Can you turn red velvet cake into a cookie? Though they’re not exactly like red velvet cake, these white chocolate red velvet cookies have the same vanilla, butter, and cocoa flavors as their cake counterpart. Enjoy soft-baked centers, chewy edges, and of course, a generous dip in smooth white chocolate!
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and continues to be a favorite.
A lot of red velvet first timers always ask me… what does it taste like? Is it just red chocolate? Well, to be honest… red velvet tastes like buttery vanilla and cocoa combined; a harmonious marriage of chocolate and vanilla together, if you will. Dip all that into some pure white chocolate and you have one impeccably tempting dessert.
These White Chocolate Red Velvet Cookies Are:
- Dipped in melted chocolate
- From scratch without cake mix
- Soft, chewy, & buttery
- A spin-off of my red velvet chocolate chip cookies and red velvet kiss cookies
- Perfect for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or any time you crave homemade cookies
Readers have made these with blue sprinkles for 4th of July or green sprinkles for Christmas. Lots of festive possibilities!
Success Tips for White Chocolate Red Velvet Cookies
- Optional Vanilla Sugar: Have you ever made or used vanilla sugar in your baking? Red velvet desserts are a wonderful place for your vanilla sugar because it adds even more vanilla flavor. You can use it as a 1:1 replacement for regular granulated sugar like we do when making vanilla bean biscotti. If you don’t have it, just use regular granulated sugar as written in the recipe below.
- Chill the Cookie Dough: Set aside at least 2 hours to chill this cookie dough. It’s a fairly sticky dough and without time in the refrigerator, your cookies will spread all over the baking sheet. To save time on the day you need the cookies, make the cookie dough the night before.
- Use Pure White Chocolate: The best chocolate for dipping is pure baking chocolate such as the 4 ounce “baking chocolate” bars found in the baking aisle. I prefer Bakers or Ghirardelli brands. You need 2 four ounce bars for this recipe, 8 ounces total. Candy melts, vanilla/white dipping wafers (such as Ghirardelli brand) or almond bark work too. Do not use white chocolate chips because they contain stabilizers preventing them from melting into the correct consistency.
Tinting the Cookie Dough Red
Tinting the cookie dough red is certainly optional. If you skip the red food coloring, the cookies will be light brown and still perfectly festive if you use colorful sprinkles.
For the pictured cookies, I use 3/4 teaspoon gel food coloring. You can control how vibrant the red color is, so use more or less if desired. You can find gel food coloring in craft stores, some grocery stores, or online. (I like Americolor Red Red or Super Red.) Liquid coloring is fine in a pinch, but you need more of it for the color to actually show up. If you’re looking for a natural alternative, use 2 teaspoons of beet powder. I’ve done this successfully with my red velvet chocolate chip cookies. The color stands out a lot more in cookie dough than in cake batter, and you won’t taste it.
By the way, these cookies are wonderful plain without the white chocolate. You could even frost them with cream cheese frosting so it’s truly like a red velvet cake cookie.
Make sure the cookies are relatively cool before you dip them into the white chocolate. And once the chocolate has set, the cookies can be stacked, stored, transported, or gifted.
Can I Add White Chocolate Chips?
I don’t recommend using white chocolate chips for the white chocolate dip (see above and recipe note below). However, you could certainly add white chocolate chips to the cookie dough and skip the white chocolate coating. I recommend beating 1 cup (180g) of white chocolate morsels into the cookie dough after you mix in the milk and food coloring.
Red velvet lovers, you are about to enter into cookie heaven. Warning: you may never turn around!
For more festive Valentine’s Day dessert recipes, try my Valentine’s Day Cookies, Sparkle Sweetheart Cookies, and these Nutella-inspired Valentine’s Day Cupcakes!
More Red Velvet Recipes
- Red Velvet Layer Seven Layer Bars
- Red Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
- Red Velvet Oreo Brownies
- Red Velvet Cake Roll
- Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
White Chocolate Dipped Red Velvet Cookies
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 20 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These are soft & chewy red velvet cake inspired cookies made from scratch. Dip them in white chocolate and finish with festive sprinkles. Do not skip the cookie dough chilling step.
