This Red Velvet Cookies Recipe are red velvet cake in cookie form! They’re soft and chewy and super easy to make from scratch (no cake mix needed)!

These cookies are what happens when you take the best of a red velvet cake and reimagine it in cookie form. These red velvet cookies are a little chocolatey and rich with that hint of tang, just like the cake. And, of course, they have the signature red color.

I tested so many versions to get the perfect easy from scratch red velvet cookie! One bowl, a few steps, a short chill time, and they’re ready to go in the oven.

Ingredients & Tips

• Butter: Start with melted unsalted butter. I love using melted butter in cookie recipes!
• Sugar: This recipe has both packed brown sugar and granulated sugar.
• Cocoa: Use unsweetened cocoa powder – not Dutch process! I love Hershey’s brand.
• Egg: Be sure to buy large eggs.
• Baking Soda: This is what makes a soft and chewy cookie. Baking soda also helps with spread.
• White Vinegar: Buttermilk is often what you’ll find used in Red Velvet Cake. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda and also helps the food coloring to be vibrant in color. Since we’re not adding milk, I just add some vinegar to the cookie dough. In a pinch you can use lemon juice.
• Red Food Coloring: This is what makes the cookies RED velvet! I prefer using regular grocery store (water based, i.e. McCormick) liquid food coloring for this. If using gel food coloring you’ll need to use less.
• You can make these cookies TWO ways – with chocolate or white chocolate chips or with cream cheese frosting. Use a combination of your favorite kinds of chocolate chips or go all white or all milk/semi-sweet. If you’re making them with frosting, leave out the chips and bake them. They’ll flatten and be perfect for adding cream cheese icing.

Dorothy’s Expert Tips

• Depending on the kind of red coloring food coloring you use, you will need a different amount. If you use regular grocery-store food coloring, you will need one teaspoon. However, a little goes a long way with gel food coloring, so you will only need ½ teaspoon if you use that.
• The vinegar is added at the end, so it doesn’t immediately activate the baking soda. Remember the volcano school projects? You’ll have a little red velvet volcano on your hands if you add it too soon.
• You can substitute lemon juice if you don’t have white vinegar. Be sure not to use balsamic or red vinegar!

Dorothy’s Freezer Tips

• Red Velvet Biscuits keep great at room temperature for up to three days as long as they are kept in an airtight container.
• These cookies freeze great! Keep them in a freezer-safe container, and they will keep well for up to three months.

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Red Velvet Cookies Recipe

Make Red Velvet Cookies from scratch! These homemade cookies taste like red velvet cake but in cookie form.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes minutes

Chill Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 53 minutes minutes

Servings 19 cookies

Calories 137kcal

Author Dorothy Kern

Cost $8

Ingredients

• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
• ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder not dutch process
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ (186g) cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon red food coloring see note
• ¾ cup (128g) white chocolate chips
• ¾ cup (128g) milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Cream Cheese Frosting optional

Instructions

• Line 2 cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
• Stir both sugars into the melted butter in a large bowl. Stir in cocoa powder, egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Slowly stir in flour.
• Add the vinegar and red food coloring and stir, then stir in white and chocolate chips.
• Scoop 2 tablespoon size cookie dough balls onto cookie sheets 2-inches apart. Chill 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake chilled cookies 10-13 minutes or until they just lose their glossy sheen. Cool on cookie sheets before removing to eat.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Video

Notes

• For gel food coloring, use 1/2 tsp.
• Be sure to add the vinegar with the food coloring at the end so that it doesn’t activate the baking soda too early (think elementary school volcano project).
• To frost with cream cheese frosting, omit chips and bake as directed. Frost after they’ve cooled; makes about 16 cookies.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 166IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

How to Make Red Velvet Cookies

1. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
2. Combine both kinds of sugar with the melted butter in a large bowl. Mix in the cocoa powder, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the flour and stir to combine.
3. Mix in the vinegar and red food coloring and then stir in the white and chocolate chips.
4. Scoop two tablespoon-sized cookie dough balls and place them two inches apart on a prepared cookie sheet. Chill the cookie dough balls for 30 minutes.
5. Place the chilled baking sheet with the cookies in a preheated oven. Bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes at 350°F. When the cookies lose their glossy sheen, they are ready.
6. Cool them on the sheet before serving. If desired, bake without chocolate chips and frost them with cream cheese frosting.

