These fudgy Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies are perfect for your holiday parties. Just look at that snowy white crinkle! Made in under 30 minutes for a delightfully festive sweet treat.
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Let the Christmas Cookie Baking Season commence!
I LOVE Christmas but this has not always been true. In fact, there were many years that I disliked the holiday greatly. It felt like an overly commercialized holiday (which, it is) that ultimately led to disappointment and frustration. But then I had kids and slowly all that magic returned.
Among my favorite Christmas traditions is Christmas cookie baking. Whether it’s Orange Cranberry Scones, Gingerbread Bundt Cake, or Christmas Cookies, I want to get my hands on it all!
We are starting this year Christmas bakeoff with an old favorite. This Red Velvet Cookie recipe has been on my blog for several years, but I figured it was time to give them a good old fashioned makeover.
It’s Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies, new and improved!
What is a Red Velvet Crinkle Cookie?
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies are a marriage of red velvet cake and a crinkle cookie.
Red Velvet Cake is a chocolate cake that got popular during the great depression as people were trying to make use of their red dye. Food coloring and vinegar react together to make the vibrant red that we know and love about red velvet.
Crinkle Cookies are those incredibly delicious, fudgy, chewy, chocolatey cookies that are covered in powdered sugar. When it’s baked it creates beautiful cracks in the sugar giving it the cookie’s name. Also, my FAVORITE kind of cookie.
These Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies are less chocolatey than normal crinkle cookies. They have the subtle cocoa flavors mixed with pieces of (vegan) white chocolate chunks.
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
Rich, fudgy, and melt-in-your-mouth good, these cookies might be the best you’ve ever had. But beware, once you bite into one of these incredible cookies, you’re going to have a very hard time stopping.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Vegan Butter – Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
- Granulated & Powdered Sugar – Check out my guide to vegan sugars and healthy sugar alternatives.
- Vanilla Extract
- Applesauce – The applesauce acts as the binder for these cookies. You can’t taste the applesauce but if you would prefer a different kind of egg replacer, check out my complete guide on replacing eggs to get a few more ideas.
- All-Purpose Flour – I have also made these cookies with 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Baking Blend with great success. (<<affiliate link)
- Cocoa Powder
- Baking Powder and Soda
- Salt
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Red Food Coloring – Not all red food coloring is vegan. I buy food colorings online to ensure they are plant-based. (<<affiliate link)
- White Chocolate Chips (optional) – These make a great addition to the cookies but can be hard to find. You can buy vegan white chocolate chips online. (<<affiliate link)
Recommended Equipment
For all my cookie recipes, I recommend a stand-up mixer. These make whipping, beating, and blending so much easier. However, they are pricy and if they are not in your budget, you can make cookies with by hand or with a handheld mixer.
In addition, you will need basic cooking equipment including a baking sheets, silicone baking mats, and a wire cooling rack. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to make Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Step One – Make the Cookie Dough
With the sugar and butter whipped until they are thick and creamy, it’s time to add the applesauce, vanilla extract, food coloring, and apple cider vinegar. The applesauce acts as the binder (egg replacer). You can’t taste it but if you would prefer a different kind of egg replacer, check out my complete guide on replacing eggs to get a few more ideas.
Once these are added, the dough will start to look curdled. Don’t worry about this. When the dry ingredients are added, the dough will sort itself out. So, let’s add those dries, mix until just combined, and cover it in plastic to chill it for 2 hours.
Step Two – Bake The Cookies
After the cookies are chilled, roll them into balls about 2 tablespoons big. I recommend using a cookie scoop for this recipe as the dough will become difficult to handle as it warms up.
Coat the cookies in sugar and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the crinkle cookies for 12 minutes until the outside begins to crisp up but the center is still slightly underdone.
Pro Tip: Remove from the oven when the edges have just started to set and the centers are still slightly underdone. This is key for the chewiness of these vegan cookies.
Let the cookies cool 10 minutes on the baking tray before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
Serving And Storing
Store Cookies: Once cookies are completely cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Raw dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Freeze Cookie Dough: If you only want to make only a few at a time, you can store the remaining dough in the freezer. To do this, roll all the dough into balls. Place them on a baking sheet in the freezer to freeze all the way through. Once frozen, transfer your cookie dough into a large ziplock bag and return to the freezer. You can store the cookies this way for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, remove from freezer and bake!
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure to chill your dough for at least 2 hours before baking. This allows the dough to be more moldable.
- When rolling your crinkle cookies, roll them in granulated sugar first before rolling them in powdered sugar for the PERFECT crinkle every time.
