Easy Red Velvet Cookies with Beets

Here is my favorite red velvet cookie recipe, with natural color from pureed beets, rich cacao, sweet white chocolate chips, and a soft, chewy texture that everyone loves.

These red velvet cookies are perfect when you want something a little different from regular chocolate chip cookies. The beets add moisture and a gorgeous color without any weird taste, and the white chocolate chips make them feel extra special.

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What Kind of Beets Should I Use?

Fresh beets are going to give you the best flavor and color for these cookies, but canned or pre-cooked beets from the store work just fine too. If you’re using fresh beets, you’ll want to roast or boil them until they’re tender, then let them cool before pureeing them in a blender or food processor. The key is making sure your beet puree is smooth and not too watery – if it seems really liquidy, you can drain off some of the excess liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Red beets are what you’ll want to stick with here since golden beets won’t give you that signature red velvet color.

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Options for Substitutions

These cookies are pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Plant butter: Regular butter works perfectly if you’re not keeping these vegan. You can also try coconut oil, though it will give the cookies a slightly different texture and a hint of coconut flavor.
• Coconut sugar: Regular granulated sugar or brown sugar both work well here. Brown sugar will make the cookies a bit chewier, while white sugar keeps them crisper.
• Pureed beets: This is the star ingredient that gives these cookies their red color, so I wouldn’t skip it. You can use canned beets or roast fresh ones yourself – just blend until smooth before measuring.
• White chocolate chips: Dark or milk chocolate chips work too, though they’ll change the flavor profile a bit. You could also use chopped white chocolate bars for bigger chunks.
• Egg: For a vegan version, use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water, let sit for 5 minutes) for the whole egg, and skip the extra yolk or replace it with another flax egg.
• Cacao: Regular cocoa powder works just as well if that’s what you have in your pantry.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake you can make with these cookies is skipping the freezing step, which might seem unnecessary but actually prevents the cookies from spreading too thin and losing their shape in the oven.

Make sure your beet puree is completely smooth and not watery – any chunks or excess liquid will create an uneven texture and affect how the dough comes together, so blend it well and drain off any extra moisture with a fine mesh strainer.

Don’t overbake these cookies just because the center looks slightly underdone; they’ll continue cooking as they cool on the baking sheet, and pulling them out when they still look a bit soft in the middle ensures they stay chewy instead of turning dry and crumbly.

For the best flavor, use room temperature butter so it mixes smoothly with the coconut sugar, and avoid overmixing once you add the flour or you’ll end up with tough, dense cookies instead of tender ones.

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What to Serve With Red Velvet Cookies?

These red velvet cookies are perfect alongside a cold glass of milk or your favorite non-dairy milk alternative if you’re keeping things plant-based. I love serving them at parties with a hot chocolate bar where everyone can customize their own drink – the chocolate flavors really complement each other. They also make a great dessert platter when paired with fresh strawberries and raspberries, since the beet flavor has a natural earthiness that goes nicely with berries. If you’re looking for something more indulgent, try serving them with vanilla ice cream or even a cream cheese frosting on the side for dipping.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They’ll stay soft and chewy if you toss a slice of bread in the container with them. You can also store them in the fridge for up to a week if your kitchen gets warm.

Freeze: These cookies freeze really well for up to 3 months. You can freeze the baked cookies in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers, or freeze the dough as individual balls on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag once solid. Bake frozen dough balls straight from the freezer, just add a minute or two to the baking time.

Thaw: If you froze baked cookies, just let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes and they’re ready to eat. They taste just as good as fresh!

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3400-3700
• Protein: 35-45 g
• Fat: 170-190 g
• Carbohydrates: 440-480 g

Ingredients

For the dough base:

• 1 1/4 cups plant butter (I prefer Country Crock Plant Butter for the best texture)
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 3 3/4 cups flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1/4 cup cacao
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

For the wet mixture:

• 1/2 cup pureed beets (I use Libby’s canned beets, blended until smooth)
• 1 egg
• 1 yolk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Step 1: Prepare the Dry Ingredients

• 3 3/4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup cacao
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Sift the flour and cacao together into a medium bowl to remove any lumps and aerate the mixture.

