Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

These red velvet crinkle cookies bake up perfectly chewy and soft and are streaked with those gorgeous powdered sugar crinkles!

How to Make Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Let’s walk through each step of this red velvet crinkle cookie recipe to make sure it turns out as amazing as possible!

Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Combine the Dry Ingredients

Preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Step 2: Cream Together the Butter and Sugars

Use a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment to cream together the softened butter, packed brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl.

Mix on a medium-high speed until the mixture becomes lighter in color.

Cream together for about 3 minutes, until the mixture becomes lighter in color and looks fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.

Step 3: Mix in the Remaining Wet Ingredients

Then mix in 1 large egg, the vanilla extract, and red gel food coloring on a medium speed.

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Mix on a low speed until combined.

Step 4: Mix in the Remaining Dry Ingredients

Then it’s time to mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Mix on a low speed just until incorporated. The dough should be thick and a little bit sticky!

Fold 1/2 cup of mini white chocolate chips into the dough with a rubber spatula.

Step 5: Scoop and Coat the Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Scoop the dough using a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop or 1 Tbsp measure and roll it into 16 balls.

Combine the powdered sugar and granulated sugar in a small bowl and toss each cookie in the sugar mixture.

Be sure to completely coat each cookie and aim to get a thick coating of sugar so that it will still be visible after baking.

Place the cookies on the prepared sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Then lightly flatten each ball to resemble a hockey puck.

Bake one sheet of cookies at a time, and bake for 9-10 minutes.

Let the cookies cool for 15 minutes on the baking tray before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Bake time can vary if you make smaller or larger cookies, so keep an eye on them!

Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookie Recipe Substitutions and Swaps

While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might have food allergies or not have all these ingredients on hand.

If you find yourself in either of these situations, I share some swaps and variations that can be made below.

• All-purpose flour – This recipe works best with all-purpose flour, but you can use a gluten-free flour blend if needed. I recommend using a GF flour blend like this.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – I prefer using regular unsweetened baking cocoa, but you can also use Dutch-processed cocoa in this recipe.
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the salted butter and omit the salt in this recipe. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Brown Sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar in this recipe! I prefer using dark brown sugar because it deepens the hue of the cookies and adds extra flavor.
• Granulated Sugar – The balance of granulated sugar and brown sugar in this recipe yields a soft, perfectly chewy cookie. I don’t recommend changing the ratio of sugars.
• 1 Large egg – If you have an egg allergy, you can try using a flaxseed egg or a powdered egg replacer.
• Red Gel Food Coloring – I highly recommend using gel food coloring to color these red velvet cookies. It creates a beautiful, deep shade without throwing off the consistency of the dough the way liquid food coloring can. I usually order my gel food coloring online and love both the Americolor and Chef Master’s brands. If you’re really in a pinc,h you can use 1 Tbsp of liquid food coloring, but I recommend adding an additional Tbsp of flour to offset the extra moisture.

How to Make Gluten-Free Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

If you need to make gluten-free red velvet crinkle cookies, use gluten-free flour in place of the all-purpose flour.

I prefer King Arthur’s gluten-free flour blend. In addition to swapping the flour, there are two additional steps you need to take when making gluten-free cookies.

Be sure to over-mix your dough and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.

Over-mixing gluten-free dough helps the cookies spread better as they bake and gives them a more tender texture.

Letting the dough sit helps it thicken and prevents the cookies from having a gritty texture.

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies Troubleshooting & FAQs

While I’d love to think everyone’s cookies will turn out perfectly every time, I know that sometimes things don’t go to plan. Below are some tips and advice to help!

Why Are My Crinkle Cookies Flat, or Why Did They Overspread?

Crinkle cookies can overspread for a few different reasons. The most common is that the cookies weren’t baked for long enough, or there was too much leavening agent in the dough.

In my experience, the main cause of flat cookies is that they’re underbaked. The cookies need to have enough structure when they’re pulled out of the oven to keep their shape and not flatten completely as they cool.

Another reason that these cookies can overspread is that there’s too much leavening agent in the batter. Make sure you’re using the right amount of baking powder, and that you’re leveling your measuring spoons flat.

Why Didn’t My Crinkle Cookies Spread and Crinkle as They Baked?

This can happen if the batter is over-mixed after adding the flour, the leavening agents are expired, or if your oven runs cool.

The over-mixed batter can also create dense, chewy (in a bad way) baked goods. Make sure that you mix the batter until it’s just combined once you’ve added the flour.

Expired baking powder is a sneaky one. It can start to lose its leavening power after it’s been open for 6 months.

A quick and easy way to check your baking powder is to add a little bit of hot water. It should foam. If it doesn’t, it’s time to get some new baking powder.  

Another factor could be that your oven isn’t properly calibrated. I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer to make sure it’s baking at the right temperature.

Can I Make These Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies in Advance?

