Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Red velvet crinkle cookies are soft, pillowy, and topped with that perfect snowy crackle from powdered sugar. Chilling the dough before baking ensures the best texture and beautiful cracks every time. These festive cookies are perfect for sharing at holiday cookie exchanges—or keeping all to yourself!

Love More Christmas Cookies? Try My Cherry Snowball Cookies or this Cranberry Orange Cookies next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

They taste just like red velvet cake but are much easier to make and share. Soft, tangy-sweet, and perfectly crackled, they’re fancy enough for guests yet simple enough for a weeknight treat. One-bowl, fuss-free baking makes them a red velvet lover’s dream that both kids and adults will fight over!

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Ingredient List

For the cookies:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon red food coloring
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the coating:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup powdered sugar

Why These Ingredients Work

Brown sugar keeps these cookies chewy while granulated sugar helps them spread just right. Room temperature eggs mix better and create smoother dough – cold eggs will give you lumpy batter that nobody wants. The cocoa powder adds that subtle chocolate depth that makes red velvet special, not overwhelming.

That double sugar coating isn’t just pretty – the granulated sugar creates grip for the powdered sugar to stick, and when the cookies puff up, you get those stunning white cracks that look like snow.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Electric mixer (hand or stand works fine)
• Medium bowl for dry ingredients
• Two small bowls for sugar coating
• Cookie scoop or regular spoon
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• Sifter or fine mesh strainer

How To Make Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Prep your oven and pans

Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper – saves cleanup time and prevents sticking.

Cream the sugars and butter

Mix softened butter with both sugars until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Don’t skip this step or rush it. Scrape bowl sides halfway through.

Add the wet ingredients

Beat eggs in one at a time, then add vanilla and food coloring. Mix until color looks even throughout.

Prepare the dry ingredients

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in separate bowl. Sifting prevents lumps.

Combine wet and dry

Add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Mix just until combined – overmixing makes tough cookies.

Set up your coating station

Put granulated sugar in one bowl, powdered sugar in another. You’ll use both.

Shape and coat

Scoop dough portions, roll first in granulated sugar, then powdered sugar. Coat completely.

Bake to perfection

Place coated dough balls 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes until puffed with cracks but centers still soft.

Cool and enjoy

Cool on pan few minutes before moving. They’re fragile when hot.

You Must Know

Don’t Overbake: These should look slightly underdone in centers when you pull them. They keep cooking on the hot pan, and this gives you that perfect fudgy texture instead of dry cookies.

Personal Secret: I set my butter out exactly one hour before baking. Too soft and cookies spread too much, too hard and they won’t cream properly. Room temperature butter dents easily when pressed but doesn’t melt on contact.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Use gel food coloring if you have it – way more vibrant color without thinning your dough. If using liquid coloring, you might need more than listed for good color.

Sift your cocoa powder. Nothing worse than chocolate lumps in finished cookies. Room temperature eggs are non-negotiable – they won’t incorporate well if cold.

That double sugar roll isn’t optional. Skip it and you won’t get those gorgeous cracks that make these cookies Instagram-worthy.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Add almond extract for nutty depth – just ½ teaspoon alongside vanilla. Mini white chocolate chips work great folded into finished dough. You can make pink velvet for Valentine’s Day using pink coloring instead.

Orange zest adds unexpected brightness that pairs beautifully with chocolate notes. Start with one teaspoon.

Make-Ahead Options

Make dough up to 2 days ahead, cover and refrigerate. Let it sit out 15-20 minutes before shaping or it won’t spread right – chilled dough holds shape too much.

You can freeze shaped, uncoated dough balls for 3 months. Thaw slightly, roll in sugars, and bake normally. Perfect for last-minute cookie emergencies.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

These cookies are supposed to be fudgy and dense – that’s the goal, not a mistake. If you want them more cake-like, add extra ¼ teaspoon baking powder.

The cracks happen because the soft inside expands faster than the sugar coating. Science is delicious.

Don’t flatten dough balls before baking. They need height to create proper puffing and cracking.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with cold milk or hot chocolate. They’re perfect for holiday parties because they look festive and travel well. I stack them in clear containers so people can see those pretty cracks.

They make wonderful teacher gifts or neighbor treats when packed in decorative tins with parchment between layers.

How to Store Your Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Store in airtight container at room temperature up to one week. For longer storage, freeze up to 3 months between parchment layers.

If they lose softness after few days, microwave individual cookies 5-10 seconds to refresh that just-baked texture.

Allergy Information

Contains gluten, dairy, and eggs. For dairy-free, substitute vegan butter – just make sure it’s room temperature like regular butter. Egg substitutes work but may change texture slightly.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use natural cocoa instead of Dutch-processed?

Yes, either works perfectly fine in this recipe.

My cookies didn’t crack – what went wrong?

Dough was probably too cold when baking, or you skipped the double sugar coating. Both sugars are needed for proper cracking.

Can I skip the food coloring?

Sure, they’ll just be brown instead of red. Flavor stays the same.

Why did my cookies spread too much?

Butter was too warm, or dough needed chilling. Pop soft dough in fridge 15 minutes before shaping.

Gel or liquid food coloring?

Gel is better – more concentrated color without thinning dough. But liquid works if that’s what you have.

💬 Made these cookies? Drop a comment below and let me know how they turned out! I love seeing everyone’s baking wins.