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! 🍪

Gingersnap cookies. They’re not flashy or as popular as a big fat chocolate chip cookie or a stack of Oreos (because NOBODY eats just one Oreo). But weirdo that I am, I’ve loved them since I was a kid. In fact, I’m pretty sure gingersnaps were the only cookies allowed on my mom’s diet, so they were around. I think there was a bag of those spicy little nuggets in the house at all times and when you’re a sugar loving girl, you know exactly where they’re hidden.

My mom never made gingersnaps, it was always a bag that we picked up at the store. I didn’t even think of making them until I was reading a Joanna Fluke mystery and it had the recipe in it. What? I could make them. Woo Hoo! Now Ivy and her brother get to try them! They’re way better home made and I’m totally not on a diet. So it’s full on treat time. Isn’t it funny how something so simple can carry so much nostalgia? I’m sure I could bake fancy macarons or gluten-free quinoa-chia granola bars or whatever, but no, no, gingersnaps it is. Why? Because they’re the ultimate comfort cookie. The perfect combination of spicy and sweet, crunchy and chewy. Plus, I mean, they’re just fun to eat…I mean make.

I don’t want you to miss out on this lovely little underrated cookie. So, in the spirit of "why not share the love," I’m here to pass on the recipe to you, my dears. If you’re looking for a quick and easy cookie recipe that will leave you feeling a little nostalgic (and maybe slightly more mature than the 5-year-old you were when you first tasted them), well, here you go.

Now, we’re all friends here. I’ve always had luck with these turning out pretty and round, but if yours aren’t so pretty, they’ll still taste amazing, I promise!

Inspired by Joanna Fluke’s Regency Ginger Crisps

Murder and cookies…I mean, could anything be cozier? 😂

All you’re going to need is one bowl, a wooden spoon, some stamina and you’re on your way to the perfect cozy treat.

Classic Gingersnap Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup melted buter
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar (if you've only got light, it'll still work)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• Optional: A pinch of cayenne pepper for some extra kick (because we’re adults now, right?)
• 1/2 cup white or turbinado sugar for coating the dough

Instructions:

1. Don't preheat the oven yet! Something magical happens when you let these cool in the fridge.  Trust me on this!
2. Melt the butter. In a large bowl, melt the butter in the microwave.  Stir in the sugar until it's completely combined.  This is where you get your workout in.  It takes about 2 minutes working that wooden spoon to fully combine.
3. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla.  Did you think you were done stirring?  HA!  Add your liquid team and stir until fully combined. That molasses smell is going to be AMAZING, so take a moment to breathe it in. We’re almost there.
4. Add all the dry ingredients (baking soda through flour). Dump the whole dry team in with the wet team and stir until you don't see any random streaks of flour.
5. Shape the dough. I use a small ice cream scoop to scoop up the yummy dough, then roll them in a little extra granulated sugar. Yes, you are now a sugar-covered, gingersnap-making wizard.
6. Chill! Place the cookie balls on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. You don't need to space them, they're going to head into the fridge for at least 1 hour (overnight is great too).
7. Bake! Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and get a couple of cookie sheets ready with parchement paper.  Place the cookie balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden. You want them crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Trust your gut; they’ll be perfect.
8. Cool and enjoy. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. Then, eat them. And eat some more. (Don’t worry, no one will judge you.)

I really hope you give these a try. What some call old fashioned, I call classic and these need to get passed down to generation after generation. Because gingersnaps aren’t just cookies—they’re memories. Crunchy, spicy, and sweet memories.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a batch to bake—and maybe a glass of milk to dunk them in.

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