Amazing 30-Minute red velvet cookies

Oh my goodness, you have to try these! If you’re anything like me, you adore that deep, recognizable red velvet flavor, but you don’t always have time to bake a whole cake or whisk up a dozen different ingredients. That’s where my philosophy comes in—bringing joy back to simple cooking, even on the busiest days. That’s why I developed these Easy Soft and Chewy Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies.

These are honestly showstoppers! The vibrant red color and the classic crackle finish make them perfect for every holiday, whether it’s Christmas cookie trays or gifting for Valentine’s Day. This shortcut recipe is tested and true, turning out incredibly soft cookies every single time. Trust me, these are the perfect introduction to festive baking, or just an easy way to satisfy a serious craving. You can find lots more quick and joyful dessert ideas right here!

Why You Will Love These Easy Red Velvet Cookies

I promise you, these aren’t just another cookie recipe cluttering up your inbox. They hit all the right notes for home baking that I look for—simple, fast, and they look fantastic!

• Instant Gratification: Because we use a boxed cake mix, these are truly easy red velvet cookies. You go from craving to cookie in about 30 minutes total.
• Perfect Texture Guaranteed: Forget dry, crumbling things. These bake up unbelievably soft red velvet cookies that stay gooey in the center.
• Stunning Holiday Color: That deep, beautiful red just pops! They look totally festive for Christmas or Valentine’s Day without any fuss.
• That Famous Crinkle Effect: Coating them in that double layer of sugar creates those gorgeous, dramatic cracks as they bake.
• Major Flavor Payoff: You get that signature tangy, rich cocoa flavor without needing a pantry full of specialty ingredients.
• Great for Sharing (If You Can Keep Them!): This recipe makes a decent batch, perfect for bake sales or cookie exchanges.

The Shortcut to Perfect Red Velvet Cookies Recipe

Look, I love baking from scratch—I really do. But some days, you need the result of a scratch recipe without the hour of measuring flour, cocoa, baking soda, and coloring. That’s why I rely on this cake mix shortcut for the absolute best red velvet cookies. It’s the secret weapon for making Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies that aren’t just fast, but actually have that tender, soft texture we crave, not just a hard, stale cake disc.

When you use the cake mix as your base, you lock in the perfect blend of leavening agents and sugar needed to get that beautiful crinkle look. It simplifies the whole process down to just mixing wet ingredients into a dry base. It’s genius, really! We’re leaning into convenience here, but we’re making sure the final product still tastes like it took all afternoon. If you’re interested in another one of my favorite shortcuts, you should check out my easy white pizza recipe—same principle!

Ingredients for Soft Red Velvet Cookies

This shopping list is almost laughably short, which is exactly what I need sometimes. Remember, for the softest results, don’t substitute the specific cake mix! Make sure you have everything ready to go before you start mixing:

• 1 box (15.25 ounces) red velvet cake mix
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (Make sure it’s fresh oil, not that old bottle tucked away in the cabinet!)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar (This goes into the coating mixture.)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (This also goes into the coating mixture.)
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (These are totally optional, but wow, they melt so beautifully and give you something amazing to bite into!)

Step-by-Step Instructions for Chewy Red Velvet Cookies

Okay, now that we have our short ingredient list assembled, we can get these beautiful red velvet cookies mixed up in minutes. Seriously, the hands-on time for this is nothing! Just like with my favorite chewy oatmeal cookies, the key here is not to overwork the dough, which keeps everything super soft and chewy.

Mixing the Red Velvet Crinkle Cookie Dough

First things first: get that oven preheated to 350°F (175°C). You want it hot and ready when the dough is done. While it’s warming up, line your baking sheets with parchment paper. This is non-negotiable in my kitchen—it means zero sticking, and cleanup is a breeze!

Grab your big mixing bowl. Everything goes in at once! Dump in the red velvet cake mix, the vegetable oil, those two eggs, and the vanilla extract. Now, mix it! I usually start with a hand mixer on low, but you can certainly use a sturdy spoon if you want to get an arm workout in. Mix it only until it comes together into one thick, gloriously red batter. If you overmix, those gluten strands get tough, and we want tender cookies here, not hockey pucks!

If you decided to be fancy and grab those white chocolate chips, now is the time to gently fold them in. Just a few turns with your spoon until they are evenly distributed throughout that thick, vibrant dough.

SAVE IT

Coating and Baking Your Red Velvet Cookies

This next part is what gives us the show-stopping crinkle look! You need two separate shallow dishes ready. In the first dish, mix your powdered sugar and granulated sugar together—this is the dual coating that helps create that perfect cracked exterior. Make sure you really get a good mix going here!

