There’s something instantly magical about biting into a soft, colorful cookie that melts in your mouth while you take in all the holiday cheer around you. That’s exactly what you get with this Festive Christmas Crinkle Cookies Recipe—easy to whip up and packed with joyful flavor and color. I promise, these cookies will brighten your kitchen and your spirits!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This Festive Christmas Crinkle Cookies Recipe has quickly become my go-to during the holidays because it’s deceptively simple yet so colorful and fun. Plus, using a boxed cake mix keeps things stress-free, which I know we all appreciate during busy seasons.
- Super Simple Ingredients: You likely have most of these on hand, which means no last-minute store runs.
- Vibrant Festive Colors: Splitting the dough and adding red and green food coloring instantly gets you in the holiday spirit.
- Soft, Chewy Texture: These cookies stay tender and melt-in-your-mouth, a total crowd-pleaser.
- Quick Baking Time: From start to oven-ready in under 20 minutes—a lifesaver during busy holiday prep.
Ingredients & Why They Work
This recipe brings together just a handful of ingredients that balance taste, texture, and appearance perfectly. The cake mix forms the tender base, while eggs and olive oil add moisture and richness. Then the powdered sugar coating creates that irresistible crinkle effect that makes these cookies so unique.
- White Cake Mix: This keeps the cookies light and fluffy. Using a boxed mix saves tons of prep time without sacrificing flavor.
- Eggs: They bind the dough together and provide structure so your cookies hold their shape.
- Olive Oil: I love olive oil here because it adds moisture and a subtle richness. You could substitute with vegetable oil, but olive oil just feels a bit more special.
- Powdered Sugar: Rolling the dough balls in this before baking gives that classic cracked, snowy look that’s so festive.
- Red and Green Food Coloring: Just a little goes a long way to create those bright, cheerful holiday colors I always aim for on the cookie tray.
Make It Your Way
While I adore the vibrant red and green look, I’ve often mixed things up to suit different occasions or personal preferences. These cookies are a blank canvas perfect for your own twist.
- Variation: One year, I swapped the food coloring for festive sprinkles mixed into the dough—kids loved the surprise crunch inside!
- Dietary Adjustments: If you want to reduce oil, you can try applesauce in place of half the olive oil, though it changes the texture slightly.
- Extra Flavor Boost: Adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract or almond extract to the dough creates a more layered cookie flavor.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Festive Christmas Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Prep and Mix the Base Dough
Start by preheating your oven to 375°F and lining your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat to prevent sticking. In a large bowl, combine the white cake mix, eggs, and olive oil. I usually use a Danish dough whisk because it’s perfect for this kind of batter—it blends everything well without making the dough too thick. If you don’t have one, a sturdy spoon works just fine. Avoid electric mixers here since they tend to overwork the dough.
Step 2: Divide and Color the Dough
Split the dough evenly into two bowls. Take a toothpick and dip it into red food coloring, then stir it into one bowl until you get a bright festive hue. Use a clean toothpick for the green dough in the other bowl. The colors should be vivid but not runny—add more coloring little by little. Mixing evenly is key so you get consistent colors in every bite.
Step 3: Shape and Sugar-Coat the Cookies
Grab a small cookie scoop or spoon, and roll the dough into about 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls. Then, generously coat each ball in powdered sugar—this step is what gives the cookies their iconic crackly surface as they bake. Place them on your prepared cookie sheet with about 1 ½ inches apart so they have room to spread.
Step 4: Bake and Cool
Bake the cookies for 9 to 12 minutes until the edges are just set but the centers are still soft. I’ve found checking at 9 minutes is great to avoid overbaking—these cookies are best when tender. Let them sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes after removing from the oven before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them firm up just right without breaking apart.
Top Tip
From my many batches, here are my go-to tips to make your Festive Christmas Crinkle Cookies Recipe turn out flawless every time.
- Measuring Ingredients Precisely: Use level scoops for the cake mix and powdered sugar. Too much sugar on the outside can burn during baking.
- Coloring Wisely: Start with a little food coloring and build up gradually—you don’t want the dough to become liquidy or too sticky.
- Gentle Mixing: Avoid electric mixers which make the dough tough; hand mixing keeps your cookies tender.
