Red Velvet Cookies

Published December 8, 2020. Updated February 27, 2024

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Red Velvet Cookies – These are deliciously soft and chewy, gorgeously red along with a pretty white chocolate chip contrast, and they’re perfectly sweet with hints of vanilla and cocoa flavor. It’s a tempting treat that people of all ages will enjoy!

Red Velvet Cookies shown from overhead on a rectangular white platter on a marble surface.

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Red velvet cookies would have to be one of the ultimate Christmas or Valentines Day cookies with their pretty and festive red color.

These are an easy to make cookie that uses basic ingredients and they’re sure to satisfy those red velvet cravings!

These cookies are a combination of two of the best desserts – red velvet cake and chocolate chip cookies.

Really you just can’t go wrong with these cookies! You just get simple classic flavors and a fun new take on cookies.

It’s a simple baking project that’s perfect for the weekend, just don’t wear your best attire with all that red. Also plan some time since cookie dough needs to chill (otherwise cookies will spread too much).

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Image of ingredients used to make red velvet cookies. Includes flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, red food coloring, vanilla extract, salt, vinegar, butter, egg and white chocolate chips.

Red Velvet Cookies Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour: Bleached or unbleached flour works here. Bleached spreads just a little less and produces softer cookies while unbleached flour makes slightly chewier cookies.
  • Cocoa powder: Don’t use dutch process cocoa powder, it’s too dark here.
  • Baking soda: If you want cookies a little puffier include 1/4 tsp baking powder along with the baking soda.
  • Salt: Just use table salt.
  • Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter on hand you can use that here. Just add 1/8 tsp salt to the recipe.
  • Granulated sugar and brown sugar: The combo makes the cookies perfectly sweet and the brown sugar helps make the cookies softer.
  • Egg: This helps bind the ingredients and also makes for a softer cookie.
  • Red food coloring: I have made these with both gel and liquid food coloring. Gel seems to work just a little better since it’s not as liquidy but it is harder to find at most grocery stores so I’ve included options for both. You can try beet powder or a natural gel color but keep in mind the color won’t be as vibrant.
  • Vanilla extract: Another option here is to use vanilla bean paste.
  • Vinegar: Just plain white vinegar is used here (similar to classic red velvet cake) but I’ve also used lemon juice and it works well too. It just boosts flavor a little.
  • White chocolate chips: I like the pretty contrast of the white chocolate chips but semi-sweet or even milk chocolate chips will work well too for richer chocolate flavor.

Collage of six images showing steps to making red velvet cookie dough in a stand mixer.

How to Make Red Velvet Cookies

  1. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined.
  3. Mix in egg. Add in red food coloring, vanilla and vinegar.
  4. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined.
  5. Mix in 3/4 cup white or semi-sweet chocolate chips (set aside remaining 1/3 cup to use after baking).
  6. Cover bowl and chill dough 1 – 2 hours until dough is nearly firm. Near the end of chilling preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  7. Scoop dough out and shape into balls about 1 1/2 Tbsp each (or 28g). Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheet spacing 2-inches apart.
  8. Bake one sheet at a time (keep remaining dough chilled and repeat process), until cookies appear set on the edges but slightly under-baked in the center, about 10 – 11 minutes.
  9. Remove cookies from oven and gently press some of the remaining white chocolate chips into tops.
  10. Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Collage of six images showing remaining steps of making red velvet cookie dough batter then shaping cookie dough into balls and placing on baking sheet.

Storage and Shelf Life

  • Store cookies in an airtight container (I even add them to the storage container before they are completely cool to trap in some of the steam and moisture.
  • To help keep cookies soft add a few slices of bread to the storage container or lay flour tortillas over tops.
  • These cookies are best enjoyed within 2 days of preparing.
  • I don’t recommend freezing as cookies will likely become dry.