Scoop out your dough balls. I aim for about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie, which usually means using a small cookie scoop or just eyeballing it with a spoon. Roll each ball lovingly between your palms and then immediately dredge it thoroughly in that sugar mixture. I mean, *completely* coat it! You shouldn’t see any of that red dough peeking through. This thick sugar shell is going to melt and pull apart during baking, creating those signature crinkles.

SAVE IT

Place the sugar-coated balls right onto your prepared sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them. Don’t crowd them; they spread a little bit! Pop them into that hot oven and bake them for 9 to 11 minutes. Here is the most crucial tip for chewy red velvet cookies: do not walk away! At the 9-minute mark, check them. The edges should look set, but the very center of the cookie should absolutely still look a tiny bit soft or underdone. It’s better to pull them slightly early than let them bake too long.

Let them sit right there on the hot baking sheet for a solid five minutes. Seriously, don’t touch them! This prevents them from immediately collapsing or breaking. After five minutes, carefully move them over to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. You’ll see those beautiful cracks set into place as they cool.

Expert Tips for the Best Red Velvet Cookies

Getting these red velvet cookies right is all about paying attention to a few key details that elevate them from good to absolutely unforgettable cookie-jar worthy treats. My experience baking these for my own family means I’ve learned the hard way which tricks really make a difference in texture and color. I’ve made all the mistakes so you don’t have to!

If you want them chewy—and honestly, who doesn’t?—you have to trust the process of underbaking slightly. It sounds scary, I know! But that slightly gooey center is what keeps them feeling soft for days. For more insight into how I develop these keeper recipes, you can always check out my About page!

Here are the absolute must-do things for perfectly soft, intensely colored cookies:

• The Minute Rule: I know I said 9 to 11 minutes, but seriously, if you check at 9 minutes, and the centers look just a bit moist, pull them out! They will firm up while cooling on the pan. Overbaking is the #1 enemy of a soft red velvet cookie.
• Go Bold with Color (If Needed): Sometimes the cake mix color payoff isn’t quite as vibrant as we want, especially if you are using them for a big holiday spread. If your dough looks a little pale after mixing, add about one teaspoon of good quality red gel food coloring. Don’t use liquid food coloring; it changes the batter consistency too much. Gel gives you that intense color payoff we need for these festive treats.
• Don’t Skip the Second Sugar Coat: The reason these become red velvet crinkle cookies is the double sugar bath. The first layer of granulated sugar helps the powdered sugar stick initially. Make sure those dough balls are completely smothered before baking—no bare spots allowed!
• Room Temperature Eggs Matter: While the recipe says use whatever eggs you have, if you plan ahead, letting your 2 large eggs sit out for about 30 minutes before mixing helps them emulsify much better with the oil and vanilla. Better emulsification means a more uniform, tender crumb in the final cookie.

Variations: Beyond Basic Red Velvet Cookies

While these red velvet cookies are already pretty fantastic thanks to the crinkle coat, I know some of you out there are looking to take things up a notch—maybe aiming for that big, bakery-style look or wanting to bring in that classic cream cheese tang. The beauty of using a base recipe like this is how easy it is to customize! You are the boss of your cookie tray, after all.

If you’ve seen those viral pan-banging cookies where they’re super tall and chewy? You absolutely can get a similar effect here by slightly adjusting your baking time and maybe gently tapping the pan during the last minute of baking, though these are designed to spread naturally for that crinkle. If you want to see what I mean regarding that slightly flatter, chewier style, you can check out inspiration from bakers making pan-banging versions.

Making Frosted Red Velvet Cookies

If your family loves sweetness piled high, turning these crinkles into frosted red velvet cookies is the way to go. The secret here is chilling the cookies completely first. If you frost them warm, the white chocolate chips melt out and the whole thing turns into a sweet, sticky mess!

Once the cookies are totally cool, whip up a quick batch of simple cream cheese frosting. You just need softened cream cheese, a little bit of softened butter, lots of powdered sugar, and a splash of vanilla. Mix it until it’s fluffy and smooth. Then, just dollop a spoonful right onto the center of each cookie. It adds that little bit of tang that perfectly cuts through the sweetness of the cake mix, making them taste even more like a slice of bakery heaven!

SAVE IT

You can also swap out those standard white chocolate chips for butterscotch chips or even darker semi-sweet chocolate if you prefer a deeper cocoa flavor contrast in your red velvet cookies.

Storage and Keeping Your Red Velvet Cookies Fresh

Because we worked so hard to get these gorgeous red velvet cookies perfectly soft and chewy, the last thing we want is for them to go stale overnight! Luckily, these don’t change much texture-wise, especially because of that lovely sugar coating, but proper storage always helps maintain that melt-in-your-mouth feeling.

