Best Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies Recipe tastes like a cross between a brownie and a soft sugar cookie, with cocoa warmth, tangy vanilla, and snowy crinkles. It suits busy bakers, last-minute party planners, and kids who want to help, and you can mix, bake, and cool in about 20 minutes. I baked a batch at midnight after a school concert, and not a crumb survived the ride home.
Why Best Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies Recipe Is Worth It
Best Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies Recipe saves time while still giving you that tender chew, vivid color, and light cocoa flavor everyone loves. You stir a handful of pantry staples, scoop, bake, and watch them vanish.
You also get consistent results with less cleanup and plenty of room for twists. Toss in chips, roll in powdered sugar, or sandwich with cream cheese frosting for party-level cookies with weeknight effort.
These cookies bake up soft, chewy, and bright, and my family fought over the last one ★★★★★
Ingredients You Need
- 1 box red velvet cake mix, 15.25 ounces (Duncan Hines leans cocoa-forward; Betty Crocker bakes a touch softer; Pillsbury runs slightly sweeter)
- 2 large eggs, at room temp
- 1/3 cup neutral oil (canola or vegetable; swap melted unsalted butter for richer flavor and a bit more spread)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional, but it rounds out the flavor)
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chunks (optional; semisweet or dark chips work too)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar, in a shallow bowl, for rolling and crinkle tops (optional but pretty)
Optional quick cream cheese glaze:
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch of fine salt
Pantry shortcut callout: the boxed red velvet mix builds the base, so you skip measuring flour, sugar, and leaveners.
Sub notes:
- Use oil for chewier edges.
- Use melted butter for richer flavor and a lightly crisp rim.
- Swap chips with chopped white chocolate bars, M&M’s, or crushed freeze-dried raspberries.
Equipment:
- Large mixing bowl and sturdy spatula or hand mixer
- #40 cookie scoop or tablespoon measure
- Two rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment
- Wire rack for cooling
Quick Tips & substitutions
- Keep eggs at room temp so the dough mixes evenly and stays smooth.
- Use oil for max chew; use butter for richer flavor and a touch more spread.
- Want thick, puffy cookies with butter? Chill the dough 15 minutes before scooping.
- Roll balls heavily in powdered sugar for dramatic crinkles.
- Prefer no mess? Skip the sugar roll and press on chips after scooping.
- Bake just until edges set and centers look soft; they firm up as they cool.
- Make a dairy-free batch with oil and dairy-free chips.
- Go gluten free with a certified GF red velvet cake mix and check your mix-ins.
- Double the red color with a few drops of red gel if your brand looks pale.
- For jumbo cookies, scoop 3 tablespoons and add 2 to 3 minutes to bake time.
How to Make Best Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies Recipe
Preheat and line
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment to prevent sticking and easy cleanup.
Mix the dough
- Add cake mix, eggs, oil, and vanilla to a large bowl. Stir with a spatula until no dry pockets remain and the dough looks thick and glossy.
Fold in extras
- Fold in white chocolate chips or your favorite mix-ins. Stop mixing as soon as they look evenly distributed.
Scoop and coat
- Scoop 1.5 tablespoon portions and roll each into a smooth ball. Roll each ball in powdered sugar for that classic crinkle top.
Bake
- Set balls on the sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake 9 to 11 minutes until edges look set and tops show crackles while centers still look soft.
Cool and finish
- Let cookies rest on the sheet 2 minutes, then move them to a wire rack. Drizzle with cream cheese glaze once they cool, or leave them plain for lunchbox duty.
Variations
- Triple chip: mix white, milk, and dark chips for a sweet-salty finish.
- Cheesecake sandwich: spread cream cheese frosting between two cookies.
- Raspberry swirl: press a few freeze-dried raspberry bits on top before baking.
- Peppermint crunch: sprinkle crushed candy canes over warm cookies in winter.
- Cocoa lovers: add 2 teaspoons Dutch cocoa to the mix for deeper chocolate notes.
- Red velvet s’mores: top warm cookies with a square of chocolate and a toasted marshmallow.
Ways to Serve
- Stack on a platter with a bowl of cream cheese glaze for dipping.
- Pair with cold milk, hot coffee, or a vanilla latte.
- Crumble over vanilla ice cream or chocolate pudding.
- Tuck into lunchboxes or gift boxes with parchment between layers.
- Plate them with strawberries for a quick date-night dessert.
Storage
Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days with a slice of bread tucked in to keep them soft. Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months; thaw on the counter and warm them 3 minutes at 300°F if you want that fresh-baked feel. Freeze unbaked dough balls on a sheet, then bag them and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes. Store glaze in the fridge up to 1 week and drizzle right before serving.
Best Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the red velvet cake mix, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir with a spatula or mix with a hand mixer until no dry pockets remain and the dough is thick and glossy.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips or other mix-ins just until evenly distributed.
- Scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll each portion into a smooth ball. Roll each ball in powdered sugar to coat for a crinkle effect.
- Arrange dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges look set and the tops are crackled while the centers still appear soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the optional cream cheese glaze, whisk together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies before serving, if desired.
Notes
Approximate per cookie (24 cookies, without glaze): 135 calories; fat 6 g; saturated fat 1 g; carbohydrates 20 g; fiber 0 g; sugars 13 g; protein 2 g; sodium 150 mg.
With cream cheese glaze, values will be slightly higher. Actual nutrition will vary based on cake mix brand, type of oil, chocolate chips, added mix-ins, and cookie size.