Crinkle Cookies are a delicious treat all year round. But with this Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies recipe, you can surprise your guests on special occasions. They’re a perfect gift on Valentine’s Day, and why not have them inside a Christmas Box?
Our cookies are soft and chewy, with a slight cocoa flavor and a signature deep red color. Thanks to the powdered sugar coating, they have a slightly crisp exterior, which creates a beautiful crinkle effect as the cookies bake and spread.
Interested in more Valentine’s ideas? Check out our Heart Shaped Cake or our Love Bug Valentine’s Day Cookies.
What are Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Red velvet has a unique flavoring with a slight chocolate taste and vinegar that gives the cookies a slight tang. They are fun to make, and I have always loved watching crinkle cookies bake and change from little balls of dough to the crinkle outsides that make them famous.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Easy and fun to make
- Great for Valentine’s Day or Christmas
- Delicious red velvet flavor
- Great gift idea
- Dense and fudgy on the inside and crackly on the outside
Helpful Items for This Recipe
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Commercial Quality Baking Sheet Pan Set, 2 Pack
Ingredients for Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Basic ingredients go into these cookies, and you may have it all at home.
Recipe Ingredients
All-purpose flour – This is the base for these chewy and soft cookies.
Unsweetened cocoa powder – Adds a subtle chocolate flavor that’s signature to red velvet.
Baking powder and baking soda – They help us to soften our cookies.
Salt – We add it to enhance the cookie flavor.
Unsalted butter – Adds richness and keeps the cookies moist.
Light brown sugar – Provides a slight caramel flavor and chewiness. You can replace it with granulated white sugar.
Whole egg and egg yolk – Binds the dough and contributes to a rich, fudgy texture.
Vanilla extract – Provides a warm, sweet aroma to our cookies.
White vinegar – It is used in red velvet cookies and cakes as it enhances the red color and gives the appropriate tang to the cookies.
Red food coloring – Gives the cookies their classic vibrant red hue.
Powdered sugar – Coats the cookies for a beautiful crinkle effect when baked.
How to make Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Mix all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set it aside.
Place softened butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes or until lighter in color.
Add room-temperature egg and egg yolk, one at a time, to the dough. Beat until incorporated. Add vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring. You want a bright red, so adjust the coloring amount as needed.
Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Cover the bowl with film paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll cookies into 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each ball in powdered sugar before placing it on the prepared pans. Then, roll each ball in powdered sugar one more time for the best coverage.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are puffy and the centers look shiny and just slightly wet. After removing the cookies from the oven, allow them to cool on the pan for 3-5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Yes! Let the cookies cool completely to room temperature before freezing them. Layer with wax paper and freeze in an air-tight container. They’ll keep fresh for up to two months. Before serving them, thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave for a few seconds or preheated oven for a couple of minutes.
Recipe Tips!
Why are my crinkle cookies not crinkling?
- If your crinkle cookies aren’t crinkling properly, here are some possible reasons and how to fix them:
- You didn’t refrigerate the dough properly. If the dough is not chilled, the cookies will spread too quickly and won’t crinkle.
- Your baking soda or baking powder isn’t fresh. Your cookies won’t rise properly when leavening agents are out of date.
- Not enough powdered sugar. A thin layer of sugar melts into the dough, preventing cracks. That’s why I recommend double coating.
Why do you add vinegar to red velvet cookies?
- Enhances the red color – Traditionally, red velvet was made with natural cocoa powder, which contains anthocyanins that react with acidic ingredients like vinegar and buttermilk, intensifying the red hue. Modern recipes with food coloring still benefit from vinegar, as it helps distribute the color evenly.
- Tenderizes the cookies – Vinegar works with baking soda as a leavening agent, creating carbon dioxide bubbles that make the baked goods softer and fluffier.
- To give the cookies tang – This is a traditional flavoring in red velvet which can also be achieved with buttermilk when making a cake.
DO YOU WANT MORE GREAT VALENTINE’S DAY RECIPES?
We love the holidays and celebrate in every way we can. Here are some of our favorite Valentine’s Day recipes.
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Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spoon and level
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp red food coloring
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Mix all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set it aside.
- Place softened butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes or until lighter in color.Add room-temperature egg and egg yolk, one at a time, to the dough. Beat until incorporated.
- Add vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring. You want a bright red, so adjust the coloring amount as needed.
- Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Cover the bowl with film paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Then, when ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll cookies into 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each ball in powdered sugar before placing on prepared pans. Then, roll each ball in powdered sugar one more time for the best coverage.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are puffy and the centers look shiny and just slightly wet. After removing the cookies from the oven, allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack or plate to finish cooling.
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