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Vegan Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

January 11, 2014 by Lisa Le 17 Comments

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Vegan Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies - with absolutely NO FOOD COLOURING! #natural #vegan #redvelvet #valentines #cookies

I’m alternating the “Happy” and “healthy” of H&H Saturdays. Last week was happy, so this week is healthy! Healthy for me ties in with my vegan, plant-based and whole foods type approach. But we gotta leave room for dessert. So in my search for festive vegan treats, I found out that sprinkles are not vegan. I’m not the biggest fan of sprinkles, but they’re great for adding a little sparkle and pizzazz to cookies, cakes and cake pops. So instead of my original idea of something cute and sprinkled for Valentine’s, I made these vegan red velvet crinkle cookies.

Now you may be asking, but sprinkles are just dyed sugar! Why aren’t they vegan?

Well first of all, not all sugars are vegan.

Some sugars are refined using bone char, and subsequently aren’t vegan. For more info on why not all sugars are vegan, check out the following links:

  • Vegan.org
  • PETA

Check online for info about your favourite sugar brands if you plan on baking for any vegetarian or vegan friends. In Canada, Redpath is really widely used and is totally vegan-friendly! They even sponsored the Toronto Vegetarian Association’s Vegan Bake-Off last year, and I got a HUGE basket of Redpath sugar products as a prize for runner up for Best Presentation.

Vegan Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies - with absolutely NO FOOD COLOURING! #natural #vegan #redvelvet #valentines #cookies

Secondly, not all food dyes are vegan. (Especially red)

Female cochineal insects are crushed to create the red pigment used in many food dyes, cosmetics, and even used in your favourite holiday cookies. Had I known this even before I was vegetarian/vegan, I don’t think I would have wanted to eat that. Crushed bugs in my food? Nah. I’m good. (Source: PETA)

And THIRD, you know that shine or shimmer your favourite sprinkles, jimmies and quins have? Well, I hate to break it to you, but those are made with confectioner’s glaze. And as nice as that sounds, not all confectioner’s glazes sound so tasty when you really know what it is.

Some (not all) confectioner’s glazes are made with resin created by the Lac beetle, scraped off of bushes, trees, and other places were the Lac beetle nests. Now, that may not seem so icky to you guys who also like honey (FYI, honey is digested pollen yacked back up by bees. I actually love honey. Gross, but yum.)

All in all, if foods are brightly coloured or shiny (particularly candies), they might not be even vegetarian. And there are probably lots of chemicals and creepy preservatives used to keep it stable for store shelves.

To be healthier and better to my body, I chose to make my cookies with better ingredients (well, if you have raw sugar it’d be even better). With some whole wheat flour, unrefined coconut oil, and fresh cooked puréed beets, these cookies are a bit healthier than your average red velvet cookie. (But don’t mistake healthier for healthy. These are still balls of sugar haha)

Vegan Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies - with absolutely NO FOOD COLOURING! #natural #vegan #redvelvet #valentines #cookies

Based on my success with my naturally red velvet cupcakes made with beets, I decided to use beet purée to get the classic red velvet colour and act as the egg replacer in these vegan red velvet crinkle cookies. The beet purée lends an irresistible softness to the cookies, almost melting in your mouth. Like the red velvet cupcakes, I kept the batter as acidic as I could by using natural cocoa powder, as opposed to the more basic pH Dutch-processed cocoa powder. With a little kick of apple cider vinegar, the beet colour keeps it’s vibrant rouge while it bakes.

But the 10 minute mark is how you get perfect cookies. Any longer, and the colour starts to cook and fade to a deep, orange. But at the 10 minute mark, you get that lovely crimson that’s perfect for the season of love.

They’re sweet, but not so sweet that it’s cloying. The outside layer of powdered sugar melts on your tongue just in time for a blanket of red velvet to wash over your taste buds with its softness.

And for those who are wondering if it tastes like beets, I didn’t think so. Chris didn’t either (but we also both love beets so…I think we would have liked them either way). Both my roommate and her partner, who doesn’t typically like sweets, liked them. He actually liked them so much he was stunned for about a minute or two as he was trying to under stand its texture and the fact that it had beets!

It has a deep, rich and sweet flavour from the naturally sweet beets but brought out with sugar and the acidity from the batter. Basically, they’re delicious (and healthier).

Vegan Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies - with absolutely NO FOOD COLOURING! #natural #vegan #redvelvet #valentines #cookies

Happy & Healthy Saturdays with Je suis alimentageuse

To see what my other H&H friends posted, check out the links below!

  • Nicole from Wonky Wonderful
  • Paula from Call Me PMc
  • Becca from It’s Yummi (Her post will be live mid-afternoon. Meanwhile check out her other stuff =P)
  • Lindsay from The Live-In Kitchen
  • Gillian from The Haas Machine
  • Karyn from Pint Sized Baker

Recipe adapted from The Sweet Life’s Sarah, and her Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies guest post over on Keepin’ it Kind.

