Dye-Free Red Velvet Cookies
These Dye-Free Red Velvet Cookies deliver the same rich, chocolate flavor you love in red velvet cake or cupcakes, but in an easy, homemade cookie. Made with fresh milled flour and sourdough, these cookies taste deeply chocolatey and feel perfectly balanced. White chocolate chips add just the right sweetness. Meanwhile, beet root powder gives them a classic red velvet color without artificial food dyes. The cookies bake up slightly crisp on the edges with a soft, chewy center.
Ingredients
- 180 grams soft white wheat 1 1/2 cup
- 30 grams cocoa powder 1/4 cup
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1-2 tbsp beet root optional, add till desired color
- 113 grams butter 1/2 cup
- 150 grams brown sugar 3/4 cup
- 50 grams cane sugar 1/4 cup
- 1 egg
- 125 grams sourdough starter 1/2 cup
- 6 grams vanilla extract 1 1/2 tsp
- 255 grams white chocolate chips 1 1/2 cups
Instructions
Dry Ingredients
- Start with milling your flour.
- Gently whisk together the soft white wheat, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and beet root powder. Set aside.
Wet Ingredients
- In a mixer cream room temperature butter and sugars together, for about 2 minutes, at medium speed.
- Add egg, sourdough starter, and vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl when necessary. Mix for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is soft and fluffy.
Combine
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture while the mixer is stirring at low speed. Stop mixing when the flour is just incorporated. Be careful not to over mix, otherwise, the cookies will be dense.
- Pour in the white chocolate chips and stir in by hand.
- I like to scoop the dough with a cookie scoop, then refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes before baking. For a longer ferment, refrigerate overnight. If shaping the cookies by hand, refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes first for easier rolling.
Bake
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350° F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the shaped cookie balls at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies at 350° for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are crispy and the center is just soft.
- Allow the Dye-Free Red Velvet Cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
While baking, the cookies will puff up. Once they cool, the cookies will flatten.
For a brighter red, you can adjust the amount of beet root, or use food coloring if not avoiding food dyes.