Red Velvet Cookies

Published December 8, 2020. Updated February 27, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

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).

Watch the Video!

 

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

16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

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.

 

Leave a Comment

Rate this recipe




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

390 Comments

  • Natalie

    I think I’m going to attempt this recipe, but I’m not very experienced in baking so I was wonderng how important it is to have 1 egg + 1 yolk versus 2 eggs? I’d like to avoid the inevitable disaster of me trying to separate an egg, if possible, lol

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Your dough will be too sticky and the cookie may turn out dry if you add in the extra egg white. It’s quite easy to separate the egg yolk and white. You probably already know how but just in case here is a helpful video tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAGX-54iR30

  • Keeana

    I literally just made these, just sitting down from cleaning up my mess. I’m almost 18 years old and I made these because my mom had a bag of white chocolate chips she wasn’t using and I was craving cookies. I found this on Pinterest and they looked scrumptious. I used the updated recipe and when I was done with the batter I tried it and it tasted different, and I was hesitate but I didn’t want to mess anything up so I just baked them anyways and they came out fine. I would like to show you a picture of them, but I’m not too sure how to do that. Thank you! :)

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Keeana – I’m glad you enjoyed these cookies and they turned out for you. I would love to see a picture if you wanted to email one to [email protected] or if you have a blog you can simply post a link or pingback in these comments.

  • Emma

    Hey, thanks for the great recipe! I would love to try it, but I don’t have any shortening on hand. If I were to replace it with salted butter would the cookies turn out too salty? That will be 14 tbsp of salted butter that I’d be using in all D:

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Emma – I think you’d be fine, you can just reduce the salt amount slightly if you are using salted butter in place of the shortening. I hope you love them!

  • Francesca

    Could you substitute the white chocolate chips for just milk chocolate chocolate chips? Thanks.

  • Red velvet cookies | Going Forward

    […] says lovin’ like something from the oven, or so I’ve heard, so today I made a batch of Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies to distribute judiciously for Valentine’s Day. They use two ingredients with which I never […]

  • Geosomin

    I was looking fro a quick valentine cookie. These are simple and yummy. Thanks :)

  • Tehya

    I’m out of flour and I saw that i can use pancake mix as a substitute! How would the measurements play out?

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      You’re best bet would likely be to wait until you get flour, the sub might work but you’d have to play around with the recipe a bit.

  • Cristina

    I’m an experienced home baker, and have made these several times now using your “updated” recipe. Every time they have absolutely blown everyone away. I wouldn’t make any more changes to that recipe – it’s easy, quick, DELICIOUS and visually stunning. For Valentine’s Day I baked as is, but for the “extra chips” on top I used Nestle’s red and dark chocolate chips. It looked incredible and added more of a chocolate taste. This one is a real winner and will impress everyone! Thank you!!!

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Cristina – I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed these! Thanks so much for leaving a comment!