Red velvet crinkle cookies are honestly one of my favorite things to bake during the holidays. There’s something about that gorgeous crimson color peeking through those powdery white cracks that just screams festive, you know?
Last December, Isabella came home from school talking about these cookies her friend’s mom made, and I knew I had to figure out the perfect recipe. After a few test batches (which Noah and Emma happily devoured), I landed on this version that’s soft, fudgy, and has just the right amount of chocolatey richness. Henry said they taste like red velvet cake in cookie form, and honestly, that’s the best description.
What I love most about these cookies is how impressive they look with minimal effort. The crackled powdered sugar coating happens naturally as they bake, creating that beautiful contrast against the deep red. Plus, the white chocolate chips add little pockets of sweetness that make each bite even better.
These red velvet crinkle cookies are perfect for cookie exchanges, holiday parties, or just because you want something pretty and delicious. Trust me, they disappear fast in my house. If you’re looking for more festive treats, you’ll also want to try my best butter cookies recipe for another holiday favorite.
Why You’ll Love This Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies Recipe
- Stunning presentation: That signature crackled look is a showstopper on any cookie platter
- Soft and chewy texture: These cookies stay tender for days (if they last that long)
- Perfect chocolate balance: Not too rich, not too mild just right
- Easy to make ahead: Freeze the dough and bake whenever you need fresh cookies
- White chocolate twist: The chips add extra sweetness and a fun texture contrast
- Holiday-ready: That vibrant red color makes them perfect for Christmas celebrations
Ingredients You’ll Need for Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
For the Cookie Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour The base that gives these cookies structure
- 1/3 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder Natural cocoa keeps the red color vibrant (don’t use Dutch process)
- 1 tsp baking powder Helps the cookies rise and crack properly
- 1/4 tsp baking soda Works with the acid to create that perfect texture
- 1/2 tsp salt Balances the sweetness
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature Adds richness and keeps cookies tender
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar Sweetness and structure
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar Adds moisture and a hint of molasses flavor
- 2 large eggs Binds everything together
- 1 tsp vanilla extract Classic flavor that complements the chocolate
- 1 tsp lemon juice The acid brightens the red color (you can sub white vinegar)
- 1 Tbsp red gel food coloring I use AmeriColor Super Red for the best results
- 1 1/2 Tbsp milk Brings the dough together
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips My secret ingredient for extra deliciousness
For Rolling
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar First coating that helps the powdered sugar stick
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar Creates those beautiful white cracks
Ingredient Notes:
The unsweetened natural cocoa powder is really important here. Natural cocoa is more acidic than Dutch process, which helps boost that gorgeous red color. It’s also lighter, so you get that true red velvet look instead of something brownish.
I cannot stress enough how much better gel food coloring works than liquid. With liquid coloring, you’d need so much to get a vibrant red that it would throw off the cookie dough texture. AmeriColor Super Red is what I use and it’s worth every penny.
The lemon juice might seem random, but it’s a game-changer. That little bit of acid reacts with the cocoa and makes the red color pop. If you don’t have lemon juice, one teaspoon of white vinegar does the same thing.
How to Make Perfect Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Make the Dough
Start by whisking together your flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set that aside.
In your stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter and both sugars at medium speed for about 2 minutes. You want it light and creamy, not just combined. This step is important because it creates air pockets that help with that crackled texture.
Add your eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Then mix in the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and that gorgeous red gel food coloring. The dough will look super bright at this point, which is exactly what you want.
Turn your mixer to low and gradually add that flour mixture. Mix just until everything is incorporated don’t overmix or your cookies will be tough. Add the milk and mix on low just until combined. Finally, fold in those white chocolate chips with a spatula.
Chill the Dough
Here’s where patience comes in. The dough will be thick and soft, and it absolutely needs to chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator. I know waiting is hard (trust me, Isabella always wants to skip this step), but it’s essential for getting those beautiful cracks. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap so the dough doesn’t dry out.
If you’re in a super hurry, you can get away with 1 hour in the freezer, but 2 hours in the fridge is ideal.
Prep and Roll
About 15 minutes before your chill time is up, preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Don’t skip the parchment these cookies can stick a bit because of the sugar coating.
Set up your rolling station with two shallow bowls, one filled with granulated sugar and one with powdered sugar.
Use a medium cookie scoop (I spray mine with nonstick spray) to portion out balls of dough that are about 1 1/2 inches and roughly 30 grams each. Roll each ball first in the granulated sugar to coat it completely, then roll generously in the powdered sugar. Don’t be shy with that powdered sugar coating you want it thick and white.
Place the coated dough balls about 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets. They do spread a bit, so give them room.
Bake the Cookies
Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The cookies are done when they’re puffed up, showing those gorgeous cracks, and the edges are set. The centers might look slightly underdone, but they’ll firm up as they cool.
Here’s a fun trick: if you want flatter cookies with more surface cracks, tap the baking sheet sharply on the counter once or twice right after you take them out of the oven. This is optional, but it does look cool.
Let the red velvet crinkle cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (they’re too delicate to move right away), then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Store Your Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
These cookies keep really well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. After day three, they start to lose that perfect soft texture, though they’re still tasty.