FAQ about Easy Red Velvet Cookies

More Red Velvet Desserts You’ll Love

• Red Velvet Blondies
• Oreo Red Velvet Cookie Bars
• Red Velvet Fruit Pizza

Make Red Velvet Cookies from scratch! These homemade cookies taste like red velvet cake but in cookie form.

Apple Oatmeal Cookies are soft and chewy oatmeal cookies with chopped apples and tons of warm cinnamon spices – like an apple pie in a cookie. They’re perfect for fall baking and are so easy to make!

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Apple Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

The BEST Apple Oatmeal Cookies are a classic soft and chewy oatmeal cookie recipe with apples baked in – the perfect apple cinnamon recipe for fall.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Chill Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 4 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 106kcal

Author Dorothy Kern

Cost $8

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (124g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ⅔ cups (142g) quick cooking oats
• 1 cup (126g) finely chopped apples

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, whisk cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and flour. Set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (You can also use a large bowl and a hand mixer.) Cream until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Mix in eggs, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
• Gradually mix in dry ingredients until smooth, being careful not to over mix. Add oats and mix until all combined.
• Peel, core, and chop your apples. Be sure to cut them small so they aren’t large chunks in your cookies. Stir apples into cookie dough.
• Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls of dough and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat and place the cookie dough balls 2” apart.
• Bake for 11-15 minutes, until the bottom is slightly golden. Cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to 2 months.

Notes

• Make your own quick cook oats if you don’t have old fashioned by pulsing them in a blender or food processor.
• Nuts: Add 1 cup chopped nuts to the batter with the apples. Walnuts or pecans would be delicious.
• The ingredients shot and video show the recipe doubled – you can double this recipe no problem.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 131IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

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Pillsbury Stacked Sugar Cookies are an easy viral TikTok recipe that uses just a few ingredients and starts with Pillsbury sugar cookie dough! These are super fast and super easy to make and they’re a treat the whole family will love.

These Pillsbury Halloween Cookies have just 2 basic ingredients plus sprinkles and/or sanding sugar. They use those cute pumpkin sugar cookies that Pillsbury makes (or any of their fun cute shapes) and stacks them with Pillsbury sugar cookies to make the perfect festive cookies! These are the perfect cookies for beginner bakes and they’re so fun at Halloween or Christmas time for a cookie exchange!

How to make Pillsbury Stacked Sugar Cookies

1. Start with a package of those fun shaped sugar cookies – at Halloween they have ghosts and pumpkins, but they also have them for other holidays. I’ve made Pillsbury Christmas Cookies with these too – and you can use any of the fun shapes.
2. You also need a pack of the bake and break sugar cookies or you can use a log of sugar cookie dough and cut 1 tablespoon size balls.
3. Colorful sanding sugar and/or colorful nonpareils to roll slices of the cookie dough in. For Halloween, use orange and black and purple, or choose a mix of nonpareils. Match the colors to the holiday!
4. You can also use refrigerated chocolate chip cookies or even pumpkin cookies if you can find them at the store.
5. Want to make them from scratch? Use my perfect sugar cookie recipe or best chocolate chip cookie recipe!
6. Press the sugar cookie into a thin disc with the palm of your hand before adding the shaped cookie on top.

Dorothy’s Expert Tips

• I love the bake and break cookie dough but you can also use a log – slice log with a sharp knife and roll dough into balls.
• These are a next level treat perfect for the holiday season – kids love them so they’re great for class parties.
• Don’t package or freeze cookies until they’ve come to room temperature.

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Pillsbury Stacked Sugar Cookies Recipe

Make the easiest stacked sugar cookies with Pillsbury cookie dough and fun designs! Use any holiday cookies and holiday sprinkles and sanding sugar to make these – just three ingredients!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 150kcal

Author Dorothy Kern

Cost $7

Ingredients

• 1 (24 count) package Pillsbury bake and break sugar cookies (see note)
• 2 (20 count each) packages Pillsbury Shaped Sugar Cookies (see note)
• ½ cup colorful sanding sugar or nonpareils

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Break apart the sugar cookies and roll into a ball. Roll in sanding sugar and/or nonpareils.
• Place sugar cookie balls on prepared baking sheets. Press lightly with the palm of your hand.
• Place a Pillsbury shaped cookie on top of each sugar cookie.
• Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown and no longer glossy. Cool 10 minutes on cookie sheets before removing to a rack to completely cool.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for several months.

