Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies
Red velvet chocolate chip cookies are a fun and flavorful spin on classic chocolate chip cookies, featuring a subtle cocoa base and bursts of semisweet chocolate. They bake up soft and chewy with a rich color and a perfectly balanced sweetness that makes every bite irresistible.
Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies
These red velvet chocolate chip cookies are bold, dramatic, and the ultimate nostalgic dessert mash up. The Brat Pack of cookies — a little rebellious, a little classic, and somehow perfect together.
With crisp edges, irresistibly soft and chewy centers, rich red velvet flavor, and plenty of semisweet chocolate chips, these cookies hit every texture and flavor note just right (like a perfectly timed 80s power ballad).
This easy, no-chill recipe comes together quickly using simple ingredients you probably already have on hand — perfect when you want delicious cookies faster than life moves.
If you want even more twists on classic chocolate chip cookies, check out my Oreo chocolate chip cookies, funfetti chocolate chip cookies, and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: An easy, no-chill cookie recipe with simple steps using ingredients you likely have in your pantry.
- Classic red velvet flavor: A bit of cocoa powder and white vinegar give these cookies that classic red velvet flavor. The bright red color is fun and festive.
- Crisp edges & chewy centers: The red velvet cookies have the perfect chewy texture with slightly crisp edges.
- Packed with chocolate: Semisweet chocolate chips add a delicious bittersweet chocolate flavor in every bite.
- Classic dessert mash-up: A fun way to mix classic red velvet cake and chocolate chip cookies. Perfect for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or anytime you are craving cookies.
Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder – Use natural cocoa powder or unsweetened baking cocoa powder.
- Baking soda + salt
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Light brown sugar + granulated sugar
- Eggs – Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract for the best vanilla flavor.
- Red gel food coloring – I don’t recommend liquid food coloring for this recipe.
- White vinegar – Helps give the cookies the classic red velvet flavor.
- Semisweet chocolate chips – Substitute with milk or white chocolate chips.
How to Make Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies
Make the red velvet cookie dough.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Portion the cookie dough using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons).
Place the cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet pans.
Press additional chocolate chips into the cookie dough balls.
Bake the cookies until they are set on the edges and slightly underbaked in the center. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.
Courtney’s Expert Cookie Baking Tips
- Use gel food coloring for the most vibrant red color. Liquid food coloring will not work well in this recipe.
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion the cookie dough for uniform size cookies.
- Press additional chocolate chips into the cookie dough balls for a bakery-quality appearance.
- Bake the cookies in the center of the oven for even heat distribution and perfectly baked cookies.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. Pull them out when the centers still look slightly underdone—they will finish baking on the pan as they cool.
- Use the back of a spoon, a round cookie cutter, or a small glass bowl to gently shape the cookies immediately when they come out of the oven to make perfectly round cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using red gel food coloring for the most vibrant red color. My favorite kind is Americolor gel food coloring in the color “Super red” or “Red red“.
White vinegar is a key ingredient in red velvet cake and helps give these cookies their red velvet flavor. It also helps activate the baking soda. I promise you won’t taste the vinegar.
For this recipe, I would stick with natural cocoa powder or unsweetened baking cocoa powder to create the subtle chocolate flavor and to enhance the bright red color. If you use dutch-process cocoa powder, the cookies will have a richer chocolate flavor and a more muted red color.
Yes! Substitute the semisweet chocolate chips with dark chocolate, white chocolate, or milk chocolate chips.
Yes! Use a medium cookie scoop (1 ½ tablespoons) to make the cookies half the size. The baking time will decrease to about 10-12 minutes. The cookies are done baking when they are set on the edges and slightly underbaked in the center. The yield of the recipe will double.
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Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (22 g) cocoa powder
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking soda
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups (330 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 (2) large eggs (room temperature)
- 3 tsp (3 tsp) vanilla extract
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) red gel food coloring (add more or less to preference)
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) white vinegar
- 3 cups (540 g) semisweet chocolate chips (divided – 2 cups for the cookie dough & 1 cup to press into the cookie dough balls)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line baking sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar for a few minutes until well combined and smooth.
- Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, red gel food coloring, and white vinegar, and mix until well combined. Add in the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the cookie dough comes together. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are well combined. Fold in 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips until they are well dispersed throughout the cookie dough.
- Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) to portion the cookie dough and place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet pans, allowing room for spreading. Press the additional 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips into the cookie dough balls.
- Bake the cookies for about 14 minutes until the cookies are set on the edges and slightly underbaked in the center. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container or resealable storage bag at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- Refrigerator (cookie dough): Store the unbaked cookie dough balls in the refrigerator in an airtight container or resealable storage bag for 1 week. Bring the cookie dough balls to room temperature and then bake as directed.
- Freezer (cookie dough): Store the unbaked cookie dough balls in the freezer in an airtight container or resealable storage bag for 3 months. Bring the cookie dough balls to room temperature and then bake as directed.
- Freezer (baked cookies): Store the baked cookies in the freezer in an airtight container or resealable storage bag for 3 months.
Nutrition
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
hi! can i halve this recipe? the cookies looks great! thanks!
Hello! Yes, you can! The measurements are easily halved to make a smaller batch.