These Vegan Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies take everything you love about red velvet cake and mash it into a glorious cookie. Tossed in sugar prior to baking, the cookies emerge from the oven with a beautiful crinkled appearance, perfect for holiday festiveness! Let's learn how to make them!
There is a reason why people love red velvet. A favorite flavor of many, red velvet desserts are gorgeous in appearance and delicious in taste.
These vegan red velvet crinkle cookies have a light chocolate taste, a vibrant red appearance and a chewy cookie texture. They are great for any time of the year but will make an excellent addition to your Valentine's Day or vegan Christmas cookie rotation.
If you're looking for more red velvet recipes, check out our vegan red velvet cake and vegan red velvet cupcakes.
Red velvet crinkle cookie ingredients:
Here's your grocery list for this recipe:
- vegan butter: Provides the fat needed for a rich, tender cookie texture. Purchase a high quality, name brand vegan butter for best results.
- light brown sugar: Adds sweetness and a subtle molasses flavor, enhancing the richness and depth of the cookie's flavor profile.
- granulated sugar: Balances the sweetness and works with the brown sugar to create a slightly crisp edge on the cookies while maintaining a soft center.
- nondairy milk: Adds moisture to the dough, ensuring it comes together properly and stays soft.
- vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavor of the cookies and complements the cocoa and red velvet flavor profile.
- vegan red food coloring: Gives the cookies their signature red hue, which is iconic for red velvet desserts. Be sure to use a vegan-certified food coloring to avoid animal-derived ingredients.
- cornstarch: Acts as a binder and helps make the cookies soft and tender.
- baking powder: Provides leavening, helping the cookies rise slightly and achieve a soft, airy texture.
- salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors, making the cocoa and vanilla stand out more prominently.
- cocoa powder: Adds a subtle chocolate flavor, which is a defining feature of red velvet desserts.
- all purpose flour: Forms the structure of the cookies, giving them shape and stability while maintaining a tender crumb.
- granulated sugar (rolling): Coats the cookies before baking, creating a slightly crispy, crackled texture on the outside when baked.
- powdered sugar (rolling): Adds a soft, snowy coating and contributes to the classic crackled look as the cookies bake.
Why you'll love these cookies:
- Rich, Velvety Flavor: With hints of cocoa and a touch of sweetness, these cookies deliver the classic red velvet taste.
- Soft and Chewy Texture: The perfect balance of a tender inside and slightly crisp edges.
- Eye-Catching Appearance: Their vibrant red color and crackled powdered sugar coating make them a stunning addition to any dessert table.
- Easy to Make: The recipe is straightforward, and the dough is easy to work with, making it perfect for bakers of all skill levels.
- Vegan-Friendly: Completely plant-based, these cookies can be enjoyed by those with dietary restrictions without compromising on flavor or texture.
How to make vegan red velvet crinkle cookies (with pictures!):
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page for full instructions and ingredient measurements.
Begin by creaming together the vegan butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, nondairy milk and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add in the vegan red food coloring, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Beat until ingredients are well-distributed.
Add the cocoa powder and flour to the bowl and beat until just-combined. Do not over-mix. Cover bowl and chill cookie dough for at least 1 hour.
Place granulated sugar in one bowl and powdered sugar in another. Scoop 2 tablespoon balls of cookie dough, rolling first in the granulated sugar followed by the powdered sugar.
Place coated balls of cookie dough 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press down on each lightly to flatten slightly.
Bake cookies on center rack of oven preheated to 350 degrees F (175 C) for 10-12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips and tricks:
- Be Careful with the Food Coloring: The amount of food coloring you'll need will depend completely on the type of vegan food coloring you have on hand. This can be anywhere from 1 teaspoon to a full tablespoon. Start small and work your way up.
- Keep Dough Cold While Rolling: If you’re making a large batch, keep the unused dough in the fridge while rolling to prevent it from becoming too soft.
- Size Dough Balls Consistently: Use a cookie scoop or weigh the dough to make evenly sized balls. This ensures the cookies bake uniformly.
- Roll Thoroughly: For the classic crackled look, roll the dough balls first in granulated sugar and then generously in powdered sugar. The granulated sugar helps the powdered sugar stick and enhances the crackle effect.
- Have Fun Decorating: Once cooled, drizzle vegan white or dark chocolate over the cookies, or add a dusting of edible glitter for an extra-special presentation.
Why are my crinkle cookies not crinkling?
