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Vegan Chewy Valentine’s Day Red Velvet

Vegan Chewy Valentine’s Day Red Velvet Cookies Recipe

Soft, chewy red velvet cookies with a melty white-chocolate peanut-butter heart — totally vegan, totally romantic, and honestly kind of dangerous when you have a box of them on the counter.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 171
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • For the cookies
  • 4 tbsp 56 g vegan butter, softened (I like plant-butter sticks for structure)
  • 1/3 cup 67 g granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp aquafaba chickpea can liquid or 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water (mixed 5 minutes)
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vegan red food coloring or beet powder for natural color
  • 0.6 cup 75 g all-purpose flour (King Arthur or similar)
  • 2.5 tbsp 7.5 g unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp fine salt
  • For the decoration vegan hearts
  • 6 vegan white chocolate peanut-butter hearts — homemade or store-bought. See note below on how to make them vegan at home.
  • Bold tip: If you can’t find vegan white chocolate hearts melt vegan white chocolate chips and spoon into a heart silicone mold, then press a little dollop of peanut butter into each before refrigerating.

Equipment

  • Baking sheet lined with parchment paper
  • Mixing bowls (one medium, one small)
  • Electric mixer or sturdy whisk
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Sifter (for cocoa and flour)
  • Spatula and cookie scoop or hands for rolling
  • Wire rack for cooling
  • FYI: You don’t need a stand mixer. I mix these by hand sometimes and they still turn out delicious.

Method
 

  1. Preheat and prep
  2. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Get your workspace ready so the dough doesn’t sit and get too warm.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar
  4. In a medium bowl, beat the softened vegan butter and sugar until light and a bit fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. That whipped texture helps give the cookies a tender crumb.
  5. Add aquafaba/flax, vanilla, and red coloring
  6. Add aquafaba (or the flax mixture), vanilla, and red food coloring. Mix until the dough takes on a consistent red hue. If the color looks shy, add a little more — Valentine’s Day energy requires commitment.
  7. Sift dry ingredients
  8. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sifting removes lumps and helps the dry ingredients distribute evenly.
  9. Combine gently
  10. Add the dry mix to the wet bowl and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix. The dough should come together into a cohesive, slightly sticky mass.
  11. Shape the cookies
  12. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and roll each into a smooth ball. If you like sparkle, roll the balls in a little extra sugar before placing them on the sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
  13. Bake
  14. Bake 10–12 minutes, until the edges set but the centers still look slightly soft. The cookies look a bit underdone; they firm up as they cool. Remove from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
  15. Press the vegan heart
  16. After about 10 minutes of cooling (when cookies are warm but not hot), gently press one vegan white-chocolate peanut-butter heart into each cookie. The residual warmth softens the chocolate so it nests into the center. For best results, refrigerate 30 minutes to let the hearts set and the cookies firm up.
  17. Serve
  18. Let the cookies return to room temperature a little before serving for the best chew. Try not to eat them all in one sitting. (Yes, I said try.
  19. How to make vegan white-chocolate peanut-butter hearts (quick)
  20. Melt 1/2 cup vegan white chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave (15-sec bursts).
  21. Spoon a small amount into silicone heart molds, add a small dollop (1/2 tsp) of smooth peanut butter, then top with more melted chocolate.
  22. Chill until set, then pop out. Simple and better than buying questionable candies.
  23. IMO, homemade hearts taste fresher and make you look like a pro.

Notes

Nutrition & calories (friendly estimate)

You gave 1025 kcal for the batch; I kept that number and broke it down: ~171 kcal per cookie. That estimate fits the ingredient list. If you swap different sugars or butters, the total may shift a bit. Add toppings and the calories rise accordingly.