This easy-to-follow recipe transforms a classic red velvet cake mix into chewy, vibrant red velvet cookies that are loaded with white chocolate chips and perfect for any occasion. Best of all, they’re made with just 4 ingredients!
Table of Contents
Three words: Cake mix cookies.
Yes, you read that correctly. Yes, you can use any type of red velvet cake mix. And yes, these will be the softest, chewiest, most chocolate chip-filled cookies to ever cross your lips. So preheat your oven, make sure the milk is ice-cold, and read on for this quick and easy cookie recipe that marries red velvet cake flavor with chocolate chip cookie perfection.
During my appearance on The Rachael Ray Show, these cookies stole the spotlight. Rachael Ray’s reaction? “They’re insane! They’re so beautiful!”
What’s to Love
- These cookies couldn’t be easier to make, requiring only four ingredients. And just imagine the endless flavor combinations with other cake mixes, including chocolate chip cake mix cookies and festive Grinch cookies!
- They’re perfect for every occasion! Picture these festive cookies on your Christmas cookie platter or tucked inside a Valentine’s Day cookie box. Or, whip a batch for any ol’ day when you’re craving something sweet!
- Each bite is soft, moist and wonderfully chewy.
- Loaded with white chocolate chips. If you love white chocolate chips, try my recipe for white chocolate cheesecake cookies next!
Boxed cake mix is the ultimate time-saving hack for cookies (and even banana bread!). It has all the essential dry ingredients you need – flour, sugar and leavening agents – to create the base for this tasty dessert. Simply mix in your wet ingredients, and you’ll have soft and chewy red velvet cookies in no time! Let’s take a closer look at what you’ll need:
- Red velvet cake mix: Any brand of red velvet boxed cake mix will work as long as it weighs 15.25 ounces. I prefer the cake mixes that include pudding in the mix, as the resulting cookies are even softer and chewier in texture.
- Vegetable oil: The use of oil, as opposed to butter, contributes to a softer and more chewy texture in the cookies.
- Eggs: Act as a binding agent in the cookie dough, helping to hold the ingredients together.
- White chocolate chips: Add a sweet and creamy contrast to the rich flavors of the red velvet cookie dough. Milk or dark chocolate chips work, too!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
The real trick to ensuring cake mix cookies maintain their soft and chewy texture is the same technique I use for my bakery-style M&M cookies: You must chill the dough. A quick burst of cool air allows the ingredients to cozy up to one another and work their magic. So don’t skip that crucial step!
- Combine ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the red velvet cake mix, vegetable oil and eggs. Mix the ingredients together until you achieve a smooth, well-incorporated dough.
- Add white chocolate chips. Gently fold the white chocolate chips into the red velvet cookie dough.
- Chill the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 45 minutes.
- Scoop and bake. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. Arrange the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes or until they’re slightly crisped around the edges and still soft in the center.
- Cool and enjoy. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a rack to cool completely. This helps the cookies set while maintaining their chewy texture.
Pro Tip: Ever wondered how your local bakery achieves those flawlessly round cookies? It’s simple! Just after taking the cookies out of the oven, grab a large circular ring or glass. Gently place it on top of each cookie and rotate it in a circular motion, allowing the edges of the cookie to meet the sides of the ring. This easy technique ensures that every red velvet cookie is perfectly circular in shape.
- Room Temp Eggs: Bring your eggs to room temperature before incorporating them into the dough.
- Chill the Dough: One of the secrets to achieving the ideal cookie texture is to chill the dough before baking. This step allows the fat in the dough to resolidify, ensuring that your cookies hold their shape as they bake.
- Use Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent the cookies from sticking and to make cleanup easier.
Once cooled, store your red velvet white chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days. If stacking cookies in a container, place parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together.
The cookie dough is freezer-friendly and can be stored for up to 3 months. For convenient baking later on, I recommend scooping the dough into balls before freezing. When you’re ready to bake, there’s no need to thaw—just place the frozen dough balls on a baking sheet and add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Common Questions
Feel free to get creative with mix-ins! Substitute white chocolate chips with dark or milk chocolate chips or even your favorite chopped nuts.
I recommend using vegetable oil for its ability to keep the cookies moist. However, you can experiment with melted butter for a slightly different texture and flavor.
Yes! The refrigeration period gives the ingredients a chance to bind. A cohesive dough is a better dough, and one that guarantees the cookies won’t spread too much while baking.
Red velvet cookies have a subtly chocolate flavor with a touch of tanginess. The intensity of the chocolate flavor might vary based on the specific cake mix you use.
- Red Velvet Brookies
- Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
- Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownie Bites
- Red Velvet Cupcakes with Piped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Red Velvet Pancakes with Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25-oz. or 13.25-oz.) box red velvet cake mix (See Kelly’s Note)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cake mix, oil and eggs until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 45 minutes.
- When ready to bake, scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. Arrange the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes or until they’re slightly crisped around the edges and still soft in the center. (The cookies will puff up slightly while baking but then settle as they cool. All ovens vary in temperature, so check the cookies at 12 minutes then continue baking if needed.)
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a rack to cool completely. Repeat the baking process with the remaining dough, allowing the baking sheet to cool completely between each batch.
