Red Velvet Cookies

These made from scratch, buttery and rich Red Velvet Cookies are perfect for fall and winter, especially Christmas or Valentine’s Day, evoking coziness and frosty outdoor temperatures.

I love all things Red Velvet, with their enticing bright red color and signature blend of vanilla & chocolate with a slight tang, always deliciously soft and moist.

These Red Velvet Cookies are a so-called crinkle cookie and are really easy to make. The cookie dough balls are rolled in powdered sugar and while the cookies bake, they rise and expand, creating the beautiful crackly effect.

I used cream of tartar in these cookies, a leavening agent typically used in Snickerdoodles that has a natural tanginess and gives cookies a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

One of my closest friends adores Red Velvet Cake and we baked these cookies together.

Red Velvet Cookies are crispy on the outside, and soft and fudgy on the inside. We think they’re perfect and hope you will love them too!

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Red Velvet Cookies

Prepare the dough ahead of time – it must chill for at least two hours or, even better, overnight!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 115 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cup (245 g) all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar*
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (112 g) butter room temperature
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring (or more, if desired)
• 1 cup (100 g) sifted powdered sugar (for rolling)

Instructions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Add vanilla, vinegar and red food coloring and mix well. Slowly add flour mixture and beat on low speed until dough is thoroughly mixed.
3. The dough will be very soft at first. Cover and chill for at least two hours or, even better, overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Form 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls of dough and roll them in powdered sugar. Place on the baking sheet, leaving plenty of room in between.
6. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, just until they no longer look shiny & gooey in the center. Be careful not to overbake the cookies or they will dry out.
7. Remove cookies from the oven and allow them to stand on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes to harden slightly. Using a spatula, remove cookies from the baking sheets and place them on cooling racks to cool completely.
8. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

* If you have access to cream of tartar baking powder (Weinsteinbackpulver), use 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar baking powder and ¼ teaspoon baking soda.