Description
These red velvet cocoa cookies are soft, slightly gooey, and beautifully coated in a powdered sugar shell. They combine the classic flavors of red velvet with a rich cocoa base, brightened by a professional red food coloring for that signature color. Perfect for parties or a cozy treat with milk, these cookies are easy to prepare with simple ingredients and bake in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon professional red food coloring*
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Coating
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- granulated sugar (for rolling, quantity as needed)
Instructions
- Prepare oven and baking sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add eggs and flavorings: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then mix in the vanilla extract and professional red food coloring thoroughly until the batter attains a uniform color.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. This ensures there are no lumps and the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Mix dry and wet ingredients: Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients into the wet mixture and beat until just combined, being careful not to overmix to keep the cookies tender.
- Prepare coating bowls and scoop dough: Fill one bowl with granulated sugar and another with powdered sugar. Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion the dough into balls. First roll each dough ball in the granulated sugar, then coat thoroughly with powdered sugar to create a cracked sugar shell after baking.
- Arrange and bake cookies: Place cookie balls on the prepared baking sheet spaced about an inch apart. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 10 minutes, until the cookies have puffed and cracked on top but still remain slightly gooey in the center.
- Cool and serve: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Enjoy warm or at room temperature, ideally paired with a glass of milk.
Notes
- The intensity of red food coloring varies widely. This recipe uses Wilton professional red food coloring, which is highly pigmented. If using store-bought gel or liquid food coloring, you may need to increase the amount to achieve the desired vibrant color.
- For best results, use room temperature eggs to ensure smooth mixing.
- If you prefer crisper cookies, bake a minute or two longer, but watch carefully to avoid drying out.
- Rolling cookies first in granulated sugar then powdered sugar creates the distinctive crackled, sweet coating typical of this recipe.
