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These Red Velvet Cookies are soft, chewy, and dotted with white chocolate chips. A quick and easy dessert that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day!
I love these red velvet cookies. They combine my favorite elements of red velvet into a soft, tender cookie that comes together in under 30 minutes. There’s no chilling required so they can be whipped up anytime. As much as I love red velvet cake, sometimes I just need something a bit quicker and easier – and these cookies are exactly that!
Why These Are The Best Red Velvet Cookies
Here are a few of the things that set these cookies apart from others.
- Soft, chewy texture. The texture of these cookies is PERFECT. They’re crisp on the edges and so soft and chewy on the inside. Just take care to not overbake them!
- White chocolate chips. White chocolate chips + red velvet is the perfect match! These cookies are dotted with white chocolate, which adds a little extra sweetness. So good!
- No buttermilk. The worst part about a lot of red velvet recipes is that they typically call for buttermilk. But if, like me, you don’t typically keep buttermilk on hand, that can mean an extra trip to the store. These cookies skip the buttermilk but not the red velvet flavor. The perfect compromise!
Recipe Ingredients
These cookies are made with cocoa powder, white chocolate chips, and a handful of pantry staples. The exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- All purpose flour – Use the spoon-and-level method to measure flour accurately. Over-measuring flour can lead to dry cookies.
- Cocoa powder – Cocoa powder adds the light chocolate flavor to the red velvet.
- Baking soda & baking powder – Make sure the cookies rise and have the perfect chewy texture.
- Salt
- Butter – I used unsalted butter. If using salted butter, reduce or omit the added salt.
- Sugar – Both brown sugar and white sugar are used in these cookies. The brown sugar helps to add extra moisture.
- Egg yolks
- Vanilla extract
- Food coloring – Adjust the amount of red food coloring to achieve your desired shade. Start with ½ teaspoon and add more if a deeper red is preferred. Remember, gel coloring is more concentrated than liquid food coloring.
- White chocolate chips – Sweet white chocolate is the perfect complement to red velvet. For a different flavor, try substituting dark chocolate chips or adding chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts to the dough.
How To Make Red Velvet Cookies
Here’s an overview of how to make these cookies. They’re so easy! The printable version of the instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mats.
- Make the dough. In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time then mix in the vanilla and food coloring. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients on low speed until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
- Bake. Use a cookie scoop to portion balls of cookie dough onto the baking sheets, leaving two inches between them. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set.
- Cool. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips For The Best Cookies
Here are a few tips to ensure you get soft, chewy red velvet cookies every time.
- Sift the dry ingredients. I like to sift the dry ingredients vs just dumping them together. This adds some air to the dough and ensures there are no clumps.
- Avoid overmixing. Be cautious not to overmix the dough when combining wet and dry ingredients, as this can lead to denser cookies. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Use room temperature butter. Make sure your butter is at room temperature but not melted. Softened butter allows for proper creaming with sugars, resulting in a light and fluffy texture.
- Chill if needed. If your dough seems too soft or sticky, consider chilling the dough for 15-20 minutes before baking. This can help maintain the cookie shape during baking.
- Do not overbake. The key to a chewy red velvet cookie is to remove them from the oven when the edges are set but the centers still appear soft. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool! Overbaking can lead to dry cookies.
- Variations. If you’d rather not use food coloring, beet juice or beet powder is a great alternative. You will not get as bold of a red color, but this still works well. We love these cookies as is, but feel free to add cream cheese frosting on top of the cookies!
Proper Storage
- Room temperature. Store the red velvet cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week to maintain their freshness and ensure they remain soft.
- Freezer. To freeze these cookies, first ensure they are completely cooled. Place them in a single layer in a freezer-safe bag or container, separating layers with parchment paper. Store for up to 3 months. To thaw, let the cookies sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
More Red Velvet Desserts
- Red Velvet Cake
- Red Velvet Cake Balls
- Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Best Red Velvet Cheesecake
- Red Velvet Brownies
- Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
Red Velvet Cookies
These Red Velvet Cookies are soft, chewy, and dotted with white chocolate chips. A quick and easy dessert that's perfect for Valentine's Day!
Servings: 24 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons red gel food coloring
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a medium bowl, sift together 1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, ¼ teaspoon of baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Set this dry mixture aside for later use.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together ½ cup of softened unsalted butter, ½ cup of packed brown sugar, and ½ cup of white sugar using an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add two egg yolks to the creamed mixture, one at a time, ensuring each yolk is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then, mix in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and ½ to 1 teaspoon of red gel food coloring. Adjust the amount of food coloring based on your desired shade of red.
- Gradually incorporate the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined, being careful not to overmix to maintain a tender cookie texture.
- Fold in 1 cup of white chocolate chips gently with a spatula or wooden spoon, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Use a tablespoon or a cookie scoop to portion out equal-sized dough balls. Place them onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each ball to allow for spreading.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are set, yet the centers remain slightly soft. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before enjoying.
Last Step:
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Nutrition
Calories: 124kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 142IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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1 thought on “Red Velvet Cookies”
I have made many kind of cake mix cookie recipes, especially for the holidays. They are so simple & easy to make, my grand daughter loves helping me with baking & enjoys decorating them. since I have a lot of family out of state, I usually make different varieties & send out along with their gifts. I also made double batches for our church coffee shop / ladies Bible studies. They go over very well & are a quick fast recipes to bake in pinch if needed. So many choices to choose from with the cake mixes & I experiment w/ the add ins. 🙂