- Watch the Bake Time: Check the cookies at 9 minutes to wait for that delicate, soft center; overbaked crinkle cookies lose their wonderful chewiness.
How to Serve Festive Christmas Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
I usually keep garnishes simple—just a dusting of extra powdered sugar after baking if I want an extra snowy look. Sometimes I add a tiny drizzle of white chocolate or a sprinkle of edible glitter when I’m feeling festive, which makes them pop on a holiday cookie tray!
Side Dishes
These cookies pair beautifully with a hot cup of spiced cider, peppermint tea, or even a creamy latte. For party serving, I like placing them alongside brownies or gingerbread cookies to offer variety.
Creative Ways to Present
For gifting or holiday parties, I stack them in clear jars layered with festive ribbons wrapped around or arrange them on tiered cookie stands with sprigs of fresh rosemary or pine for a natural, Christmasy touch. Kids especially love when I serve them in little holiday-themed boxes.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I store any leftover Christmas Crinkle Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, lined with parchment paper between layers. They keep perfectly soft for up to 5 days—though in my house, they rarely last that long!
Freezing
These cookies freeze wonderfully. Just freeze the dough balls on a tray first, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. When you want fresh cookies, bake directly from frozen—add a couple of minutes to baking time, and you’ll have fresh festive treats anytime.
Reheating
If you want to refresh baked cookies, warm them in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes. It brings back the soft texture and aroma without drying them out.
Frequently Asked Questions:
While white cake mix gives the best vibrant colors and mild flavor, you can experiment with yellow or vanilla cake mixes. Darker mixes might change the festive look and flavor, so keep that in mind.
Make sure to space the dough balls at least 1 ½ inches apart on the baking sheet. Also, don’t overmix the dough—mix just until combined to keep the right consistency. If your kitchen is warm, chilling the dough for 10 minutes before scooping can help control spreading.
If you can find a gluten-free white cake mix as a base, this recipe can work gluten free. Just double-check the cake mix and powdered sugar for gluten-free certification. The rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten free.
Rolling the dough balls in powdered sugar before baking creates the signature crinkled look as the cookies spread and crack in the oven. It also adds a slight sweetness and beautifully soft texture to the exterior of the cookies.
Final Thoughts
These Festive Christmas Crinkle Cookies Recipe are more than just cookies—they’re little bites of holiday joy that I always look forward to baking and sharing with loved ones. Whether you’re making them as a last-minute treat or a staple for your holiday cookie platter, they’ll bring sparkle and smiles. Give them a try—I have a feeling they’ll become a cherished holiday tradition for you, just like they have for me.
Print
Festive Christmas Crinkle Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 28 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Celebrate the holidays with these vibrant and festive Christmas Crinkle Cookies, made easy with a white cake mix base, colorful red and green dough, and coated in powdered sugar for a delightful crinkle effect.
Ingredients
Base Dough
- 1 White Cake Mix (13.25 oz)
- 2 Eggs
- ⅓ Cup Olive Oil
Coating and Coloring
- ⅓ Cup Powdered Sugar
- Red Food Coloring (to taste)
- Green Food Coloring (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F and prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper, a silicone baking mat, or coating it with nonstick baking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the white cake mix, eggs, and olive oil. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly blended using a Danish dough whisk or large mixing spoon, avoiding electric mixers to prevent thickening.
- Divide and Color Dough: Split the dough evenly into two separate bowls. Add red food coloring to one bowl and green food coloring to the other, mixing each until the desired vibrant color is achieved.
- Form Dough Balls: Using a small cookie scoop, portion out the dough into 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each ball in powdered sugar to coat evenly for the classic crinkle cookie effect.
- Arrange on Sheet: Place the coated dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing them 1 ½ inches apart to allow room for spreading during baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes until they are set and slightly cracked on top.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve and Enjoy: Once cooled, serve these festive cookies as a cheerful holiday treat.
Notes
- Use a Danish dough whisk or spoon for mixing to avoid making the dough too thick.
- Separate toothpicks for each color prevent mixing colors when adding food coloring.
- Coating the dough balls in powdered sugar is key to achieving the signature crinkle pattern.
- Spacing cookies adequately on the baking sheet allows for proper spreading without sticking.
- Allow cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet before moving to a rack to prevent breakage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 33 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.001 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0.4 g
- Cholesterol: 12 mg
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