Grapefruit Crinkle Cookies with Campari Icing

These Grapefruit Crinkle Cookies are a delicious combination of sweet and tart. Top them with a Campari icing drizzle and your favorite cocktail has just been turned into the best cookie ever.

I have a philosophy in life that if it makes a good cocktail, it's probably going to make a good cookie. These Margarita Shortbread Cookies are just one example that proves I am correct.

Grapefruit and Campari is one of the best cocktails in the world. I just love refreshingly tart grapefruit with a touch of bitter, aromatic Campari. It's a cocktail that can be enjoyed at any time of year, no matter the weather.

Much like the cocktail, these grapefruit crinkle cookies with Campari icing can be enjoyed any time of year. But I especially like them at Valentine's Day, given their pretty pink hue.

If you're a grapefruit and Campari cocktail fan, you need to make these cookies immediately. If you're not yet a fan, try these cookies and you soon will be!

Grapefruit Crinkle Cookies with Campari Icing Recipe

These grapefruit cookies are a fairly traditional crinkle cookie, with an addition of grapefruit juice and zest.

To make, star by preheating the oven to 325 degrees and lining two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.

Add egg, egg yolk, grapefruit juice, and grapefruit zest and mix until just combined.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Pour dry ingredients into wet mixture and mix until just combined, taking care not to over-mix.

I like to add a little pink food coloring in here, too. Just a drop or two. You definitely don't have to do this, but the pink grapefruit doesn't really add a pink color to the cookies, so if you want the cookies to have a pink tinge, add a couple drops.

Place remaining 3 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl and place confectioners’ sugar in a separate small bowl. Using about 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll dough into balls.

Roll each ball into granulated sugar, followed by confectioners’ sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

While some crinkle cookies are made by just rolling the dough balls into confectioners' sugar, I like to roll them in granulated sugar first as it helps the confectioners' sugar stick and dries out the tops of the cookies a bit, so those fine cracks to form.

Bake grapefruit crinkle cookies for 15-17 minutes, until set. They should still be a little soft. Let cookies cool in pan for a couple minutes before moving to rack to cool completely.

Look at those beautiful crinkles! I'm a fan.

How to Make Campari Icing

If you're not into Campari, you can leave the grapefruit crinkle cookies as is or add on a simple vanilla icing.

But if you like Campari, you will LOVE this Campari icing. Plus? It's the easiest thing in the world to make.

Simply whisk together confectioners' sugar and Campari in a medium bowl. Whisk until it's smooth and pourable. Or drizzle-able, if you will.

Now, drizzle some Campari icing over all of your cooled grapefruit crinkle cookies.

Even just a light drizzle will add a lot of flavor. I love the bitter aromatic taste of Campari. My husband doesn't really... But he LOVED it on these cookies!

These cookies are a little bit tart and a tiny bit bitter... And very sweet. They're also soft and chewy and the kind of cookie that it's tough to stop eating.

Obviously they'd go really well alongside a chilled grapefruit and Campari cocktail. But they also taste great with a cold glass of milk. They're not really a coffee cookie... But I certainly won't hold it against them.

If you're looking for a special treat to bake for your Valentine this year, these Grapefruit crinkle cookies with Campari icing are it. I love that they have a nice pink hue to them, but aren't too "in your face."

If you don't add the food coloring, they'll be more of a pale yellow cookie. But that Campari icing will still pop!

More Delicious Grapefruit Recipes

I love eating grapefruit as is, but it also stars as the main ingredient in many of my favorite recipes. From sweet to savory and everywhere in between, here are some of my very favorite grapefruit recipes:

• Grapefruit Donuts
• Creamy Grapefruit Salmon
• Spicy Grapefruit Margarita
• Grapefruit Pink Peppercorn Cookies
• Grapefruit Honey Yogurt Scones
• Triple Grapefruit Fizz
• Olive Oil Grapefruit Cake (from Sweet Cayenne)
• Grapefruit Tart (from Always Eat Dessert)

And now my mind is swimming with all of the other cocktails I want to turn into cookies. And all the cookies I want to turn into crinkle cookies.

And all fact that my Campari bottle level is pretty low and I really need to start thinking about replacing it!

Are you a fan of grapefruit and Campari?

📖 Recipe