Pink Velvet Cookies
Thick, buttery strawberry cookies made with cake mix, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles. The pink color comes from the strawberry cake mix, so no food coloring is needed. Enjoy them plain, or finish them with an optional pink buttercream.
Servings: 12
Calories: 247kcal
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 oz) strawberry cake mix
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup Valentine’s Day sprinkles plus more for topping
Optional Pink Buttercream (enough for 12 cookies)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, or 4 tablespoons, softened
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon freeze-dried raspberry powder or 1–2 drops pink food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the melted, slightly cooled butter, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Mix the Dough. Stir in the strawberry cake mix until combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips and Valentine's Day sprinkles.
- Shape and Decorate. Scoop approximately 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Roll into balls, place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets, and lightly flatten. Press additional chips and sprinkles onto the tops.
- Bake and Cool. Bake for 11–12 minutes, checking at 11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Optional Pink Buttercream
- Beat the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined.
- Add 1 tablespoon of milk or cream, the vanilla, and the raspberry powder or food coloring. Beat until fluffy. Add the second tablespoon only if the frosting is too stiff to spread.
- Spread or pipe a small amount on each cooled cookie.
Notes
- Cake Mix: Use a 15.25-ounce strawberry cake mix.
- No Chilling: No chilling is required. Scoop and bake right away.
- Baking Time: Start checking for doneness around 11 minutes.
- Sprinkles: A little color bleeding from the sprinkles is normal.
- Storage: Store unfrosted cookies airtight for up to 4 days. Store frosted cookies in a single layer, airtight, at room temperature for up to 2 days, with parchment between any layers, or refrigerate them in a warm kitchen for 4–5 days and let them sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes before eating. Freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 2 months and frost after thawing. Frosted cookies can be frozen, but the frosting may weep or soften.
- Frosting Amount: The batch covers all 12 cookies with a light spread or small swirl. Double the recipe for a thick swirl on every cookie.
- Milk or Cream: Milk makes a lighter, easier-to-spread frosting with a sweet-butter flavor. Cream makes it richer, silkier, and a little thicker, so it holds a swirl better, but it can soften in a warm kitchen. Start with 1 tablespoon of either.
- Raspberry Powder or Food Coloring: Raspberry powder adds raspberry flavor and pink color, while food coloring adds only color. Both taste great.
- Nutrition: Nutrition information is for an unfrosted cookie.
Nutrition
Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 520IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 0.1mg