Name: Chewy Gluten-Free Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 28 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Butter (softened); 1 cup Light brown sugar (packed); ½ cup Granulated sugar; 2 Large eggs; 1 1/2 Tbsp Buttermilk; 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 1 cup Sorghum flour; 1 cup Brown rice flour; 1/4 cup Cocoa; 1/4 cup Coconut flour; 1 tsp Xanthan gum; 1 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Baking soda; ½ tsp Baking powder; Red food colouring; 2 cup Milk chocolate chips (1 bag)

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This Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cookies recipe makes cookies that are rich, chewy, and loaded with chocolate chips. Great texture - no one will know they're gluten-free!

Originally posted on December 15, 2021, Updated on 12/14/2023.

It’s been a long time since I’ve developed a new gluten-free cookie recipe, huh?

Well, now it’s the holiday season, there’s green and red everywhere, and I’ve been in the mood to BAKE... so here we are with a festive christmas cookie!

I got it in my head that I wanted to make a gluten-free red velvet cookie recipe.

Thick and chewy.

With chocolate chips.

Proper red velvet, too - the right amount of cocoa, and with the inclusion of buttermilk, and done up in a festive red color

These cookies are basically a tasty, edible representation of the “I understood the assignment” meme:

Rich, thick, properly soft, JUST chocolatey enough, and super satisfying. Basically a classic red velvet cake, in cookie form!

Gluten-Free Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

Like my original gluten-free chocolate chip recipe, the combination of flours used in these easy red velvet cookies is absolutely perfect!

While all-purpose flours are a little quicker to use, combining flours specific to a recipe can yield much better results.

In this case, the flours create a great final texture, and actually add to the flavour of the cookie - these have a more complex taste than their gluteny counterparts.

My original Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies ruined a few of my non-GF friends for wheat flour chocolate chip cookies, I have a feeling this recipe is about to do the same!

Anyway, while I tend to think of red velvet desserts as being the perfect treat for either Christmas or Valentine’s Day, the reality is that this easy cookie recipe is perfect anytime of the year!

Let's get to it, so you can be closer to putting on your own batch of cookies!

Note: Now I have a keto version of this recipe, which is also gluten-free! Keto Red Velvet Cookies

Ingredients

If you’ve done any of my gluten free baking before, you’ll find that this recipe uses fairly simple ingredients, most of which should be easy to find in most larger grocery stores.

A few notes for you:

The Gluten-Free Flour Mixture

As always, I prefer to use individual flours- chosen and proportioned to the specific recipe I’m designing - rather than any kind of “all purpose” gluten free flour mix.

None of those mixes really work like actual all purpose flour does, and all try to be “good enough” for everything.

Personally, I prefer my flour to be perfect *for the specific thing* - which you really only get with individual flours.

Anyway, enough preaching from me...

This recipe originally involved the use of rice flour and tapioca starch. I’ve since streamlined it to use my standard “sweet” flour ingredients, which is in the bulk of my sweet baked goods:

Light Buckwheat Flour
Sorghum Flour
Coconut Flour
Xanthan Gum

You can’t go wrong having these flours on hand - they’re great for everything from cookies, to muffins, quick breads, and more!

Buttermilk

Most of my gluten free cookie recipes involve the use of milk, to help hydrate the gluten free flours used, and ensure the fantastic texture of these cookies.

In this case, I use buttermilk, for that little hit of sour taste that’s characteristic of classic red velvet flavor.

If you don’t have any on hand, you can either swap it out for the milk of your choice (I tend to use Unsweetened Almond Milk), or you can use a mix of milk and an acid.

In this case, that would be ½ teaspoon lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar, along with 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of milk.

Red Food Coloring

While really traditional red velvet recipes get their “red” via chemical reaction, I like to cheat a bit: Using food colouring to get a rich, deep red color.

I swear by using gel coloring, rather than grocery store liquid food coloring or Wilton paste food colouring.

I recommend Americolor (what I used when I was in the USA), or ChefMaster (Which is the option more readily available here!)

The red is just FAR more intense, and is so much better to work with. It’s red velvet, afterall... not pink velvet!

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Milk Chocolate Chips
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Unsalted Butter
Light Brown Sugar
White sugar
Large eggs
Pure Vanilla Extract
Baking soda
Baking powder
Salt

... I just don’t have anything to add, as far as these last few ingredients go. Pretty basic pantry / shopping list items!

Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cookie Variations

This recipe is fantastic as-is, but feel free to play around a LITTLE BIT (ie: don’t mess with the flours or base ingredients!).

Here are a few ideas:

1. Swap out the Milk Chocolate Chips for White Chocolate Chips, Semisweet Chocolate Chips, or - for even more chocolate flavor - Dark Chocolate Chips.

2. For that matter, try your favorite mix-ins for chocolate cookies in general. Nuts, a combo of chopped nuts and chocolate chips... whatever!

3. Skip the chocolate chips entirely (you’ll get fewer cookies though).

4. Skip the chips, but dip the top of each dough ball into sugar before placing on the baking sheet.

5. Skip the chips, melt some white chocolate chips, and do a white chocolate drizzle over the top of each cookie after they’ve cooled.