If your crinkle cookies are not crinkling, here are some potential reasons and how to fix them:
- Dough Too Warm: Warm dough spreads too quickly in the oven, preventing the surface from cracking. Chill the dough for at least an hour before rolling and baking.
- Not Enough Coating: A thin layer of powdered sugar may dissolve into the dough, obscuring the crinkle effect. Generously coat the dough balls with granulated and powdered sugar.
- Baking Temperature Too Low: A low oven temperature causes the cookies to spread slowly, preventing the cracks from forming. Bake at the recipe’s recommended temperature and ensure your oven is properly preheated.
- Over-mixing the Dough: Over-mixing can overdevelop the gluten in the flour, leading to dense cookies that don't expand or crack. Mix the ingredients just until combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Incorrect Flour Measurement: Using too much flour can make the dough stiff, preventing it from spreading and cracking. Use the spoon-and-level method to measure flour accurately or weigh it for precision.
- Under-baking: If the cookies are removed too soon, they won’t have enough time to set and create the cracks. Bake until the edges are set but the centers are soft.
Frequently asked questions:
You can use natural alternatives like beet powder or pureed roasted beets. However, the color may be less intense and slightly earthy in flavor.
The red food coloring is essential for the classic red velvet color. However, if you prefer to omit it, you'll have chocolate crinkle cookies instead of red velvet. The flavor will still be delicious!
Yes, but rolling in granulated sugar helps the powdered sugar stick better and creates the classic crackled look. Skipping it may alter the appearance slightly.
This usually happens if the dough wasn’t chilled enough or if the powdered sugar layer was too thin. Ensure the cookies are well-coated and the dough is cold before baking.
This could be due to overbaking or using too much flour. Bake until the edges are set but the centers are still slightly soft, and ensure you measure the flour correctly.
What is the difference between red velvet and chocolate cookies?
Red velvet and chocolate cookies have distinct differences in flavor, texture, and ingredients, even though they share some similarities. Here’s how they differ:
- Flavor
- Red velvet cookies are subtly chocolatey with a slight tang, often achieved by using a small amount of cocoa powder and incorporating acidic elements like vinegar.
- Chocolate cookies are bold and rich chocolate flavor, typically achieved with a larger quantity of cocoa powder or melted chocolate.
- Texture
- Red velvet cookies are soft, tender, and slightly cake-like in texture due to the addition of acidic elements and a moderate fat content. May have a chewy or slightly airy quality.
- Chocolate cookies are dense, fudgy, or chewy, depending on the recipe. Often richer and more indulgent.
- Color
- Red velvet cookies are iconically red, thanks to red food coloring or natural alternatives like beet powder. The vibrant color makes them visually unique.
- Chocolate cookies are dark brown, reflecting the cocoa or chocolate content, with no additional coloring.
Storage:
Proper storage is key to maintaining the freshness and quality of your vegan red velvet crinkle cookies. Here's how to store them:
Allow the cookies to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Cookies can keep like this for 2-3 days when stored at room temperature or up to one month when frozen.
If you make this recipe be sure to tag @censoredbaker on Instagram!
PrintVegan Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Everything you love about red velvet cake smashed into a perfect, chewy cookie! Tossed in sugar prior to baking, these cookies emerge with a glorious, festive appearance.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Bake Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 Cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
½ cup vegan butter
⅔ cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons nondairy milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup cocoa powder
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar, for rolling
1 cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Cookie Dough: In a large bowl cream together the vegan butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, nondairy milk and vanilla with an electric hand mixer until mixture is light and fluffy. This should take about a minute. Add in the red food coloring*, cornstarch, baking powder and salt and beat again until ingredients are evenly distributed. Add in the cocoa powder and flour and beat until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Chill: Cover the bowl of cookie dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. Cookie dough can keep like this for up to 48 hours.
- Coat: Remove cookie dough from the fridge and allow it to sit out for 15 minutes. Place granulated sugar in one bowl and powdered sugar in another. Scoop 2 tablespoon balls of cookie dough, rolling first in the granulated sugar followed by the powdered sugar. Place coated balls of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart. Press down gently on each cookie to flatten the top slightly.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Place cookies on center rack of preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. Repeat for additional batches. Dust cookies with additional powdered sugar just before serving if desired.
Notes
*Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. They can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
*Food coloring comes in varying degrees of potency. How much you need to use will depend on how strong your food coloring is. Start with a small amount and build as needed. You want the cookies to have a rich, red color that will hold up against the cocoa powder.
More crinkle cookie recipes:
- Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
- Vegan Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Vegan Strawberry Crinkle Cookies
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