Gluten Free Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies | Soft & Chewy

5 from 8 votes

Prep Time : 10 minutes

Cook Time : 11 minutes

Celebrate the holidays or anytime with these gluten free red velvet chocolate chip cookies. They're incredibly soft and chewy, and so pretty to look at.

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These thick, soft and chewy gluten free red velvet chocolate chip cookies have just the right red velvet taste in a portable cookie form—with the preparation ease of a drop cookie. Celebrate the season!

Why these are the best gluten free red velvet chocolate chip cookies

There’s something about the hint of cocoa, the red color, the slight tang from some apple cider vinegar and just the right amount of white chocolate chips that makes these cookies … just my thing.

And, of course, since they’re soft batch, they really do taste like they’re just right out of the oven. But without the ooey gooeyness. I like my cookies to stay together, and cookies that are actually right out of the oven? They don’t do that.

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!

Red velvet lovers and haters

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 really red. Ruby red.

It doesn’t change the taste, of course (because that would be gross), but it does change my eating experience. If you don’t want/can’t have the food coloring? Leave it out. These gluten free red velvet chocolate chip cookies are based on my recipe for gluten free soft batch CCCs, but—I’m gonna say it—better. 

Baking with food coloring

If you refuse to use food coloring in your kitchen under any circumstances, skip this section—and skip the food coloring in this recipe! It doesn’t affect the taste at all (when you do it right). Please, no campaigns in the comments to save the rest of us from the evils of food coloring. ?

For the rest of us, let’s talk about which food coloring to use and when. I rarely use anything other than gel food coloring, which is a concentrated food coloring in gel form. Using gel food coloring means that you never have to add so much of the stuff that it changes the chemistry—and taste—of your baked goods. 

Is Wilton food coloring gluten free?

No! 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) for a few reasons.

First, that kit has great basic colors like blue, red, yellow and green. Second, the bottles are small, but they have a flip top that allows you to squeeze the coloring out in small amounts. If you purchase the colors that come in bottles with screw-on lids, you will get the color everywhere each time you use it. 

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 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. If you watch the video, you’ll see what I mean.

Red velvet chocolate chip cookies: team chewy or team crispy?

I love all cookies. I do not discriminate. But normally my love language is a super crispy cookie. Crispy cookies become crispy because of the balance of flour-sugar-eggs-vanilla ingredients in the recipe. But also because they’re allowed to brown at a low oven temperature and very slowly. 

But red velvet cookies aren’t going to be red if they are crispy, not without adding so much food coloring that you’re bound to taste it (and not in a good way). The intense browning would lead to a very faded red color otherwise. 

That’s why red velvet cookies are best made super thick like these soft batch-style cookies. They’re also lovely as red velvet crinkle cookies, which are a family favorite, too. 

If you normally don’t like soft and chewy cookies, or maybe you’re all about the crispy on the outside, chewy inside like our Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookies, you really should still give these red velvet cookies a try. They’re like the chocolate cookie for vanilla lovers like my son—and they just look so impressive on a holiday table.

Tips for making perfect red velvet chocolate chip cookies

Choosing 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 gf flour blend, and you can of course use my mock Better Batter blend.

If you choose a higher starch blend, like Cup4Cup, please be sure to replace the added cornstarch in the recipe with more Cup4Cup. Otherwise, it’s just way too much starch and your cookies won’t spread or even really bake properly.

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!

Make sure to use cocoa powder, not hot cocoa mix

You can use either natural or Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but be sure you’re not using hot cocoa mix, which has other added ingredients like sugar and milk powder.

Red velvet chocolate chip cookies: ingredients and substitutions

Dairy free, gluten free red velvet cookies

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 a traditional margarine, and baked goods spread a lot in the oven.

If you can’t find dairy-free white chocolate chips, just use dairy-free semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. 

Egg free, gluten free red velvet chocolate chip cookies

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).

Gluten free, vegan red velvet cookies

If you’d like to make these cookies vegan, just use the dairy and egg substitutions described above. You’ll have vegan cookies.