Notes

• Use any kind of refrigerated cookie dough – you’re not limited to sugar cookies.
• Use any of the shapes (for any holiday)
• Use any color sugar/nonpareils
• If you want to use a log of cookie dough cut and roll 1 tablespoon balls 
• 1 pack of bake and break makes 24 cookies and 1 pack of the shaped makes 20. So you either need 2 shaped cookies or you’ll have 4 sugar cookies left over.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.1g | Protein: 0.005g | Fat: 0.01g | Saturated Fat: 0.002g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.001g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.005g | Cholesterol: 0.005mg | Sodium: 0.4mg | Potassium: 0.1mg | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 0.02IU | Calcium: 0.003mg | Iron: 0.001mg

Step-by-Step Photos

1. Break off one square of cookie dough (or about 1 tablespoon) and roll into a ball.
2. Roll dough in sugar or sprinkles.
3. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
4. Press a tiny bit flat with your palms and place a shaped cookie on top.
5. Bake 10-11 minutes or until flattened and light golden brown around the edges.

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Pistachio Cookies are soft and chewy with tons of pistachio flavor in every bite. These are completely from scratch – no pudding mixes needed – and no strange hard-to-find ingredients. With chocolate chips they’re gooey and rich with a nutty flavor – they’re my favorite new cookie recipe!

Pistachio is having a moment and that’s a good thing – the flavor was made for dessert! Whether I’m grabbing coffee and a croissant or ordering dessert at a restaurant, if pistachio is on the menu I’m ordering it.

You’re going to love these because they’re chewy cookies made with pistachio butter and chopped pistachios. They taste amazing, stay soft for days, and freeze great! Plus you can use milk chocolate chips or even dark chocolate chunks – soft cookies with rich melty chocolate – these are heaven.

How to make Pistachio Cookies

1. You need shelled whole pistachios for this recipe. You can use roasted salted pistachios or raw pistachios, whichever you can find. It’s so much easier to buy them without the shells already because while there are tricks for removing the skins, it’s tedious and so much work.
2. Turn the whole nuts into pistachio butter using a food processor. Pulse and allow the processor to run, scraping the sides occasionally, for several minutes. They will turn to ground pistachios, then dust, then get thick, then the mixture will smooth out, like a natural peanut butter.
3. Then you’ll need unsalted butter that’s been softened, along with brown sugar and granulated sugar, an egg, baking soda, vanilla extract, and all-purpose flour, just like any other cookie recipe.
4. I always add a little bit of almond extract to amplify the pistachio flavor. By itself the flavor is mild so the almond adds a little extra something.
5. These cookies have no chill time and can be baked right away. Use a cookie scoop to make your desired size cookie.
6. I love adding chocolate chips and chopped pistachios but you could also add white chocolate chips or really anything you want. Come up with other mix-ins to make new cookie recipes!

Dorothy’s Expert Cookie Tips

• Press a few extra chocolate chips or nuts on top of the cookie when they come out of the oven.
• Use a kitchen scale to accurately measure your ingredients.
• Cool cookies at least 10 minutes on cookie sheet before removing them to a wire rack.
• If you want them to be a more vibrant green, you can add a few drops of green food coloring.

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Pistachio Cookies Recipe

The perfect Pistachio Cookies! This pistachio cookie recipe uses real pistachios to create pistachio butter and then makes cookies with chocolate chips – they're soft and chewy and SO GOOD!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 24 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Total Time 38 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 180kcal

Author Dorothy Kern

Cost $9

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ cups (185g) unsalted or lightly salted shelled pistachios, divided
• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Place ½ cup pistachios in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Remove from food processor to a small bowl and set aside.
• Place remaining 1 cup pistachios in the food processor. Run the processor until the pistachios become a smooth butter consistency. Every 30 seconds or so, stop the processor and scrape the bottom and sides. It will get dusty, then thick like paste, then eventually smooth like a natural nut butter.
• Transfer the pistachio butter to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add butter and mix until combined, then add both sugars and cream until fluffy.
• Mix in egg, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth, then add dry ingredients and mix until dough forms.
• Add reserved chopped pistachios and chocolate chips.
• Scoop 2 tablespoon size balls of cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheets, 2-inches apart. Press lightly with the palm of your hand so they’re not super rounded.
• Bake until the tops are no longer glossy and the edges are light golden brown, about 10-14 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes before removing from cookie sheets.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze cooled cookies for several months.