6. Make red velvet sandwich cookies with cream cheese frosting, or the cream cheese filling from my Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cookies. (I’d do a half batch, leave out the orange zest, and sweeten with white sugar instead of maple syrup, though!)

Tips for Making Gluten-Free Chewy Red Velvet Cookies

A few words of advice, to ensure the best results:

Know the Dough

This dough goes through a couple weird stages, and - especially if you’re new to baking with gluten-free flours - you may question things.

So, as a heads up:

When the dough is mixed and ready to go in the fridge, it’ll be very sticky. Don’t add flour!

It needs this moisture to soak into the flours - that’s why you really do have to chill it for an hour.

When the dough comes out of the fridge, it’ll be much firmer, and have kind of a weird texture ... like a really thick Play-Doh.

It may not be appetizing at this point, but I promise it bakes up to a nice, chewy cookie that is basically indistinguishable from a wheat flour cookie.

Don’t Squish The Cookies!

These spread a fair amount, so you don’t want to give them a head start on that by flattening them.

I like to press them JUST enough to prevent rolling - but that’s as far as it goes.

Also: Leave a fair amount of room between them.

Do as I say, not as I do, LOL!

Watch the Baking!

It’s really important to not overbake these cookies. Start checking them after 11 minutes (assuming you’re making 30 cookies!).

They’ll be puffy, but you don’t want them to actually brown around the edges - they’ll be fully cooked before they brown.

How to Make Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cookies

The full recipe follows - in the printable recipe card at the end of this post -but here's the pictorial walk through:

In the bowl of stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment - or a large mixing bowl, if using an electric mixer -cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add eggs, milk, and vanilla, beat until everything is fully incorporated and smooth.

In a large bowl, mix together remaining ingredients - except food colouring and chocolate chips.

Slowly add this dry mix to the mixer bowl, and carefully mix on low speed until well incorporated and smooth.

Use food colouring to tint the batter to your desired level of red, then mix in the chocolate chips.

Wrap your gluten-free red velvet cookie dough in plastic wrap, chill for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 C), line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll 1" balls out of the cookie dough - you can use a small cookie scoop for this, if you like.

Arrange each of the cookie dough balls on a prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 2" between cookies - they flatten out a fair amount.

Gently press the tops of each slightly - flatten JUST enough to prevent the dough from rolling around on the cookie sheet.

Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes.

Cookies will look puffy, but flatten out as they cool. Do not over bake - take the bake time as a suggestion only!

Once baked cookies have cooled to room temperature, they can be stored in an airtight container for 5-7 days on a counter, or up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes!

Looking for even more recipes for fantastic gluten free cookies that *everyone* will love? Look no further!

... and there’s even more - be sure to check out our Gluten-Free Cookies and Bars recipe section!

My Gluten-Free Cookbooks!

If you're interested in gluten-free cooking and baking, you should definitely check out my gluten-free cookbooks: Beyond Flour: A Fresh Approach to Gluten Free Cooking & Baking, and the sequel... Beyond Flour 2. You can order them through Amazon, or through any major bookseller.

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A close up photo of a plate of gluten-free red velvet cookies.

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5 from 1 vote

Chewy Gluten-Free Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cookies are rich, chewy, and loaded with chocolate chips. Great texture - no one will know they're gluten-free!

Prep Time15

Cook Time13

Total Time28

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: Cookies

Calories: 176kcal

Equipment

2 Baking Sheets
Parchment Paper

Ingredients

1 cup Butter softened
1 cup Light brown sugar packed
½ cup Granulated sugar
2 Large eggs
1 ½ tablespoon Buttermilk
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 cup Sorghum flour
1 cup Brown rice flour
¼ cup Cocoa
¼ cup Coconut flour
1 teaspoon Xanthan gum
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking soda
½ teaspoon Baking powder
Red food colouring
2 cup Milk chocolate chips (1 bag)

Instructions

In stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add eggs, milk, and vanilla, beat until everything is fully incorporated and smooth.
In a large bowl, mix together remaining ingredients - except food colouring and chocolate chips. Slowly add this dry mix to the mixer bowl, and carefully mix until well incorporated and smooth.
Use food colouring to tint the batter to your desired level of red, then mix in the chocolate chips.
Wrap dough in plastic, chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375F (190 C), line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll 1" balls out of the cookie dough. Arrange dough balls on baking sheets leaving at least 2" between cookies - they flatten out a fair amount.
Gently press the tops of each slightly - flatten JUST enough to prevent the dough from rolling.
Bake for 11-13 minutes.
Cookies will look puffy, but flatten out as they cool. Do not over bake!

Notes

Note: This recipe originally called for 1 cup Sorghum flour, 1 cup Brown rice flour, ¼ cup Coconut flour, and 2 tablespoon Tapioca starch.

In 2023, it was updated to use my now-standard “cookie” set of flours, simplifying it a bit.

Nutrition

Gluten-Free Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-Free Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies