These thick, soft and chewy gluten free red velvet cookies have just the right red velvet taste in a portable cookie form—with the preparation ease of a drop cookie.
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Why I love these gluten free red velvet cookies
There's something about the hint of cocoa, the red color, the slight tang from some vinegar and just the right amount of white chocolate chips that makes these cookies really special. And they're soft batch-style, so they really do taste like they're just right out of the oven even once they're completely cool.
There is also something festive about red velvet cookies, or really red velvet desserts of any kind. They're great for holidays like Valentine's and Christmas since they're special, but don't require any extra effort at all. Holiday gluten free baking at its easiest!
It's essentially a light chocolate cookie (or gluten free red velvet cake) with a tangy, sweet vanilla flavor and with cocoa and red food coloring in the recipe to give it a distinctive red hue. And you control just how red you want your cookie dough. Add just a hint of food coloring or leave it our altogether. Or go bold and make them super red!
Red velvet is one of those things that tends to evoke lots of strong opinions. Even though it's true that the original red velvet cakes were just slightly red-tinged because of the hint of cocoa powder (it's not really a super chocolate cake), I like mine bright red.
The food coloring doesn't change the taste, only the appearance of the cookies, though. If you don't want to use or can't have the food coloring, just leave it out.
Recipe ingredients
- Butter: Adds moisture, flavor, and tenderness.
- Brown sugar: Adds sweetness, richness, and tenderness to the cookies.
- Egg: Binds the ingredients together and adds rise.
- Apple cider vinegar: activates the baking soda; adds some flavor.
- Vanilla: Adds depth of flavor.
- Red gel food coloring: Brightens the very light hint of red in the cocoa powder and gives these cookies their characteristic color. Be sure to use gel food coloring, not liquid.
- Gluten free flour: I like Nicole's Best multipurpose gluten free flour (be sure to add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum if you do, since it doesn't already contain it) or Better Batter's original gluten free blend. Cup4Cup changed its formulation and doesn't work as well as it used to, but if it's still your favorite it might work here.
- Cornstarch: Lightens the blend and adds tenderness. You can replace it with more of your gluten free flour blend if you don't have it.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies brown; reacts with the vinegar to add some rise.
- Salt: Brightens the flavor and balances the sweetness.
- White chocolate chips: Adds sweetness, texture, and flavor to the cookies.
How to make gluten free red velvet cookies
Combine the wet ingredients
- Beat the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and some red gel food coloring until well-combined.
- The mixture will be light red in color.
Finish the cookie dough
- Add the dry ingredients (gluten free flour with xanthan gum, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt), and beat to combine.
- Beat in more red gel food coloring until the cookie dough is bright red. The color will fade in the oven.
- Mix in white chocolate chips.
Shape the cookie dough and bake
- Scoop the cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet. Each portion should be about 1 1/2 tablespoons.
- Roll the cookie dough between your palms into a round ball.
- For smoother cookies or if your butter was a bit too soft, chill the dough for about 30 minutes.
- Bake at 350°F for 11 minutes, or until the cookies are set in the center.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving.
Recipe tips
Choose the right gluten free flour blend
Drop cookies are some of the easiest types of recipes to bake, but you still do need to be careful about the ingredients you choose, especially the all purpose gluten free flour blend. I used and recommend Better Batter's classic gluten free flour blend, and you can of course use my mock Better Batter blend if you fancy making your own gluten free flour.
My own blend, Nicole's Best multipurpose gluten free flour, also works beautifully. Be sure to add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum if you're using Nicole's Best, since it doesn't contain that ingredient.
Avoiding streaky red velvet chocolate chip cookies
Try your best to mix the coloring into the wet ingredients before incorporating everything into the dry ingredients. That way, you won't have streaks of color in the cookies.
You want to enhance the natural red color that the small amount of cocoa powder in these red velvet cookies gives them. So be sure to mix the food coloring in well, to maintain the illusion! It's difficult to get an even color on your gluten free cookies if you add the food coloring to the dry ingredients or to the mixed dough. Add it along with the wet ingredients and incorporate thoroughly before you add the dry items.