 

Print Recipe

Vegan Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Author: Lisa Le

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup fresh cooked beet puree boiled or roasted
  • 3/4 cup coconut oil solid
  • 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or regular vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat all purpose flour or you could do all white flour
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup natural cocoa powder do not use Dutch processed
  • 2/3 cup icing sugar for rolling

Instructions

  • Mix together the beet puree and coconut oil until combined, breaking up any clumps in the coconut oil. Add sugar, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
  • In another bowl, sift together salt, flours, baking powder, and cocoa powder until combined. Add to the wet mixture in three parts, the first two parts mixing with a spatula (or by the mixer), the last part you may need to use your hands.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours until firm enough to roll.
  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Once chilled, roll into 1 inch balls (about 35-40 of them), roll generously in icing sugar (use lots and lots of sugar), and place on a lined baking sheet (silpat or parchment paper). The thicker the baking sheet, the better even heat diffusion.
  • Bake for 10 minutes and remove immediately from pan (carefully) and let cool on a wire rack.
  • Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place.

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Filed Under: Baking, Dessert, Vegan recipes Tagged With: beets, cookies, crinkle, Happy and Healthy, natural, no food dye, red velvet, vegan

About Lisa Le

Lisa is the thirty-something, nerdy, procrastinating, feminist blogger and photographer behind The Viet Vegan. She loves spicy foods, noodles, and food in bowls.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gillian @ The Haas Machine says

    January 11, 2014 at 12:01 PM

    Crushed BUGS! Sick (but go figure!) I haven’t tried pureed beet for coloring yet, but I definitely want to give it a whirl.

    Reply
    • Lisa Mai says

      January 11, 2014 at 12:46 PM

      It’s actually awesome. I don’t really find it tastes like beets, but I like beets anyway so maybe my tastebuds can’t tell haha

      Reply
  2. Lindsay @ The Live-In Kitchen says

    January 11, 2014 at 3:18 PM

    Yum! These look so good, and I love the natural coloring. I made a beet chocolate cake with beet cream cheese frosting once and it was SO good. I definitely don’t think you can taste the beets once you add all the sugar and bake it.

    Reply
    • Lisa Mai says

      January 12, 2014 at 1:15 AM

      Thanks Lindsay =) Beet cream cheese frosting?? That sounds so intriguing =)

      Reply
  3. dina says

    January 12, 2014 at 12:42 AM

    great recipe. they look delish!

    Reply
    • Lisa Mai says

      January 12, 2014 at 1:15 AM

      Thanks Dina =)

      Reply
  4. Becca from It's Yummi! says

    January 12, 2014 at 8:42 AM

    I sure learned a lot from you today, Lisa! Thanks for the education and your great recipe!
    I love beets, so this recipe will fit perfectly into my life :)

    Reply
  5. Nicole says

    January 13, 2014 at 1:05 PM

    Mmmm, Bug Sprinkles. Who knew that eating regular cookies was similar to being a contestant on Fear Factor!?! These look great and I love beets! Pinning :)

    Reply
    • Lisa Mai says

      January 13, 2014 at 1:07 PM

      Hahah thanks Nicole. The more I look into whats vegan and what’s not vegan, the more I’m freaked out about all the things I’ve eaten obliviously, not knowing wacky ingredients that are labelled so innocently and vaguely by companies haha

      Reply
  6. Elizabeth Hoskin says

    January 2, 2015 at 11:59 PM

    I cannot, cannot CANNOT count how many compliments I have received when I bring baking recipes from jsa/Viet vegan.

    This recipe is the favourite of everyone that has tried it!!! I will say I had to substitute the “ender-g” egg replacer for some apple sauce. I had to use two tablespoons more than 1/4 a cup for the right consistency but I am repeatedly DEMANDED to make more.

    You MUST try this one.

    Reply
  7. Karin Anne says

    January 22, 2015 at 10:44 AM

    Do you think this would work if you sub 3 c gluten free flour blend for the white and wheat flours?

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      January 26, 2015 at 8:01 PM

      I haven’t tried it. Depending on the quality of the flour blend, it should work. I’m just afraid that without the gluten to bind it, it might now stick together well. You could try?

      Reply
  8. Gwen says

    December 19, 2015 at 11:32 PM

    This recipe was perfect… tho I used only all-purpose flour and the texture was lovely. After the first batch I also learned to take your word for it when you say to coat it with lots and lots of icing sugar.

    Also… I roasted my beets in the oven whole, just placed in a 9×13 and covered with foil, then 45-50 minutes at 425F. After cooling for a few minutes, I slid the skins off and pureed the beets in the blender. I know trader joe’s often sells steamed and peeled baby beets in their refrigerated section… I’ll have to remember that to save myself some time next time.

    Great recipe… thanks! Making this part of my regular Christmas cookie repertoire!

    Reply
  9. Caroline says

    February 5, 2016 at 9:48 PM

    Do you think I could sub out the sugar and use maple syrup instead? And if so, how much and should I add more flower to make up for it?
    These look delicious and I can’t wait to try them!

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      February 9, 2016 at 10:14 AM

      I haven’t tried that, and I’m not sure how it would work. I really don’t recommend increasing the flour content because otherwise the cookies might get too tough. If you want to use a less refined sugar, I recommend using raw sugar or unrefined cane sugar instead. You’ll have a more similar result to my cookies =)

      Reply
  10. Catherine says

    February 12, 2021 at 12:41 AM

    These look so good and I really want to try them. If I use the Dutch cocoa, will it affect the texture or taste? I don’t want it to be too acidic because I have Acid Reflux. Thank you

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:56 PM

      The texture and flavour will be probably the same, the colour just won’t be as bright. I don’t think the acidity of regular processed cocoa will make it that much more acidic, but you know what’s best for you!

      Reply

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