The lifespan of a homemade cookie is never as long as we wish, right? But don’t worry, I have great methods for both short-term keeping and long-term baking ahead of time, which is super helpful when the holidays roll around and you need to get ahead of the game! For more make-ahead tips, check out my post on freezer-friendly meals.

Here is exactly how I handle my batches of red velvet cookies:

Storing Room Temperature Cookies

If you plan on eating these within three to four days (which, based on how good they are, is probably optimistic!), simply store them in a rigid, airtight container at room temperature. Don’t put them in the fridge! Cold air is the enemy of soft cookies; it draws out moisture and makes them hard and sometimes almost stiff. Keep the container away from any direct heat or sunlight, like next to the stove or on a sunny windowsill.

If you happen to stack them, I highly recommend placing a small square of parchment paper between the layers, especially if you frosted them. This prevents the delicate sugar crust (or frosting!) on top from sticking to the bottom of the cookie above it. Trust me, nobody wants a cookie that breaks apart when you try to lift it!

Freezing Red Velvet Cookies for Later

This is my favorite tactic for surviving the Christmas rush! You can absolutely freeze these cookies, and they freeze like champs. Make the cookies entirely, let them cool absolutely completely—this part is key!—and then freeze them in layers, just like I mentioned above, separated by parchment paper.

SAVE IT

Pop the container into the freezer for up to three months. When you want to serve them, just pull the container out and let them thaw on the counter, still sealed in their container, for about an hour or two. The condensation forms on the outside of the container instead of on the cookies themselves, keeping that gorgeous crinkle finish perfect.

Can I Freeze the Dough?

You sure can! For this particular recipe, since it relies heavily on the sugar coating creating the crackle, I often skip freezing the dough in balls unless I can freeze them *solid* first, then coat them right before baking. If you freeze the raw, uncoated dough balls solid, you can bake them straight from frozen—just add 2 or 3 extra minutes to the bake time. No need to thaw them for this crinkle style!

Serving Suggestions for Festive Dessert Ideas

These stunning red velvet cookies practically beg to be the centerpiece of any holiday platter, don’t they? Honestly, the color alone screams celebration, whether it’s a big Christmas cookie exchange or setting out something special for Valentine’s Day. Since these cookies are rich, slightly tangy, and quite sweet from that coating, you want the drinks and pairings nearby to complement that flavor without overwhelming it.

I always try to balance rich desserts with something bright or perhaps a little bit creamy. You absolutely cannot go wrong pairing these with a tall glass of milk—that never fails! But if you’re looking to elevate your serving game for a party, I have a couple of favorite approaches that really make these cookies shine.

Drinks to Pair with Your Red Velvet Cookies

For a non-alcoholic option that feels ultra festive, especially around Christmas, I love a good hot cocoa. But I don’t mean the kind made from a packet! If you make a rich, dark cocoa, the slight bitterness of the chocolate is divine next to that sweet red velvet flavor. If you are looking for something cold, something fruity is perfect to cut through the richness. I even have a recipe for an easy frozen strawberry daiquiri recipe that, made non-alcoholic, pairs wonderfully as a bright, fruity palate cleanser next to these cocoa notes.

If you’re hosting an adult gathering (hello, New Year’s Eve party!), try serving these alongside coffee. A strong mug of black coffee or an espresso is the perfect bitter counterbalance to that sugar shell.

The Perfect Platter Presentation

When arranging these for a festive dessert idea spread, think about contrast! Since these are so intensely red, surround them with pale white or light green treats. If you make a tray of vanilla shortbread or some basic sugar cookies, the red velvet cookies really pop.

For Valentine’s Day, I always tuck a few of these amongst small bowls of fresh raspberries or strawberries. The fresh fruit acidity is a beautiful contrast to the fudgy cookie flavor. And if you decide to use the frosting variation I mentioned earlier, then you don’t need many other sweets—those frosted cookies are stars all on their own!

Remember, presentation matters just as much as the taste. A nice antique cake stand or just a simple white platter makes these vibrant red velvet cookies look like they came straight from a fancy bakery!

Frequently Asked Questions About Red Velvet Cookies

I know you’re going to love this recipe, but sometimes questions pop up when you’re baking. That’s totally normal! Here are a few things I get asked most often about making these specific red velvet cookies, especially when people are comparing them to other recipes they’ve seen online.

Can I make these Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies from scratch?

That is a great question! You absolutely *can* make from scratch red velvet cookies, and I have plans to share a version of that eventually. But for this particular recipe, my goal was maximum flavor and minimum fuss. Using the cake mix shortcut works because the box already has the precise ratios of flour, sugar, and leavening agents needed to react perfectly with the oil and eggs to create that classic gooey, slightly cakey texture. A full scratch recipe involves getting the cocoa powder, buttermilk substitute, vinegar, and red color just right, which is much trickier for a quick batch!