Variations

  • Skip the white chocolate chips being mixed in and rather dip the one half of cookies in melted white chocolate or drizzle it over the top.
  • Add 1 tsp lemon zest for a light zip.
  • Use milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips.
  • Replace 1 Tbsp of the flour with an additional 3 tsp cocoa powder for a little more chocolate background flavor. Just keep in mind cookies won’t be quite as red.
  • Omit white chocolate chips and instead finish cookies with a cream cheese frosting.

Red Velvet Cookies layered together, shown from a side angle on a platter.

More Tempting Red Velvet Desserts to Try

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Red Velvet Cookies shown from a side angle on a platter.
4.78 from 44 votes

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are deliciously soft and chewy, gorgeously red, they're dotted with creamy white chocolate chips that add a pretty contrast, and they're perfectly sweet. It's a tempting treat that's perfect for Christmas or Valentines.
Servings: 23
Prep15 minutes
Cook20 minutes
Chill1 hour
Ready in: 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined.
  • Mix in egg. Add in red food coloring, vanilla and vinegar.
  • Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Mix in 3/4 cup white or semi-sweet chocolate chips (set aside remaining 1/3 cup to use after baking).
  • Cover bowl and chill dough 1 - 2 hours until dough is nearly firm. Preheat oven to 350 degrees near the end of dough chilling.
  • Scoop dough out and shape into balls about 1 1/2 Tbsp each (or 28g). Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheet spacing 2-inches apart.
  • Bake one sheet at a time (keep remaining dough chilled and repeat process), until cookies appear set on the edges but slightly under-baked in the center, about 10 - 11 minutes.
  • Remove cookies from oven and gently press some of the remaining white chocolate chips into tops.
  • Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container. Keep a few bread slices or large flour tortillas in container with cookies to keep them soft.

Notes

  • *Sift cocoa powder into flour mixture if it's clumpy.
  • Recipe has been updated December 2020.

 

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390 Comments

  • need to know

    it seems like everyone is not getting the same results. I just saw the recipe and fell in love. However,altitude makes a huge difference in a recipe. I would please like the original “poster” please give the state they live in so the rest of us can adjust to it. I used to love making cookies for my mom and her staff when I was unger, ans they were so good. but when I moved to a higher elevation…..such a different story

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    […] I saw this recipe on Cooking Classy, I had no second thought of trying it. They look so […]

  • kelz

    could you please reply to me asap? i kinda have to know now… :$

  • Kelz

    why does the second recipe use baking soda and the first one is baking powder? can i use either one?

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      just different recipe testing :). I wouldn’t replace one with the other because baking soda is stronger than baking powder basically (it has 4x the strength of baking powder). I didn’t know a whole lot about cookies when I made these recipes it was more trial and error. The first cookie recipe could probably use more leavening (since it uses baking powder. the general rule is 1 tsp baking powder per cup of flour/cocoa), rather I’d probably add 1/4 tsp baking soda though since this recipe has vinegar. I haven’t tried it yet so I haven’t changed the recipe but that’s probably what I’d do now. The second one is fine, over-leavened but not a big deal with cookies.

      • kelz

        so would it be fine to use baking powder?i kinda ran out of baking soda :/

        • Jaclyn

          Jaclyn Bell

          Yes that would be fine. I hate when I run out of stuff :).

  • lily

    your cookie looks great i dont know why i’ve just found it,, im new to baking and i cannot wait to try this!

    i was thinking of doing this cookies early before an event soon, may i know how long will this cookies stay ? will it last 2weeks? or so? pls help me thank you so much

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      definitely not 2 weeks, maybe you meant 2 days? I think 1 day before or the day of is best.

  • Red Velvet Cookies for Mother’s Day! | Hungry Hannah

    […] onto the cookies. This recipe were inspired by these Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies on Cooking Classy. I found this recipe through foodgawker last year and saved it because it looked […]

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Sorry yours turned out that way! Not exactly sure why? Wish I had all the answers :).

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      No they should be red and maybe somewhat brownish in the middle but not grey. What kind/brand of food coloring did you use. I like the McCormick Red (liquid) best for these.