Red Velvet Pizookie

A warm, soft and chewy red velvet cookie, loaded with melty white chocolate chips and pockets of luscious cream cheese frosting!

Happy LAST day of January, everybody!

Does anyone else feel instantly happier once January is over? It always feels like the longest, drabbest month of the year, so when February hits, there’s definitely a little more pep in my step.

Another reason to be excited about the beginning of February is the fact that Valentine’s Day is exactly 14 days away. Most importantly, it also means that 50% off Valentine’s candy is 15 days away–hooray!! While chocolate-covered strawberries usually come to mind when people think of Valentine’s Day sweets, I can’t help but think of red velvet due to all of the bright red decor. It’s also a part of the chocolate family, which makes it perfect for Valentine’s Day!

So with that being said, I knew I had to get at least one red velvet treat in before the holiday was over…

This Red Velvet Pizookie might not be the most romantic dessert to make for your loved one, but I can pretty much guarantee they’ll fall in love with you all over again after the first heavenly bite.

There’s really nothing as comforting as a warm, ooey gooey cookie BRIMMING with melty white chocolate chips. And when you get that delicious hint of cocoa along with the luscious pockets of cream cheese frosting, life could not get any better.

The great thing about pizookies (also known as skillet cookies) is that they’re much less labor-intensive than making up a regular batch of cookies. Everything is baked up in one beautiful skillet, and the texture is truly incomparable. Every single bite is delectably doughy, and you don’t have to worry about dry, crunchy edges. It’s a win-win!

Now, let’s talk dough, shall we? To give this pizookie the perfect flavor balance of chocolate and vanilla that red velvet is known for, I only added 1/4 cup of cocoa powder. There’s a fine line between chocolate and red velvet, and if you add too much cocoa, then you’ll just end up with a chocolate cookie. It’s also worth noting that the more cocoa powder you add, the darker the dough gets, thus making it more difficult to tint the dough red.

Speaking of, I used Wilton’s gel food coloring to dye the dough. I found that this particular food coloring was the most concentrated, thus helping to achieve that beautiful bold red hue with less food coloring.

Although this dough is loaded with delicious white chocolate chips, I also incorporated some white chocolate instant pudding mix into the dough. Not only does it boost the flavor, but it also creates that supremely soft texture we all adore.

Now let’s move onto the undeniably mouthwatering cream cheese frosting…

Since red velvet is NEVER complete without its delicious counterpart, cream cheese frosting, I added dollops of cream cheese frosting all throughout the dough. It’s just your standard recipe made with butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.

To ensure that the frosting didn’t just melt into the cookie dough while baking, I scooped teaspoonfuls out onto a plate and placed them in the freezer for about 30 minutes until solid.When it was time to bake, I pressed half of the cookie dough into the skillet, then evenly spaced the frozen frosting dollops on top, and then pressed the remaining dough on top. To ensure that everything was covered, I took a portion of dough, flattened it between my palms, then laid it on top, piecing the dough together almost like a puzzle.

When it comes to pizookies, the level of doneness may vary. In my opinion, the perfect pizookie has soft-baked, slightly chewy outer edges and a mostly gooey, underbaked center. I took my pizookie out of the oven at exactly 28 minutes. The perimeter should look firm, and the center should have that glossy, not quite baked look.

Immediately after removing the pizookie from the oven, I always sprinkle some extra chocolate chips on top for “prettiness” purposes. It’s also the perfect excuse to add more chocolate! The reason I do this AFTER baking rather than before is because the chocolate chips tend to burn as the pizookie bakes in the oven. When they’re added just after baking, the residual heat makes them soft and melty!

Now that your pizookie is baked and out of the oven, you have two options. You can either wait 10-15 minutes to slice into it, if you want more of a “waterfall effect” from the cream cheese frosting. Or, you can wait 45 minutes, if you prefer thick pockets of cream cheese. It’s totally up to you! Whatever option you choose, make sure to top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, so that you’re able to get the FULL blissful experience!

A warm, soft and chewy red velvet cookie, loaded with melty white chocolate chips and pockets of luscious cream cheese frosting!

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Ingredients

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
2 Tablespoons cream cheese softened
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Red Velvet Dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter softened
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon red food coloring (I used Wilton's gel colors)
1 (3.56 oz) package instant white chocolate pudding mix (dry)
¾ cup white chocolate chips plus more for topping

Instructions

Make the Frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and salt together until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla, followed by the powdered sugar, mixing until fluffy.
Spoon teaspoon-sized dollops of the frosting onto a wax paper-lined plate. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.

Make the Dough:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add in both sugars and mix on high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until combined. Add the vanilla and red food coloring. Then stir in the pudding mix.
With mixer set on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture into the wet mixture until everything has been incorporated. Stir in the white chocolate chips.
Press half of the dough into the skillet. Place the frozen frosting dollops evenly over the dough. Cover with the remaining dough by pressing portions of dough between your palms, then piecing them together on top of the frosting dollops. Make sure all of the frosting is covered.
Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center looks glossy and not quite done. Pizookie will continue to bake as it cools. Immediately press more white chocolate chips into the top of the pizookie.
Wait at least 30 minutes before slicing into the cookie.* Slice and serve with a scoop of ice cream!

Notes

*You can either wait 10-15 minutes to slice into it, if you want more of a "waterfall effect" from the cream cheese frosting. Or, you can wait 45 minutes, if you prefer thick pockets of cream cheese. It's totally up to you!

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