Cakey Red Velvet Cream Cheese Crinkle Cookies
on Nov 28, 2017, Updated Aug 25, 2020
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Cakey Red Velvet Cream Cheese Crinkle Cookies are soft, chewy cookies that are made from scratch and will fit right in with your holiday plans. Use them for cookie swaps, gifting or just to pass around the Christmas table!
How beautiful are these red velvet cream cheese crinkly cookies? I’m obviously embracing cookie season with open arms. Also, can we first talk about how cakey and soft and chewy these are? From the outside they look like someone dusted snow all over them which is why they will be the star of your cookie game this holiday season. You’ll see some red velvet peeking through the crinkles. But you aren’t prepared for the wonderful deception.
One bite and you are in red velvet cake heaven. Because this is basically red velvet cake pretending to be cookies. These are the softest, cakiest cookies you will ever bite into. Plus there’s cream cheese. All the way through. Every bite. Till the end.
Quick Walk Through: Red Velvet Cream Cheese Crinkle Cookies
Chilling The Cookie Dough
Like most cookie doughs you will have to chill this one for a couple of hours, which means things don’t have to start at room temperature, except the butter which needs to be melted and then used. But the reason you want to chill this dough is to make these easier to handle when you are rolling them in powdered sugar. Yes, rolling them in extra powdered or icing sugar. But don’t worry, these won’t taste like overly sweet red velvet cake. The cookie dough itself doesn’t have a ton of sugar which is why the red velvet flavor comes through beautifully and the powdered sugar on top is actually nice when you bite into the cookie.
Top Tips for Cakey Red Velvet Cream Cheese Crinkle Cookies
- The ingredients don’t need to be at room temperature except the melted butter which gives these cookies the soft, cakey texture. Melt the butter first so that it has time to cool down slightly while you get the remaining ingredients ready
- It’s important to chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but the dough can also be made up to 8 hours ahead
- The crinkle in these crinkle cookies come from rolling the individual cookie dough into powdered sugar. As the cookies bake and expand, the powdered sugar creates a natural crinkle. But the cookies absorb powdered sugar really quickly so it’s important to work fast when rolling the cookie dough in powdered sugar and placing them on the baking sheet to bake
- These red velvet cream cheese crinkle cookies are pretty soft and chewy and are baked for 12-13 minutes, but if you want them to be slightly crisper, increase the baking time to 15 minutes
- Make sure to line your baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper because they tend to stick a bit at the bottom. In my experience, a silicon mat works better than parchment paper.
These red velvet cream cheese crinkle cookies will definitely make the holiday season more colourful and wholesome! I just served them to a bunch of friends last night and these were devoured in under ten minutes.
Cakey Red Velvet Cream Cheese Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup Cocoa
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt, See Note 1
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1/3 cup Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 tablespoon Milk
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Red Food Colour
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar or Icing Sugar
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and set aside.
- Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat together butter, cream cheese and sugar in another bowl till light and fluffy. Add eggs one at time, beating till combined. Add milk, vanilla extract, lemon juice and red food colour and mix.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on very low speed till just combined. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Pre-heat: Pre-heat oven to 350F/175C.
- Fill a plate or wide bowl with powdered sugar or icing sugar. Use a small ice cream scooper to scoop out balls of dough the size of limes and roll them with your hands in the powdered sugar till they are covered. Don't worry if there is extra sugar in a few places. Work quickly because the dough soaks in sugar quite quickly.
- Bake: Place them on a silicon mat lined cookie sheet and bake for 12-13 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- In case you are using salted butter, you can skip the additional salt in the recipe
- It’s important to chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but the dough can also be made up to 8 hours ahead
- The crinkle in these crinkle cookies come from rolling the individual cookie dough into powdered sugar. As the cookies bake and expand, the powdered sugar creates a natural crinkle. But the cookies absorb powdered sugar really quickly so it’s important to work fast when rolling the cookie dough in powdered sugar and placing them on the baking sheet to bake
- These cookies are pretty soft and chewy and are baked for 12-13 minutes, but if you want them to be slightly crisper, increase the baking time to 15 minutes
Absolutely delish. Love the texture of these cookies. It was a big hit at our house. I particularly liked how they aren’t super sweet but just right. They store well too! Thanks for an awesome recipe as always, Richa!!
Yaya! Thanks Ramya
Is it okay not to put cream cheese?
That would really change things. I recommend using it.
Hi richa the cookies look amazing can I substitute egg with anything ?? Thanks
Hey Neha! Sorry but I haven’t tested this recipe without eggs
What’s the brand of the red food color you used in this recipe? Also, which type of milk did you use? Thanks!
Hey Candice, I use a brand called Sprig. And I’ve used whole milk here.
Wow! This is one good cookie! I was concerned that they would become dry if I held them overnight but I actually like the texture even better after they age a bit. This is going to become part of my regular rotation. Thank you!
Yea, they actually become moist and chewy. So glad you liked them Marion!
Which type of cocoa did you use?
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Hi.. why is it when I made this recipe the color did not turn red, although the taste was superb? I followed every details in your recipe
That could be a result of the food colour you used.
Just made these and they were an Instant hit! Great treat for V-day friends and romances!!
Wohoooo! So glad you liked them!
Hi, i Liked to know after the cookies is done(already cooked), how many days can i keep to preserve?
You can store them outside in an airtight container for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for 5-7 days. The only issue you might see is that the powdered sugar on the outside may start melting and become sticky, but the taste won’t change.
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Crinkle cookies are always so appealing to me, but this red velvet version is actually making me drool a little! YUM!
Thanks Amanda!