Red Velvet Cookies Recipe

I’m excited to share my Red Velvet Cookie With White Chocolate Chips recipe, rich and soft with a chewy center and delightful pockets of sweet white chocolate.

I never believed a cookie could feel like a little mystery, but these red velvet cookies do. I like to call them my experiments in texture, using unsweetened cocoa powder and pockets of white chocolate chips for sweet surprises.

I’ve read a ton of Red Velvet Cookie Recipes Easy posts, yet this Red Velvet Cookie With White Chocolate Chips twist somehow nails chewy without being dense. I mess up timing sometimes and you get a slightly different result each batch, but that only makes me bake again, because curiosity in every bite is the point.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour: Mostly carbs, gives structure, little fiber, kinda bland but essential.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: Adds chocolate flavor, some antioxidants, bitter unless sweetened.
• Baking soda and vinegar: Not food but leaveners, they make cookies rise and tang.
• Cornstarch: Keeps cookies soft and tender, mostly starch, no real nutrients.
• Unsalted butter: Adds fat and richness, makes texture tender, high in calories though.
• Granulated and brown sugar: Give sweetness, brown gives molasses notes and chewiness.
• Egg plus extra yolk: Provides protein, moisture, binding and a chewier center, sorta.
• White chocolate chips: Make it sweet, mostly sugar and fat, no cocoa solids.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (22 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (keeps cookies soft)
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk or whole milk
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring or 1 to 2 teaspoons liquid red food coloring
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups (170 to 255 g) white chocolate chips

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2. Whisk together 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all purpose flour, 1/4 cup (22 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a bowl. Tip: spoon flour into the cup and level it off so you dont end up with too much.

3. In a separate large bowl cream 1/2 cup (113 g) softened unsalted butter with 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar and 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar until light and a bit fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes by mixer or a few more by hand.

4. Beat in 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk until combined, then add 1 tablespoon buttermilk or whole milk, 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring or 1 to 2 teaspoons liquid red food coloring. Mix until color is even but dont overmix.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix just until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so there are no streaks of flour, but stop when you still see a little movement in the dough.

6. Fold in 1 to 1 1/2 cups (170 to 255 g) white chocolate chips, reserving a handful to press on top of each dough ball before baking. Cornstarch keeps these cookies soft so dont skip it.

7. Chill the dough 30 to 60 minutes for thicker, chewier cookies. If you cant wait you can bake right away but they will spread more.

8. Scoop dough into roughly 2 tablespoon sized balls and place on the prepared sheets about 2 inches apart. Press a few reserved chips onto the top of each mound for a pretty finish.

9. Bake 9 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set but centers still look slightly soft. Dont overbake if you want them chewy. Let cookies cool on the sheet 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

10. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep them soft for days, or warm a cookie 8 to 10 seconds in the microwave for that fresh baked feel.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350 F)
2. 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats
3. 1 large mixing bowl and 1 medium bowl
4. Electric mixer or a whisk and a sturdy wooden spoon if mixing by hand
5. Measuring cups, measuring spoons and a kitchen scale for accuracy
6. Small fine mesh sieve or whisk for dry ingredients
7. Rubber spatula to scrape the bowl
8. 2 tablespoon cookie scoop or tablespoon and a small scoop, plus a spoon to press chips on top
9. Wire cooling rack for finishing the cookies

FAQ

Red Velvet Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All purpose flour: swap for cake flour for a softer, cakier cookie. To make cake flour at home, measure each cup, remove 2 tbsp flour and stir in 2 tbsp cornstarch, then sift. Or if you need gluten free, use a 1:1 gluten free baking blend (with xanthan) by weight and chill the dough a bit before baking.
• Unsalted butter: use a stick of vegan/plant based butter 1:1 for a dairy free version, you’ll get almost the same texture. If using solid coconut oil, use the same weight but expect slightly more tender edges and a faint coconut taste, so chill dough before baking.
• Buttermilk: if you don’t have it, stir 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 tbsp whole milk and let sit a minute, or thin plain yogurt with a little milk to equal 1 tbsp. This keeps the acidity for the baking soda to work.
• White chocolate chips: replace with the same weight of chopped white chocolate bar for a smoother melt, or switch to semi sweet chips if you want less sweetness and more chocolate contrast.

Pro Tips

1. Weigh your flour if you can, it really makes a difference — wait, dont use that long dash, so: weigh it. Cups lie, and a lightly packed cup will give you dense sad cookies. If you must use cups, spoon the flour in and level it off, dont scoop.

2. Chill the dough longer than 30 minutes when you want thick chewy cookies. You can even refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze scooped balls for baking later, they firm up and the flavor actually improves with time.

3. Use gel food coloring for the truest red, a little goes a long way. Liquid dyes can thin the dough and change texture, so add color slowly and stop when it’s just right.

4. Dont overbake. Pull the tray when edges are set and centers still look soft, they keep cooking on the sheet. Press a few reserved chocolate chips onto the warm tops right out of the oven for prettier cookies.