Ree Drummond’s Red Velvet Cake Cookies Are a Sweet Take On Cake

You can skip the painstaking efforts of decorating sugar cookies or making the perfect gingerbread men this holiday season. The Pioneer Woman, aka Ree Drummond, unveiled a beautiful cookie that looks festive and tastes like an iconic chocolate bite. Plus, these cookies are fairly simple to make. A twist on a favorite cake flavor, Ree Drummond’s red velvet cake cookies feature that gorgeous red hue. She’s even upgraded the bites with buttermilk to keep them moist and delicious.

How to Make Ree Drummond’s Red Velvet Cake Cookies

These red velvet cake cookies are similar to other red velvet recipes but feature a Pioneer Woman twist. The top of the cookies has a generous coating of white confectioner’s sugar. When they bake, the top appears crackled, and the white sugar looks like snow. And, of course, they include one of Drummond’s go-to ingredients—buttermilk.

The Food Network shared a video of Ree making these cookies on Instagram on Dec. 5, where you can see just how gorgeous these sweet bites look.

Once you try these red velvet cake cookies for yourself, they may be a seasonal, or even perennial, favorite. While baking, you may also want to check out Ree Drummond’s favorite Christmas cookies, too!

Ingredients

The ingredients for these red velvet cake cookies include a few options you can leave out if you don’t have them. Red velvet cake is simply chocolate cake with red food coloring, so if you don’t have any of the dye on hand, don’t sweat it. They’ll still taste just as delicious as their red counterparts.

You can also leave out the white chocolate chunks in your cookies if you wish or replace them with milk chocolate chips. Ree’s recipe makes 48 cookies (aka four dozen), so you’ll want to be prepared! Of course, you can always cut the recipe in half if you want to make a smaller batch, but the following measurements are for the original yield. The best cookie recipes take a little time, but don’t give up! They’re worth it.

• 4 ounces baking chocolate
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup of salted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• 5 teaspoons red food coloring
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 ounces good white chocolate, chopped into chunks
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions

Step 1: Preheat

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 2: Melt the baking chocolate

Take the baking chocolate and put it into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it until melted, then stir and cool.

Step 3: Mix the dough base

Using an electric mixer, combine the butter and the granulated sugar until it’s creamed. Then, put the mixer on low speed and drizzle in the baking chocolate.

Scrape the bowl once that’s done and mix again. This time, you’ll add in the eggs (one at a time), then the buttermilk, vanilla and food coloring. Make sure everything is well-incorporated by scraping the bowl again and mixing.

Step 4: Add the dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, combine the baking powder, salt and flour and stir them together. Next, add the dry mixture in 2 batches into the mixing bowl, keeping the mixer on low. Scrape the sides of the bowl again and mix until everything is well combined. Then, fold in the white chocolate chunks.

Step 5: Prepare and bake

Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of the dough and roll them in some confectioners’ sugar. Once they’re coated, put them on your prepared baking sheets. At 350 degrees, bake for about 12 minutes or until the cookies are fluffy and set.

Let them stand for another 1 to 2 minutes, then remove them from the baking sheets and transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Repeat the process with the dough until you’ve baked all the cookies.

Make sure to let your cookies cool for about 30 minutes. Then, if you want an extra dusting of confectioners’ sugar, sprinkle it on the cookies and enjoy!

Classic Cookie Recipes You’ll Love

Everyone has a favorite type of chocolate chip cookie—a little crispy, a little chewy—but they all have to begin with a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe. This is the best place to start! —Megumi Garcia, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

No matter your baking level, our ultimate cookie baking guide is full of helpful info! Also check out these different types of chocolate chip cookies you’re not baking (yet!)

This classic cookie dates back to a Swedish woman born in 1877! Her daughter, Esther Davis, shared the recipe with me and she came up with all the exact measurements, since the original cookies were mixed by feel and taste. These are my favorite cookies because I can bake a ton in just a few minutes. —Helen Wallis, Vancouver, Washington

These cookie tips from professional bakers will make your cookies turn out perfectly every time.

It is amazing how much flavor these simple peanut butter cookies without brown sugar have. I make them very often because I always have the ingredients on hand. —Maggie Schimmel, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

Troubleshoot your cookie problems with these cookie baking tips.

I packed chocolate chips, raisins, nuts and cinnamon into my oatmeal cookie recipe. These classic cookies are easy to make. Best of all, our kids love them! —Janis Plageman, Lynden, Washington

Here’s how to get chewy cookies every single time.

