Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies – Shugary Sweets

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies are chewy, moist, and full of rich chocolate flavor. And with the striking crinkle effect, these unique cookies are sure to stand out among all the rest!

Readers love our easy red velvet cupcakes (topped with cream cheese frosting)! But our red velvet cake balls top the list of favorites around here!

Why these Cookies are Best

Crinkle cookies are a holiday favorite for us. And if you love making them, be sure to try our chocolate mint crinkle cookies too!

Today’s must-try recipe captures the classic red velvet cake flavor in cookie form.

• The stunning crinkle effect is achieved by coating raw dough in powdered sugar. As the cookies spread in the oven, the deep red hue is revealed in stark contrast to the bright white sugar.
• A mixture of white and brown sugar creates the perfect soft yet chewy texture.
• Faster and simpler than other decorative cookies but just as impressive.
• This chilled cookie recipe means you can make the dough ahead of time and bake it whenever you’re ready.

We’re big fans of red velvet around here. From our easy red velvet biscotti to our red velvet cake mix cookies, there’s something for everyone to love!

Ingredient Notes

• All-Purpose Flour– use our tips on how to measure flour properly.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Salt – Use kosher salt instead of iodized table salt for a cleaner, more subtle flavor.
• Melted Butter – Reach for unsalted butter if you can. If not, skip the additional salt in the recipe.
• Granulated Sugar
• Light Brown Sugar
• An Egg + An Egg White– creates the perfect chewy texture.
• Milk – I use whole milk, but any dairy milk will do.
• Food Coloring – Gel food coloring will give you a more vibrant and intense color without the risk of altering the consistency like liquid food dye.
• Powdered Sugar

PRO TIP- We love making our own homemade vanilla extract, but if using store bought, be sure it’s pure extract, not imitation (for best flavor).

Easy Instructions

1. Mix Dry Ingredients – Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pre-mixing the dry ingredients ensures even distribution throughout the dough. Plus, there’s less of a chance of overworking the flour.
2. Beat Butter & Sugars – With a stand or hand mixer, beat the room-temperature melted butter with the white and brown sugar. 
3. Combine With Wet Ingredients & Food Dye – Add a whole egg, an egg white, milk, and vanilla to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until completely smooth. Next, incorporate the red gel food coloring until you reach your desired hue.
4. Incorporate Dry Ingredients & Chill – Introduce the dry ingredients to the batter, and mix until the dough comes together. Don’t over-mix. Cover the bowl with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
5. Divide Dough & Coat – Take 1-2 tablespoons of dough at a time, and roll it in a shallow dish of powdered sugar until coated. Then, place each cookie 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
6. Bake & Cool – Bake the cookies in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes until the tops achieve the signature crinkle effect. Finally, remove them from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Tips and Tricks

• The color of the dough will fade as it bakes. So when coloring the dough, push the red gel color a bit further than you would normally.
• Once you add the flour to the dough, be careful not to over-mix. You don’t want to overdevelop the gluten, or the texture will change. Stir until just combined.
• Keep some cookie dough on hand to bake up in a pinch by freezing the cookie dough. Then, thaw, roll the dough in powdered sugar, and bake as usual.
• By swapping out the gel food coloring, you can easily transform this recipe into Blue Velvet or Pink Velvet. You can’t beat a tray of rainbow crinkle cookies for a birthday party or other celebration.

Recipe FAQs

More Easy Holiday Desserts