Video

Notes

• You can use raw pistachios or salted, whichever you can find easier. While it is possible to remove the shells and skins, it’s very tedious to use pistachios in their shells.
• You can use any kind of chocolate chips or chocolate chunks or even omit them for a pure pistachio cookie.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 106mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

Step by Step Photos for this Pistachio Cookie Recipe

1. Chop some of the pistachios in the food processor and set aside, then add the remaining nuts and process until butter forms.
2. There are a few steps until it turns to butter: chopped, then dust, then a big chunk, then it’ll smooth out.
3. Cream butter with both sugars and pistachio butter. Mix in large egg, vanilla, almond extract, salt, and baking soda. Mix in flour.
4. Scoop cookie dough balls onto a prepared baking sheet covered with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Bake in preheated oven.

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Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are the perfect super soft and chewy pumpkin cookies, a twist on a classic snickerdoodle recipe with the added flavor of pumpkin. Using pumpkin spice and fresh pumpkin puree levels up classic snickerdoodles and makes them perfect for fall.

Dorothy’s Expert Tips

• Don’t leave out the cream of tartar. For best results, it’s a super essential ingredient that adds that “unique” flavor to snickerdoodle cookies. It has a purpose, trust me! If you want chewy pumpkin snickerdoodles you must add the cream of tartar!
• Make sure that you’re not overmixing your cookie dough. This can make the cookie dough tough and cause the texture of the cookies to be a bit funky.
• These cookies should end up being puffier than normal snickerdoodles because the pumpkin pairing with the cream of tartar creates a puffy effect. 
• You can use dark brown sugar in place of light brown sugar.

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Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Recipe

These pumpkin spice coated cookies are great for the fall and are easy to freeze!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 22 servings

Calories 152kcal

Author Dorothy Kern

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
• ⅓ cup (81g ) pumpkin puree
• ½ cup (100g ) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (50g ) packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 ⅔ cups (206g) all-purpose flour

For the coating:

• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookies sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats.
• Add butter, pumpkin, granulated sugar and brown sugar to a large bowl. Mix until creamed, using a hand mixer or stand mixer.
• Add egg yolk, vanilla, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until combined then mix in flour until just mixed.
• Stir together sugar and pumpkin pie spice for coating. Scoop 2-tablespoon size balls and roll in spiced sugar.
• Place cookies onto cookies sheets, 2-inches apart. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until puffy and slightly cracked and no longer glossy on top. Cool before removing from pan.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are an easy pumpkin cookie recipe perfect for fall! They’re soft cookies coated in pumpkin spice and they freeze well!

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars meet caramel in these soft Caramel Cookie Bars! These bars have a layer of soft and gooey caramel baked in the center, so every bite is a pure heaven. These are gooey, rich, and delicious – a favorite recipe that everyone loves.

Where do I start with these cookie bars? There are so many things to love about them – they are from-scratch chocolate chip cookie bars stuffed with caramel that bake up into about the most perfect cookie bar ever. Chocolate and caramel fans: this one’s for you!

• My chocolate chip cookie recipe is the best one in the world, period.
• Made into chocolate chip cookie bars, it’s even EASIER to make
• Soft and gooey caramel center throughout makes these amazing – and the caramel has the perfect thickness due to my secret tip.

How to Make Caramel Cookie Bars

1. Butter: Like many of my chocolate chip cookie recipes, I star this one with melted unsalted butter. Omit salt if using salted butter.
2. Sugar: Use a combination of granulated sugar and packed brown sugar.
3. Salt: Needed if using unsalted butter. You can also add some kosher or sea salt to finish the bars – make them salted caramel cookie bars!
4. All-Purpose Flour: Be sure to measure it correctly. We’ll use this in the cookies and in the caramel layer.
5. Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are what I used but you can use your favorite.
6. Before we get to the steps, let’s talk caramels because they are not all created equal. I’ve tested all kinds of caramels for this recipe and have a few options to share so you can make the best caramel filling.
   These caramel cookie bars work best with Chewy Werther’s, Kraft Squares, or you can also use Kraft Bits. These types melt like a dream and have the best texture in the bars. I used Werther’s Originals Chewy Caramels.
7. You can also use homemade or store bought caramel sauce, but don’t skip the flour or the caramel center will be too runny.

