Pink Velvet Cookies

Soft, chewy, and completely irresistible is the best way to describe these Pink Velvet Cookies.

These are the cousin of my favorite cookie recipe – Chocolate Chunk Cookies. They are a one-bowl cookie recipe, which makes them easy to make and fun for the kids!

Ingredients:

Butter: Butter is what helps make the cookies light and fluffy. We’re using unsalted butter in this recipe so we can control the salt intake. Make sure your butter is at room temperature before beginning to bake. It will help the butter easily cream with the sugar.

Sugar: I use a mix of light brown sugar and white sugar in this recipe. The sugar helps sweeten the cookies, and the brown sugar helps give the cookies a soft and chewy texture.

Eggs and Vanilla Extract: We’re using two eggs, which help bind the cookies together, and the vanilla extract gives the cookies that extra punch of flavor.

Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt: These are the dry ingredients for the Pink Velvet Cookies. We’re using all-purpose flour as the base of these cookies. Make sure you spoon and level the flour, and don’t pack it in. Baking soda helps leaven the cookies, which creates the soft and fluffy cookie you’re looking for. I always add a little bit of salt to my cookies because it helps balance out the sweetness. If you’re using salted butter instead of unsalted, forgo the salt in this recipe.

Magenta Gel Food Coloring: I like Wilton’s Gel Food Coloring the best. The magenta color is exactly what you’re looking for to achieve that pink shade. If you’re not a fan of dying your cookies with food coloring, you can use beet juice or pomegranate juice. Start with a tablespoon until you reach the color you’re looking for. We don’t want to add too much liquid because then the dough will get too wet.

White Chocolate Chips: White chocolate chips in these Pink Velvet Cookies are out of this world! If you’re using a white chocolate bar, finely chop the bar and fold it into the cookie dough.

How to Make Pink Velvet Cookies?

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream your butter and sugar. Creaming means adding your softened butter and white and brown sugar to your stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment until you end up with a creamy and smooth mixture. This process should take about three minutes at medium speed. It’s very important to make sure your butter is softened to room temperature. It will be much harder to combine the butter and sugar into the smooth and creamy texture you’re looking for.

Next, we’re going to add the eggs and vanilla extract into the sugar and butter mixture. Crack one egg into the bowl and mix. Repeat with the second egg, and add the vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Make sure you do not overmix.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients. Mix until combined. Be sure to start at a low speed to avoid a cloud of flour in your face. Work your way to medium, and begin adding in the magenta gel food coloring. Start with four drops and continue to add more until you reach the pink color you desire. Then, fold in the white chocolate chips.

Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes. Don’t skip this step! Skipping this will cause your cookies to spread unevenly in the oven.

Preheat your oven to 350º Fahrenheit, and line a baking tray with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Scoop the dough with a cookie scooper onto the baking tray. I highly recommend using a cookie scooper in order to get perfect and evenly shaped cookies.

Bake the Pink Velvet Cookies for 8-10 minutes. Allow them to cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free

Gluten-Free: To make these Pink Velvet Cookies gluten-free, sub out your regular all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour.

Dairy-Free: The only dairy in this recipe is the white chocolate chips and butter. You can find dairy-free white chocolate chips at the kosher market, Trader Joe’s, and even Target has them now! To substitute butter, feel free to use margarine. I like using vegetable oil. Keep in mind when you use oil, you’ll be skipping the first step when you cream the butter and sugar. You won’t get the same creamy effect, so mix until combined.

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