Add the baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon, then whisk everything together until evenly combined.

Set this dry mixture aside.

I like to sift my dry ingredients early so they’re ready to fold in quickly once the wet mixture is prepared—this prevents overmixing the dough.

Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugar Base

• 1 1/4 cups plant butter
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 2 cups white chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat the plant butter and coconut sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

This creates air pockets in the dough that will give the cookies a tender crumb.

Add the white chocolate chips and fold them gently into the creamed mixture until evenly distributed throughout.

Step 3: Combine the Wet Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 yolk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup pureed beets

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and pureed beets until well combined and smooth.

The egg yolk adds richness and helps bind the dough, while the beets provide both the signature color and subtle earthiness that makes these cookies special.

Step 4: Build the Final Dough

• beet mixture from Step 3
• butter and sugar base from Step 2
• dry ingredient mixture from Step 1

Pour the beet mixture from Step 3 into the butter and sugar base from Step 2, folding gently until just combined.

Then fold in the dry ingredient mixture from Step 1 using a spatula, stirring until no streaks of flour remain.

Be careful not to overmix—you want a dough that just comes together.

I typically fold until I see no more dry flour, then stop immediately to keep the cookies tender rather than tough.

Step 5: Chill and Prepare for Baking

• cookie dough from Step 4

Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Place the sheet in the freezer for 90 minutes—this resting period allows the flavors to meld and helps the cookies hold their shape during baking without spreading too much.

Step 6: Bake the Cookies

• chilled cookie dough from Step 5

Preheat your oven to 355°F.

Once the dough has chilled, bake the cookies for 13-14 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still have a slight give when gently pressed.

The cookies will continue to set as they cool, so removing them slightly underdone ensures they stay soft and chewy inside.

Step 7: Cool and Serve

• baked cookies from Step 6

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

This initial rest on the sheet lets them firm up enough to move without breaking, while cooling on the rack prevents them from becoming too dense from residual heat.

Easy Red Velvet Cookies with Beets

Delicious Easy Red Velvet Cookies with Beets recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 50 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 32 minutes mins

Servings 36 cookies

Calories 3550 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the dough base::

• 1 1/4 cups plant butter (I prefer Country Crock Plant Butter for the best texture)
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 3 3/4 cups flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 1/4 cup cacao
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

For the wet mixture::

• 1/2 cup pureed beets (I use Libby's canned beets, blended until smooth)
• 1 egg
• 1 yolk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

 

• Sift the flour and cacao together into a medium bowl to remove any lumps and aerate the mixture. Add the baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon, then whisk everything together until evenly combined. Set this dry mixture aside. I like to sift my dry ingredients early so they're ready to fold in quickly once the wet mixture is prepared—this prevents overmixing the dough.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the plant butter and coconut sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. This creates air pockets in the dough that will give the cookies a tender crumb. Add the white chocolate chips and fold them gently into the creamed mixture until evenly distributed throughout.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and pureed beets until well combined and smooth. The egg yolk adds richness and helps bind the dough, while the beets provide both the signature color and subtle earthiness that makes these cookies special.
• Pour the beet mixture from Step 3 into the butter and sugar base from Step 2, folding gently until just combined. Then fold in the dry ingredient mixture from Step 1 using a spatula, stirring until no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix—you want a dough that just comes together. I typically fold until I see no more dry flour, then stop immediately to keep the cookies tender rather than tough.
• Scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Place the sheet in the freezer for 90 minutes—this resting period allows the flavors to meld and helps the cookies hold their shape during baking without spreading too much.
• Preheat your oven to 355°F. Once the dough has chilled, bake the cookies for 13-14 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still have a slight give when gently pressed. The cookies will continue to set as they cool, so removing them slightly underdone ensures they stay soft and chewy inside.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. This initial rest on the sheet lets them firm up enough to move without breaking, while cooling on the rack prevents them from becoming too dense from residual heat.