Ingredients
- 1 and 2/3 cups (210g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk (I use buttermilk)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon gel red food coloring (or alternative)*
- two 4-ounce bars (226g) white chocolate, coarsely chopped*
- 2–3 Tablespoons sprinkles
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, add the milk and food coloring, and then mix on low speed until everything is combined. The dough will be sticky. If you want a more vibrant hue, beat in more food coloring a little at a time. Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (and up to 3 days). If chilling for longer than a few hours, allow dough to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite hard.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Scoop and roll cookie dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each. (A medium cookie scoop is helpful here.) Arrange on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake for 11–13 minutes or until the edges appear set. Centers will look very soft.
- Remove cookies from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- White Chocolate Dip: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate in 15 second increments stopping and stirring after each until perfectly smooth. (Stir in 1 teaspoon vegetable oil if chocolate seems too thick for dipping.) Dip half of each cooled cookie into white chocolate and garnish white chocolate with sprinkles.
- Allow chocolate to set completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Cover and store leftover cookies at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Cookies with or without chocolate coating can be frozen for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying. Cookie dough balls can also be frozen up to 2–3 months. Bake for 1–2 extra minutes (do not thaw). Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack | Americolor Red Red or Super Red or Beet Powder
- Food Coloring: You can control the vibrancy of the red color. Or, if you wish, skip the red coloring altogether because it’s only for looks. I use and recommend 3/4 teaspoon of gel food coloring. You can find gel food coloring in craft stores, some grocery stores, or online. (I like Americolor Red Red or Super Red.) Liquid coloring is fine in a pinch, but you need more of it for the color to actually show up—around 1 Tablespoon. If you’re looking for a natural alternative, use 2 teaspoons of beet powder. I’ve done this successfully with my red velvet chocolate chip cookies. The color stands out a lot more in cookie dough than in cake batter, and doesn’t taste like beets.
- White Chocolate: For dipping, use pure white chocolate. Pure white chocolate can be found in the baking aisle and is typically sold in 4-ounce (113g) bars such as Ghirardelli or Baker’s brands. Do not use white chocolate chips because they do not melt down properly to make a smooth coating.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Do these cookies shape well?
Hi Cecelia, this dough is not ideal for cut-out shapes. They will spread too much in the oven. We don’t have a red velvet cut-out cookie at this time, but you may enjoy our recipes for sugar cookies or chocolate sugar cookies instead.
I’m wonder why your 3 red velvet cookies (white chocolate red velvet, red velvet kiss & red velvet chocolate chip) have some variation in ingredients, especially flour. I was hoping for a base recipe and be able to dip in chocolate or add chips or add the kiss. Any advice would be appreciated!
Hi Amy, most should be 1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour & 1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder. I found the the blossom cookies (with the kiss chocolate in the center) needed a little extra flour to hold shape since you’re pressing a kiss into it.
Will gluten-free flour work well with this recipe? Any adjustments needed?
Hi Mary, we haven’t tested gluten free flour in these cookies, but please let us know how it goes if you do!
I made these for my Hanukkah party this weekend and used royal blue gel dye. The cookies after baking came out a gorgeous navy color (the batter looked dark teal)! With the white chocolate dip, and blue, white and turquoise sprinkles, they looked amazing and tasted delicious. Would love to see Hanukkah baking recipes on your site someday. I also made your snowball cookies. Fabulous and also a big hit! Sally, you’re always my go to!
These were such a hit! Super easy to make and were delicious with and without the white chocolate dip. I used liquid food coloring, and 1 tablespoon was enough to give it the deep red color.
I also spilled ½ the food coloring bottle and made my kitchen look like a crime scene, but that’s besides the point.
Another win from Sally’s!
Any way I can use the chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe as my base and turn that into a red velvet cookie with the cocoa powder and red gel food colouring? I LOVE that cookie base and want to make a chewy and soft red velvet cookie!
Hi Olivia, it would take a bit of recipe testing in order to do so. Cocoa powder can be a finicky ingredient and isn’t always a 1:1 swap with flour. However, these cookies are wonderfully chewy and soft as well, so we think you’ll enjoy them as is! Let us know if you give them a try.
I used Ghirardelli premium white baking chips and with a double boiler, they melted into a silky smooth texture, perfect for dipping. I was worried about using it due to the comment NOT to use the chips, but my store was out of the bar. The chips worked really well!