Gluten free, nut free red velvet chocolate chip cookies

This cookie recipe, as written, is already nut free. Enjoy!

Corn free, gluten free red velvet white chocolate chip cookies

This one’s easy! In place of cornstarch, you can use arrowroot.

Is there an alternative to artificial red food coloring?

Luckily, there are now lots of natural food coloring alternatives available. Some are even gel, which means that you’re able to add enough color without watering down the recipe.

I don’t know if any of them are gluten free, though. If you can’t use Americolor gel food coloring in their red, I would honestly just leave it out. The cookies will still appear slightly red because of the limited amount of cocoa powder added.

Vinegar substitution

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)
• M&Ms (especially for holidays; they’re gluten free in the U.S. but do your research!)

How to store white chocolate chip red velvet cookies

Storing red velvet chocolate chip cookies

For short term storage, place these lovely cookies in a sealed glass container at room temperature. They should stay fresh for at least 5 days.

Freezing homemade red velvet cookies

These cookies are super easy to store, since they’re stable but soft enough that they don’t freeze completely solid. Just make sure they’re completely cool before you freeze them, or you’ll end up with ice crystals when the heat evaporates and freezes.

FAQs

Are red velvet chocolate chip cookies gluten free?

No! Most red velvet chocolate chip cookies are made with conventional, gluten-containing flour. This special recipe is for gluten free red velvet chocolate chip cookies.

Which is better for red velvet chocolate chip cookies: liquid food coloring or gel food coloring?

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.

How do I decorate red velvet cake cookies for the holidays?

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 and “green velvet” cookies are perfect for Christmas cookie plates!

Why did my red velvet drop cookies come out so crunchy?

You may have baked them too long and/or in a too-hot oven. You want them to melt slowly from balls into cookies in a 350°F oven.

Why did my baked cookies spread so much?

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.

How to make gluten free red velvet cookies, step by step

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Gluten Free Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies | Soft & Chewy

Celebrate the holidays or anytime with these gluten free red velvet chocolate chip cookies. They're incredibly soft and chewy, and so pretty to look at.

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 11 minutes

Yield: 21 cookies

Author: Nicole Hunn

Equipment

• Hand mixer or stand mixer

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter at cool room temperature, chopped
• 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
• 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter)
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
• ¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons (15 g) unsweetened cocoa powder natural or Dutch-processed
• Red gel food coloring
• 6 ounces white chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper, and set them aside.
• Beat butter, sugar, vinegar, vanilla, salt well. Add baking soda and egg and beat until combined.
• Add flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and 1/8 teaspoon gel food coloring and beat until combined.
• Work the gel food coloring into the wet ingredients in the center of the bowl to avoid streaks of red color in the cookies. The color should be a relatively deep red color, as it will fade during baking.
• Add more food coloring in very small amounts, if necessary, to reach the desired color.
• Add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
• Scoop the dough into about 21 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 tablespoonsful, then roll each 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

Originally published in 2014. Recipe reformulated to be made with all butter in 2021.

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Gluten Free Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies | Soft & Chewy

Celebrate the holidays or anytime with these gluten free red velvet chocolate chip cookies. They're incredibly soft and chewy, and so pretty to look at.

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 11 minutes

Yield: 21 cookies

Author: Nicole Hunn

Equipment

• Hand mixer or stand mixer

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter at cool room temperature, chopped
• 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
• 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter)
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
• ¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons (15 g) unsweetened cocoa powder natural or Dutch-processed
• Red gel food coloring
• 6 ounces white chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper, and set them aside.
• Beat butter, sugar, vinegar, vanilla, salt well. Add baking soda and egg and beat until combined.
• Add flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and 1/8 teaspoon gel food coloring and beat until combined.
• Work the gel food coloring into the wet ingredients in the center of the bowl to avoid streaks of red color in the cookies. The color should be a relatively deep red color, as it will fade during baking.
• Add more food coloring in very small amounts, if necessary, to reach the desired color.
• Add the chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
• Scoop the dough into about 21 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 tablespoonsful, then roll each 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

Originally published in 2014. Recipe reformulated to be made with all butter in 2021.