Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
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‘Tis the season for Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies!
Well, and for chewy molasses cookies, chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon roll cookies, and chocolate crinkle cookies too! All.the.cookies. 🍪 😍
This recipe is a spin off of my double chocolate crinkle cookies, but with some red velvet goodness added in.
These cookies are a favorite around the holidays but really can be enjoyed any time of year.
They crinkle up beautifully and really are just as yummy as they look!
- Are chewy and super soft
- Taste just like your favorite red velvet cake but in cookie form!
- Require no chill time!
- Are perfectly sweet
- Ultra thick and cakey
- Easy to make
- INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS
- Great year-round and for holiday’s too
What makes red velvet different than chocolate?
- Red velvet uses red food coloring to create the red color.
- Red velvet is more fine and rich compared to chocolate cake, typically.
- Red velvet cake calls for vinegar and buttermilk
- Buttermilk is what gives red velvet it’s tangy taste.
- Vinegar helps to give the super tender crumb we all love!
Ingredients needed
- All-Purpose Flour: Use the spoon and level method to measure the flour properly. 1 cup is ~125 grams if using a scale.
- Cake flour: Cake flour is a lot softer, lighter, and finer than All-Purpose flour. It has less protein than All-Purpose flour, so your red velvet cookies will be softer and more delicate. 3/4 cup is about 94 grams.
- Buttermilk Powder: This is an optional ingredient in these cookies but I did test this recipe with it. If you can get your hands on it, try it out! If not, no biggie. Buttermilk is what gives red velvet it’s tangy taste.
- Cocoa powder, unsweetened: The cocoa powder helps gives that acidic kick while reacting with buttermilk, and gives the cookies their deep brown maroon color.
- Butter: Unsalted, cold butter
- Too cold of butter (frozen butter) = won’t cream properly.
- Too soft of butter = dough will be heavy and greasy.
- Cold butter = perfect temperature for thick cookies that won’t spread too much. 💯
- I have tested my cookies with softened butter and it works well too but most of the time I forget to take the butter out 1 hour before baking. That’s why you’ll see my recipes use cold butter, and they cookies turn out great.
- If you do want to use softened butter, don’t let it sit out on the counter longer than 1 hour. To check if it’s softened and at room temperature, when you press it, your finger will make an indent. Your finger won’t sink down into the butter.
- Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar: Using a combination of both gives a good structure and enough moisture.
- Eggs: Eggs help to create structure and stability in the cookie dough. Use room temperature eggs to create a lighter, fluffier crinkle cookie.
- Pure Vanilla extract: The vanilla extract acts as another rich base note of flavor to the cookie, and it can help highlight the chocolate flavor.
- Red Food Coloring: It’s not red velvet if we don’t make it red! 😊
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Just a touch, you won’t taste it! It’s normal to use in red velvet desserts. You can also use distilled white vinegar. It also helps to react with the baking soda.
- Milk chocolate chips (or dark chocolate or semi sweet)
- Confectioners’ sugar (for rolling): The confectioners’ sugar is the final touch to this cookie! It adds a beautiful look to the resulting crinkle cookie and makes it a perfect holiday cookie.
Step by Step Directions
- Mix together dry ingredients: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Cream the butter and sugars together: Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to thoroughly cream the butters and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs, red food coloring, vinegar and vanilla extract.
- Gradually add in dry ingredients on low speed.
- Add in the chocolate chips.
- Shape dough balls into ~7, 5 oz. large cookies. (You can make smaller if you’d like).
- Roll each cookie dough ball generously in the confectioners’ sugar.
- Place cookies on an un-greased cookie sheet or baking sheet and gently press cookies down just a little to flatten them.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes at 400°F
- Let cool, transfer to cooling rack or parchment paper and enjoy!
Yes. Making the cookie dough in advance also helps develop the flavors. Make sure to keep the dough chilled in the fridge before baking. Can be stored for up to 4 days prior to baking. Allow to come to room temperature, roll dough in confectioners sugar and bake.
Yes, these red velvet crinkle cookies freeze beautifully! Freeze them once they have cooled in a Ziplock baggie, Stasher bag, or freezer friendly container.
