Soft, chewy Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies coated in powdered sugar for the perfect festive crackle. Easy to make, gorgeous on holiday trays, and full of classic red velvet flavor!

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Soft, fudgy, and beautifully crackled, these Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies are the perfect festive treat for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or anytime you’re craving that classic red velvet flavor. With their vibrant red centers, deep cocoa flavor, and snowy powdered-sugar finish, they look impressive yet come together with simple pantry ingredients.
These cookies bake up with crisp edges, ultra-soft centers, and that signature crinkle top you only get from chilled dough dusted in sugar.
If you love red velvet cake, you’re going to adore these gorgeous, festive, chewy, chocolate-kissed crinkle cookies.

Why You’ll Love These Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Classic red velvet flavor - a hint of cocoa, rich butter, and vanilla in every bite.
- Soft and chewy texture - perfectly tender centers with slightly crisp edges.
- Gorgeous crackled look - the powdered sugar coating creates that signature crinkle.
- Festive and eye-catching - ideal for cookie trays, holiday parties, gifting, and Valentine’s Day.
- Easy make-ahead dough - chills overnight and bakes beautifully.
Helpful Tips for Perfect Crinkle Cookies
- Chill the dough fully. Warm dough will spread too much and lose the crinkle effect.
- Use gel food coloring. It gives a brighter, deeper red.
- Coat generously. The thicker the powdered-sugar coating, the better the crinkles.
- Underbake slightly. The centers should look soft. This keeps them chewy.
- Measure flour correctly. Too much flour makes them dry; spoon and level for best accuracy.
- Roll in granulated sugar first. I learned this trick recently about crinkle cookies. If you roll it in granulated sugar first the powdered sugar will stick in the cracks of it and stay on better!

More Cookie Recipes You'll Love
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies - Rich, fudgy chocolate cookies rolled in powdered sugar and baked until perfectly crackled with soft, brownie-like centers.
- Jam Thumbprint Cookies - Tender butter cookies rolled in sugar and filled with sweet jam for a classic, melt-in-your-mouth holiday favorite.
- Peanut Butter Blossoms - Soft, chewy peanut butter cookies topped with a chocolate kiss-an iconic Christmas cookie everyone loves.
- Gingersnaps - Crisp, spiced cookies with warm molasses flavor and a delicious snap.
- Homemade Funfetti Cookies - Soft, chewy cookies loaded with rainbow sprinkles for the ultimate birthday-cake-flavored treat in cookie form.
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies Video

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon red gel food coloring
For Rolling
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until light, fluffy, and pale in color, about 2 to 4 minutes.
- Add in the red food coloring and beat again to combine.
- Add dry ingredients and mix to combine. The dough will be very soft and sticky.
- Transfer to an airtight container, or cover tightly, and chill the dough for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. Chilling the dough is not optional for these cookies! The dough will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Preheat then oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add granulated sugar to one bowl and powdered sugar to another bowl for rolling. Set aside
- Scoop cookie dough using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop and roll into balls.
- Roll each ball in the granulated sugar, then in the powder sugar so that the balls are very white.
- Place balls about 3 inches apart on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are fully set but the centers are still soft. The red velvet crinkle cookies will should seem very soft and under baked, but they will harden slightly as they cool.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Chilling is mandatory for this recipe. The dough is very sticky just after mixing, and you'll be unable to roll into balls until it has been chilled.
- Make Ahead: Cookie dough can be made ahead and stored covered tightly in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Storage: Store baked cookies covered at room temperature for up to a week.
- Freezer Instructions: Baked cookies can be stored in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze unbaked cookies, roll dough into balls, but don't roll in powdered sugar. Place on a baking sheet and freeze for 4-6 hours. Then transfer dough balls to a freezer bag for storage for up to 3 months. To bake, coat frozen balls in powdered sugar. Bake about 10-11 minutes. No need to thaw.
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Gigi TX says
These are DELICIOUS and SO PRETTY! They are not too sweet but so GOOD! I made half a recipe because that was all that was needed to take to an event but should have made the full recipe because they're that good!