Healthy Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are perfect for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, the 4th of July… Or any day you’re craving red velvet treats! These cookies are supremely soft and chewy with the perfect iconic chocolaty vanilla red velvet flavor, and they have lots of rich chocolate morsels sprinkled throughout every bite. True cookie perfection! Leftovers will keep for at least three days if stored in an airtight container on the counter or at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup + 1 tbsp (97g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 3 tbsp (15g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 tbsp + 2 tsp (40mL) unsweetened vanilla almond milk, room temperature
- 2 ½ tsp liquid red food coloring (see Notes!)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (96g) coconut sugar
- 3 tbsp (42g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter, milk, red food coloring, and vanilla extract. Stir in the coconut sugar. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in 2 ½ tablespoons of miniature chocolate chips. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Drop the cookie dough into 12 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet using a spoon and spatula. Gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 350°F for 9-12 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Remember to measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of either will dry out your cookie dough and make your cookies taste cakey, bready, or dry. Too much cocoa powder may also make your cookies taste bitter.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. Oat flour or regular whole wheat flour may be substituted in a pinch, but the cookies will have detectable “oat-y” or “wheat-y” taste, respectively.
COCOA POWDER NOTE: Do not use Dutched or special dark cocoa powder! They’re less acidic than regular cocoa powder, so the texture and flavor of these cookies won’t be the same.
COCONUT OIL NOTE: If using coconut oil, the cookies may have a faintly detectable coconut flavor.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
RED FOOD COLORING NOTES: Regular red food coloring (like this) will give the brightest color. Liquid “natural” red food coloring may also be used, but the color will be more of a mahogany shade. I have not tried anything else (i.e. gel food coloring) and don’t know how other options will turn out. I haven’t had good luck with other natural options (beets, pomegranates, etc).
For another clean eating option, replace the red food coloring with milk or water.
COCONUT SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: Light brown sugar may be substituted for the coconut sugar.
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: Use store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one!) for the gluten-free option, but make sure you measure them carefully, like this!
EGG FREE, DAIRY FREE + VEGAN OPTION: For a truly dairy-free and vegan version, use the coconut oil option (or stick-style vegan butter, such as Earth Balance) and certified dairy-free + vegan mini chocolate chips. These are my favorites!
DOUBLING: This recipe is easily doubled!
HOW TO STORE: Leftovers will keep for at least three days if stored in an airtight container on the counter or at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They freeze and thaw really well too!
{gluten-free, vegan, egg-free, dairy-free, clean eating option, low fat}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.