Here’s my trick for keeping them extra soft: toss a small piece of bread into the container with the cookies. The cookies will absorb moisture from the bread and stay tender. Replace the bread piece every day or so.
For longer storage, you can freeze baked cookies for up to a month. Freeze them flat on a baking sheet for about an hour first, then layer them between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container. When you’re ready to enjoy them, just let them thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Tips and Variations for Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Make-ahead magic: You can roll the dough into balls (without the sugar coating) and freeze them on a baking sheet for 1 hour. Then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. When you want fresh cookies, roll the frozen dough balls in both sugars and bake, adding just 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time.
Color options: Want pink cookies for Valentine’s Day? Use less food coloring. Want deeper burgundy cookies? Add an extra teaspoon of gel color.
Chip swap: Try dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips instead of white chocolate. Chopped white chocolate works too and creates bigger pockets of melty chocolate.
Add peppermint: During the holidays, I sometimes add 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract along with the vanilla for a festive twist. The peppermint-chocolate combo is amazing.
Size matters: Make mini cookies using a small cookie scoop and reduce baking time to 8-10 minutes. They’re perfect for parties.
Cream cheese filling: For an extra indulgent version, sandwich two cookies with cream cheese frosting in the middle. It’s like a red velvet cake cookie sandwich.
If you love these holiday cookies, you’ll definitely want to check out my Christmas pinwheel cookies for another festive option.
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies Faqs
Why didn’t my red velvet crinkle cookies crack?
The most common reason is that the dough wasn’t cold enough. If the dough is too warm when it goes into the oven, it spreads too quickly and the powdered sugar coating melts before the cookies can puff and crack. Make sure you chill the dough for the full 2 hours, and if your kitchen is really warm, pop the rolled and coated dough balls in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.
Another possible issue is overmixing the dough. When you overmix after adding the flour, you develop too much gluten, which makes the cookies dense and prevents them from cracking properly.
Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time?
Yes, and honestly, I do this all the time. You can chill the dough (before rolling into balls) for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Just cover it tightly with plastic wrap. When you’re ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so it’s easier to scoop, then roll in the sugars and bake as directed.
For even longer storage, freeze the unrolled dough for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before scooping and rolling.
Do I have to use professional red food coloring?
You don’t have to, but I really recommend it. Gel or concentrated food coloring gives you that bright, true red without adding excess liquid to your dough. I’ve tried making these with regular liquid food coloring from the grocery store, and you need SO much of it that the dough becomes too wet and the cookies don’t turn out right.
AmeriColor Super Red is my go-to and you can find it online or at craft stores in the baking section. One bottle lasts forever, so it’s worth the investment if you bake red velvet anything regularly.
Final Thoughts on These Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
I’m pretty sure these red velvet crinkle cookies are going to become a staple in your holiday baking rotation. They look fancy, they taste amazing, and they’re actually way easier than they seem.
The combination of that tender, chocolatey cookie with the sweet white chocolate chips and the slight tang from the lemon juice creates something really special. Plus, that dramatic red-and-white crackled appearance makes them perfect for Christmas cookie platters, Valentine’s Day treats, or any time you want to impress people with minimal effort.
Make a double batch trust me on this. They disappear fast, and you’ll want extras for gift giving. Henry has been known to sneak them for breakfast (don’t tell him I saw), and honestly, I can’t blame him.
Give this red velvet crinkle cookies recipe a try and let me know how it goes! Be sure to tag me on Instagram with your beautiful baking results.
Related Recipes You’ll Love
Looking for more holiday cookie recipes? These are some of my favorites that pair perfectly with red velvet crinkle cookies on a cookie platter:
- Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe If you love the crinkle look, try the chocolate version
- Spooky Halloween Cookies Recipe Fun decorated cookies for any celebration (just change the colors)
- Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies Recipes Another soft, impressive cookie that always gets compliments
Happy baking
Print
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Total Time: 2 hours 32 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Description
Soft, chewy red velvet crinkle cookies with white chocolate chips and that signature crackled powdered sugar coating. Perfect for holidays and special occasions.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (32 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 tsp (5 g) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs (100 g)
- 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
- 1 tsp (5 g) lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp (21 g) red gel food coloring
- 1 1/2 Tbsp (22 g) milk
- 3/4 cup (128 g) white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar for rolling
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat butter and sugars in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, and beat until combined.
- Beat in vanilla, lemon juice, and gel food coloring until combined.
- Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; beat just until incorporated.
- Add milk and mix in on low speed just until combined.
- Fold in white chocolate chips.
- The dough will be thick and soft – cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place granulated sugar and powdered sugar in separate shallow bowls.
- Use a medium cookie scoop coated with nonstick spray to form 1 1/2-inch balls of dough (approximately 30 grams each) and roll in granulated sugar to coat, then coat generously in powdered sugar.
- Place two inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until cookies are puffed and cracked, with edges set.
- If desired, tap baking sheets sharply once or twice to flatten the baked cookies slightly.
- Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Use natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process) for the best color. Gel food coloring works much better than liquid. Don’t skip the chilling time or cookies won’t crack properly. Make ahead: Freeze shaped dough balls for up to 2 months. Add 1-2 minutes to baking time if baking from frozen. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 165
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
