These red velvet crinkle cookies are a tasty sweet treat with a hint of cocoa and a deep red color that's perfect for Christmas!
Red velvet crinkle cookies are soft and sweet, but not overly sweet, so they're perfect with a mug of hot coffee or cocoa. And the red color bursting through the white powdered sugar makes this cookie recipe perfect for Christmas or Valentines day!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (25 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup (100 grams) light-brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring
- ½ cup powdered sugar for coating
How to make red velvet cookies
These cookies are really simple to make in just a few steps:
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Melt the butter, then stir the sugars in with the hot butter. Let cool, then stir in the eggs, vanilla, milk, and food coloring.
- Combine the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients then cover and let the dough chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Scoop the dough balls and roll in powdered sugar then place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Bake in a 350°F oven for 12-14 minutes.
What Cocoa Powder to Use
For the best results I recommend using a high quality, high fat cocoa powder for these cookies over the typical supermarket cocoa powder.
The FDA requires that cocoa powder contain at least 10% cocoa butter so, to control costs, most large brands stick to this minimum. The higher fat content of a premium cocoa powder will result in more moist and flavorful cookies.
I prefer milder dutch process cocoa which is treated with an alkalizing agent making the cocoa powder less bitter. But this also causes more rise in the cookie. If you want a fudgier result and flatter cookies use a natural cocoa powder.
Tips for the best crinkle cookies
- Measure properly - I recommend using weights when baking to get the best results. If you don't have a scale, check out this article on Sally's Baking Addiction on how to measure baking ingredients.
- Use a high fat cocoa powder - It's worth saying again, this is the key to the BEST red velvet crinkle cookies. They will be much more flavorful with a high quality cocoa powder.
- Chill your dough - Chilling the dough gives the dry ingredients time to hydrate and also firms the dough so they don't come out flat. Around 30 minutes is good but if you make the dough ahead, let it sit at room temp for 10 minutes or so before using.
- Don't over bake - Crinkle cookies should still look a little under done when you take them out of the oven. They will continue to cook a little while they cool.
How to store your cookies
These cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for around 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Can I freeze these cookies?
Yes, you can freeze the finished crinkle cookies for up to 3 months.
You can also freeze them uncooked, but it's best to do this before rolling them in the powdered sugar.
To freeze the unbaked dough, scoop the balls on a sheet pan and freeze. When completely frozen, transfer to a resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months.
When ready to use let the dough balls thaw overnight in the fridge, then roll in the powdered sugar and bake as directed.
📖 Recipe
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, 240 grams
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 25 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup light-brown sugar, 100 grams
- ½ cup granulated sugar, 100 grams
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring
- ½ cup powdered sugar, for coating
Instructions
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
- Melt the butter then stir together with the sugars in a small mixing bowl while the butter is still hot, then allow to cool until just warm.
- Stir in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the milk, vanilla, and food coloring.
- Combine the flour mixture and the butter mixture to form the dough, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 1 to 1½ Tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out the dough balls and roll in the powdered sugar then place on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes then remove and let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
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