A delicious red cookie dough is rolled into powdered sugar to create these puffy, moist, Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies – the red and white lends itself well to holiday baking!
I have a confession. This Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies recipe was published previously. It was posted long before I knew anything about search engine optimization. And, long before I knew anything about photography lighting and set up, and certainly long before I knew what a recipe card plugin was!
The post was deleted when I started to take blogging a little more seriously. But, I thought I would re-make it and post it once again, this time as a part of Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas series. Welcome, Dear Reader, to day 16! Today, I’m going to revisit one of my favourite cookie recipes! (I think I could say that about all of the cookies in this series!)
Yours truly loves red velvet. It’s probably my second favourite cake on the planet. And, it’s certainly my favourite cupcake to eat – especially when the icing is piled sky high! Just in case you’re wondering, my absolute favourite cake flavour of all time is carrot cake. I think that might make me seem old-fashioned, but it is what it is – I just love it!
CRINKLE COOKIE POPULARITY
Why are crinkle cookies so popular? I’m serious! Have you ever tried to run a search on Pinterest for crinkle cookies? There are countless recipes with all kinds of variations. It got me thinking that maybe it’s because they are a perfect cookie for hiding a no-so-perfect cookie. But, that can’t be it. I think crinkle cookies looks wonderful.
There’s actually a science behind the success of a good crinkle cookie. You see, most cookies have top crusts that remain relatively soft and flexible as the cookies set during baking. However, if the top surface dries out before the cookie is finished spreading and rising, it hardens, cracks, and pulls apart, producing an attractive crinkly, cracked exterior. That’s how the crinkle cookie is created.
I’m no stranger to the crinkle cookie phenomenon. In fact, I have three of them here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen, including this gorgeous Red Velvet Crinkle Cookie. If you are looking for other variations, why not try my Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies or my Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies?
MORE CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES!
Did you know that I’ve been posting a 24 Cookies of Christmas series for a few years now? There are over 100 Christmas cookie recipes that you can find right here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen! To make it easier to find, I have created a page for each series. Just click on the image below and you’ll find the full series for that volume all one page!
WHERE DOES RED VELVET COME FROM?
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies has the flavours you love in a red velvet. What is red velvet anyway? Well, red velvet cake is thought to have originated in the Victorian era when they served velvet cakes as a fancy dessert. The term velvet was a description used to let consumers know the dessert was a soft and velvety crumb cake.
During that same time, devil’s food cake was introduced, which is how some believe that red velvet cake came about. The difference between the two cakes is that devil’s food cake uses chocolate and red velvet cake uses cocoa. Traditionally, red velvet cake is iced with a French-style butter roux icing. This ice is sometimes called Ermine Frosting. It’s very light and fluffy, but also very time consuming to make. Cream cheese frosting or buttercream are mostly used today.
MORE CHRISTMAS CONFECTIONS!
In some cases, we want more than a cookie. That’s why I have two more Christmas-themed collections you might want to consider. The first, is my 12 Bundt Cakes of Christmas, and the second is my 12 Biscotti of Christmas. Click on the image below to see each collection all on one page with links to each recipe!
RED VELVET HISTORY – OR IT IS A FABLE?
Interestingly, here in Canada, the cake was a well-known dessert in the restaurants and bakeries of the Eaton’s department store chain in the 1940s and 1950s. It was promoted as an exclusive recipe. Employees who knew the ingredients were sworn to silence. Many believed it was the invention of the department store matriarch, Lady Eaton. This, however, was not the case.
Whoever invented it, we have to be thankful to them. Because, the love of red velvet has found itself spread through the food industry, but also in cosmetics and home accents and décor. There are endless red velvet-flavored products, including protein powder, tea, lattes, Pop-Tarts, waffles, and alcoholic beverages. The scent is used for candles and air fresheners as well.
As a consumer, I think I see red velvet products surface mostly a week or so before Valentine’s Day. They resurface again at Christmastime. It’s because the deep red colour is generally associated with those two particular times of the year. That is why, I’m including them in my 24 Cookies of Christmas series.
I love the taste of red velvet, although it’s hard to explain the flavour, because there are so many variations of red velvet recipes. I also love the colour, specifically how the deep red colour contrasts with the white from the confectioner’s sugar. Don’t you agree? Perfect for Christmas!
STORING, PACKAGING, AND FREEZING
These cookies will stay fresh for about 3-5 days in a covered container and in a cool place. But, if you plan to freeze these cookies, use a food-safe container that can be frozen. You’ll want to ensure a very tight fitting lid too. (I use these quite often when freezing baked goods.) I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that cookie freshness locked in!
You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. They will come out of the freezer looking just like they did when you put them in there. Once you thaw them, they will taste just as fresh, and be just as soft, as the day you first baked them.
Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 red food colouring (use enough to get a deep, dark, red colour)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone baking mat or with parchment paper.
- Using a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until the mixture turns a pale yellow colour and becomes light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, and food colouring. Mix until very well incorporated.
- In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the sifted ingredients to the wet ingredients, and with the mixer on the lowest speed, allow the mixture to just combine. Do not over mix!
- Remove the bowl from the mixer, scrape down the paddle, and with a wooden spoon or spatula, mix in the chocolate chips.
- Place the confectioner’s sugar in a wide, shallow bowl. You’ll need room to roll the cookie dough around once you’ve formed them into balls.
- Using a small cookie scoop, so that each ball is even in size, scoop up the cookie dough, roll into a uniform ball, and roll the ball into the confectioner’s sugar to completely coat.
- Place the sugar coated ball on the cookie sheet and bake the cookie for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer the cookie to a cooling rack to cool.
Nutrition
Haley says
Crinkle cookies are my favorite during the holidays and these red velvet ones look amazing.
Rucha rao says
Hello, I hv a query… Is it not necessary to cool the cookie dough before baking it..?? Or is it alright to bake it directly after its made..?
Looking forward to making this recipe coming Valentines..!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Rucha, you do not need to cool the dough.
Sheila Russell says
Although my dough was wet so I couldnt roll it into balls I added a bit more flour, it made 31 biscuits and came out lovely! Thank you for sharing!
Karen Foster says
Can this dough be frozen? I would like to make the dough and freeze it for about a week before making the cookies.
Shelby says
They turned out amazing! Do you know if these cookies freeze well once baked and cooked?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Shelby – yes, you can freeze them once fully cooled. When you remove them from the freezer, allow them to thaw on a cooling rack. Dust once again with confectioner’s sugar.
Rebecca says
Hello. I have a question about the chocolate chips. Should I use semisweet or milk chocolate? Thank you!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Rebecca – both will work just fine. 🙂
Nora says
Hi is it necessary to use chocolate chips in this recipe
tyler says
have made these multiple times for many different people and they’ve all adored them!
Jane says
Is the dough supposed to be so wet? I had to add more flour to it to get it to a consistency where I could roll it in powdered sugar without being super messy. Otherwise very good! I made these for an event and they were all eaten.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
It is a softer dough, but it shouldn’t need any added flour. I’m so glad they turned out well for you in spite of that. 🙂