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Best Easy Red Velvet Heart Crinkle Cookies

red velvet heart crinkle cookies - featured image
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These red velvet heart crinkle cookies are soft, fudgy, and perfectly crackled with a snowy powdered sugar coating. They are a show-stopping treat for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or any special occasion, and come together with simple pantry ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural, not Dutch-process)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil (or canola/neutral oil)
  • 1 large egg (room temperature)
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) milk (whole or 2%)
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (pure preferred)
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) red food coloring (gel recommended, or liquid as needed)
  • ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar (for rolling, sifted)

Instructions

  1. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and vegetable oil. Beat with a whisk or electric mixer until well combined, about 1 minute. It will look like wet sand.
  3. Add the egg and flavorings. Beat in the egg, milk, vinegar, and vanilla extract until smooth. The mixture will be a bit thin, which is normal.
  4. Add the color. Stir in the red food coloring. If using gel, you will get a vibrant red immediately. If using liquid, add a little at a time until you reach a deep red you like. The color will darken slightly as it bakes.
  5. Combine wet and dry. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix—a few streaks of flour are okay. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
  6. Chill the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight. This is a crucial step. Chilled dough is much easier to roll and cut, and it prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
  7. Preheat and prepare. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  8. Roll and cut. Lightly flour your work surface. Turn the chilled dough out onto the surface and gently roll it to about ¼-inch thickness. If the dough is too sticky, dust your rolling pin lightly with flour. Use your heart-shaped cutter to press out shapes. Press firmly and lift straight up. Re-roll the scraps once to get more cookies.
  9. Roll in sugar. Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Gently pick up each heart-shaped cookie and roll it in the sugar, coating all sides generously. The sugar layer is what creates the beautiful crinkle effect. Place the coated cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  10. Bake. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies will look slightly puffed and the edges will be set. The centers might look a tiny bit soft—that is perfect. Do not overbake, or they will lose their fudgy texture. For a softer cookie, bake for 8 minutes; for a slightly crisper edge, go to 10.
  11. Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. This allows them to set. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The crackled sugar top will firm up as they cool.

Notes

Chill the dough for at least 2 hours to prevent spreading. Use a generous coating of powdered sugar for the best crackle effect. For a softer cookie, bake for 8 minutes; for a crisper edge, bake for 10. Cookies taste even better the day after baking. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days; place a piece of bread in the container to keep them soft. Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: red velvet cookies, heart cookies, crinkle cookies, Valentine's Day cookies, easy cookie recipe, fudgy cookies, chocolate crinkles

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