Soft, warm, and gooey vegan red velvet cookies are an easy and delicious dessert you will love. Packed with melty white chocolate chips, they are the perfect cookie for Valentine's Day or any time!
Red velvet is a classic flavor popular in cakes, cookies, and desserts. It's a delicious blend of chocolate and vanilla, with a distinctive red color. The flavor is often associated with Valentine's Day, but it's delicious all year round.
I love to make these vegan. redvelvet cookies for my love at Valentine's Day! He loves red velvet flavor and goes crazy for these cookies.
Why you'll love this recipe:
- Soft and melty cookies everyone will love
- Vibrant and beautiful- perfect for Valentine's day or Christmas
- Vegan, dairy free, an optional gluten free
What is Red Velvet?
Red velvet is a flavor that originated in the United States. It's made by combining chocolate and vanilla flavors, with a touch of cocoa powder to give it a rich and deep flavor. The red color is typically achieved using food coloring, although some recipes use natural ingredients such as beets to achieve the same effect.
Red Liquid Dye vs. Red Gel
Red liquid dye is a liquid red food coloring that is less concentrated but in higher quantities can produce vibrant colors. Red Food Gel is a concentrated food coloring that uses less of the product to create the same effect. In this recipe I use red food liquid dye but if you want to use gel, just use a few drops of gel in place a 1 teaspoon of liquid dye.
Where to Find Vegan White Chocolate Chips
Vegan white chocolate chips can be found at many grocery stores and health food stores. Look for them in the baking aisle, or in the natural and organic section of the store. You can also find them online from a variety of retailers. Some brands of vegan white chocolate chips include Enjoy Life and Dee Best.
How to make these cookies gluten free
Use King Arthur 1:1 Gluten Free Flour as a substitute in this recipe for a delicious gluten free option! Replace the same quantity of regular flour with gluten-free flour.
How to Make Vegan Red Velvet Cookies
1.Start by creaming together your butter and sugar with a hand mixer.
2. Add in red food coloring, vanilla, and milk and mix again.
3. Add in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Mix.
4. Fold in vegan white chocolate chips.
5. Form into balls and bake for 13-15 minutes.
Substitutions
If you don't have vegan white chocolate chips on hand, there are several substitutions you can use in this recipe for vegan red velvet cookies. Here are a few ideas:
- Vegan semisweet chocolate chips: These will give your cookies a more traditional chocolate flavor.
- Chopped nuts: Add some chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, for a crunchy texture.
- Dried fruit: Dried cranberries or cherries would be a delicious and colorful addition to the cookies.
- Coconut flakes: Toasted coconut flakes would add a tropical twist to the cookies.
You can also use different extracts in the cookie dough. For example, you could use peppermint extract or try adding a splash of orange or lemon extract for a citrusy flavor. Finally, you can experiment with different food colorings to achieve different shades of red. Some natural options include beet juice or pomegranate juice.
How to store vegan red velvet cookies
To store vegan red velvet cookies, let the cookies cool completely after baking. Place them in an airtight container, and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Alternatively, you can freeze the cookies for longer storage. Place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container, and freeze them for up to 3 months. To thaw the cookies, transfer them to the refrigerator overnight, or let them sit at room temperature for a few hours. The cookies will taste just as delicious as when they were first baked.
What other ways can I enjoy these cookies?
These cookies can be enjoyed on their own as a tasty treat, or used as a base for other desserts, such as a red velvet cookie sandwich filled with vegan cream cheese frosting. Serve your cookies with a cold glass of almond milk or a steaming cup of hot cocoa.
Pro Tips
- Don't remove your cookie from the baking sheet right away. They are soft, fragile cookies when right out of the oven. They should sit for 10-15 minutes as they settle in their shape.
- Do not use butter from a tub. Stick butter creates the best texture and flavor for these cookies.
- Using an ice cream scoop really helps create uniform circular cookies. Here is the one I use.
Vegan Red Velvet Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ vegan butter softened (from stick, not tub)*
- 2-3 teaspoon red food dye adjust to desired cookie color*
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder sifted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk such as soy or almond (unsweetened)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, white sugar, softened vegan butter. With a hand mixer, beat until well-combined.
- Add in red food coloring, vanilla extract, soy milk and beat again.
- Add in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt mix with a spoon until combined.
- Sprinkle in white chocolate chips and fold in.
- On a parchment lined baking sheet, spoon cookie dough with ice cream scoop onto sheet. The dough will make approximately 20 balls.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes.
- Let cool on the sheet for at least 15 minutes (will help them set in their shape).
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