Dorothy’s Expert Tips

• For some texture and extra flavor, sometimes I mix some chopped nuts into the dough. Chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, or peanuts would work great! 
• For a chocolate twist in the filling, add some chocolate chips to the caramel filling. Once you’ve poured the caramel mixture over the dough, sprinkle some chocolate chips over the top – dark, milk, semi-sweet, or white chocolate chips all work.
• To make salted caramel bars: when you combine the caramels and cream, add a teaspoon of sea salt or kosher salt.
• If you don’t have a microwave, you can melt the caramels in a pan on the stove over medium-low heat. Just stir until the caramels have melted into the cream.
• You know caramel cookie bars are done when the top is golden brown and only slightly jiggly in the center. All ovens bake differently, so if your bars brown too quickly on top, lower the oven temp to 325°F and/or tent the pan with foil.

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Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookie Bars Recipe

These Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are soft, gooey and so delicious! They are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth you have.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 24 servings

Calories 331kcal

Author Dorothy Kern

Cost $8

Ingredients

Cookie Bars:

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter melted
• ⅔ cup (134g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (200g) brown sugar packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups (372g) all-purpose flour
• 3 cups (510g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Filling:

• 1 10.8 ounce bag Werther’s Originals Chewy Caramels, unwrapped
• ⅓ cup (79ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon (8g) all-purpose flour

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil and spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place melted butter in a large bowl. Add granulated and brown sugars and stir until the mixture is smooth. You can use a mixer if you prefer but it’s easy to do by hand.
• Stir in eggs and vanilla extract, then stir in baking soda and salt. Slowly mix in 3 cups flour and stir just until the batter is smooth and comes together. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Press half the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Place caramels and cream in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high power for 1 minute, then stir until the cream mixes into the melted caramels, heating in additional 30 second increments until caramel is melted and smooth. You can also do this in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
• Stir remaining 1 tablespoon flour into the caramel. Pour caramel mixture over cookie dough in pan, leaving a small border around all the edges.
• Break off pieces of the remaining dough and flatten between your hands. Lay on the top of caramel. Continue until the entire pan is covered, pressing the edges to seal them together. The cookie dough won’t make a solid cover and a little of the caramel may peek through.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the bars are light golden around the edges and on top. Cool completely before slicing.

Video

Notes

• You can use any chewy caramel in this recipe (Werther’s or Kraft squares, or Kraft Caramel bits). I do not recommend using Werther’s Soft Caramels for this recipe.
• Feel free to add nuts to the cookie batter or add chocolate chips to the filling!
• All ovens bake differently. If you notice your bars browning too quickly, lower the oven temp to 325°F and/or tent the top with foil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 168mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 316IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg

How to Make Caramel Cookie Bars

1. Combine the melted butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl. Stir until the mixture is smooth. You can use a mixer, but it’s easy to mix by hand. Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract before stirring in the baking soda and salt.
2. Slowly stir in three cups of flour, mixing just until the batter comes together. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.
3. To make the caramel filling, place the unwrapped caramels and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat them on high power for one minute and then stir. Heat them again in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until the caramels melt and you have a smooth sauce. Once you have your smooth sauce, stir in one tablespoon of flour.
4. Press half the batter into the bottom of the prepared 9×13” baking pan.
5. Pour the caramel mixture over the dough in the baking pan. Leave a small border around the edge, like when you make gooey bars.
6. Break off pieces of the remaining dough and use your hands to flatten them. Place the pieces on top of the caramel in the pan, so the surface is covered. Press the edges of the dough to the bottom dough to seal. It’s okay if some caramel is peeking through the dough on top. It doesn’t need to be covered entirely.
7. Bake the bars for 30 to 35 minutes at 350°F, or until they are lightly golden around the edges and on top. Allow them to cool before slicing.

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The Crookie is one of the best viral recipe trends to hit the internet in a long while. Don’t roll your eyes at this – it’s absolutely delicious: a buttery croissant with chocolate chip cookies baked inside. It’s gooey and crunchy and soft and sweet and SO GOOD.

I believe the Crookie trend started in Paris but since then they’ve gone viral on TikTok. A Crookie is a combination of a cookie baked instead bakery style croissants – they’re EPIC! Cookie Croissants are all the rage – and for good reason.

Years ago I wrote a book called Dessert Mashups, back when the trends of marrying two different foods was super popular. Back then the hot commodity was a Cruffin (croissant muffin) and I did a full book inspired by them.

This viral cookie croissant is one of the best things I’ve eaten in awhile. The flaky croissant bakes with the cookie dough and gets crunchy and even more buttery. Whether you make them homemade or use semi-homemade hacks – do not skip making this viral cookie trend!

