Red velvet cake cookies combine everything you love about the classic cake in a bite-sized treat. With the rich cocoa flavor, a pop of color, and melty chocolate chips, these cookies are as beautiful as they are delicious. Our secret combination of chips makes these the best red velvet cookies!
As a fourth-generation Southern cook, I’ve been baking cookies and cakes since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Southerners love red velvet cake, but it can be time-consuming to make, so these cookies are perfect when you want that red velvet flavor but not all the work.
Red velvet cake cookies
We’ve added white and semi-sweet chocolate chips to these cookies, making them beautiful and perfect for special Valentine’s or Christmas cookies. I love to add these to my Christmas cookie boxes and give them as gifts to friends.
Why you’ll love this recipe
EASY: This recipe is so easy! These are just regular cookies with no special ingredients or cooking methods. As with almost all cookies, we suggest chilling the dough for at least an hour (preferably more), so work that into your timeline.
METHOD: You don’t need a rolling pin or a cookie cutter for this recipe. You’ll scoop out two tablespoons of cookie dough, roll it into a ball, and place it on the baking sheet.
MAKE-AHEAD: You can make this recipe ahead of time and freeze the cookie dough. When ready, just bake straight from the freezer, adding two minutes to the baking time.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
What you’ll need
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll down for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- White granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Red gel food coloring
- White chocolate chips
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
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How to make red velvet cake cookies
- Beat the butter and sugars until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again until well mixed.
- Combine flour, cocoa powder, and leavening agents. Add to the butter mixture along with the red gel food coloring and mix until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips, then cover the bowl and chill for 1-48 hours.
- Bake and enjoy!
Red Velvet Cake Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup white and semi-sweet chocolate chips, extra – for topping
Instructions
- In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. On medium speed beat the ingredients until they are light and creamy.
- To the stand mixer bowl, add the egg and vanilla extract then increase the speed to high and beat until fully incorporated. Scrape down the mixing bowl throughout this process.
- In a separate bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix to combine and then add the flour mixture along with the gel food coloring to the bowl. Turn the mixer to its lowest speed and beat until combined and uniform in color.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix on the lowest speed until they have incorporated into the dough.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour (or up to 48 hours).
- To bake the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two to three cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a 2 tablespoon scoop to measure out the chilled cookie dough. Roll the cookie dough into balls then place them on the prepared cookie sheets leaving 3 inches of space between them.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies appear firm. Remove the cookies from the oven and scatter over the extra chocolate chips while the cookies are still warm.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Nutrition
Questions and tips
How do you decide how much gel?
We used one teaspoon of red gel food coloring. We recommend adding the
coloring and then assessing the color of the cookie dough. You can then add more
or less according to your preference. Avoid adding too much, as it may affect
the overall taste of the baked cookies.
Can you freeze these cookies?
You can freeze the red velvet cake cookies after baking, or you can freeze the unbaked dough.
To freeze the baked cookies:
Place cookies on a baking sheet in the freezer overnight. Once frozen, transfer the cookies to a freezer bag and store them for up to three months.
To freeze the unbaked red velvet cookie dough:
Unbaked cookie dough can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months. You can bake leftover cookie dough straight from the freezer, adding 2 minutes to the baking time.
How do you store red velvet cookies?
Store your cookies on the counter in an airtight container.
Tips for red velvet cake cookies:
- Chilling the dough is important — it helps the cookies not spread too much in
the oven, resulting in thick, chunky cookies. Chill time of one hour is
essential, but you can leave the dough in the fridge for up to 48 hours. - If your cookie dough has been in the fridge longer than one hour, it might be
too hard to scoop. In this case, leave it on the counter for 20 minutes to come to room temperature. - We used a mixture of white and semi-sweet chocolate chips. You can use all of
one or the other or switch up the ratios. The chocolate chips
should amount to one cup overall. - The baking time will be around 11 minutes. The cookies are baked when the
edges are set, but the middle is still soft. Remove from the oven and
cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.
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