They will freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw, I like to leave them out on the counter for 30-60 minutes. Or to speed things up you can pop them in the microwave for ~30 seconds.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup Cake flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 tsp. corn starch
- 1 tsp. buttermilk powder (optional)*
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup cold, cubed, unsalted butter (8 Tbsp.)*
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (light or brown)
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tsp. red food coloring
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. vinegar (distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
- 2 cups chocolate chips (~ 12 oz. bag)
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar/powdered sugar (for rolling)
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Place the cold, cubed butter, white sugar and brown sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and secure the paddle attachment. Cream until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.
- Then add in the egg, egg yolk, red food coloring, vinegar and vanilla extract. (I like to turn the mixture off so the red food coloring doesn't splatter everywhere). Blend until mixed.
- Gradually add in the dry ingredients followed by the chocolate chips until incorporated.
- Measure out ~7 large cookies. (If sticky, use a little flour on hands to roll). Roll each cookie dough ball generously in the confectioners’ sugar. Place the cookies on an un-greased cookie sheet and gently press cookies down just a little to flatten them.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Let cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes and then using a spatula transfer them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
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Notes
- I have tested my cookies with softened butter and it works fine too.
- If you do want to use softened butter, don’t let it sit out on the counter longer than 1 hour. To check if it’s softened and at room temperature, when you press it, your finger will make an indent. Your finger won’t sink down into the butter.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Made these today and followed the recipe. I used the soft butter idea and it worked wonderfully. I did not use the buttermilk powder though. I made about 36 cookies, baked on 350 degrees for 6-7 mins.
Love your chocolate chip cookies and will try the soft butter idea. Have learned to underbake my cookies and let them rest on the hot cookie sheet to finish baking. They stay so nice and soft for days if they last that long. Thanks for sharing these recipes and will certainly try more of them.
I am so glad, thank you so much!!
Absolutely the best red velvet cookie recipe I’ve found! Thank you so much for sharing this, Tawnie. I didn’t have the powdered buttermilk, but I substituted 2 tsp. of fresh buttermilk. Was a little worried about adding that liquid, but it worked out beautifully and provided the tang needed in red velvet. Ended up making three batches…and they were gone before I knew it!
Sharon! You are so kind, thank you so so much. So happy you enjoyed them! xo, Tawnie
I hope this isn’t a dumb question. Do I have to roll in powdered sugar and make them a “crinkle” cookie? Can I make as directed and just bake with rolling in the powdered sugar?
Thank you
Hi Kathy! No, not dumb at all! 🙂 I have not tested the recipe without rolling in powdered sugar, but I am sure they would come out just as delicious. Maybe pop a few chocolate chips on top to give a finishing look? Just an idea. I hope you love them! xo, Tawnie
If I don’t have buttermilk powder can I use liquid buttermilk or just not use it if I’m not using the powder?
Hey! I would just leave it out, they should be just fine 🙂 Hope you love them! xo, Tawnie
Love your cookies! Can you give recommendations on time and temperature for baking frozen cookie dough? Also have you tried smaller cookies (2-3oz), if so how long did you bake for?
Thank you so much!! I would bake 1-2 minutes longer from frozen, just depending on their size too it can differ. Smaller cookies same thing, maybe check around 8-9 minutes 🙂 Hope this helps!! xo, Tawnie
Can I eliminate the chocolate chips? Would you add more flour?
Hi there, I have never tested the recipe that way but I am sure they would turn out just fine 🙂 Thank you for visiting my site!! xo, Tawnie
Can I use cream of tartar in place of the powdered buttermilk to give the cookie that tangy taste?
Hi Kristina! I have not tested the cookie with cream of tartar actually but it might work! Hope you love them! xo, Tawnie
Hi, did you end up trying the cream of tartar?
Hi Dani! I have not tested these cookies with cream of tartar so I cannot advise. So sorry! Hope you love them! xo, Tawnie
We are huge fans of crinkle cookies and these are next on the list to bake! deliciousness!
I love red velvet cupcakes so know I will definitely enjoy these cookies too.
I love red velvet cupcakes so know I will definitely enjoy these cookies.