Why are my cookies not crinkling?

Oh, the dreaded smooth cookie top! Don’t sweat it; this almost always comes down to the coating. The crinkle effect happens because the dry sugar coating can’t stretch fast enough when the cookie spreads in the oven, so it cracks open to reveal the red dough underneath. If yours stayed smooth, one of these things probably happened:

• You might have used only powdered sugar instead of mixing the granulated with the powdered sugar. The granulated sugar gives a little “grip” and structure to the coating.
• You didn’t roll the dough balls thickly enough in the sugar. You want them completely opaque—no red peeking through at all!
• You chilled the dough balls before rolling. Cold dough doesn’t spread as much, so the cracks don’t form as easily. Keep that dough room temperature for the best crinkle.

For more practical tips on how I test and refine my recipes, you can always peek at my general cooking advice section here!

How do these compare to Bakery Style Red Velvet Cookies?

That big bakery style usually means massive, thick cookies that are usually slightly underbaked in the center, kind of like a giant, soft disc. Because we are coating our dough balls evenly in sugar, these bake up slightly smaller and thinner than those giant ones, giving us that classic, satisfying “crinkle” texture instead of a flat base. They deliver that bakery flavor, but they spread more naturally while baking, which I prefer for an everyday treat!

Can I add cream cheese to the dough?

I strongly advise against mixing cream cheese right into this cake mix dough. Why? Because cream cheese is a heavy fat *and* moisture source, and we are already relying on the oil and the mix proportions. Adding it will make the dough too wet and heavy, and you’ll end up with puffy, greasy-looking cookies instead of our classic soft red velvet cookies. If you want that tangy flavor, stick to frosting them on top once they are cool, like I mentioned in the variations section!

Nutritional Estimate for Homemade Red Velvet Cookies

Now, I always want to be fully transparent with you, my friends. While I’m busy making sure these red velvet cookies taste amazing, I’m not running a certified lab in my kitchen! The numbers I’m sharing below are simply an estimate based on the ingredients list provided above, using standard brand values for things like the cake mix and the oil.

These are a treat, plain and simple, and they are truly worth every bite! But for those of you who like to track things, here is a general breakdown per cookie, assuming the recipe yields 20 cookies. Don’t expect these numbers to be exact science, but they should give you a good ballpark idea!

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: Around 180—See? Not too bad for such a flavorful cookie!
• Fat: 9g total fat. Most of this comes from the vegetable oil we use for moisture.
• Saturated Fat: About 2g (A little bit comes from those delicious white chocolate chips!).
• Carbohydrates: 24g. Most of this is coming from that essential sugar coating.
• Sugar: Roughly 18g. That crinkle coat adds up, but that’s the fun part!
• Protein: 2g
• Cholesterol: 25mg

Remember, if you skip the added white chocolate chips or use a frosting that’s lighter in sugar, these numbers will shift a bit! Either way, these are quick, joyful, and absolutely delicious homemade red velvet cookies that belong on your baking schedule this week.

Easy Soft and Chewy Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies (Cake Mix Shortcut)

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Welcome to My Kitchen! You can make these soft and chewy red velvet cookies quickly using a cake mix shortcut. They have a beautiful crinkle finish and taste like your favorite red velvet cake. This is a simple, festive dessert perfect for holidays or any day you need a quick treat.

• Author: Carla Davis
• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 11 min
• Total Time: 21 min
• Yield: 20 cookies 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 box (15.25 ounces) red velvet cake mix
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar (for rolling)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional, for texture)

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the red velvet cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix with a hand mixer or wooden spoon until just combined into a thick batter. If using, stir in the white chocolate chips.
3. In a shallow dish, mix together the powdered sugar and granulated sugar for the coating.
4. Scoop the dough into balls, about 1.5 tablespoons each. Roll each dough ball thoroughly in the sugar mixture until completely coated.
5. Place the coated dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them.
6. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. The edges should look set, but the centers will still look slightly soft. Do not overbake for the softest texture.
7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. The crinkles will set as they cool.

Notes

• For extra soft cookies, slightly underbake them by one minute.
• If you want a more intense red color, add 1 teaspoon of red gel food coloring to the dough mixture.
• This recipe is a great shortcut for making homemade red velvet cookies without needing all the separate wet ingredients of a from-scratch recipe.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 180
• Sugar: 18
• Sodium: 150
• Fat: 9
• Saturated Fat: 2
• Unsaturated Fat: 7
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 24
• Fiber: 0
• Protein: 2
• Cholesterol: 25