Easy Red Velvet Valentine Crinkle Cookies With Box Cake Mix
These red velvet Valentine crinkle cookies are one of the easiest treats you can make. And, the perfect homemade dessert to bake for someone special. Using just a few ingredients, these Valentine’s Day cookies are quick and easy to make. Here’s a look at the recipe, and tips for how to make these soft and moist cookies.
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The Allure of Red Velvet
Red velvet cakes have long been associated with love, and that’s why it’s a popular cake flavor for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, birthdays, and weddings. But what about when you want to celebrate love and enjoy the flavor of red velvet, but you don’t need a big cake? That’s when making red velvet cookies is a great choice.
Key Ingredients and Tips
A classic red velvet cake is essentially a chocolate cake that has been colored red. The cake has a mild cocoa flavor and usually has a cream cheese frosting to add a creamy richness. These red velvet Valentine crinkle cookies achieve a similar flavor profile by using boxed cake mix for the base of the cookie, and the addition of powdered sugar to add sweetness and to create the classic crinkle look.
These cookies are soft, and light. The recipe uses both a vanilla cake mix, and chocolate cake mix. By using two different flavors of cake mix, the cookies have a mild chocolate flavor. And with added butter and eggs, the cookies are rich and flavorful.
Because there are only a few ingredients for these red velvet cake mix crinkle cookies, you don’t need to worry about needing an electric mixer. Simply mix the ingredients by hand using a large bowl and spoon. It really is that simple!
To achieve the crinkle effect with these cookies, you need to chill the cookie dough before shaping. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, but you can keep it in the refrigerator for a few days. That makes these red velvet Valentine crinkle cookies a great choice if you need a make-ahead cookie for a school party, or homemade Valentine’s Day gifts. You can make the dough ahead of time and bake-off when needed.
The Baking Process
To make these red velvet Valentine crinkle cookies, you need a box of white cake mix, a box of chocolate cake mix, eggs, and butter. It’s a 4-ingredient cookie that whips together in minutes. You also need powdered sugar to roll the cookie dough in, and candy hearts to decorate the cookies.
Start by pouring the two cake mixes into a large bowl. Use a fork, or whisk, to stir the dry ingredients together until they are thoroughly mixed. Add the melted butter, eggs, and food coloring into the bowl and mix it all together. The cookie dough will have a beautiful, red color. If the color is a little muted, add another drop or two and mix again. As Valentine’s day cookies, any shade from pink to red will look nice so don’t worry about making the cookies a deep red color.
Cover the cookie dough, or transfer to a glass container with lid. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill it for at least 30 minutes. Chilling the dough is necessary since you’ll be handling the cookie dough. You want it chilled so that it holds up as you form them into balls.
When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Next, pour the powdered sugar into a bowl. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out enough dough to make 1-inch balls.
Working quickly, roll the cookie dough between the palms of your hands to roll them into balls. Roll each ball in the powdered sugar so that the cookie dough is fully covered. Place the cookie dough balls about 2-inches apart on the baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes. Because of the color, it can be harder to tell when to pull them out of the oven. Be sure that you don’t overbake them. Pull them out when the edges are just beginning to set. Immediately add a candy heart to the center of the cookie and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Crinkle cookies are one of the most popular cookies during the holidays, so why not make them throughout the year? With a little food coloring and candy hearts, it’s easy to turn a regular crinkle cookie recipe into these Red Velvet Valentine Crinkle Cookies. A sweet treat to make for someone special. Place them in a box with a pretty ribbon, and you have super easy homemade cookies to make for Valentine’s Day.
Red Velvet Cake Mix Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Large mixing bowl
- Parchment Paper
- Sifter
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 4 eggs
- red food dye
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the white cake mix and chocolate cake mix until well blended.
- Add melted butter, eggs, and red food dye to the dry ingredients. Mix until the dough is smooth and a vibrant red color is achieved. Add more food dye as needed.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Place powdered sugar in a shallow dish for rolling.
- Scoop cookie dough into 1-inch balls and roll each ball generously in the powdered sugar.
- Place coated dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are slightly puffed and crackled.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Serve once completely cooled. Store cookies in an airtight container.
If you’re looking for more cookie recipes to try for Valentine’s Day, or a special occasion, here are a few of my favorites.
Make homemade Copycat Little Debbie Valentine Hearts for a Valentine dessert that is so pretty.
If you want to branch out and try another red velvet recipe, there’s this recipe for Red Velvet Cookies with Buttercream Frosting. Now this one is truly like a handheld version of a red velvet cake. It’s the perfect combination of cookie and frosting. Yum!
And for a slightly different treat, try these Valentine Meringue Hearts They are so easy to make and super cute.
If you want more of a classic candy treat for Valentine’s Day, these homemade Reese’s Reeses Peanut Butter Hearts are another easy dessert to make with just a few ingredients.
Sugar cookies are one of those classic cookies that can be used for any occasion, so I think that this Copycat Recipe for Lofthouse Sugar Cookies with Frosting is another fun one to make for Valentine’s Day.
Follow me on Pinterest for more fun and easy cookie recipes to make throughout the year.
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