- Vegan white chocolate chips make a great addition. You can buy them online here. (<<affiliate link)
- Pull cookies out when they are slightly underdone. I found 11 minutes to be the perfect baking time. They will continue to harden as they cool, giving you a crispy outside with a deliciously fudgy and chewy center.
Getting The Perfect Crinkle
Friends, I’m going to let you in on a VERY exciting secret.
A couple of years ago I learned a great little trick, thanks to Cook’s Illustrated. To get the PERFECT crinkle on your cookie, first coat the cookie in granulated sugar. This allows the cookie’s surface to dry out quickly before the interior sets, creating more of those beautiful crinkly cracks. The extra layer of sugar also prevents the powdered sugar from melting into the cookie for that stark white on black visual.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
- Vegan Eggnog Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
- Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
- Hazelnut Sandies
- Chocolate-Dipped Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
- Classic Gingerbread People Cookies
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3/4 cup vegan butter, I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup applesauce
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp. red food coloring*
- 1 cup vegan white chocolate chips, optional
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for coating
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for coating
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand-up mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat vegan butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add applesauce 1/4 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary until well combined. Beat in vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, and red food coloring. The mixture will look curdled at this point.
- With the mixer running, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl, scraping sides as necessary until all the dries are combined. Add the chocolate chips, if using, and beat until just combined.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerator for at least 2 hours until dough is firm enough to form balls.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place granulated sugar in a shallow dish. Place the powdered sugar in a second shallow dish. Roll cookie dough into balls about 1 heaping tablespoon in size. Generously coat them in granulated sugar first, and then powdered sugar until they are completely coated. Place them on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from oven when cookies are slightly underdone. This is key to keep them fudgy. Let cookies cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Serve or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make sure to chill your dough for at least 2 hours before baking. This allows the dough to be more moldable.
- When rolling your crinkle cookies, roll them in granulated sugar first before rolling them in powdered sugar for the PERFECT crinkle every time.
- Vegan white chocolate chips make a great addition. You can buy them online here.
- Pull cookies out when they are slightly underdone. I found 11 minutes to be the perfect baking time. They will continue to harden as they cool, giving you a crispy outside with a deliciously fudgy and chewy center.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Kendal says
SO YUM. I’m dairy free and have tried so many cookie recipes that turn out terrible, and this one you can’t even tell it’s dairy free. I was hesitant with the Apple sauce and how the dough curdled, but it turned out great.
Anastasia says
Hi Sarah!! When we want to freeze the dough we make balls! Do we roll them in the sugars too and then freeze them? Thank you!!
Erin says
Hello,
This is a great recipe but I have to ask, why is the red velvet crinkle and peppermint crinkle so different in terms of ingredients? I assumed they would be the same base recipe but one calls for oil and the other calls for earth balance vegan butter. They also both have different measurements for cocoa powder. Is there a reason for this? Thanks.
JodiAnn says
SHUT UP! These are AMAZING! I made them half-sized so I can eat two rather than one. Other than that, I just followed the recipe exactly. Thanks for the recipe. These are definitely going to be one of my family’s Christmas traditions.
Lidiane says
I made them and they tasted like heaven. I just have one question, every time I bake them, the sugar on top kinda melts and they don’t look so white and nice. Is there any thing I’m doing wrong? Or any tips so this doesn’t happen again? Thank you!
Aishwarya says
Hi Sarah, help! Wanted to replace applesauce with flax seed powder but what will be quantity of flaxseed powder for 3/4th cup of applesauce?
Connie says
I have a hard time finding vegan butter sticks in my area. Would coconut oil work in these cookies?
Sarah McMinn says
I don’t recommend it as it’s much softer and has a lower melting point. Can you find vegan butter in a tub? That would be your next best option.
Kandice says
These cookies were amazing. If you bake them for 11 minutes, take them out when they’re not done fully, they’re so good. Perfectly crispy, but not hard or burnt, on the outside, and perfectly light and chewy, but not underdone, on the inside. Adding granulated sugar before the powdered sugar really helped pick up way more powdered sugar.
Allis says
These were amazing! Big hit with my whole family. Instead of White Chocolate Chips I used Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate because White Chocolate is not Chocolate and I love my Chocolate! Ha ha! I can’t wait to try a Lemon version of this for summertime!
Lydia Micca says
Am I able to freeze some after they are baked? Some friends won’t be getting these until a week after baked. Advice?
Sarah says
Yes, I do it all the time!