How to make the Viral Chocolate Chip Cookie Croissant

1. You’ll need croissants, and for this it’s best to use store bought. A store bought flaky croissant really has no substitute in this recipe – a grocery store usually has packs in the bakery section. This is actually a great use for day-old croissants – breathe sweet new life into them!
2. The best part about this recipe is that you can make as many as you want depending on what cookie dough you use.
3. You can make my homemade chocolate chip cookie dough (recipe below) OR use Pillsbury packaged cookie dough (any flavor). You can even use any kind of cookie dough, like my oatmeal cookies or peanut butter cookies. I used my small batch cookie recipe because I was making 8 croissants and didn’t want leftover cookie dough.
4. Cut the croissant in half with a serrated knife like you’re making a sandwich. Just add about a tablespoon worth of cookie dough in the center.
5. I also like spreading some on top and adding sprinkles (obviously).

Expert Tips for Making this Crookie Recipe

• If you use premade cookie dough, you’ll want to use about one break off cookie or about a tablespoon of dough for each.
• You can also use my chocolate chip cookie recipe to make a lot more croissants – the full cookie recipe will make at least 2 dozen.
• Be sure to use a pure butter croissant. Fresh croissants will work but day old are best.
• They’re done baking when the cookies are done and light golden brown.
• Use your favorite cookie dough recipe instead of my cookies – or use premade cookie dough, even dough you’ve frozen.

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Crookies Recipe

Croissants filled with cookies! A Crookie is a dessert mashup that’s so delicious – crispy and gooey and amazing.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8 crookies

Calories 408kcal

Author Dorothy Kern

Cost $5

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons (35g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅔ cup (82g) all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup (57g) chocolate chips
• 8 butter croissants (see notes)
• Sprinkles optional

***See Notes for Oatmeal Crookies

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Using a hand mixer, mix together butter with both sugars in a large bowl. Stir in egg yolk, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Slowly stir in flour. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Cut each croissant partially in half horizontally (so the halves are still stuck together).
• Scoop about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough into each croissant. Spread remaining dough on the tops of each evenly. Sprinkle with sprinkles, if desired.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes or until just no longer glossy and lightly golden around the bottom edges. Cool before eating.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

• You can use pre-made refrigerated cookie dough (logs or break apart) in any flavor in place of the cookie dough recipe.
• Most grocery stores sell butter croissants in the bakery section.
• Use half my oatmeal cookie recipe to make the Oatmeal Crookies; you’ll have some dough leftover.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 408kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 631IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 2mg

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Stir together the melted butter with the brown sugar and white sugar in a large mixing bowl.
2. Stir in egg yolk, vanilla, baking soda, and salt, then stir in all-purpose flour. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Cut croissants in half like you’re making a sandwich (but don’t go all the way through). Spread about a tablespoon or so of cookie dough inside the croissant and put a bit more on top.
4. Place on a baking tray and sprinkle with sprinkles if you want to use them, then bake until the cookies are golden brown.

Try using these to make the Viral Crookie Trend

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Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies are the best chocolate chip cookies with a soft caramel center and salted caramel topping. This is one of the best cookie recipes you’ll ever eat – soft and chewy and so delicious, made with simple ingredients.

I love cookies – especially my chocolate chip cookie recipe. I also love caramels and salted chocolate chip cookies, so I decided to combine the three together. These Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies have crisp edges and are stuffed with a soft caramel. Then I placed more caramels on top of the hot cookies, followed up with flaky sea salt.

The hint of salt with the sweetness of the cookie, chewy caramel, and the chocolate are an explosion of delicious flavor – the perfect balance. You’re going to love this easy recipe!

How to make Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. My best cookies all start with melted unsalted butter. I also use granulated sugar and brown sugar and all-purpose flour. Because they use melted butter they can be stirred right up in a large bowl. You can use an electric mixer if you want.
2. I use semisweet chocolate chips but you can use any kind you like: milk chocolate or even bittersweet chocolate.
3. Once you have your cookie dough, you’ll scoop balls of dough using a cookie scoop and place them on a prepared baking sheet. They may need to chill while you prepare the caramels.
4. Be sure to use soft caramels. I used Werther’s soft caramels which also come as chewy caramels so be sure to get the soft ones. Cut each in half to wrap inside each cookie dough ball.
5. Once the caramels are wrapped inside, you must chill the cookies for at least 30 minutes before baking.
6. Bake the cookies until light golden brown around the edges.
7. While the cookies are still hot, press additional pieces of the caramels onto the top of each cookie, then sprinkle with flaky or coarse sea salt.

