Gluten Free Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
This easy recipe for Gluten Free Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies is the best gluten-free homemade soft and fudgey holiday cookie. Instructions for how to make these cookies from boxed cake mix included.
There’s just something about red velvet that screams DECADENT -and because crinkle cookies are my favorite holiday cookie I had to make a red velvet version that’s gluten-free. That way everyone can enjoy a delicious red velvet crinkle cookie during the holidays.
Crinkle cookies are a soft, fudgy cookie that are rolled in powdered sugar before baking. The outside of the cookie drys out quicker than the inside making the surface “crack” creating a crinkle effect that looks just like it’s covered in snow.
📝 Ingredients You’ll Need
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend: Make sure you are using one with xanthan gum included in the ingredients. King Arthur Gluten Free Flour is an all around great gluten-free all-purpose flour alternative.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: enhances the fudgy, chocolate flavor and deepens the color.
- Baking Powder: helps the cookies rise.
- Butter: You’ll want to make sure it is room temperature to get the best texture.
- Granulated Sugar: will sweeten the inside of the cookie.
- Eggs: help bind the cookies together.
- Vanilla Extract: gives a hint of vanilla flavor to the sweet cookie.
- Red Food Coloring: gives the cookie it’s classic deep red pigment (see natural food coloring below).
- Granulated & Powdered Sugar: to roll the cookies in and make them look like they’re dusted in snow.
📖 How To Make Gluten-Free Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
1️⃣ Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet or cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2️⃣ Cream butter and sugar together:
In a standing mixer or with a hand mixer, mix together butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until the butter and sugar are creamed together (about 3 minutes).
3️⃣ Combine wet ingredients:
While mixing on medium speed, add eggs (one at a time), vanilla extract and red food coloring. Mix until the ingredients are smooth and combined.
4️⃣ Combine dry ingredients:
In a separate bowl, add gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. If there are clumps in the flour or cocoa powder, you’ll need to sift them into a fine powder.
5️⃣ Mix wet and dry ingredients:
To the bowl of wet ingredients, add the dry ingredient mixture in small batches (at least 3) and mix until a soft dough forms .
6️⃣ Shape cookies and coat in sugar:
Using a small ice scream scoop or rounded tablespoon, shape cookie dough into round balls. Then, roll each ball in granulated sugar followed by powdered sugar until coated. Repeat until all cookies are coated in both sugars. Place cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet leaving at least 2 inches between each (you may need to use two baking sheets).
7️⃣ Bake cookies:
Transfer baking sheet to your preheated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the surface of the cookies “crack and crinkle.” The center should still be soft while the edges are firm and crispy.
8️⃣ Cool and enjoy:
Allow cookies to cool for at least 15 minutes. Enjoy!
🧑🍳 Chef’s Tips
- This recipe makes 18-24 cookies. The cookies will spread, so you may need to use 2 cookie sheets.
- Lightly oil your hands to make the batter easier to work with. It will be sticky.
- Make sure the eggs are room temperature. If the eggs are too cold, the batter will not be the right consistency.
There are plenty of natural food coloring options to make these red velvet crinkle cookies a bold and deep red color. Below are my favorites:
🤔 How to Make Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies with Boxed Cake Mix
Don’t want to make them from scratch? This shortcut makes baking fresh crinkle cookies so much easier. Follow the following instructions, using your favorite boxed red velvet cake mix or your favorite gluten-free cake mix.
Ingredients:
- Boxed Red Velvet Cake Mix – like Duncan Hines Red Velvet Deluxe Cake Mix or Betty Crocker Super Most Red Velvet Cake Mix.
- 2 Eggs
- 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil (or Melted Coconut Oil)
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions:
1️⃣ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2️⃣ In a large mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients and mix until a thick batter forms.
3️⃣ Using a scoop or spoon, roll batter into round bolls. Then, roll each ball in powdered sugar to coat. Place cookies on a baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each.
4️⃣ Transfer baking sheet to preheated oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. NOTE: Red velvet crinkle cookies made with boxed cake mix will spread yielding a much thinner and flatter crinkle cookie.
🔁 Variations
Make green velvet crinkle cookies with natural green food coloring. Natural food coloring brand options are listed below:
- King Arthur Baking Natural Food Colors
- McCormick Nature’s Inspirations Food Colors
- Chefmaster All Natural Vegan Food Coloring
Add a ½ tsp of peppermint extract to the wet ingredients for some holiday cheeer.
Fold white chocolate chips into the batter.
Press a chocolate kiss into the top of each crinkle cookie like these gluten-free peanut butter blossoms.
♻️ Storing & Freezing
Storing: You can make this crinkle cookie dough ahead of time. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to a week.
Freezing: Wrap the dough tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap placed in a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw completely overnight in the fridge before baking cookies.
More Crinkle Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
Gluten Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Gluten Free Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Gluten Free Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups Gluten Free Flour Blend with Xanthan Gum
- ⅓ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ cup Butter room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cup White Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tsp Red Food Coloring
FOR ROLLING COOKIES
- ½ cup White Granulated Sugar
- ⅓ cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes or until butter is incorporated into the sugar.
- Add eggs one at a time along with vanilla extract and red food coloring until wet ingredients are fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. If there are clumps in the flour or cocoa powder, sift everything until it is a fine powder.
- In 3 batches add flour into wet ingredients mixing until a soft dough is formed.
- Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, roll cookies into even shaped balls. Roll first in granulated sugar then again in powdered sugar until fully coated. Repeat until all cookies are coated in both sugars.
- Place sugar coated cookie dough balls onto the baking sheet with at least 2 inches of space apart. You may need to use 2 baking sheets.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until cookies have “cracked” and crinkled. Center should still be soft while the outside is slightly crispy. Let cookies cool for 15 minutes before serving.
These Cookies were amazing!! I was worried becuase some gluten free things taste very much like flour but these are not the case! Crisp on the outside, soft in the middle, and perfectly delicious!
Yay! Thanks for the awesome review! -Krista (Team Thyme & JOY)