Description
Delight in these chewy and vibrant Red Velvet Cookies that combine the classic flavors of red velvet cake with the convenience of a cookie. Packed with white chocolate chunks and rolled in festive red decorating sugar, these cookies offer a perfect balance of sweetness, texture, and a striking appearance for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- 3/4 cup Brown sugar (packed, light or dark)
- 3/4 cup White granulated sugar
- 2 Large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Red velvet gel dye (e.g., Americolor super red)
Add-ins and Toppings
- 1 1/2 cups Chopped white chocolate (e.g., Lindt white chocolate bars or white chocolate chips)
- Red decorating sugar (for rolling the cookies)
Instructions
- Prepare dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside. Chop the white chocolate into medium-sized pieces for folding into the dough later.
- Mix butter and sugars: Using an electric mixer, beat the cooled melted butter with both the brown sugar and white granulated sugar on high speed for 2 minutes. This process lightens the color and helps incorporate air for a tender cookie texture.
- Add eggs and flavorings: Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and red velvet gel dye to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until fully combined and the color is even throughout.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Pour the sifted dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix on low speed just until combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain cookie tenderness. Then, fold in the chopped white chocolate by hand to evenly distribute the pieces.
- Preheat oven and rest dough: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Allow the cookie dough to rest for 10-15 minutes while the oven preheats; this resting period helps prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Shape and sugar coat cookies: Pour red decorating sugar into a bowl. Using a large cookie scoop (approximately 3 tablespoons or 2 ounces), scoop dough balls and roll each ball thoroughly in the red sugar to coat. Place about 6 cookie dough balls evenly spaced on each prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies: Bake one cookie sheet at a time in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, until the cookies are set but still soft in the center.
- Optional topping: Immediately after removing cookies from the oven, optionally top each cookie with a few white chocolate chips for extra visual and flavor appeal.
- Cool the cookies: Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Using gel dye like Americolor super red ensures a vibrant red color without adding excess liquid.
- Resting the dough before baking helps to reduce spreading for thicker cookies.
- Be sure the melted butter is fully cooled before mixing to avoid cooking the eggs.
- Baking one sheet at a time ensures even heat distribution and consistent baking results.
- For a richer chocolate flavor, use darker cocoa powder but adjust sugar if needed.
