Vegan Red Velvet Cookies, Thin and Chewy

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Keyword: vegan red velvet cookies

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 10

dough chill time: 2

Total Time: 2 25

Servings:

Calories: 127kcal

Author: Cindy Rainey

Sink your teeth into vegan red velvet cookies, each one thin, chewy, and full of the beloved red velvet taste and hue. These cookies are a perfect blend of indulgence and simplicity, delicious on their own or enhanced with a light dusting of powdered sugar. For an added touch of sweetness, finish them off with a drizzle of vegan icing. Whether for a special event or a cozy night in, these vegan red velvet cookies are sure to be a hit with their rich flavor and striking appearance.

Print Recipe

Equipment

mixer
parchment paper for lining the pan and the cooking rack

Ingredients

Flax Egg/Sour Milk

4 teaspoons ground flax
4 Tablespoons plant milk
1 teaspoons white vinegar

Dry Ingredients

1¾ cups all purpose flour measured accurately, see blog post
2½ Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Fat, Sugar, and Wet Ingredients

½ cup vegan butter softened
¾ cup brown sugar packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons agave nectar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon gel red food coloring

Topping

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
Optional icing for the top see notes for suggestion

Instructions

(You will not be preheating your oven until after the dough has chilled. When you do, you will preheat at 350℉). Set your vegan butter out to soften if it isn't already soft. It should be cool but soft - not warm and melty.
Stir in the white vinegar into the plant milk. Let it sit for a minute or two Then stir in the flax egg. Set aside while you assembling the other ingredients.
4 teaspoons ground flax, 4 Tablespoons plant milk, 1 teaspoons white vinegar
Please see the blog post to learn how to accurately measure the flour. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
1¾ cups all purpose flour, 2½ Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
Add the softened vegan butter to a large bowl along with the brown sugar and granulated sugars. Beat until creamy, about 1 minute. Add in the flax egg/buttermilk mixture, agave nectar, and vanilla extract and continue mixing until all is incorporated. Once mixed, add the food coloring and beat until combined.
4 teaspoons ground flax, 4 Tablespoons plant milk, ½ cup vegan butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons agave nectar, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon gel red food coloring, 1 teaspoons white vinegar
Add in half of the flour mixture and mix until mostly incorporated. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough is formed. The dough will be sticky and soft at this point.
Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
I use a cookie scoop to portion out small dough balls. If you don't have a cookie scoop then portion out about one-and-a-half tablespoons at a time. Roll into balls with your hands and place the balls onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Leave room for spreading. I can get 12 cookies on my large cookie sheet. Refrigerate the remaining dough while the first batch is baking and repeat.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are slightly browned on the edges (which will be really hard to see) and are not jiggly when you move the baking sheet around.
Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a parchment-lined wire rack to cool completely.
While the cookies are cooling, sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. Use a sieve/mesh to make it even and pretty. See blog post for photos.

Notes

If you'd rather use a little icing sugar to drizzle on the top instead of the powdered sugar, you can use this vegan icing recipe, thin some vegan cream cheese frosting, or even open a can of frosting and melt it for a few seconds in the microwave. Duncan Hines frosting is typically vegan. Read the label first.

The intensity of red food dye varies. if, after mixing everything, you would like your cookies to be more red then mix in a little more. I highly recommend gel food coloring. Make sure your food coloring does not contain carmine for vegan compliance.

Keep these cookies stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze them.

Nutrition