Your heart is going to beat for these beets! Whether you are a first time beet eater or a beet connoisseur, are going to love these red velvet cookies and the beets hiding inside of them.
I first developed this recipe years ago. I was in the mood for red velvet but was frustrated that I could only find recipes dependent upon food coloring for the rich red color. I knew there had to be a more natural way to get that beautiful red color. Viola, beets! Thanks to these delicious beets, there is no food coloring in these healthy cookies.
After developing this recipe, I was so excited about it that I told everyone I was going to start a food truck business and drive around the city selling my new vegan red velvet cookies with beets. That is how much I loved them. Unfortunately, that project never got off the ground (nor did my other great business idea, Pooper Towels, but that is another story). I am happy I get to share it with you now! If you only try one of my recipes, this should be the one (however you should try all of Lu’s; she is a wizard).
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What Makes these Soft and Rich Red Velvet Cookies so Special?
Each cookie is packed full of delicious, nutritious beets! Put that food coloring away. Or better yet, throw it away! This vegan, red velvet cookie recipe does not have food coloring. Wouldn’t you rather be 100% certain of what you are eating instead of mixing in some mystery dye? There is no food coloring in this red velvet cookie recipe.
Beets are low in calories but high in fiber, folate, and vitamin C. They can help lower blood pressure, fight inflammation, and digestion. Check out the research on beets here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-beets
The texture of these cookies is also one of a kind. They have the chewy, soft, fluffiness of cake, but they have the stability of a cookie. Dip it, dunk it, or juggle it (then give me a call and tell me how you learned to do that), because this cookie has stability.
We use maple syrup and all of its yummy extra nutrients. While that substitute doesn’t always work, we are happy it does for this recipe. Maple syrup is still a sugar, so it should still be consumed in moderation. Check out Healthline’s thoughts on maple syrup vs refined sugar here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/maple-syrup. However if you prefer granulated sugar, we included the notes for that option as well.
Vegan option. With a couple easy tweaks, this soft and rich red velvet cookie recipe is vegan friendly. The batch photographed in this blog are from the vegan track, but both options taste delicious. We included both variations in the recipe below.

A Few Notes:
- Boil your beets! Submerge your beet in a pot of water and boil for 20-30 minutes. Once you can stick a fork in it, they are done (maybe beets are what inspired that expression).
- The secret to the beets is blending them. The last thing you want to do is find chunks of beets in your cookies. I use a nutribullet when blending them (not an ad, just a fact), but you could probably also use a strong blender. Whichever method you choose, just make sure they are thoroughly blended.
- The butter and the maple syrup like to try separating if you let it sit. So add the beets immediately after mixing.
- Use a hand mixer. It does a better job mixing the butter and syrup than your kitchen aide (quick hello to my grandma who bought me this beautiful hand mixer, thank you!).
- This dough is sticky and stable. Unlike other cookies, they will not expand or flatten significantly when baking. The shape you put in the oven is the shape you get out.
- Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.


Beet Variations:
There are many different ways to make these cookies.
- Plain cookies. No special additions or cut outs, just follow the recipe to success. This is my husband’s preferred cookie option. He thinks they are perfectly sweet without any special additions.
- Powder sugar – lightly dust your cookies with powder sugar once your cookies have cooled.
- Cut outs! Sugar cookies aren’t the only cookie that you can bake into fun shapes. First bake this recipe is a 13x9in pan. Let cool for 10-15 minutes. Then use cookie cutters to cut your cookies into fun shapes. We used hearts for Valentine’s Day (elementary, my dear).
- Add chocolate chips! After mixing the wet and dry ingredients, add 1 cup of chocolate chips. This is my preferred variation; I can never say no to chocolate chips. I use dark chocolate chips – but that is up to you!
- Frosting. We don’t have our own frosting recipe (yet), but we would recommend: https://fitfoodiefinds.com/healthy-cream-cheese-frosting/, or https://sugarspunrun.com/cream-cheese-frosting/, or https://thedomesticrebel.com/2016/11/01/the-best-red-velvet-cake-with-boiled-frosting/.
- COMBINATION – chocolate chips AND frosting. I recommend this option only for professional sugar eaters because it is sweeeeet. But I would be lying if I said I hadn’t done it myself once or five times.

If you love this vegan, sugar substituted, red velvet cookie without food coloring and are looking for another yummy snack, check out our Guilt Free, All-Natural, Healthy Banana Bread Bonanza: http://ifyougiveagirlanoven.com/guilt-free-all-natural-healthy-banana-bread-bonanza/.
<3 Meu
Hi! I have a question about the Red Velvet with beets cookies… do you think I could substitute drained, canned beets? I love beets and the recipe sounds yummy, but I have canned beets on hand. Thanks!
I have never tried making them with canned beets, but I think it would work perfectly! As long as they blend well, you should be good to go. Great idea!
Hi I was wondering if I can substitute with Hersey unsweetened cocoa powder since I don’t have any cocoa powder and should I use baking powder or baking soda so the cookies will not turned brown but be red after the cookies are baked? Thanks
Herseys unsweetened cocoa powder should work perfectly. I recommend using baking powder for these cookies. Let me know how they turn out! I hope you love these cookies as much as I do!