Description
These soft baked red velvet crinkle cookies are easy to make with one bowl, no chilling required, and feature a tender, fudgy center with a beautiful powdered sugar crinkle. Perfect for any occasion, they taste like a bakery treat but are made with simple pantry ingredients.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural, not Dutch-process)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 to 2 tablespoons red gel food coloring
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ cup powdered sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer on medium speed. Scrape sides halfway through.
- Add egg and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until fully combined, about 30 seconds.
- Mix in buttermilk, white vinegar, and red food coloring on low speed until evenly distributed. Scrape bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing on low speed or folding with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Optional: Cover bowl and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes for easier handling.
- Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Roll into smooth balls.
- Place powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll each dough ball generously in powdered sugar until completely coated. Roll twice for best crinkle.
- Place coated dough balls on prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should look puffed, cracked, and set around edges but centers still soft.
- Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Use room temperature ingredients for best texture. Do not overmix dough. Roll dough balls twice in powdered sugar for a beautiful crinkle. Watch bake time closely; pull cookies when edges are set but centers still soft. If cookies spread too much, chill dough for 15-20 minutes before rolling. For gluten-free, use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum. For vegan, use vegan butter, flax egg, and plant-based milk with vinegar.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 135
- Sugar: 14
- Sodium: 85
- Fat: 5
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 21
- Fiber: 0.5
- Protein: 2
Keywords: red velvet cookies, crinkle cookies, soft baked cookies, easy cookie recipe, one bowl cookies, red velvet dessert, holiday cookies