Alright, let’s be honest—Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and while everyone’s out here planning elaborate dates, buying overpriced roses, or trying to live up to some Martha Stewart-worthy Valentine’s meal (newsflash: they never do), I’m over here planning cookies. Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies, to be exact. Because, if you ask me, the best way to show someone you love them is with sugar, butter, and a lot of chocolate. Oh, and a dash of "Look how impressive I am" without actually trying.

Let’s talk about this cookie for a second. Red velvet is basically the Beatles of desserts—timeless, a little dramatic, and yet somehow still completely approachable. Throw in some white chocolate chips for extra sweetness and a bit of contrast, and you’ve got a cookie that says, “I love you” in a way that makes people think you’ve spent hours slaving in the kitchen. Spoiler alert: you won’t have to.

These cookies are impressive but SO easy, you might wonder if you accidentally discovered the secret to life. Plus, they’ve got that beautiful red color that screams "Valentine’s Day!" (without the pressure of actually buying anyone a gift). So, let’s dive into this treat because I have a serious cookie crush right now.

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp dutch process cocoa powder (trust me, the dutch process cocoa flavor makes this)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed (because brown sugar gives you that extra chewy goodness)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 tsp red gel food coloring (because you have to go bold, people)
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or more, because why not?)
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (more chocolate=more love!)

Instructions:

1. Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Put that bowl aside like it’s no big deal. You’re not trying to impress anyone with your flour-mixing skills, just the end result.
2. Melt the butter and mix in the sugars: Grab a big old wooden spoon and, in a large bowl combine the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together for about 2 minutes (your arm may feel this one) until everything is fully combined and a little lighter color. Now, add in the egg and vanilla extract, and beat again until everything is fully combined. Don’t rush this part—it’s like giving your dough a moment to shine.
3. Add the color: This is the fun part, where you make your dough look like it’s straight out of a Hallmark card. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of red gel food coloring. (Note: Gel food coloring is key here. Liquid food coloring is fine, but gel is where you get that intense, bold red hue without messing up the dough’s texture.) Mix it in, and watch as your dough transforms into the Valentine’s Day fantasy you always dreamed of. Don’t worry if it looks too dramatic, it’s all going to work out!
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. This is why we’re using that wooden spoon. Overmixing is a rookie mistake. We’re going for perfectly imperfect, like that casual yet flawless look you’ve mastered when wearing sweatpants in public.
5. Fold in the white and dark chocolate chips: Gently fold in the chocolate chips. Don’t just dump them in like you’re tossing trash into a bin—treat these chips like they’re the VIPs of the cookie world. They deserve respect. If you want to set some aside to add to the top just before baking, that’s totally fine.
6. Scoop and chill. Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to drop rounded balls of dough onto a wax paper lined baking sheet. They can be close together at this stage because they need to chill for an hour. They can go overnight if you’ve got the time.
7. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. We’re fancy like that, making cleanup easier. Also, it gives the cookies a chic, bakery-like vibe.
8. Time to bake! Take your pretty cookie balls out of the fridge and arrange them on your prepped baking sheets. Leave a couple of inches between each cookie. You don’t want them to make too many new friends and merge into a cookie blob (unless you’re into that, no judgment). Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft. The key here is that you want them to stay chewy—nobody needs a cookie that doubles as a rock.
9. Cool and devour: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks (or your counter, because let’s be real, you don’t have time for racks). Once cooled, you’ll have a tray full of gorgeous, red velvet beauties that’ll make your loved ones say, “Wow, you’re amazing!” They might not say that out loud, but trust me, their stomachs will.

Why These Cookies Are the Best Valentine’s Day Gift (Besides Chocolate, Probably)

Look, I know everyone says you should buy flowers or write poetry or some other romantic nonsense. (You do know Valentine’s Day was invented by Halmark, right?) But if you really want to show someone you care, you’ve got to speak their love language: cookies. Honestly, who’s going to remember that $50 bouquet of roses by next week? But these cookies? People will be talking about them until next Valentine’s Day. And you didn’t even have to break a sweat.

If you’re giving these to your family, your friends, or your special someone (or, let’s be real, your cat, but she wont eat them because she’s a picky little feline), they’ll appreciate the effort you put in. And by “effort,” I mean you mixed a few things together and popped them in the oven. Genius level stuff right here.

So, this Valentine’s Day, forget about over-the-top grand gestures. Bake some of these Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies, and show the people you love that you care about them in the most delicious way possible. After all, nothing says “I love you” like cookies—unless it’s cookies with a side of white chocolate. Then it says, “I love you so much, I made these for you even though I haven’t figured out what to get you yet.”

Enjoy, my fellow cookie connoisseurs! 🍪