I made these for a bridal shower and they were a hit! I made them vegan by using Earth Balance vegan butter, almond milk, and a flax egg in place of the butter/milk/egg. I left off the white chocolate and they were still fantastic!
These are delicious. I made them this morning for Valentine’s Day and I don’t even like red velvet very much. The melted chocolate REALLY elevates these, but I definitely “taste tested” a few of them plain once they were cool enough to handle and they’re good on their own. They smell incredible and they look really pretty and professional. I used red gel colouring and I didn’t need to add any extra, they were a lovely deep red.
The texture of these cookies are perfect, but they were too sweet for us, even without the white chocolate dip. I made the recipe by the weight measures so that’s the only thing I can think of that lead to them being too sweet, or perhaps the brand of cocoa I used wasn’t bitter enough.
Aside from that they look so cute and festive. Definitely a cookie to eat with a cup of coffee or milk.
Hi, Sally. I love all of your recipes!! I want to make these for my son’s class but I was told there’s a soy allergy. I’ve never had to worry about this before so I’m ignorant on this front. Are these soy-free and, if they are not, do you have a work-around?
Hi Amber, many of these ingredients do not contain soy but it really depends on the brands/products you use. I would definitely check the label on the white chocolate, cocoa powder, sprinkles, and food coloring. I’m not an expert on allergy-friendly baking, so it may be best to double check every product/ingredient packaging before starting.
I have Red Velvet emulsion, can
I use that instead of the food coloring gel?
Hi Caroline, We have not tested this recipe using it but you can try it. Just keep in mind that emulsions are also flavored so your cake will taste different than intended.
I used red velvet emulsion on a red velvet sheet cake. I used about 2 tablespoons and it came out a burgundy color – not a vibrant red. It has a chocolate taste but it’s not overpowering. Hope that helps!
I am making these soon and I’ve got liquid red food coloring on hand. Would it be ok to use that or will it affect the outcome of the cookies?
Hi Amanda, you can use the liquid food coloring. To get a nice vibrant red, you’ll need at least 3 teaspoons. You may want to chill the cookie dough a little longer if it feels very sticky after 2 hours.
Thank you! I think I’m going to go with the beet powder alternative instead!
Hi Sally! Love all of your recipes! Could I bake this in a springform pan as a cookie cake and skip the dough chilling step? Thank you!!
Yes, that should work, Jessica! We are unsure of the bake time needed so keep your eye on them in the oven.
Hey Sally! I’m excited to try this recipe, is is possible to add white chocolate chips instead of dipping them in the white chocolate?
Hi Mafe, definitely, or you can make these red velvet chocolate chip cookies instead — just swap for white chocolate chips. Enjoy!
Hi! I would like to know if I can make the balls first and then freeze it for the two hours period/overnight before I bake them? Thank you!
Hi Alina! Yes, you can make the cookie dough balls ahead of time to bake later – see recipe notes for details. Enjoy!
I have made this recipe MANY times and have also had this issue! I’ve had them turn out exactly as hers look, and also had them turn out so flat I couldn’t use them! I actually just baked a batch today was nervous because the last time they’d didn’t work and I reported to something else. They worked much better today, but still spread more than I would have liked. I thought maybe my dough wasn’t chilled enough, but next time I will try adding a little extra flour and hope that will help!
I shaped the cookies into hearts and they came out perfectly! Luckily they didn’t spread too much so it made for great shaped-cookies. And delicious!! Thank you – your recipes are always spot on!
My dough came out brown, what can i do to change that?
I suggest using a gel food coloring instead of liquid as the colors are much more vibrant and you don’t have to add too much liquid to the dough. For more red color add more food coloring!
Hi Sally! I would love to do this for my sister’s upcoming bridal shower!! This will be my first time making a dipped cookie, so I can’t imagine how will I dry the coating up after dipping the cookie in the white choco. Cos I imagine it will drip while cooling. You have any tips on how to cool it without dripping messily? Or do I just place it in a plate right after dipping in white choco? thanks a lot!!!
Hi Kate– simply place them on a silicone baking mat on a baking sheet or parchment paper to let them dry.
