Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan Gluten-Free)
These chewy, rich and delicious Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies are easy to make, naturally vegan and gluten-free. Slightly flavoured with chocolate and coloured red, they are like your favourite cake in cookie form.
I love red velvet cake although it’s not one that is hugely popular in the UK, however that does not stop me. After my Red Velvet Heart Banana Bread Cake, these cookies are a must-make for Valentine’s Day – and all year long.
What are these cookies like?
These are one of my new favourite cookie recipes, they are:
- Fudgy and chewy
- Crispy on the outside and tender inside
- Slightly flavoured with chocolate and packed with melting chocolate chunks
- Red like the classic cake
- Sweet but not too sweet
- So soft when straight from the oven
- Delicious
- Easy to make
- Vegan, gluten-free and nut-free
If you are ready to make these cookies, skip ahead to the recipe card, or let’s first see what goes into these cookies.
What ingredients do I need for these Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies?
They are a simple cookie with one surprising ingredient that makes them super fudgy:
- Vegan butter: make sure this is left out at room temperature for a while to soften. Blocks of butter work better than margarine in terms of taste and texture. I have not tried these with coconut oil but I can imagine they work – let me know if you try them.
- Vegan cream cheese: this is the unusual ingredient that keeps the cookies light, chewy and fudgy. I like NUSH in the UK but any good quality and good-tasting cream cheese will work.
- Caster sugar and light brown sugar: using both sugars will balance out the flavours and textures of these cookies so I recommend using them both. If you do not have both, then you can uses all of one or try coconut sugar, too, although if you uses all light brown or coconut sugar, the colour wilk be slightly darker and less red.
- Vanilla essence: for the classic cookie flavour.
- Red food gel: make sure this is vegan-friendly. As with most bakes, food gel works better than food liquid as you need to add less for a stronger colour.
- Plain or GF flour: this keeps the cookies tender and moist. If using GF flour, make sure it is a 1:1 baking blend that you love which contains xantham gum to prevent dry crumbly cookies.
- Cocoa or cacao powder: for the chocolate element of the red velvet. A little goes a long way as these cookiese are not chocolate flavoured but rather the main chocolate is from the chocolate chunks.
- Cornstarch: this is my favourite ingredient for adding a lovely fluffy, chewy and tender textured cookie. If you don’t have any, you can skip it and the cookies will still be delicious. I can imagine arrow root powder will also work.
- Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda: for a little rise and texture.
- Salt: to enhance the flavours.
- Dark chocolate: roughly chop up your favourite chocolate or use chocolate chips. I prefer chunks here so you have bigger pools of chocolate. Dairy-free milk chocolate will also work or try dairy-free white chocolate, too.
Simple ingredient come together to make something wonderful in these Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies. the method is similarly straight-forward.
How do I make these chocolate cookies?
There are only a few steps to make these and you can follow the recipe video here:
- Cream the butter and cream cheese: until smooth and combined. it is easier to us a handheld electric mixer or a freestanding one but it can also be done by hand.
- Add both sugars and beat: until creamy and smooth.
- Beat in the vanilla and food gel: always start with less red food colouring than you think as it’s always stronger!
- Tip in the dry ingredients: and continue to beat to a cookie dough. The mix may turn crumbly at some stage but keep going and it cokes together to a lovely stickt and smooth cookie dough.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks: saving some for the top.
- Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes: this really helps the cookies to spread evenly, creating the best chewy inside and crisp edges.
- Divide into balls and place on a cookie sheet: make sure to spread the cookies out as they expand as they bake.
- Bake for 13-14 minutes: until they are crinkling at the egdes and still soft in the centre.
- Cool for 10 minutes: on the trays and then enjoy to allow to cool fully.
How long do these Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies last?
They last about 1 day in our house, but they keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days or you can freeze them for up to 1 month.
Are these cookies gluten-free and nut-free?
Yes they are free of gluten if you use a gluten-free flour (check it is a 1:1 flour blend for baking and contains xantham gum) and the cookies are nut-free. Check that your butter, cream cheese and chocolate free from nuts, as some brands are nut-based.
What other cookies can I make?
I hope you will love these Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies and for more cookie inspiration, how about my:
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Vegan Brownie Cookies
- Vegan Monster Cookies
- Vegan Neapolitan Cookies
- Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies (aka Whoopie Pies)
Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan Gluten-Free)
These chewy, rich and delicious Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies are easy to make, naturally vegan and gluten-free. Slightly flavoured with chocolate and coloured red, they are like your favourite cake in cookie form.
Ingredients
- 110g vegan butter, softened
- 80g vegan cream cheese
- 100g caster sugar
- 80g light brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 6 drops red food gel
- 180g plain or GF plain flour
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- A pinch of salt
- 180g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
Directions
- Using a handheld or freestanding mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until fully mixed. Add in both sugars and beat until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the vanilla and red food gel.
- Now add in the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and beat to a thick cookie dough.
- Fold in most of the chocolate, saving some for the top and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and have two baking trays lined with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough in 14 balls and arrange them on the trays, leaving a 3-cm gap around them as they spread. Press on the extra chocolate and bake for 13-14 minutes, or until spread, crinkly at the edges and slightly tender in the middle. Turn the trays round halfway through baking time.
- Allow to cool on the trays for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully or enjoy warm. Store cooled cookies in a sealed container for 5-7 days at room temperature. Cookies can be kept in the freezer for up to 1 month.
I look forward to hearing what you think of these Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies so please let me know in the comments below. If you do make them, please tag me in your bakes, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With red velvet cookie love x