This great butter cookie recipe is a favorite of my nephews, who love the creamy frosting. I love them because they can be mixed and baked in a snap! —Ruth Griggs, South Hill, Virginia

These are our tips for the best cutout cookies.

With only a few ingredients, these classic cookies are so simple to prepare. —Pattie Prescott, Manchester, New Hampshire

Check out how to store cookies the right way.

This classic cookie recipe—a favorite of our four children—has been in my collection for years. Sometimes I’ll substitute mint-flavored chips for the semisweet chocolate chips. Either way, the chocolate cookies disappear quickly. —Sheri Ziesemer, Olympia, Washington

Don’t forget to take a look at our collection of the best cookie recipes.

My family always requests these soft molasses cookies. These classic cookies are also great for shipping as holiday gifts or to troops overseas. —Kristine Chayes, Smithtown, New York

The history of this whimsically named treat is widely disputed, but the popularity of this classic cookie is undeniable! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

These nicely spiced, big soft ginger cookies are perfect for folks who like the flavor of ginger but don’t care for crunchy gingersnaps. Plus, they only take about 40 minutes to make 2 dozen cookies! —Barbara Gray, Boise, Idaho

These coconut macaroons are my husband’s favorite and earned me a first-place ribbon at the county fair. I especially like the fact that this recipe makes a small enough batch for the two of us to nibble on without lots left over. —Penny Ann Habeck, Shawano, Wisconsin

Baking peanut butter kiss cookies to share doesn’t get much easier than this. Stir together four ingredients. Bake. Top with a kiss. Done! Your family will love this Hershey’s peanut butter blossom cookie recipe. —Dee Davis, Sun City, Arizona

I get tremendous satisfaction making and giving time-tested yuletide treats like these classic cookies. Dipping them in white chocolate makes much-loved gingersnaps even more special. —Laura Kimball, West Jordan, Utah

These classic cookies are very popular here in Wyoming. Mix up a batch for your crew and see why. —Patsy Steenbock, Shoshoni, Wyoming

On a similar note, here’s how to make ranger cookies.

This tender spritz cookie recipe is very eye-catching on my cookie tray. The dough is easy to work with, so it’s fun to make these spritz cookies into a variety of shapes. This is hands down the best spritz cookie recipe ever. —Beverly Launius, Sandwich, Illinois

Of all the classic cookie recipes I make, this is my favorite. These sprinkle cookies take some time, but, believe me, they are well worth it! My husband and I used to operate an Italian American restaurant, and this recipe goes back generations. —Gloria Cracchiolo, Newburgh, New York

Want to learn how to make meringues? These meringue cookies are super light and airy. They’re the perfect fat-free treat. —Jenni Sharp, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I’m a busy schoolteacher and pastor’s wife. I wouldn’t dare show my face at a church dinner or bake sale without these tempting peanut butter treats. They’re quick, easy to make and always a hit. —Kristi Tackett, Banner, Kentucky

White baking chips and macadamia nuts are a fantastic duo in these classic cookies. They are a nice change from the usual chocolate chip ones. —Cathy Lennon, Newport, Tennessee

These deeply fudgy cookies are a clever way to make a friend. A little espresso powder in the dough makes them even more delicious. —Rebecca Cababa, Las Vegas, Nevada

Who can resist soft chocolate sandwich cookies filled with a layer of fluffy white frosting? Mom has made these for years. They’re a treat that never lasts very long with me and my two brothers around. —Maria Costello, Monroe, North Carolina

These classic cookies have Polish and Czech roots and can also be spelled “kolaches.” They are usually filled with poppy seeds, nuts, jam or a mashed fruit mixture. The ice cream is a unique twist on traditional kolachkes, and it’s simplest to use a square cookie cutter to cut the dough. —Diane Turner, Brunswick, Ohio

My neighbors look forward to getting my gifts of these classic cookies. I love that this chocolate biscotti recipe is such a cinch to make. —Ginger Chatfield, Muscatine, Iowa

When I baked this moist, fudgy chocolate crinkle cookie recipe for the first time, my three preschool children went wild over them! But I like them because they’re lower in fat and easy to mix and bake. —Maria Groff, Ephrata, Pennsylvania

Skip the store-bought cookie dough and learn how to make cookies from scratch—it’s easy! Thanks to this basic cookie dough recipe, you can turn everyday ingredients into five sensational sweets. Bake some right away, then pop the extra dough in the freezer for later. —Gloria McBride, Payson, Utah