Back in my pre-vegan days, I used to love a good cookie swap party. Now that I’m vegan and don’t have many vegan friends close-by, I’m bringing the cookie swap party to Keepin’ It Kind! Each day, for 25 days, one of my favorite bloggers will visit and share one of their favorite holiday cookies! That’s 25 Days of Cookies, my friends! Happy Holidays!
Sarah of The Sweet Life is a blogger that I was slightly intimidated by when I first discovered her. Sarah’s blog has long been one of my favorites and her talent for creating incredible vegan eats, especially desserts, is endless. I drooled over her creations from afar, too shy to actually say something to someone so talented (I’m so ridiculous sometimes, I know). Once Sarah introduced herself to me, however, all of that intimidation went away. Sarah is one of the kindest, most genuine bloggers out there and it is such a treat (pun intended) to have her here today.
It's an honor to be hanging out at Keepin' it Kind today because Kristy's blog is seriously one of my favorite. Ever since stumbling upon it about a year ago, she has kept me coming back with her incredible photography and mouth-watering vegan recipes. Combined with all the vegan resources, stories, and reviews, there is always a reason to visit Keepin' it Kind.
So thanks for inviting me to be part of this years Vegan Cookie Swap Party, Kristy!
I love Christmas cookies; it might be my favorite thing about the holiday (unless chocolate truffles are under a different category, then I'd have to say chocolate truffles are my favorite part about Christmas). I have been preparing for a whole new batch of Christmas recipes since last January and first on my list were these Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies, an idea inspired by this picture I found on Pinterest.
Exactly one year ago I posted the first crinkle cookie recipe I had ever developed: Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies. After getting the recipe down I made a large batch in preparation for Jason's family's upcoming week-long stay. Before sticking them in the freezer, Jason and I enjoyed a few (Jason proclaiming they were the best cookies he's ever had), then made a pact to save the rest for Christmas. They were long gone by the time his family arrived on Christmas Eve.
So I whipped up another batch, this time Jason and I pinkie-swearing that they would last longer, suspiciously watching on another every time one of us had to take a trip down to the basement.
I tried not to make the same mistake with these Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies, freezing most of the dough unbaked. But when Jason bit into a fresh-out-of-the-oven Red Velvet Cookie he proclaimed, "These are the best cookies I've ever had!" and now I'm thinking I'm going to have to keep my eye on the frozen dough as well.
Chewy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and outlined with the beautiful crinkle cracks, these Red Velvet Cookies are certain to be a hit at your holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp red food coloring*
- 1 cup vegan white chocolate chips (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand-up mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat vegan butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add applesauce 1/4 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary until well combined. Beat in vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, and red food coloring.
- With mixer running, slowly add the dry ingredients to bowl, scraping sides as necessary until all the dries are combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerator for at least 2 hours until dough is firm enough to form balls.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place powdered sugar in a low bowl and roll cookie batter into balls about 1 heaping tablespoon in size. Generously coat them in powdered sugar and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Notes
*Not all food coloring is vegan, make sure to check the label for Cochineal (coloring derived from insects).
Sarah is a classically trained pastry chef who transitioned to a vegan lifestyle in 2006. Her passions for food, photography, and compassionate living led her to begin The Sweet Life, a vegan food blog. She writes, bakes, and lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, daughter, a handful of pets, and a soon-to-be-arriving baby boy. Life is good.
You can follow her culinary adventures on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, & Pinterest
Anna {Herbivore Triathlete}
These are so festive, I love the red crinkles peeking out from behind the white. Beautiful.
Gotcakee
I love the idea of a virtual cookie swap! Also these cookies look delicious - I like the red velvet variation on the usual chocolate crinkles recipe.
Richa
oh my goodness.. those crinkles and the bright gorgeous red!