I just baked these cookies and they came out very dark brown and taste like a plain chocolate cookie. Don’t get me wrong, they’re tasty, but just so chocolatey! I used regular Hershey’s cocoa and liquid food coloring. Has anyone else had this issue?
Lord have mercy!!!!…. These cookies!!!… That’s all I can say!!… I am 100% not a fan of red velvet, but these cookies have convinced me to turn over a new leaf!…. I just baked these cookies, and they are delicious!!!….I love these!!… I bought my first ever cookie jar that actually says cookies on it, so it was the perfect excuse to bake cookies. I made these red velvet w choc chunk!!!…the white chocolate just adds heaven to it!…. The only thing is, I used Ghirahdelli and my color isn’t white as yours, it had a hint of tan ish. How did you get your chocolate so white?
I use Ghirardelli too– and it’s quite white! Are you using a Ghirardelli baking bar? Like, the chocolate found in the baking aisle usually by the chocolate chips?
I love love love these cookies. All of your recipes are great. Thanks for the inspiration. BTW Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are my new addiction!
can I substitute water for the milk?
Milk is best.
What a wonderful recipe! I made these for a neighbor and dipped them in Christmas sprinkles for the holiday and they turned out wonderfully. Thanks for this great recipe Sally! Will be making again soon 🙂
I gave this recipe a try today and was so disappointed. The cookies have a sharp bitter taste. They were so bad I ended up throwing the first one I tried away after taking only a couple nibbles. I’m extra disappointed because I wanted these to be an early Valentine’s surprise for my husband. He tried one and agreed about the bitter taste. He thinks it’s from the large amount of food coloring. I don’t know. All I can say is that this is the first recipe I’ve tried from your site and I’m scared to try any others because of how these cookies turned out.
Hi Gertrude,
I just want to assure you that the recipies on this site are amazing. I do a lot of baking and Sally is always my first “go to” when I am looking for a recipe. Recently I have been honored to be asked to make a monthly “chemo celebration cake” for a neighbor who is going through a series very tough infusions. His wife presents him with a cake at the end of each cycle to celebrate his bravery and strength. Her husband chooses the cake. I sent him the link to Sally’s cake section and he make a choice each month. Each cake has been throughly enjoyed.
All that said, personally I am not a red velvet fan but I would not hesitate to try this recipe without the food coloring. I bet they will be amazing.
Gertrude, treat this recipe as you would the first wedding dress you tried on and didn’t like. Sally’s recipes are phenomenal. You may not like them all but that is true of any professional baker/chef.
Hi Gertrude, maybe the brand of the food coloring you used?.
I have made few recipes from Sally’s and I absolutely like them! In special the Artisan Bread, my husband and I are huge fan of it ❤️
I totally get the frustration when something doesn’t turn out right. Did you use gel food coloring, or regular? Because yeah, it sounds like maybe the food coloring. I’m a novice baker too, and use a lot of Sally’s recipes, but I have got one or two that the results were not for me. Seriously, give another recipe a try. Or, if you did not use gel food color, try this one again but with gel or leave out the food color. Just to build your confidence back up
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. It was amazingly good. Can’t wait to give out to friends.
hi Sally 🙂 is it okay for me to chill the dough for more than 1 hour? maybe up to 3-4 days? thanks in advance!!
That would be fine, Mary. Make sure you let the cookie dough sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before rolling into balls because the dough will be quite cold and solid.
Can you refrigerate the dough overnight like you are able to with some of your other recipes? I’m planning on making these for Valentine’s Day and my Thursday evenings are always crazy busy, so I wanted to try and make the dough Wednesday night so I could just come home and bake the cookies. Thanks!
You sure can, Teresa! The cookie dough will be rather solid after chilling overnight. So let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before rolling and baking.
Sally,
I made these and they were FANTASTIC! I’m not a huge red velvet fan, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed these cookies. I made them for my niece’s first birthday party on Sunday, and they turned out AWESOME. They were perfectly crackled on top, and the flavor was the perfect mix of vanilla and chocolate. TASTY!!
🙂
Casey
My cookies spread and became super flat/thin. The dough was definitely chilled before baking. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!!
Hi Shari, For help troubleshooting cookies that spread, visit the post 10 Guaranteed Tips to Prevent Cookies from Spreading.