These soft and chewy red velvet cookies are made in one bowl with a hint of chocolate flavor from unsweetened cocoa powder & crushed Oreos. And red food coloring ensures that classic color of red velvet cake stays bright even after they're baked.
Red Velvet Cake, in Bakery-Style Cookie Form
I tested this recipe more times than I'd like to admit, with my family as the (very willing) guinea pigs, until I landed on the perfect texture. The red velvet oreo cookies are slightly crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle, and thick enough to feel like a satisfying bakery-style cookie.
I tested some other recipes online, but they all baked up pretty flat. So to keep mine thick and chunky, I freeze the dough for at least an hour before baking. That one step makes all the difference. And while a lot of other versions get covered in cream cheese frosting, I prefer the little bites of frosting from the Oreos interspersed throughout the whole cookie.
Red velvet gets its subtle chocolate flavor from cocoa powder, but it's nothing like a chocolate cookie. It's more of a quiet hint in the background. And while traditional red velvet cake gets its color from a chemical reaction between cocoa and acidic ingredients, I prefer using red food coloring to guarantee that bold, poppy color every time.
For more cake-inspired cookies, try my Black Forest cake cookies. And if you love the chunky style of these, definitely add my birthday cake cookies to your list next!
Let's Bake Red Velvet Cookies Together!
Baking Tips from My Kitchen
- Bakery-Style: I like to save a big handful of crushed oreos to gently press into the tops of the cookie dough balls before freezing them.
- Freezing: Don't skip freezing your dough! This helps them hold their chunky shape longer in the oven, so they come out super thick, otherwise they'll spread more.
Red Velvet Oreo Cookies
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (2 sticks)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- red food coloring
- 1 cup Oreo cookies, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until it is smooth and fluffy. This will take 3-4 minutes by hand with a wooden spoon or 1-2 minutes with an electric hand mixer.
- Add the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Mix until it resembles fine crumbs, after about 1 minute.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, and red food coloring. Mix until there is no dry flour visible and the cookies are the shade of red you desire, after about 1-2 minutes.
- Fold in the crushed Oreo cookies.
- Gently press the dough into 12 evenly-shaped balls and spread them out on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for at least an hour, or until you're ready to bake your cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the cookies for 18-22 minutes, just until you can slide a spatula under the bottom of the cookie without it collapsing on itself. It'll still look a little gooey on top. Enjoy!!
Notes
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- Baking: It's hard to tell by the color if the cookies done, since they're already dark. You can tell they're done baking when a spatula easily slides under the bottom of a cookie without making it squish in. You want the top of the cookies still gooey.
- Food Dye: Different types of food coloring will require you to add more or less of it to dye your cookies red. I prefer gel-based food coloring, since a little goes a long way.
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- Storing: Store fully cooled cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days. Sometimes I freeze the unbaked dough balls for up to 3 months, to have on hand whenever I need a freshly baked treat!
I'm eggcited to hear from you :)