My ideal red velvet cookies have to have a very noticeable hint of cocoa, not overly chocolatey, but enough for my tastebuds to instantly recognize that classic red velvet flavor. And these sourdough red velvet cookies definitely deliver. White chocolate chips add a beautiful contrast to the vibrant red cookie dough, along with pockets of creamy sweetness in every bite. They’re soft and chewy in the center, slightly crisp around the edges, and have just the right balance of tangy sourdough flavor, subtle cocoa, and toffee-like notes from the brown butter.
Red velvet cupcakes were the very first thing I learned how to bake right after I graduated college and moved out on my own. For the longest time, red velvet was my favorite go-to flavor, so these sourdough red velvet cookies feel like a little nod to the beginning of my baking journey. But now, with a little sourdough twist!
Key ingredients
❤️ For a deep vibrant red color, you have to use red food color in this recipe. If you are at all against using food coloring, this recipe is not for you because it does contain 2 whole tablespoons of liquid red food color.
Gel food color may reduce the amount you need but I tested this recipe with liquid food color because that’s what I typically use in my red velvet cakes and cupcakes. Substituting the type of food color will alter the texture of the cookies and I don’t recommend it unless you are willing to take the risk of experimenting.
Other key ingredients:
- Cocoa powder – Similar to my sourdough chocolate cookies, I start with dutch-process cocoa powder, not too much, just enough for a noticeable hint of chocolate. I’ve always preferred dutch-process cocoa because it gives you a deeper, richer chocolate flavor. But in this case of these red velvet cookies, both dutch-process and natural cocoa will work.
- Brown butter – browning the butter removes water in the butter to make room for the extra moisture you’ll add in the form of sourdough discard. This is what I do in almost all of my sourdough cookie recipes to minimize water in the cookie dough, and to add a nutty toffee-like flavor profile making them extra delicious.
- Sourdough discard – or ripe sourdough starter will also work. This adds that subtle tang to your cookies, as well as moisture. My sourdough discard is always at 100% hydration.
- Egg yolk – I recommend only using egg yolk to make sourdough cookies extra chewy. Using whole eggs will make them more cakey.
How to make it + tips
Follow along visually as we make these red velvet sourdough discard cookies. Or you can skip ahead, detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
1. Make brown butter
Make brown butter and let it cool in your stand mixer bowl ahead of time. It’s okay if it resolidifies.
2. Cream butter with sugar
Beat cooled brown butter with brown and granulated sugar for 2 minutes until light in color.
3. Add remaining wet ingredients
Beat egg yolks, sourdough discard, red food color and vanilla with the butter/sugar mixture for another 2 minutes until creamy and fluffy. Don’t be afraid to beat this for a long time to emulsify the mixture well.
4. Incorporate dry ingredients
Typically, you’d want to mix the dry ingredients together first and then add it to the wet mixture. But my lazy girl method is to sift flour, cocoa powder and baking soda directly into the bowl (save a dirty bowl), then sprinkle the kosher salt on top. I found this works just fine! You don’t need to mix the dough super thoroughly in this step, stir until just combined is good enough.
5. Stir in white chocolate chips
This step will further mix the dough, that’s why it’s not necessary to mix super thoroughly in step 4. Also, you should avoid over-mixing cookie dough to minimize gluten formation which will make cookies tough.
6. Divide the dough and chill
I found my 3-tablespoon cookie scoop gives the perfect size cookies. I recommend scooping them out while the dough is still soft, then pop them into the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour. This will allow the butter to fully resolidify which curb spreading and let the cookie flavor develop. Don’t skip!
7. Bake
Bake 6 cookies to a baking tray. These tend to spread quite nicely, so you don’t need to reshape them. But if you need to, just use a spatula or a large cookie cutter to scoot them into perfect circles as soon as they come out of the oven. Don’t over bake, you’ll want the middle to still be slightly gooey when you take them out. Cool on the baking sheet for 15 mins before moving them to a wire rack.
These cookies would be a great treat for Valentine’s Day. Pair them with my sourdough matcha cookies and you’ll have the perfect Christmas color palette too. Enjoy!
Sourdough Red Velvet Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Baking Sheet
- Cookie Scoop
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 227 grams (8 oz) unsalted butter brown
- 200 grams (1 cup) brown sugar
- 100 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 10 grams (2 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
- 100 grams sourdough starter discard 100% hydration
- 32 grams (2 tablespoon) liquid red food color
- 240 grams (2 cup) all-purpose flour scant 2 cup
- 26 grams (¼ cup) cocoa powder
- 6 grams (1 teaspoon) baking soda
- 6 grams (1 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 259 grams (1 ½ cup) white chocolate chip
Instructions
- Brown the butter – Heat unsalted butter in a light colored saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, it will become foamy. When the foam subsides, you will see clear bubbles, start whisking continuously at this point to keep the milk solids from burning. When the butter is caramel in color and smells nutty – about 8 to 9 minutes – take it off the heat and immediately pour it into the stand mixer bowl and allow to cool.227 grams unsalted butter
- Beat in sugar – Once the butter has cooled down, add both granulated sugar and brown sugar to it. Beat with the paddle attachment for at least 2 minutes until light in color.200 grams brown sugar, 100 grams granulated sugar
- Incorporate sourdough starter – Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, sourdough starter, red food color and continue beating for at least another 2 minutes until fluffy and creamy.2 large egg yolks, 10 grams pure vanilla extract, 100 grams sourdough starter discard, 32 grams liquid red food color
- Add dry ingredients – Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking soda directly into the wet ingredient mixture in the stand mixer bowl. Sprinkle kosher salt on top and stir until incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.240 grams all-purpose flour, 26 grams cocoa powder, 6 grams baking soda, 6 grams kosher salt
- Add mix-ins – Add the white chocolate chips and stir to distribute evenly. Stop the mixer and use a spatula to scrape the side and bottom of the bowl to ensure good distribution of chocolate chips throughout the cookie dough.259 grams white chocolate chip
- Scoop and chill – Portion the cookie dough with a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop and place them on a lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 days, before baking. Chilling the dough is essential to allow the butter to re-solidify, the flour to hydrate and the flavor to develop!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake – Place 6 dough balls on a baking sheet, and bake 1 batch at a time for about 13 minutes and 30 seconds, until the edges are set and the middle of the cookie is still slightly underbaked.
- Cool – Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet to finish baking from the residual heat for 10-15 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Storing cookie dough: The cookie dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 6 months, once portioned.
- Baking frozen dough: You can bake frozen dough balls without thawing, simply increase baking time by 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Storing baked cookies: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for 3-5 days to keep them fresh. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
