These small batch red velvet crinkle cookies are festive, fudgy, and fun for any holiday! The stunning red cookies feature a rich chocolate cookie with a chewy center, caramelized edges, and the trademark dusting of powdered sugar.
I loved the cream cheese small batch red velvet cookies so much, I wanted to make them into a crinkle cookie. Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or any special occasion just got a little more festive with these beautiful crimson and white small batch easy cookies!
These bold little cookies join the impressive collection of small batch crinkle cookies: small batch chocolate crinkles, molasses small batch crinkles, and lemon gluten free crinkles.
Highlights: Small Batch Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Easy Cookies – The preparation is straightforward and only requires a little patience to let the dough chill.
- Fudgy – And I’m talking gooey, fudgy small batch brownie fudgy! The edges caramelize, while the center of the red velvet crinkles stay utterly chewy.
- Strikingly Pretty – The vibrant red underneath a blanket of white powdered sugar makes these cookies undeniably beautiful.
- A Holiday Favorite – These may be expected cookies for Christmas – and even Santa. But serve these as a Valentine’s Day dessert for two, and your sweetie will thank you!
Ingredient Notes
- Dry Ingredients – Looking for a gluten free crinkle cookie? Try my small batch gluten free crinkles and simply add food coloring!
- Wet Ingredients – I like to use organic cane sugar for its rich flavor, but you can swap in regular white sugar. Granulated sugar plus brown sugar and butter equals a super fudgy cookie!
- Red Food Coloring – I recommend gel food coloring for a deep red color. You can use liquid food coloring and may need a couple of extra drops to get the deep red hue.
Steps To Make Crinkle Cookies
1. Whisk The Dry Ingredients
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking salt & soda, and salt.
Tip! If your cocoa powder is lumpy, sift it through a mesh strainer over the mixing bowl. I prefer Dutch process cocoa powder for two reasons: the cocoa flavor is bold and less acidic. However, you can swap in natural cocoa.
2. Combine The Wet Ingredients
In the work bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Then add the egg and vanilla and mix until creamy.
Tip! See the notes in the recipe card for how to use your standard KitchenAid stand mixer to make the small batch of cookies.
3. Combine And Color The Dough
Sprinkle half of the dry ingredients over the wet, along with the food coloring, and mix until just combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until no dry streaks remain. Cover the dough and chill it for 1 to 2 hours.
Tip! The longer the dough is in the refrigerator, the firmer it will get. If chilling over 1 hour, let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes before you start to scoop it.
4. Coat With Powdered Sugar And Bake
To make sure the powdered sugar sticks, roll it through granulated sugar first!
Then roll the cookie balls generously through the powdered sugar.
Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes. You want the edges to be set, the tops to be crinkled, and the center will still look gooey.
Tip! The powdered sugar tends to turn yellow if you don’t roll the cookie dough balls through the granulated sugar first. The granulated sugar absorbs excess moisture.
FAQ
Yes! Regular-size or mini chocolate chips will add even more chocolate flavor and great texture. I would start with 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.
There are two possible reasons: Make sure to chill the dough so the butter firms and there isn’t excess moisture when baked. Also, roll the cookie dough balls through granulated sugar to absorb any excess moisture.
Yes! Chill the dough first so the dough is hydrated and flavors develop. Then roll the cookie dough into balls, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before rolling through the sugar and baking.
Red Velvet Crinkles Small Batch Cookies
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
Red Velvet Cookies
- 1 cup (105 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (10 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch process
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons (72 g) brown sugar, light or dark
- 2 tablespoons (24 g) organic cane sugar (or granulated sugar; plus more for rolling)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon red food coloring
- ½ cup powdered sugar (to roll the cookies)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Line 2 baking sheets with a piece of parchment paper.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Pro Tip – Set a fine mesh strainer over the bowl and sift the cocoa powder over the flour to remove lumps.1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch process, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- Add the butter and both sugars to the 3-quart mixing bowl of a stand mixer (or medium mixing bowl to use a hand mixer). Beat on high speed until fluffy and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat on medium high speed until smooth and creamy.1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, 6 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark, 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sprinkle half of the dry ingredients over the wet. Mix on low to just combine. Then add the food coloring along with the remainder of the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined and no dry streaks remain. For a deeper shade of red, add more food coloring a couple drops at a time.1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
- Cover the mixing bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. If chilling longer than 1 hour, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes as it will get pretty firm when chilled.
- While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar to a small shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, add the powdered sugar.1/2 cup powdered sugar
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop 14 cookies evenly. Roll each cookie first through the granulated sugar, then generously through the powdered sugar. Place the cookies at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheets – 7 on each sheet. One baking sheet at a time (refrigerate the other while the first batch bakes), bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set, and the tops are crinkled – the centers will still look soft. Note – The cookies may not start to crinkle until the last couple minutes of baking.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then transfer to the wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 7 days.
RECIPE NOTES
- Serving Size – This is a small batch cookie recipe that can be doubled.
- Yield – The number of cookies you yield from the recipe will depend on the size cookie scoop you use.
- Mixer For Small Batch Cookies – A 3-quart mixing bowl for your standard mixer is ideal for making small batch cookies. The small amount of dough will mix more effectively in the smaller bowl. And, the small bowl works on the standard KitchenAid mixer and standard attachments.
- Cocoa Powder – I like to use Dutch process cocoa for a bold, less acidic flavor. However, natural cocoa powder will work.
- Food Coloring – I like to use gel food color for a more saturated color.
- Chocolate Chips – Add 1/4 cup of chocolate chips to give the cookies texture and more chocolate flavor.
- Baking – I recommend baking the cookies one cookie sheet at a time to avoid opening the oven and losing heat to rotate the pans.
- Make Ahead – The dough can be made and refrigerated for up to 3 days. If refrigerating longer than 1 hour, I recommend letting the dough sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes because it gets firm when chilled.
- Freezing The Dough – Chill the dough as instructed, then scoop into cookie balls. Place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before rolling through the sugars and baking.
- Freezing Baked Cookies – Place completely cool cookies in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
NUTRITION ESTIMATES
More Small Batch Holiday Cookies
about the author ...
I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!
I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you! Click here to learn more about me!