These easy red velvet cake mix cookies are soft and chewy thumbprint cookies with creamy white chocolate filling and pecan topping.
Super easy and impressive red velvet cake cookies from a box of cake mix and a few simple ingredients.
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Easy red velvet cookies are beautiful and delicious cookies for Valentine’s Day, Christmas goodie trays, or any special occasion.
This easy cookie recipe is made from a box of red velvet cake mix, cocoa powder, butter, and eggs, filled with a decadent mixture of white chocolate chips and cream and topped with chopped pecans. So kind of like a red velvet cake in cookie form.
This entire red velvet cookie recipe comes together with 7 simple ingredients for one of the most beautiful and easiest cookies you'll ever make.
More Cake Mix Recipes
- Magic Pumpkin Bars
- Peach Cobbler with Cake Mix
- 2-Ingredient Orange Angle Food Cake
- Strawberry Brownies
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Soft, fudgy, chewy cookies loaded with chocolate flavor
Smooth and creamy white chocolate filling
Easy recipe that looks impressive
Perfect treat for Christmas, Valentine's Day, or any time
Ingredients
Please see the recipe card for the full recipe with exact quantities.
Red velvet cake mix. Use one 15.25 ounce box of red velvet cake mix, but do not follow any of the directions on the box. I have tested this with Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker cake mixes. Duncan Hines has a more intense red color, but both work well.
Cocoa powder. Cocoa powder adds rich chocolate flavor to these cookies. I used Hershey's Special Dark coca powder, but you can also use regular cocoa powder.
⭐Pro Tip: Measure cocoa powder the way you measure flour -- spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off.
Melted butter. Melt the butter then let it cool so it doesn't scramble the eggs.
2 large eggs and one egg yolk. The extra egg yolk adds richness and moisture to the cookie dough.
White chocolate chips. Use good quality white chocolate chips for the creamiest filling. I use Ghirardelli white chocolate chips.
Heavy cream. A little bit of heavy cream makes the white chocolate smooth and creamy. Look for heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
Chopped pecans. Pecans are a natural pairing with red velvet cake -- and they look so pretty on these cookies. You can use any kind of nut or sprinkles you like.
How to Make Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
1. Melt the butter.
Melt the butter in the microwave and let it cool before mixing it in with the rest of the ingredients. You don't want the hot butter to scramble the eggs.
2. Whisk the cake mix and cocoa powder together.
Place the dry cake mix and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl and whisk it to remove any clumps of the cocoa powder.
3. Stir in the eggs and butter.
Add the melted butter and beaten eggs.
Stir with a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula until everything is completely combined. The dough will be quite thick.
4. Chill the dough.
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 60 minutes to keep the cookies from spreading. Also, the dough is pretty sticky and it's much easier to work with when it has been chilled.
5. Preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat.
6. Scoop and roll the cookies.
Scoop dough with a measuring spoon or 1 tablespoon cookie scoop.
Roll the dough into balls, roll the balls in sugar, and place them 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
Use your thumb, a measuring spoon, or the handle of a wooden spoon or other utensil to make an indentation in the center of each cookie.
7. Bake, indent again, and cool
Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the edges are dry and set and the middle is soft and puffy.
The indent in the center of the cookies will have puffed up during baking. Immediately after removing them from the oven, gently press the center back down again to create a well.
Cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
If your first batch of cookies spread more than you'd like, chill the dough for another 30 minutes.
8. Make the white chocolate filling.
Heat the white chocolate chips and heavy cream in the microwave in 15-second increments, stirring after each one, until the white chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy. It usually takes 30 seconds total in my 1000w microwave.
9. Fill the cookies
Use a measuring spoon or small spoon to portion out about ½ teaspoon of white chocolate filling into the well of each cookie.
If the white chocolate becomes too firm, warm it for a few seconds in the microwave.
10. Sprinkle with pecans
While the filling is still wet, sprinkle the tops of the cookies with chopped pecans. Give them a very gentle press so the pecans will adhere to the filling.
Let the cookies rest for about an hour to let the filling set.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Store unbaked cookie dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Make Ahead
Baked cookies. Freeze baked cookies -- filled or unfilled -- in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.
Cookie dough. Freeze cookie dough in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
You can freeze a batch of cookie dough or unbaked cookie dough balls. Wait to roll them in sugar until just before baking.
Thaw dough or individual balls in the refrigerator, then roll them in sugar and bake as directed.
What to Do With Leftover White Chocolate
Depending on the size of the wells in the cookies, you may end up with a couple tablespoons of white chocolate leftover. Don't toss it, try one of these instead.
Save it for later. Store it in the refrigerator for about a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months
Make candy. Spoon it into a candy mold and add dried fruit, chocolate chips, or chopped nuts.
Dip it. Dip your favorite snacks in it like cookies, graham crackers, pretzels, fruit, potato chips...
Make hot cocoa. Mix it in with your hot cocoa.
Expert Tips
Let the butter cool before adding it to the cake mix cookie dough.
For the smoothest, creamiest chocolate filling, use good quality white chocolate like Ghirardelli.
Chill the cookie dough to keep the cookies nice and thick. If the cookies spread, chill the dough a bit longer.
Let the white chocolate filling set for at least an hour before stacking the cookies.
FAQs
You sure can! Store the cookie dough in the refrigerator for a couple of days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Absolutely! Use any kind of cream cheese frosting you like -- store-bought or homemade cream cheese frosting -- and spoon it into the wells after the cookies have cooled. They won't be stackable, so store them in a single layer.
Yes. Freeze a batch of cookies in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag for up to 3 months.
More Cookie Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
- 1 box red velvet cake mix 15.25 ounces
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 8 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled 1 stick
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 large egg yolk, beaten
- ¼ cup sugar for rolling
White Chocolate Filling
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips Ghirardelli
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the cake mix and cocoa powder together to get rid of any lumps in the cocoa powder.
- Add the melted and cooled butter and beaten eggs. Stir with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon until completely combined.
- Chill the dough for 30-60 minutes.
- Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon portions. Use your hands to roll them into a ball. Roll the balls in sugar and place them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Use your thumb, a measuring spoon, or the handle of a wooden spoon or other utensil to make an indent in the center of each dough ball.
- Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. After baking, the centers will have puffed up. Immediately, and gently, press down the centers again to create a well. Be careful not to press all the way through the cookie.
- Cool the cookies for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire baking rack. Cool completely.
- Add the white chocolate chips and cream to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 15-second increments until the chips are melted and you can stir them together into a smooth and creamy mixture.
- Using a measuring spoon or small spoon, spoon about ½ teaspoon of the white chocolate mixture into the well of each cookie. If the white chocolate mixture hardens, warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave.
- Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with chopped pecans.
- The filling will take about an hour to completely set.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.Store unbaked cookie dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Make Ahead
- Freeze baked cookies in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Freeze cookie dough in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. You can freeze a batch of cookie dough or unbaked cookie dough balls, not rolled in sugar. Thaw dough or individual balls in the refrigerator, then roll them in sugar and bake as directed.
Not sure what I might have done wrong but these cookies did not hold their shape at all. They spread out flat into a mess of sorts despite placing them a good distance apart. I was able to salvage them by spreading the melted chips and sprinkled nuts. Not as “pretty” but tasted great!! Any suggestions ??
Oh, no what a bummer! I've been reading a lot of storing of folks having problems with cookies spreading this year with speculation that it's due to changes in butter (more water). I would suggest kneading in a little flour, 1-2 tablespoons) and/or chilling the dough longer -- up to overnight. I would also bake a test cookie before baking the whole batch. I am glad you enjoyed the flavor, though!
Cara