You can make this cookie dough in advance! The cookie dough balls can be stored in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container or the freezer for up to a month.

If you refrigerate the dough overnight/ahead of time, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then roll out the dough and bake following the recipe card below.

If you freeze the cookie dough, transfer it to the fridge the night before you want to bake the cookies, then let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes and bake them following the instructions in the recipe card below.

Leftover cookies can sit at room temperature for 5 days in an airtight container.

You can also freeze baked cookies for up to a month. I like to thaw them overnight in the fridge, then let them come to room temperature the next day.

Tips for Making the Best Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

• Make sure your brown sugar is soft! If it’s hard or chunky, it will be extremely hard to mix into this cookie dough. If your brown sugar is hard, try softening it with these tips.
• Really cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture becomes lighter in color. This helps incorporate air into the dough, which makes soft and perfectly chewy cookies.
• Don’t overwork your cookie dough! Once the flour is added, mix on a slow speed just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
• Use a cookie scoop to ensure your cookies are uniformly sized.
• Flatten the cookie dough balls out to a consistent thickness of about 1/2 inch. This will help them spread and get those beautiful crinkles, and help the cookies bake more evenly.
• Make sure the cookies have a thick, even coating of sugar, and bake them right after they’re dunked in the sugar mixture.
• Sprinkle a little extra powdered sugar mixture over the top of your cookies once they’re on your baking tray. Sometimes the cookies can absorb the powdered sugar as they sit, and adding a little extra right before baking the cookies helps counteract that.
• Don’t overbake the cookies. Err on the side of underbaking your cookies and remember that the cookies continue to bake a bit as they cool. This will ensure your cookies have soft, chewy centers!

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this red velvet crinkle cookie recipe, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so that I can see your delicious creations on social media!

Print Recipe

5 from 74 ratings

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

These red velvet crinkle cookies bake up perfectly chewy and soft and are streaked with those gorgeous powdered sugar crinkles!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Servings: 16 cookies

Calories: 152kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 125g
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 12g
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 56g
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 66g
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50g
• 1 large egg, room temperature 56g
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
• 1/2 tsp red gel food coloring
• 2/3 cup mini white chocolate chips or finely chopped white chocolate – optional 115g

Cookie Dusting Mixture

• 1/3 cup powdered sugar 40g
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar 66g

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
• Whisk together 1 cup flour, 2 Tbsp cocoa powder, 3/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Use a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment to cream together 1/4 cup butter, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl. Mix on a medium-high speed until the mixture becomes lighter in color.
• Then mix in 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/2 tsp red gel food coloring on a medium speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on a low speed just until incorporated. The dough should be thick and a little bit sticky! If desired, fold 2/3 cup of mini white chocolate chips into the dough with a rubber spatula.
• Scoop the dough using a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop and roll it into 16 balls.
• Combine 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl and toss each cookie in the sugar mixture. Be sure to completely coat each cookie and aim to get a thick coating of sugar.
• Place the cookies on the prepared sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Then lightly flatten each ball to resemble a hockey puck. Bake one sheet of cookies at a time, and bake for 9-10 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 15 minutes on the baking tray before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Bake time can vary if you make smaller or larger cookies, so keep an eye on them!
• Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Video

Notes

Yield

This recipe can be used to make 16 cookies using about 1 Tbsp of dough in each cookie. The yield and bake time can vary based on the size of your cookies.

This recipe can be halved or doubled to make more or less cookies. You can also make smaller red velvet crinkle cookies to increase the yield, just be sure to adjust the bake time accordingly.

Making These Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies in Advance and Storage Tips

You can store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature. If you want to stack the cookies on top of one another, I recommend adding a layer of parchment paper between them.

Scooped cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to a month if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container. I like to move the cookie dough to the fridge the night before I plan to bake the cookies and wait to roll them in the sugar mixture until right before they're baked.

Baked cookies can also be frozen! These cookies last for up to a month if frozen in an airtight container. The only downside is that some of the powdered sugar can dissolve as they thaw, so they won't look quite as pretty!

Tips for Making the Best Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

• Really cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the first step of this recipe. It helps incorporate air into the dough which makes fluffy and soft cookies.
• Don’t overwork your cookie dough! It can overwork the gluten and result in tough and dense cookies. Once the flour is added, mix on a slow speed just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
• Lightly flatten the cookie dough balls out to a consistent thickness of about 1/2 inch. This will help them spread and get those beautiful crinkles, and help the cookies bake more evenly.
• Sprinkle a little extra powdered sugar mixture over the cookies once they're on your baking tray to give you a beautiful finished look. Sometimes the cookies can absorb the powdered sugar as they sit, and adding a little extra right before baking the cookies helps counteract that.
• Don’t overbake your cookies. Err of the side of underbaking your cookies and remember that the cookies continue to bake for a few minutes once they’re out of the oven.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 72mg | Sugar: 17g

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