Variations

• Use any kind of chocolate chips – dark chocolate chips would be fantastic!
• I do not recommend using Kraft caramel bits – they’re chewy, not soft.
• You can also use kosher salt to dust the tops.

Expert Tips

• For best results, be sure to press caramel pieces on top the warm cookies so they stick.
• I also often add extra chocolate chips on top the warm cookies.
• I cut each caramel piece into 4-6 little caramel pieces to press on top.
• If your dough has been chilling more than an hour, or if you’re baking from frozen, you may need to press the dough lightly with the palm of your hand to start it flattening.

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Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Chewy and soft chocolate chip cookies with gooey caramel and a touch of sea salt. They’re sweet, salty, and totally irresistible. These are the BEST cookie recipe ever!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Chill Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 20 cookies

Calories 218kcal

Author Dorothy Kern

Cost $5

Ingredients

• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups (170g) chocolate chips
• 20 soft caramels (see note)
• Flaky sea salt (for garnish)

Instructions

• Stir melted butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth.
• Stir in egg, vanilla, salt, and baking soda.
• Stir in flour until just mixed, then stir in chocolate chips.
• Scoop 2 tablespoon size cookie dough balls onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. No need to space; they need chilling.
• Chill about 10-15 minutes, or until you can handle the dough but it’s not hard. While chilling, prepare the caramels. Unwrap about 10 caramels (half of however many dough balls you have) and cut them in half.
• Once dough is cold enough to handle, press half a caramel into the center of each ball and wrap the dough around it. Make sure the caramel is completely covered.
• Chill dough again for a minimum of 30 minutes, up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Space cookies 2-3-inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake 10-15 minutes or until they are light golden brown around the edges and have lost their glossy sheen.
• While they’re cooking, cut remaining caramels into small pieces (about 4-6 pieces each).
• Press about 3 caramel pieces onto the tops of the hot cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Sprinkle hot cookies with sea salt. Let cool before removing from cookie sheets.

Video

Notes

• If you’ve chilled them longer than an hour or are baking from frozen you may need to press them with the palm of your hand a bit to get them to start spreading.
• You can freeze baked and cooled cookies or cookie dough balls in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Melt unsalted butter in a large bowl. Stir in both sugars until smooth, then stir in large egg, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt.
2. Stir in all-purpose flour then fold in chocolate chips.
3. Scoop 2 tablespoon balls of dough and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill 15 minutes, or until you can handle the dough.
4. Cut soft caramels in half and wrap one half in each cookie dough ball. Place back on cookie sheet and chill at least 30 minutes.
5. Bake cookies until light golden brown. Immediately press a few pieces of caramel on top hot cookies and sprinkle with salt.

Favorite Caramel Recipes

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Homemade Caramel

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Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

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Caramel Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Brownies & Bars

Fudgy Caramel Brownies

Strawberry Cookies that get their flavor from real strawberries (not strawberry cake mix) – these are soft and chewy strawberry cookies and you can make them all year long, not just during strawberry season!

When I set out to develop a Strawberry Cookies recipe, I didn’t realize how many times I’d have to try to get these absolutely perfect. Adding fruit to cookies can radically change the texture (hello, looking at you, pumpkin cookies) and so it takes a little bit of tweaking to get it perfect. I wanted them to be from scratch, not using a cake mix or strawberry jello, and I wanted them to be like drop sugar cookies with chewy texture on the edges and a soft center.

I tried making these with fresh strawberries, but the fresh berries just added too much water and made the cookies too much like a biscuit, so after some testing I settled on using freeze dried strawberries. They’re real fruit – just dehydrated. Using freeze dried fruit means you can make this strawberry cookie recipe all year – no waiting for strawberry season! These turned out to be the perfect light pink cookies with tons of flavor – you’re going to love them!

How to make Strawberry Cookies

1. First you need to turn the dehydrated berries into freeze-dried strawberry powder. You can do this using a food processor (don’t buy expensive freeze-dried strawberries; you can find them at most stores now in the snack aisle, even Walmart has a store brand). Process until they’re a fine powder, and then mix it in after adding the wet ingredients.
2. Use softened unsalted butter – no substitutes. These are essentially strawberry sugar cookies and good cookies need real butter.
3. If you can find it, you can add a bit of strawberry extract for more of a strong strawberry flavor.
4. These are drop cookies that do not need to be chilled; once you drop the strawberry cookie dough balls onto your cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, just bake until light golden and no longer glossy on top. I always use a cookie scoop – these were made with a 2-tablespoon size scoop.