Kelly’s Notes
- Any brand of red velvet boxed cake mix will work. I prefer the cake mixes that include pudding in the mix, as the resulting cookies are even softer and chewier in texture.
- One of the secrets to achieving the ideal cookie texture is to chill the dough before baking. This step allows the fat in the dough to resolidify, ensuring that your cookies hold their shape as they bake.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Hi Kelly,
I’ve used your recipe for Monster Cookies a few times, and always a big hit.
Interesting note about this (Red Velvet Cookies) recipe: Even though your note says make sure the cake mix is 15.25 oz, in the photo of the ingredients, the box is 13.25 oz.
Hi Paul! The weight of the cookie boxes changes slightly over time (and depending on the brand). You can definitely still make this recipe with BOTH a 15.25 oz. and a 13.25 oz. box of cake mix. Will update the text accordingly. Enjoy!
These cookies looks amazing! Since you wrote the recipe, the Betty Crocker mix is now only 13.25 oz….. is there any adjustment that I need to make, to the other ingredients, in order to have the same results?
No adjustment needed, Dorit! It won’t change the recipe at all. Enjoy!
I’ve made it today and left in the freezer for a lit bit and it was easier to slice. It’s delicious soft in the center and crunch on sides.
The box of cake here in Australia is much smaller so I used 1 egg and 1/3 cup oil it worked perfectly.
Thanks
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Which cookbook has the fed velvet cookie recipe?
Hi Ellie! You can find the recipe for the cookies above. My cookbook, The Secret Ingredient Cookbook, features 125 brand-new family-friendly recipes. Here’s the Amazon link in case you’re interested in purchasing a copy: https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Ingredient-Cookbook-Family-Friendly-Surprisingly/dp/0358353971/ :)
I ran right out after seeing Rachel Ray this week and made them … lol my husband was like, “I thought we were on a diet??” … they are super fast, easy and delicious (and I agree w the comment below that batter was very thick / hard to mix w mixer but chilling really helped) Agree w Maria that hand mixing may be best. It is an epiphany to not have to soften butter and measure ingredients!
BUT… did I read the guesstimated nutritional info correctly? 229 calories PER cookie? So the 4 cookies I scarfed down immediately after making them was almost 1000 calories?
Rut roh!!!
Thanks so much for tuning in to the Rachael Ray segment, Dee! The calories depends on the brand of cake mix you use and the cookie size, so it’s just an estimate :)
I have purchase her cooking bookbook today by Amazon.
How I can get the recipe for the Cockie candy cone recipe and the Christmas tree
Thank you kindly
Hi Judith! Here’s the link to all of my Christmas Recipes: https://www.justataste.com/christmas-recipes/ :)
Hi Kelly,
I just made the cookies today and they taste great. But the batter was very difficult to mix.
The ingredients did not want to blend, and the batter itself was extremely sticky. It all clogged up in the beaters and I had to constantly raise the beaters up to release the batter. Then little splatters of batter went all over the place. When it was finally mixed it was so sticky and I couldn’t get it off the beaters and spatula. And I don’t know how you rolled it into balls. It stuck to itself and my hands so I just spooned them out. The cookies are good but what did I do wrong?
Hi Mary! There are a couple of factors that may have attributed to this, such as the ingredients being too warm or there wasn’t enough flour (read: the boxed cake mix was less than 15.25-oz.). Chilling the dough thoroughly will help make it easier to scoop it.
I chilled it overnight. I’m almost positive the mix was 15.25 oz, but will check again. I made a double recipe; could that have caused a problem?
Hi Mary – What issue did you have with the recipe?
Hello Kelly, I love making this cookie recipe for my family, as they are so delicious and so easy to make! My one recommendation is to not use an electric mixer at all – just hand mix with a spatula; that way nothing will stick or splatter. It’s not hard to stir by hand. Thanks for the great recipe.
Thanks for your tip, Maria! I’m thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe!
They’re great !! Thanks for the recipe :)
You’re so welcome, Annie! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
Red velvet cake mix cookies are awesome thank you for the recipe
You are so welcome, Tommy! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
Can this be done with any cake mix?
Hi there! I’ve only made this particular recipe with a red velvet-flavored cake mix.
Cake mix cookies have become a quick go to in our house and this version is the bomb. Great in red color and the white chocolate chips give the right pop of sweetness. We love them!
I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Nicholas!
I’ve made it but the cookies were flat I don’t know what could have happened.. they tasted very nice though but they were not as chunky as the photo… can i use butter instead of the oik? If i will no so how much butter will i use in substitution of the 1/2 cup of veg oil?
Hi there! I’ve never tried that substitution so I’m not certain.
What size balls for this cookie? I I have pampered chef small & med scout?
Hi Paula! As noted in the recipe above, you’ll want to scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough to roll into a ball.
May I know how long can this cookie last? Can this cookie be made for selling?
Hi Rosaline! They’ll stay fresh for about 5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temp.
I’ve made these 3 – 4 times in the past and they’ve been SUCH a huge hit! These are a great go-to when you’re looking for a red-colored dessert.
Woohoo! I’m so thrilled you’re enjoying the recipe, Amanda!