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These Valentine crinkle cookies are the perfect way to spread love this season. Made with a simple cake mix, they’re quick to make and full of color. The pink hue from food coloring and heart-shaped sprinkles give them a festive touch, while the crinkled texture adds a fun, delicate finish. In around 20 minutes plus a little chilling time, you can have soft, chewy cookies that are perfect for gifting or sharing with your sweetheart.
These Valentine crinkle cookies are quick and easy to make, using a cake mix to create soft, pink cookies with heart-shaped sprinkles for a festive touch.
You may also enjoy these cherry pie cookies, crinkle Grinch cookies, flourless fudge cookies and banana chocolate chip cookies.
Why You’ll Love It
Quick and easy: Made fast using a cake mix for a simple, speedy treat.
Perfectly festive: The pink color and heart-shaped sprinkles make them ideal for Valentine’s Day.
Soft and chewy: The crinkled texture adds to the soft, chewy interior.
Customizable: Add more food coloring or sprinkles to suit your style.
Pink Crinkle Cookies Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Vanilla cake mix: The base of the cookies, making them soft and chewy with minimal effort.
Vegetable oil: Adds moisture and ensures a tender texture.
Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and provide structure.
Food coloring: Gives the cookies a vibrant pink hue perfect for Valentine’s. I find gel food coloring offers the brightest color and I used Wilton gel in rose pink.
Icing sugar: Rolls the dough balls, creating that signature crinkly finish.
Heart-shaped sprinkles: Adds festive charm and a cute, edible decoration.
How to Make Valentine Crinkle Cookies
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Mix dough: Cream together cake mix, oil, eggs and food coloring.
Chill dough: Let the dough rest in the fridge.
Form cookies: Roll dough into balls, coat with icing sugar and press a sprinkle in the center.
Chill again: Place cookies back in the fridge.
Bake: Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet, add sprinkles and bake until golden around the edges.
Cool: Let cookies cool on the pan before transferring to a wire rack.
Substitutions and Variations
Dairy-free option: Use a dairy-free cake mix and replace the eggs with flax eggs.
Other colors: Use red or purple food coloring for a different Valentine’s look.
Add-ins: Mix in white chocolate chips or mini candy hearts for extra flavor.
Gluten-free option: Swap the cake mix for a gluten-free variety to make these cookies gluten-free.
Serving Suggestions
With a Valentine’s Day drink: Enjoy a strawberry sour candy cocktail or a Hawaiian lava flow cocktail with your crinkle cookies.
With other cookies: Try strawberry lemon cake mix cookies, carrot cake cookies or strawberry kiss cookies.
With other heart shaped bites: Anything from this heart shaped pizza to heart shaped pork potstickers would be delicious.
How to Store Crinkle Cookies
Store: The cookies will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freeze: You can freeze them for a couple of months too. Also, you might like to make the dough ahead, in which case it can be frozen in a freezer-proof container, for several weeks, then thawed and baked.
Top Tips
Chill the dough: Chilling helps the dough hold its shape while baking and prevents spreading.
Don’t overbake: Keep an eye on the cookies so they stay soft and chewy.
Roll evenly: Roll the dough into uniform-sized balls for consistent baking.
Add sprinkles last: Press the sprinkles in just before chilling to keep them from sinking into the dough.
Valentine’s Day Crinkle Cookies FAQs
Yes, chilling the dough before and after rolling helps the cookies hold their shape and get that crinkly texture.
Yes, you can fold in chocolate chips or other mix-ins to customize your cookies.
Add more sprinkles on top or mix in different colored sugars for a fun touch.
Valentine Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Valentine Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Box vanilla cake mix, I used Betty Crocker
- ⅓ Cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- food coloring, I used Wilton rose pink gel
- 2 Cups icing sugar, for rolling and dusting
- 1 Pinch sprinkles, large, heart-shaped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In the mixer bowl, cream together cake mix, food coloring, oil, and eggs.
- Chill the dough for 15 minutes.
- Roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball and then roll in icing sugar.
- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and press a large heart sprinkle in the middle.
- Place baking sheet and cookies in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
- Bake for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Let cool on pan and then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
Don’t overbake: Keep an eye on the cookies so they stay soft and chewy.
Roll evenly: Roll the dough into uniform-sized balls for consistent baking.
Add sprinkles last: Press the sprinkles in just before chilling to keep them from sinking into the dough.
Nutrition
Valentine crinkle cookies are a fun and simple way to add some sweetness to your celebrations. With just a few ingredients and quick steps, you can make adorable and delicious cookies in no time. The crinkled texture and pink color make them a perfect Valentine’s treat, while the soft, chewy inside makes them irresistible. Share them with loved ones or gift them in a cute box—they’re sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
These were so cute and perfect for V day! I made them as a test run this weekend before sending them to my son’s daycare for valentine’s day, and everyone loved them. I especially loved how easy they were!
These are so goooooood. Will definitely make these again!
I was so happy with the light ingredients list that I had to make these! They came out delicious and to fun for the kids.
Oh yes. This is so delicious and beautiful. It will be the perfect cookies for Valentine’s day. They look so good.
Oh my word, sweetheart! These were SUCH a hit at my kiddos party and SO easy to make, too! Thank you SO much!!!
These turned out beautiful but they were a tad too sweet for me!
I made two batches. I added a lot more color the second batch so I have half in a different color of pink. My daughter is so excited to take to school tomorrow.
so easy, thanks for this great recipe. will make again
These turned out perfect! The kids loved them.
Yes! I think countries call it different things.