Red Velvet Crinkles

I know we’re all baking and maybe a few of us are working on cookie boxes for our friends, and these red velvet crinkles are the perfect addition to your lineup no matter what. These are fudgey on the inside and coated in powdered sugar to give them that classic crinkle cookie look, plus they are a deep, dark red color so everything is looking quite festive.

This dough comes together quickly and I love the addition of a touch of vinegar to give these cookies that classic red velvet flavor. I recommend using gel food coloring here, and you can use more than I did if you’d like a more pronounced red color, but it’s totally optional. Let’s get to it!

How to Make Red Velvet Crinkles

We’re starting out by stirring together the dry ingredients which includes flour, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. I only bake with Dutch-processed cocoa because it helps bring out the best chocolate flavor and I find that it works very well in these cookies.

Then it’s time to start stirring together the wet ingredients- for these cookies that is some melted butter, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, coffee, vinegar, vanilla extract, and red gel food coloring. The vinegar just gives the cookies a very slight tanginess and brings these cookies into the classic flavor profile of red velvet.

From there it’s time to stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until you have a soft dough. Make sure you have no dry pockets of flour remaining throughout the dough. It will be thick but soft and very easy to work with.

Scoop your dough into 2-tablespoon sized balls and roll each piece of cookie dough in the powdered sugar to coat it completely before baking. Give the cookies a gentle press down before they head off to the oven.

These cookies bake until they are puffed and cracked all over. The cookies will settle slightly as they cool, but they stay soft and gooey on the inside. Optionally, you can sprinkle the tops with some sprinkles right when they come out of the oven.

These are super festive, but they also taste incredible so I highly recommend putting these on your list for this year. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks for Red Velvet Crinkles

These cookies are really easy to make (I know I say that a lot but these ones really are!) and I have some tips to help you along the way!

• Do I have to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder? Yes, I developed this recipe using it and I would not recommend using natural cocoa powder here. The flavor with Dutch-processed cocoa powder is amazing.
• Why do these cookies have vinegar in them? The vinegar is a typical ingredient in red velvet cake and it works well here to bring in that classic slightly tangy back-flavor. It will not dramatically change the flavor and it tastes amazing.
• Why do these cookies use granulated sugar and brown sugar? Of course both sugars contribute to the sweetness of the cookies, but the addition of brown sugar helps keep these cookies chewy and fudgey in the centers.
• I want my cookies more red in color- what can I do? Increase the gel food coloring by another 1-2 tsp. if you’d like a brighter red color. The cookies will become more red as they cool!
• Do I have to roll the cookies in powdered sugar? Yes, that gives them their classic cracked exterior and it tastes lovely. The cookies themselves have a lot of balance from the cocoa and salt, so don’t skip the sugar coating here.
• How do I know when the cookies are finished baking? The cookies should have cracks all over the top and they should look puffy- they will settle as they cool. You want to lean on the side of under-baking these since they will continue to cook as they cool.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea-level and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

Print

Red Velvet Crinkles

Servings 16 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tbs. hot coffee
• 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
• 1 tbs. red gel food coloring
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar for rolling

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, hot coffee, vinegar, food coloring gel, and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly add in the flour mixture and stir together until no dry pockets of flour remain.
3. Scoop your cookies into small balls, about 2-tablespoonfuls, and roll each ball in powdered sugar to completely coat it. Place on your prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart to account for spreading. Gently press each cookie down with the bottom of a glass just slightly.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are puffy and cracked all over, and then let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the pan before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling. The cookies will be very soft while they are cooling, and should be soft and chewy once cooled!

Nicole Hampton

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!