie tray with chocolate crinkle cookies
- A cup of coffee or chai
- Vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two cookies
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Mix in the vanilla and red food coloring.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the wet mixture and beat until combined.
- Roll 1-ounce portions of dough first in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar, coating fully.
- Place dough balls an inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until puffed and cracked but still a little gooey in the center.
- Cool on the pan for a few minutes, then move to a wire rack.
Notes
- Do not chill the dough. Chilling stops the cookies from spreading and cracking the way they should.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Gel food coloring gives the most color with the least amount, since it is more concentrated than liquid coloring.
And that is how you get bakery style red velvet crinkle cookies without turning on a mixer for very long or waiting on a chill time. Just mix, roll, bake, and you have a tray of pretty red cookies with cracked white tops in under 30 minutes.
These are an easy one to double for a cookie swap, since the dough does not need to rest and the whole batch bakes in just a few trays back to back. I hope this red velvet crinkles recipe earns a spot on your holiday tray right next to the classics.
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