Make your own red velvet cookies from scratch with this easy recipe! These soft and chewy red velvet chocolate chip cookies are simple to make and are always a hit with crowds. They're also a great Christmas cookie!
Ingredients in Red Velvet Cookies
The main flavour in red velvet cookies comes from vanilla, a small amount of cocoa powder and baking soda. It can best be described as a slightly tangy flavour with a hint of chocolate! Here's what red velvet cookies are made of:
- Unsalted butter: make sure it's softened - this means if you press into it you can easily make a dent. If you use salted butter, you should leave out the added salt.
- Caster / superfine sugar: this fine sugar easily dissolves into the batter and makes for a softer cookie. You can also use white granulated sugar.
- Brown sugar: makes the cookie soft and chewy with a good 'choc chip cookie' flavour. Can also substitute with extra caster sugar.
- Egg & egg yolk: use large eggs.
- Red food colouring: use either high-quality liquid or gel food colouring. You'll need more liquid food colouring than gel.
- Vanilla: extract or essence.
- Plain / all-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder: unsweetened cocoa powder (NOT hot cocoa powder). I like Herhsey's (US/CA) or Nestle (AU/UK).
- Baking soda: also known as bicarb soda or bicarbonate of soda. This is NOT baking powder. Make sure your baking soda is not expired.
- Salt
- Chocolate chips: I like semi-sweet choc chips (as they're not too sweet) but white chocolate is also popular to use in red velvet cookies. Up to you!
How to Make Red Velvet Cookies
For this red velvet cookie recipe, you'll need:
- A large mixing bowl
- A handheld electric mixer or stand mixer
- A spatula or wooden spoon
- Large cookie trays
1. Combine your softened butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer). Make sure your butter is very soft! You should be able to make an indent easily if you press into the butter.
2. Beat for 2-3 minutes or until very pale, fluffy and creamy.
3. Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla and food colouring. Start on a slow speed (or you'll have food colouring fly everywhere) then beat until very fluffy and well combined, about 2 more mins.
4. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and stir in to form a soft dough.
5. Add chocolate chips and stir through until combined.
6. Optional step: cover and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours (or pop in the freezer for 15 mins) for extra soft-baked cookies!
7. Roll big tablespoons of dough into balls and allow room for spreading. You can stud some extra choc chips into the top of the dough balls for really pro-looking cookies!
8. Bake until puffed up and ever so slightly darker around the edges of the cookie. Allow to cool for 10 mins on the tray then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Trouble Shooting Cookies!
My cookies are too flat!
Your butter is too hot or melted: make sure your butter is soft to touch but not melted. I like to leave my butter out on the bench overnight before using.
You didn't use enough flour: your cookies will fall flat if there isn't enough flour in the dough. Make sure you measure your flour correctly: scoop your flour into a measuring cup then level off the top of the cup with the flat edge of a knife. Or, for the greatest accuracy, use gram measurements!
My cookies didn't spread!
You used too much flour: it's very easy to accidentally use too much flour. Don't pack your flour into your measuring cup, instead, scoop your flour into a measuring cup with a spoon then level off the top of the cup with the flat edge of a knife.
Your baking soda is expired: check that it's in date!
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between chocolate cookies and red velvet cookies? While red velvet cookies have some cocoa powder in them, their main flavour comes from the use of baking soda plus a healthy dose of vanilla. They are slightly tangy, with a rich 'cookie' flavour.
What chocolate do I use for red velvet cookies? I like semi-sweet chocolate chips because they aren't too sweet. White chocolate chips are also a popular choice! You can use any of dark, milk or white chocolate. You can also used chopped chocolate blocks!
How to Store Red Velvet Cookies
You can keep the cookies stored in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Freezing the cookie dough: roll the cookie dough into a log. Wrap well in glad wrap, place in an airtight container or zip-loc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight then slice, roll into balls, and bake as usual.
Red Velvet Cookies
These rich red velvet cookies are soft and chewy, stuffed with chocolate chips!
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (180 g) caster / superfine sugar
- ¾ cup (130 g) brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- 3 teaspoons (15 mL) red liquid food colouring OR 1 ½ teaspoon (6 g) high-quality gel food colouring
- 3 teaspoons (15 g) vanilla
- 2 ¼ cups (338 g) plain / all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon (4 g) salt
- 1 ½ cups (300 g / 10.5 oz) chocolate chips (any kind, I like semi-sweet)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F (fan-forced/convection) or 180°C / 355°F (standard). Grease and line two large cookie trays with baking paper.
- In the large bowl of an electric stand mixer (or using a handheld electric mixer), cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add egg and yolk, food colouring and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together until a soft dough forms. Add chocolate chips and mix until combined. Optional: cover and refrigerate for 2 hours for extra soft cookies.
- Roll tablespoons of dough into a balls and place onto the prepared tray. Repeat with remaining dough, leaving a 3 cm (1 inch) gap between the cookies to allow for spreading. Press extra chocolate chips into the top of each cookie, if desired.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until puffy and the edges are slightly darkened. Allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Measurement
- Please note that my recipes are measured in metric cups and spoons which are larger than US cups and spoons. Most recipes will be fine if measured in US cups and spoons, but please use the weight (grams) measurement for the most accurate result.
Substitutes
- Caster/superfine sugar can be replaced with white sugar.
- Baking soda: can replace with 2 teaspoon of baking powder.
- Chocolate chips: replace with chopped chocolate. You can use white, milk or dark. I like semi-sweet as it cuts through the sweetness.
Storage
- You can keep the cookies stored in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 143Total Fat: 2.6gSaturated Fat: 1.3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0,1gCholesterol: 10.3mgSodium: 104.1mgCarbohydrates: 21.8gFiber: 0.6gSugar: 14.9gProtein: 1.9g
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