These red velvet crinkle cookies are fudgy, dense, and have slight hints of vanilla and chocolate flavor. The cookies are rolled in powdered sugar in order to create those beautiful crinkle tops once baked, making them a perfect Christmas cookie!
These chewy red velvet crinkle cookies have a hint of cocoa flavor, along with vanilla.
They're always fun to bake around the holiday season, especially for Christmas and Valentine's Day!
Looking for more red velvet recipes? Then check out these: red velvet loaf cake, red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and red velvet baked donuts.
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Why You'll Love These Cookies
- They're thick and chewy.
- They're super soft and have a brownie-like texture.
- You can taste both chocolate and vanilla.
- The red velvet color is bold and vibrant.
- There is no chilling needed before baking!
These easy red velvet cookies are like biting into a soft pillow! They're just so fluffy, while also being chocolatey. Best of all, the dough doesn't have to chill before baking!
Red gel food coloring is used to get a vibrant red cookie color, making them super fun and festive Christmas cookies.
Ingredients Needed
Here are some notes on the ingredients we'll be using. For the full ingredients list, look at the recipe card below.
- All-Purpose Flour: Be sure to properly measure your flour (check out Expert Baking Tips above).
- Cocoa Powder: For best results I recommend using an unsweetened cocoa powder such as Hershey's.
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter in my cookies so I can control the salt.
- Buttermilk: Adds creaminess and an acidic note to the cookies.
- Food Coloring: I recommend using red food gel.
- Vinegar: White distilled vinegar adds a touch of tanginess.
Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions on how to make this red velvet cookie recipe.
Step 1: Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Wet ingredients. In the large bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy.
Then add the eggs, one at a time. Add the buttermilk, red food gel, vinegar, and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.
Step 3: Combine the ingredients. Slowly add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Use a silicone spatula to fold together any remaining loose ingredients.
Step 4: Scoop the dough. In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and use a small cookie scoop to scoop out the dough. Generously roll the ball in the powdered sugar twice.
Place onto the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the red velvet cookie dough.
Step 5: Bake. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies have puffed up and cracked.
Allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them over to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Storage Tips
Keep any leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. They will stay soft and chewy for several days.
If you want to freeze the cookies, place them on a baking sheet for about an hour and then transfer them to a freezer bag. You can keep them frozen for up to 2 months.
Expert Baking Tips
- Baking Sheet: I like to use this specific baking sheet. Line each pan with parchment paper.
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Any ingredient that needs to be at room temperature should be taken out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you want to bake. It's super important so that the ingredients can incorporate properly.
- Red Food Coloring: Use red food gel, not liquid food coloring. The gel creates a more vibrant red color for red velvet.
- Cookie Dough: Roll the dough in powdered sugar twice before baking. This helps to evenly coat the cookie and to have that signature crinkle top look.
- Don't Overbake: Be careful not to overbake the cookies. Once they've puffed up and cracked on top, you'll remove them from the oven (about 10-12 minutes). The cookies will be very soft, but they'll firm up a bit more as they're cooling.
Recipe FAQs
Crinkle cookies are cookies that have been rolled in powdered sugar before baking. As they bake in the oven, they crackle and crinkle on top, creating a beautiful design.
Red velvet is different from other chocolate desserts because of these three ingredients: red food gel, vinegar, and buttermilk. In my opinion, these three ingredients must be present in order for a dessert to be called "red velvet."
They taste like a thick and chewy brownie that has both chocolate and vanilla flavors mixed throughout.
I have not used any other milk besides buttermilk in this recipe so I'm not sure how they would turn out. If at all possible, use buttermilk, because it's one of the main ingredients in red velvet desserts.
I've never tried that, so I wouldn't recommend it.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you! Also, please tag me on Instagram and check out my Pinterest for even more recipe ideas.
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy baking!
More Cookie Recipes
📖 Recipe
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
- Baking Sheets
- Silicone Baking Mats
- Electric Stand Mixer
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk
- ½ tablespoon red food gel (see note below)
- 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup powdered sugar, for coating
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on med-high speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a silicone spatula and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one (low-medium speed).
- Add the buttermilk, red food gel, vinegar, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture, beating on low speed, just until combined. Be careful not to overmix! Remove the bowl from the stand and use a silicone spatula to fold together any remaining loose ingredients.
- Fill a small bowl with the powdered sugar and take a cookie scoop (I used my 1.5 tbsp) to scoop out the dough. Generously roll the ball in the powdered sugar, roll the ball in your hands, and then roll the ball in the sugar again. Place onto the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the cookie dough.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies have puffed up and cracked (the cookies will be soft when you remove them). Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them over to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Keep any leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
Notes:
- Baking Sheet: I like to use this specific baking sheet. Line each pan with parchment paper.
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Any ingredient that needs to be at room temperature should be taken out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you want to bake. It's super important so that the ingredients can incorporate properly.
- Red Food Coloring: Use red food gel, not liquid food coloring. The gel creates a more vibrant red color for red velvet.
- Cookie Dough: Roll the dough in powdered sugar twice before baking. This helps to evenly coat the cookie and to have that signature crinkle top look.
- Don't Overbake: Be careful not to overbake the cookies. Once they've puffed up and cracked on top, you'll remove them from the oven (about 10-12 minutes). The cookies will be very soft, but they'll firm up a bit more as they're cooling.
Nutrition
Recipe originally published in March of 2021.
Could the cocoa powder be omitted?
I wouldn't recommend it since I have never done that before. So I'm not sure how the cookies would turn out.
This recipe and cookie looks so cool! Just wondering if there if buttermilk can be substituted with anything? It’s just hard to find where I live.
Hi Renata! You could try substituting the buttermilk with either 2 % or whole milk. I haven't tried it yet, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. 🙂
These look amazing and so aesthetically pleasing. Thank you so much for the baking tips, these are often ignored but so important to follow.
Thank you so much, Gabriela!
Yum! I've never had red velvet cookies, but I'll definitely need to try. These remind me so much of the chocolate crinkle cookies that my grandma used to make and I loved them, so I'm sure these will be equally delicious!
Oh yes, they're just like those classic chocolate crinkle cookies, but red velvet!
Since cream cheese frosting is quite a common topping on red velvet cakes, I wondered if I could include the cheesecake frosting in your pumpkin cheesecake cookies (which I loved by the way!) Is there any difference between these two cookies which means the cheesecake stuffing might not work for this recipe?
Hi, that is a great question! The thought of having a cream cheese filling in these red velvet crinkle cookies sounds so delicious. It should work out great, my only suggestion would be to use only 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese filling (making sure it's completely frozen) since these cookies are made using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop. So the cookies will be slightly smaller than the pumpkin cheesecake cookies. Please let me know how these turn out for you!