Choose the right food coloring
The most widely available brand of gel food coloring where I live is Wilton brand, but Wilton's food colorings are not reliably gluten free. My favorite gluten free gel food coloring is AmeriColor brand. It's not cheap, but gel food coloring lasts a long, long time.
AmeriColor is sold in some kitchen supply stores and even fewer craft stores, so I buy it online. I like this Americolor kit best (that's an affiliate link) because it has basic colors, and the squeeze bottles are easy to use without making a mess.
Your raw dough color should be a little too bright
Please keep in mind that food coloring fades during baking. You want the color of your raw batter or cookie dough to be brighter than the way you'd like your ultimate baked goods.
Try your best to mix the coloring into the wet ingredients before incorporating everything into the dry ingredients, and you won't have streaks of color in the cookies. There's no need to mix the wet ingredients separately, though, before mixing them into the dry.
Begin with butter at cool room temperature
Your butter should be cool to the touch, about 65°F. If the butter is too soft (if your fingertip pushes right in and comes away greasy), it will be difficult to beat it together well with the brown sugar and make it light and fluffy. The cookies will probably spread more during baking and turn out flat. If you're concerned that your butter is too soft, try chilling the dough for 30 minutes after shaping.
Ingredient substitutions
Depending on who you're cooking for and their dietary requirements, you might need to tweak gluten free recipes to cater to other needs. And, because this gluten free recipe is reasonably forgiving, that's okay.
Dairy free
In place of the butter in this recipe, try using vegan butter. My favorite brands are Melt and Miyoko's Kitchen.
I wouldn't use Earth Balance buttery sticks in this recipe, as it bakes more like margarine, and baked goods made with it tend to spread a lot in the oven. I also don't recommend your using melted coconut oil as it behaves differently in the oven and is more sensitive to temperature.
If you can't find dairy-free white chocolate chips, just use dairy-free semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.
Egg free
In place of the egg, you can try using a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel). A flax egg should work, too, but you may taste the flavor in the cookies since they're not very rich chocolate.
Vegan
If you'd like to make these cookies vegan, just use the dairy and egg substitutions described above, and make sure your sugar isn't made with bone char. You'll have vegan cookies. Remember to switch out the chocolate chips for a dairy free version, too, as this is something people often overlook.
Corn free
In place of cornstarch, you can use arrowroot.
Red gel food coloring
I don't recommend using liquid food coloring, which is not concentrated enough and will add lots of unwanted liquid and not enough flavor. I recommend Americolor gel food coloring in their true red color, but if you can't use that, I recommend you leave it out entirely. The cookies will still appear slightly red because of the cocoa powder.
Apple cider vinegar
In place of apple cider vinegar, you can use white wine or white balsamic vinegar. Just be sure to use a gluten free vinegar (that is, avoid malt vinegar).
Chocolate chip variations
I like using white chocolate chips or mini white chocolate disks in these red velvet cookies, but you can use any small pieces you like. Here are a few more suggestions:
- semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- milk chocolate chips (for a sweeter, more mellow taste than dark or semi-sweet)
- mini M&Ms (especially for holidays; they're gluten free in the U.S.)
Storage instructions
For short term storage, place the baked and cooled cookies in a sealed glass container at room temperature. They should stay fresh for at least 5 days.
Freezing the cookies
These cookies are super easy to store, since they're stable but soft enough that they don't freeze completely solid. Place the baked cookies in a freezer-safe zip-top bag, and squeeze as much air out as possible. They should stay fresh in the freezer for up to 4 months. Defrost at room temperature or one at a time in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
FAQs
Always use gel food coloring in baking, unless you're tinting a liquid. Gel food coloring is highly-pigmented and has very little liquid, so it doesn't change the moisture balance in your baked goods. You would need to use so much liquid food coloring to tint the cookies red that they would taste bitter and the dough would be too wet to shape.
Red velvet has a light cocoa flavor with richness from the vanilla extract and a slight tanginess.
Yes! Before the step where you add the food coloring, separate the cookie dough into 2 parts. Add red gel food coloring to one, and green gel food coloring to the other. Follow the remainder of the recipe as directed, adding 3 ounces of chips to each half.
