This cookie has been a long time coming.
You may remember that last year I baked some red velvet cookies using a boxed mix. Those were delicious, but I wanted a red velvet cookie recipe made from scratch. The goal was a dense, chewy cookie. Many homemade red velvet recipes turn out cakey, which are good, but I was determined to create a chewy version that stayed moist and rich.
After many attempts and a few spectacular fails over the past ten months, I tried again this weekend and finally hit on a winning formula.
By winning I mean I ate three cookies straight from the pan and burned my tongue in the process. Worth it. Red velvet is essentially a rich chocolate flavor with a touch of tang and a vibrant color, and there’s something especially fun about these cookies. They might even taste better than your average chocolate chip cookie—at least to me. I may be in my twenties, but when it comes to cookies, I’m easily five years old again.
Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 12–15 cookies
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon red food coloring
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Cream the butter and both sugars together in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth, then beat in the red food coloring until evenly incorporated. Add the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt, mixing just until combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed to ensure everything is evenly mixed. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Use an ice cream scoop or a spoon to portion 1–2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie and place them on a baking sheet, spaced a couple inches apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers are still slightly soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
After a few cookies I got a little adventurous and tried something deliciously over-the-top.
Red velvet sandwich cookies filled with pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting—one of the best decisions you can make when cookies are involved.