Description
Celebrate the holidays with these festive Red and Green Crinkle Cookies! Made from a simple white cake mix base and tinted with vibrant red and green gel food coloring, these soft, powdered sugar-coated cookies are perfect for adding a pop of color and cheer to your seasonal cookie platter. With a tender, moist interior and a delicately crackled surface, they’re easy to make yet impressive to serve.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 box white cake mix (13.25 oz)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- Red gel food coloring
- Green gel food coloring
Coating
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
Optional Add-ins
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- White chocolate chips (quantity as desired)
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the white cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil. Stir well until a smooth, thick dough forms.
- Divide and color the dough: Split the dough evenly into two separate bowls. Add red gel food coloring to one bowl and green gel food coloring to the other. Mix each thoroughly until the colors are vibrant and fully incorporated.
- Chill the dough: Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This firms the dough, making it easier to handle and shape into balls.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking.
- Shape and coat the cookies: Scoop approximately 1 tablespoon of dough at a time and roll into a ball. Generously roll each ball in powdered sugar until fully coated. This coating will give the cookies their signature crinkled surface and a sweet finish.
- Arrange and bake: Place the sugar-coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies have formed crinkles and are set around the edges but still soft in the center. Avoid overbaking to maintain a tender texture.
- Cool the cookies: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes after removing from the oven. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- For more flavor complexity, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the dough before coloring it.
- Mix in white chocolate chips to the dough before shaping for an added sweet surprise inside each cookie.
- Ensure not to overbake the cookies to keep the centers soft and chewy.
- Keep dough chilled until ready to bake to prevent spreading.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without altering dough consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: crinkle cookies, holiday cookies, red and green cookies, festive cookies, cake mix cookies, easy Christmas cookies