Expert Tips

• Be sure to blend the freeze dried strawberries to a fine powder.
• I thought the color of the cookies was just perfect, but if you want them to be more of a vibrant pink, add a few drops of red or pink food coloring.
• For the perfect cookies, use a kitchen scale for baking – no guesswork with using measuring cups!
• You can add 1-1 1/2 cups of white chocolate chips to the cookies, like in my strawberry cake mix cookies.
• These cookies are done when they’re no longer glossy on top, have little cracks, and are light golden brown around the edges.

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Strawberry Cookies Recipe

Perfect strawberry cookies with tons of strawberry flavor in every bite using freeze dried strawberries. This is an easy recipe, freezable and so soft and chewy.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 32 minutes minutes

Servings 18 cookies

Calories 155kcal

Author Dorothy Kern

Cost $5

Ingredients

• 1 1 ounce package freeze-dried strawberries (approx. 28g)
• ¾ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 ¾ cups (217g) all-purpose flour

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Place freeze dried strawberries in a food processor and pulse until they’re a fine powder. A few small pieces is fine, but get as much into a powder as you can. Set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, 1-2 minutes (using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment).
• Mix in egg, salt, vanilla, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Then mix in the strawberry powder. Slowly mix in flour.
• Scoop 1-tablespooon or 2-tablespoon balls of cookie dough and place on cookie sheets, 2-inches apart. Roll between your palms to make them a nice cohesive ball.
• Bake approximately 10-14 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown and they’re no longer glossy on top.
• Cool slightly before removing from the pans.
• Store in an airtight container for several days or freeze for several months.

Video

Notes

• If you don’t have a food processor, add the strawberries to a resealable bag and
  seal all but one inch. Roll with a rolling pin until fine.
• You can add 1 ½ cups white chocolate chips or chocolate chips to the cookies.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

Step-by-Step Photos

1. Whisk dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt) and set aside.
2. Cream butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Use a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
3. Mix in egg and vanilla extract, then add freeze dried strawberry powder and flour mixture.
4. Scoop balls of dough and bake on a cookie sheet at 350°F.

4 ingredient Cool Whip Cookies are soft easy fluffy cookies made with cake mix! You can make this cookie recipe with any flavor of cake mix – they’re so simple to make and so delicious to eat. You’re going to never want to stop making them!

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Cool Whip Cookies Recipe

Cool Whip Cookies are an easy cake mix cookie recipe with just 4 ingredients! They're simple crackle cookies that taste so good – use any flavor mix you want!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 20 cookies

Calories 111kcal

Author Dorothy Kern

Cost $6

Ingredients

• 1 box cake mix, any flavor (approx. 15 ounces, for a 9×13-inch cake)
• 1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup (57g) Powdered sugar, for rolling

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Add cake mix, cool whip, and egg to a large bowl. Mix using a hand mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) until smooth. Mixture will be very sticky.
• Add powdered sugar to a small bowl. Scoop 1-tablespoon or 2-tablespoon cookie dough balls and roll into the sugar and then place 3-inches apart on cookie sheet.
• These cookies will spread – the large ones will get larger, so I recommend using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop.
• Bake for about 8-14 minutes, depending on size, until the tops are cracked and the cookies are no longer glossy on top (sides and bottoms of lighter cookies will be light golden brown).
• Cool before removing from the cookie sheets. These will stick to the parchment or silicone so be sure to use a spatula to remove them.
• Store in an airtight container for several days or freeze for several months.

Video

Notes

• This recipe will make approximately 20 2-tablespoon size cookies
• Be sure they’re cooked all the way so they firm up – if they’re under done they taste delicious but will be more fragile.
• You can use any flavor cake mix as long as it’s for a 9×13-inch pan size cake.
• Add up to 1 ½ cups chopped nuts or chocolate chips (any flavor or kind) to the dough before baking, if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 182mg | Potassium: 19mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Add egg, cake mix, and whipped topping to a large bowl.
2. Mix with a mixer until a thick sticky dough forms.
3. Add powdered sugar to a medium bowl. Roll cookie dough balls in powdered sugar.
4. Place cookies 2-3 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven.
5. Cool before removing from pans.

Favorite Cake Mix Recipes

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Easy Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake

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