Red velvet cookies and “green velvet” cookies are perfect for Christmas cookie plates!
Did you beat the butter and sugar first until creamy before adding the other ingredients? If you began with melted or too-soft butter (if your butter is greasy, it's too soft), your cookies will spread more. If you used a butter alternative with too much liquid like a butter alternative in a tub that's mostly oil or Earth Balance buttery sticks, they will also spread too much. Try Melt or Miyoko's Creamery brand vegan butter next time!
Did you add enough red gel food coloring to your cookie dough? The color of the raw dough should be brighter than you want the baked cookies to be.
You may also have baked the cookies for too long or in a too-hot oven which can cause the food coloring to fade too rapidly and your cookies to be too crunchy and dark.
These cookies freeze really well once baked and cooled, and they also freeze really well as unbaked dough. When you freeze the unbaked balls of cookie dough, though, you will need to let them cool to room temperature naturally before baking or they won't spread enough during baking. If you freeze the baked cookies, you can help them defrost by microwaving them for about 15 seconds.
No, oat flour won't work in this recipe. You need a recipe developed specifically for oat flour, like our oat flour chocolate chip cookies. You can add some red gel food coloring to those cookies, though!
I prefer to store these cookies, once baked and cooled, at room temperature in a sealed container. For longer storage, rather than refrigerating, freeze them for up to 3 months.
Yes! You can use either Dutch or natural cocoa powder in these cookies. Dutch processed will make for a richer, smoother cookie flavor, but they both work well.
Yes, you can make the dough ahead of time, shape it and then freeze it. Let it come to cool room temperature before baking.
The cookies are done baking when they're set in the center, so they won't appear wet. They will still be very soft to the touch, so let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes or until firm before moving them at all.
Gluten Free Red Velvet Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter at cool room temperature (See Recipe Notes)
- 1 cup (218 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature
- Red gel food coloring Americolor brand is gluten free
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (please click thru for full info. on appropriate blends)
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch replace with more Cup4Cup if that is your all purpose gluten free flour blend
- 3 tablespoons (15 g) unsweetened cocoa powder natural or Dutch-processed
- 6 ounces white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper, and set them aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, place the butter, sugar, vinegar, vanilla, and salt and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add the baking soda, egg, and 1/8 teaspoon red gel food coloring. Beat on medium speed until fully combined.
- Add the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, and cocoa powder to the wet ingredients, and beat until combined.
- Beat in more red gel food coloring in very small amounts, if necessary, to reach a deep red color, as the color will fade during baking.
- If you're using a handheld mixer, you may see streaks of red color in the cookies. If so, knead the cookie dough with clean hands or mix it with a spoon until the color is fully uniform.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Using a medium spring-loaded ice cream scoop or two spoons, scoop the dough into about 20 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 tablespoonful. Roll each piece of dough into a ball.
- Place the balls of dough on the prepared baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart from one another.
- For slightly thicker cookies, chill the pieces of dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until mostly firm. Your cookies will also have a somewhat smoother top.
- Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 11 minutes, or until the cookies are just set in the center.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- These cookies freeze amazingly well when sealed in a freezer-safe container.
- The cookie dough itself can also be shaped, frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet and then stored in a zip-top bag in the freezer. Defrost to cool room temperature before baking.
Notes
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Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
GH says
Used different flour from that listed – one of the 1 to 1 replacements – and the cookies turned out fantastic. Really impressed!
Kim says
This was my first attempt using gel food coloring and I didn’t know how it would blend into the batter, but all good! I got more than 20 cookies, which makes everyone happy! Other than the color, which doesn’t even show a hint of pink or red, they’re perfect!
Nicole Hunn says
So glad to hear it, Kim! You really do need the raw batter to be quite red for the cookies to look red, not brown, for sure! Luckily, the color doesn’t affect the taste one way or the other. :)
Amy says
Wonderfully delicious!
Nicole Hunn says
So glad you enjoyed the cookies, Amy!
Jane says
Can I substitute 1/4 cup pumpkin puree for each egg?
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Jane, no I’m sorry I’m afraid that won’t work. For my suggestion, as I state in the post, to make these egg-free I recommend: “In place of the egg, you can try using a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel).”