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
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¾ cup vegan butter, I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup applesauce
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp. red food coloring*
- 1 cup vegan white chocolate chips, optional
- ½ cup granulated sugar, for coating
- ½ 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 ¼ 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
Shelley Calissendorff says
This is a terrific recipe. I got a full three dozen out of it. I also blended this recipe with My Darling Vegan's Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies recipe and made Red Velvet Peppermint Crinkle Cookies! I used this recipe but added 1 tsp of mint extract, reduced the white chocolate chips to 3/4 of a cup, and added 2 TBL of crushed candy canes. They're fantastic! Real show stoppers! Thank you! 😀
Paula says
Hi Sarah, these look fantastic. I have a recipe that was given to me (not vegan) for "Grinch crinkle Cookies" of course they are green. Do you think that this batter would work for green food paste? Then you "glue" with a sugar paste a red heart on the cookie once it is baked.
thank you love all your recipes
Sarah says
Yes, I think that would work. Sound adorable!
SUNflowa Soul says
Greeting, do you think I can use beet juice for the red dye in place of the dye that you have?
Sarah says
Yes, it won't make them as red and I'm not sure how much you would need but I imagine you could find other red velvet recipes that use beet juice to get an idea.
Stacy says
Delicious and easy to make. I made these for a Christmas party and they were a huge hit! However, I used the natural food dye you linked and I used the entire bottle of red and they were not red at all. Just looked chocolate still. What’s the secret to getting the red color with natural food coloring?
Sarah says
I've learned (from reader's comments) that the redness really depends on the brand of food coloring. I think red food gel actually works the best for most people. Here is the brand I recommend.
Jennifer says
These are excellent! I only had cinnamon applesauce on hand and they turned out delicious - I think the cinnamon added more depth. I made a vegan batch and a non vegan batch- the vegan batch was the clear winner. Thanks!
Laurel says
Made these this weekend for a cookie exchange and they turned out great - looked just like the picture and tasted really yummy. They really added a pop of color to our cookie trays! I chilled the dough overnight and found that as it warmed up it became really gummy and hard to work with so made one tray at a time, putting the dough back in the refrigerator between pans.
Sam says
I make these recipe every year and love them! I will try out the updated version for this year's batch. 🙂
Tiffany says
This look delicious, and so cute!! May I use GF flour instead? If so, will I have to change up the ingredients?
Sarah says
It should work if you use a 1:1 blend like Bob's Red Mill.
Leigh says
I make your chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies EVERY YEAR and really love them!! I love the look of these red velvet crinkles. So festive, but I can not in good conscious make anything with that much red food colouring. It is a very common allergy (especially in kids) and one often misdiagnosed. My daughter would get super anxious/hyper/angry (pick your favourite word for crazy disruptive) and over time and some food journalling we were able to figure out it was red dye. Once removed voilà ~ my sweet, creative, well-mannered girl returned. Just some food for thought. Thank you again for all your amazing recipes... they really are a joy to read and try!
Trish says
That is true for red #40 especially. You can find red dyes that are made using natural ingredients such as beet juice.
Leigh says
I'll take a look as I would love to have the contrast of the peppermint ones and the red velvet on my holiday table and for gifts... would look amazing I'm sure!! Thanks Trish! 🙂
Brittany Fightmaster says
These turned out AMAZING! I didnt Have applesauce so i used flaxseed meal to replace it. So delicious.
Sofie says
What can I use instead of applesauce?
Bhavana says
I often use plain yogurt in place of applesauce in my baking. Can barely tell the difference.
Ashley says
Where were you able to find vegan white chocolate chips?
Sarah says
There is a vegan grocery store here in Portland that I get them but you can also order them here.
Al Land says
The amazon item in the link you shared is tremendously expensive ($19.00 including shipping). You haven't been able to find any more reasonably priced?
Jessica says
Sarah help! I have made these twice now and they taste amazing (they are going on my permanent Christmas rotation), but both times I've ended up with Red Velvet Pillows. They are round and puffy, not flat and crinkly. What am I doing wrong?
Kendall says
Try rolling them in granulated sugar before the powdered sugar. Should increase the cracking. That’s what the powdered sugar does, but granulated is more efficient at it.
Karly - MyDetoxDiet says
Sarah these look delicious! A lot of people may dismiss vegan food as unimaginative or bland, but these look fab! And it's great to see your letting people know about some tasty vegan secrets. I think I'll be having a go at making these soon.
Sarah says
Thanks Karly! It's my mission to let people know they can eat a delicious, well-rounded diet as a vegan without feeling like they are missing out.
Kats says
I love the look of both these and the chocolate peppermint crinkles - I have added them to my must try list!
Amy says
These look great! I was hoping to see a recipe that used beets instead of food coloring, so that I could use up the beets in my fridge. What do you think would happen if I replaced the applesauce with cooked beets? Maybe I'll try to find out...
Sarah says
You should definitely try it and let me know how it turns out! I thought about doing it that way but I really wanted them Christmas-red. Also, if you're looking for beet recipes, have you seen my triple chocolate bundt cake? http://www.thesweetlifeonline.com/2013/11/15/triple-chocolate-beet-bundt-cake/