Sarojini
What a great idea for a Christmas series! These cookies look delectable, and I can't wait for all the others. My Pinterest boards are going to be full 🙂
Holly
These look great! Do you know offhand whether any mainstream brands of chocolate chips (like Hershey or Nestle) are vegan?
keepinitkind
Hershey and Nestle are not, unfortunately. I believe the bittersweet Ghiradelli chips are vegan (or the super dark chocolate chips) but it's always best to double check. 🙂
Kim
The Ghiradelli semi-sweet chips are vegan, the dark cocoa ones (60%) are not. Kind of goofy. I don't think there are any mainstream vegan white chocolate chips out there however. 🙁
whitney
These look amazing! Can I substitute raw cacao in place of cocoa powder?
keepinitkind
I think so, but I would shoot Sarah a little message to make sure. 🙂
Kelly
These look wonderful! All I have is a hand held electric mixer however. Will that work?
keepinitkind
I think that should work. 🙂
Emily - It Comes Naturally Blog
Oh wow - they look amazing. I love the sugar crackles!
Sandy
I made these tonight but didn't have the white chocolate chips or the red food dye. None of that matters. I replaced the white chocolate with dark mini chocolate chips and they tasted scrumptious. I am bringing them with me to work tomorrow to let the non-vegans try them. Thanks for sharing some cookie recipes I can eat along with my friends!
Ciara
Do you have to use the vegan butter? Or will regular butter suffice?
keepinitkind
I'm sure regular butter would work, though I don't know that Sarah has tried it. I would encourage you to give Earth Balance a try- it's a healthy, delicious, and compassionate alternative to regular butter. 🙂
Libby
Would coconut oil be an ok sub?
Claudia
Earth Balance has palm oil which is not ok in my book - I use coconut oil in all my recipes and have never had an issue with it 😀
Sherry
I'm wondering... did you let your Earth Balance come to room temperature or did you just use it straight from the fridge. Thanks so much! I'm making these today and I'm excited!
Randi (laughfrodisiac)
These are so perfect for Christmas! Adding them to my list. I definitely don't use food coloring enough. They look so fun !
Heather
Oh my goodness these are beautiful!
chell
hi can i use regular vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar? and can i use apple juice for apple sauce?thanks
Danielle
Just made these and have a few suggestions others may want to try, these are the observations I made from my own batch
1. Use cold butter and don't overbeat when creaming with the sugar
2. Refrigerate batter at least 4 hours or overnight
3. Use table spoon size balls or smaller when cooking, any larger and they bake into each other
4. Cook 15-17 minutes
Stephanie
Hi! When making these cookies should I use sweetened or unsweetened applesauce? Thanks!
Jenn
I tried your recipe and they turned out amazing! My husband and I loved them. I'm planning to make them for my baby shower next month. I'm sure they'll be a hit. Have you tried making these gluten fee?
Bellaisa
These look great, but I was surprised to see the red food dye recommendation. I've made vegan cupcakes with beets before, so I think I will give that a try before artificial food dye.
carm
Hi Sarah,
I've tried your recipe and it taste soo good!!
Thank you for sharing (:
Carm♡
Amanda
I had a few questions..
1.) Should you use sweetened or unsweetened applesauce?
2.) Did you use gel or liquid food coloring? Do you have a brand that you prefer?
Thanks!
Sarah@mydarlingvegan
Hey Amanda, I used unsweetened applesauce. In terms of food coloring, it can be pretty tricky finding vegan red colorings, but here's one that I've used before: http://bit.ly/1CEeaJ6
Estelle Stone
Hello! I am making these now. I have them in the fridge. Of course, I tasted the dough. It's delicious! I am not Vegan, however my son and daughter-in-law are. You can not tell they are Vegan. I can't wait to take some to work tomorrow and let everyone try some. Amazing! Thank you so much!
Anne
How long will these keep for ? I wanted to bake this weekend 20th for Xmas treats !
Sarah@mydarlingvegan
They will keep for three of four days out at room temperature. You can freeze them and they will keep much longer.
Michele @ Two Raspberries
ummm let me just say you are genius! these look SO amazing 😉 can't wait to try them!
Stefanie
These look amazing, but I'm on a gluten free, low refined sugar diet. Can I sub in coconut sugar for granulated and use coconut flour instead of all purpose flour? Also, can I do without the powdered sugar? Thanks!
Lucia
Hi! I was wondering what you mean with 11/4 cups of sugar? Can´t wait to try!
keepinitkind
It's 1 and 1/4 cups.